In his first trip to the NBA Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, seven assists and 6.8 rebounds, but the Celtics came up short. 1979-80 Bird 1980-81 Bird 1981-82 Bird 1982-83 Bird 1983-84 Bird 1984-85 Bird 1985-86 Bird 1986-87 Bird 1987-88 Bird 1988-89 Bird 1989-90 Bird 1990-91 Bird 1991-92 Bird 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 82 82 77 79 79 80 82 74 76 6 75 60 45. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. There are so many different titles that Bird has.
My favorite quotes about Larry Bird - CelticsBlog The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 198384 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The Rockets fought back to win handily in game 5 at home but the Celtics closed out the series in game 6 in the Boston Garden to take their third title of the Bird era.
Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 0:49. Houston Rockets 4-2, who would briefly play with Bird later in his career, the greatest non-final series in NBA history, Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. Unlike some of the other players that have gone down in NBA History, Larry didnt leave his team whatsoever. The Celtics blew out Houston in game 5 behind a big effort from Cedric Maxwell and then took a big lead and held on to win in game 6. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984.
Julius Erving | Biography, Stats, & Facts | Britannica That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history.
LeBron James' teams have met or exceeded expectations in NBA Finals Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. He averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game across his three seasons, winning Naismith College Player of the Year in 1979. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Funny story about that series, Boston was actually down 3-1 entering Game 5, and Bird ended up dropping 32, 25 and 23 points in each of those games to rally off three straight wins and advance his team to the Finals. The league had changed the Finals homecourt schedule to the 2-3-2 format that year, allowing the team with the lesser record (LA) to host the middle three games. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. The Rockets swept the Sacramento Kings in round 1, then took six games to get by a fun Denver Nuggets team starring Alex English and Fat Lever. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. Right, Born: Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. Atlanta Hawks 4-1, 1986 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def.
Celtics-Lakers Rivalry | Basketball Wiki | Fandom This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. The games were not much closer than the series itself. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Take a look below. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. Three seasons later, the Celtics were in the finals again and this time they faced the Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson for the first time. Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. That might seem unbelievable this is coming from a man who famously asked his Three-Point Contest peers who was coming in second but it largely fits within Birds character. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half.
Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series - Reddit Coming off the back of a disappointing loss to the Lakers in the finals, many people saw Bird taking a step back going into the 1985-86 season. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. Celtics Starters: Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. It featured the first time that Larry Bird met Magic Johnson in the NBA Finals, their first head-to-head championship meeting since the 1979 NCAA title game. Maybe you lived through the glory days of the 1980s Celtics but you cant quite remember how Bird got his rings. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. Karl Malone believes LeBrons greatness is there to appreciate, not to hate. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. When discussing his legacy with Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Hampshire Gazette), Bird didnt take much time to sing his own praises. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . At the risk of boring you with a list of his all-time accomplishments, well run through an abbreviated version of Birds body of work. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. In Game 2, the Lakers led 113-111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, "Here Are Some Final Facts on NBA Playoffs", Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1984_NBA_Finals&oldid=1141615206, 20th century in Los Angeles County, California, Basketball competitions in Inglewood, California, May 1984 sports events in the United States, June 1984 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, No. The first two meetings of the season between Cleveland and Boston took OT, but the Celtics were able to sneak a 117-113 win at home. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. How many games did Larry Bird field goal miss a season due to injury? Before the season began, the Lakers traded long-time guard Norm Nixon to the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to Byron Scott. Amazing! Despite a back injury in the 1985 offseason, Bird averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebound and 6.8 assists per game and for the third straight season, the Celtics finished top of the Eastern Conference. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. Those other two times? Bird also won Finals MVP in 1986 when he scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and had 2.7 steals per game. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. Larry led the team to a Game 7 victory while averaging 26-13-5, putting up a great stat line of 23-11-5 with 5 steals in the deciding Game 7. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. He shone as a head coach and executive for the Indiana Pacers; in fact, hes the only man in history to win Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. The Celtics then took the series lead for the first time by winning Game 5 but the thoroughbred Lakers sent the series to a Game 7 with their own double-digit win. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. Or write about sports? us, College: Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. Birds missed game winner in game four turned out to be vital in the series as the Lakers did not let their 3-1 lead slip, winning the series in six games. This struggle did not deter Bird.
Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography larry bird finals record - josieya This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior.
1984 NBA Finals - Wikipedia The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. One of the most feared competitors during the 1980s was Larry Bird, who won three championships with the Celtics during the decade, destroying teams through his versatile style and killer, lights-out shooting. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. This was a fantastic series overall. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. How to say Basketball in different languages? The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. Houston had gone 40-42 in the 1980-81 regular season compared to Boston's 62-20 season under second-year Celtics sensation Larry Bird you may have heard of him. As for their averages, Johnson posted 20.7 points, 13.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game in their head-to-head matchups in the Finals compared to Bird's 25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? . It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. October 9, 2019. Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing.
Larry Bird News, Biography, NBA Records, Stats & Facts - Sportskeeda Amazing! Some of the greats Bird defeated in the playoffs include Moses Malone, Julius Dr. He was still one to wear what he wanted, enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and, in this case, refuse to hype up his own accomplishments. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. Julius Erving, in full Julius Winfield Erving II, byname Doctor J, (born February 22, 1950, Roosevelt, New York, U.S.), American collegiate and professional basketball player who was one of the most colourful and exciting figures in the game during the 1970s and '80s. Some of Johnson's notable performances against Bird: As for some of Bird's notable performances against Johnson: Johnson and Bird played against each other 19 times in the playoffs over the course of three NBA Finals. They were the thoroughbreds, we were the Clydesdales., It was a very physical series, and thats exactly what we wanted because we knew thats the only way we could beat those guys. The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102. more information Accept. In terms of individual honors, he won the 1979-80 Rookie of the Year title, claimed three MVP crowns, and earned two NBA Finals MVP nods. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. FTA complete back to 1948-49. Find out more.
Larry Bird: Career retrospective | Yardbarker Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success.