If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. Nevertheless, it is rare to see a player dominate in so many areas of the game, theres no wonder why the Celtics made multiple deep playoff runs. The Celtics stayed unbeaten all-time in home Game 7s with a clear cut 111-102 victory. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. The teams traded games throughout the series. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. us, College: They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. The following season, the Celtics did end up losing to the Philadelphia 76ers after winning their first-round series against the Washington Bullets (what a team name!). And they werent. Atlanta Hawks 4-1, 1986 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. M.L. Carr on Lakers vs. Celtics 1984 Finals being epic - Basketball 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. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Bird's Boston Celtics won the NBA championship three times during his career (1981 and '86 vs. the Houston Rockets, '84 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers), and Bird won Finals MVP in '84 and '86. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. Its pretty easy to forget how many times Bird has been in the NBA Finals with all of the many accolades and unbelievably, but true, stories about him. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. How to say Basketball in different languages? The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. J Erving, The Sixers swept a weak Indiana Pacers team in round 1 (2-0) then went seven games to defeat a tough Milwaukee Bucks team starring Bob Lanier, Marques Johnson and. He averaged 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the series. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. . 2022-23 Season Schedule; The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. 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. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. It's an era thing. 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. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. Meanwhile, the Clydesdales, AKA the Celtics, were coming off a season where they went 56-26 and were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in round 2 of the playoffs. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. larry bird finals record - josieya In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. Former Celtics player M.L. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. By: HoopsHype. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. Now, the explanation. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. Im not a guy that talks about my past because I always look to the future, but you really sit down and look at it, Ive been involved in a lot, its pretty nice, the forward simply explained. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. His career was cut dramatically short by injury. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. 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. 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. If you are interested in Larry Bird Championships, you might be interested in checking out some of these posts I have written about Larry Legend. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. How Did The Legendary Rivalry of Magic Johnson And Larry Bird Turned FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. Chicago Bulls 4-1, 1981 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Some of the greats Bird defeated in the playoffs include Moses Malone, Julius Dr. As with many teams in the 1990s, the Pacers were stopped by the Chicago Bulls, losing the series in seven games as the Bulls did not lose a home game in the series. You have to really understand the circumstances in each Finals run and see how he ended up with the record that he has right now. MUMBAI, India Twenty-seven years after Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and the "Dream Team" made the world fall in love with the game of basketball in 1992, India showed its adoration for the Boston Celtics great during the first NBA India Games last week. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. Your email address will not be published. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. In 1986, they failed a third straight NBA Finals meeting (it was later accomplished 31 years later by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors), as the Lakers were eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Houston Rockets. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . With a new head coach in KC Jones and plenty of uncertainties, Carr said their motto for the season was Dont be denied. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. The next year, the NBA Finals switched to the 2-3-2 format with Game 5 going to the team without home-court advantage, which continued through 2013. After . Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. Michael Cooper Explains What Made Larry Bird 'Larger Than Life' - MSN They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Bird outscored Dr. J 26.7 to 19.9 ppg in the series, led all players in rebounds and was second on Boston in assists. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. 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 series was full of things like that., We knew that we had to physically beat them because they had never played that kind of game. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. What surprises me more, though, is that former NBA player, 38-year-old JJ Redick, can't admit that the NBA of the 1980s was more physical than the game played today.. Nearly two weeks ago, Redick caused a stir by saying Bird shouldn't be considered . Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. Reliving the almost-perfect championship series stint authored by Larry