Fitch went on to say that Mangurians decision to sell the team was the backbreaker and that he would have reconsidered his resignation had the team not been put up for sale. "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. He stayed loyal to the Celtics throughout his entire career and they were the team that reaped the benefits of his five NBA Finals appearances and three NBAchampionships. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. 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. Magics Michigan State team won the game 75-64, preventing Bird from winning a title for Indiana State. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . Games. Exclusive Q&A with former Charlotte star Cornbread Maxwell | Charlotte On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. The series was the eighth time in NBA history that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA finals, with Boston winning each time, and the first championship that the Celtics claimed at home since 1966. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. After . Bird only averaged 15 points per game throughout the series but he did drop a series high 27 points in Game 6 to officially send the Rockets packing, as Bird won his first chip. 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. Larry Bird is 6-9. 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. 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. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. This series was a rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic JohnsonLarry Bird pair entering the league. Is it tied to championships? This included a Game six victory where a hostile Boston crowd booed Ralph Sampson, sapping his confidence to the point he only had 8 points on 3-12 shooting. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson | Stathead.com The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? However, this was not the case. However, this changed in the 1979 season when Birds Indiana State qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. 1984 NBA Finals - Wikipedia Its surprising that he wasnt able to win at least one more, though three championships nowadays is something that is wildly difficult to do, its no feat to be taken lightly. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. 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. Bird averaged 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the regular season as the Celtics once again topped the eastern conference. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. Larry Bird is one of the few basketball players in history that are widely recognized even by people who dont even know the sport. Legends profile: Larry Bird | NBA.com Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. The 86 Celts, in the conversation for the greatest team of all time, defeated Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player of all time, in the first round. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. Larry Bird: Career retrospective | Yardbarker If you were wondering about his career numbers while we wrap this up, he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. FTA complete back to 1948-49. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. The Knicks had slipped past a young Detroit Pistons team featuring Kelly Tripucka, Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer in five games in the first round. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Jayson Tatum passed Larry Bird for the most 30 point games Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. The Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell who had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as they came away with a 111-102 victory. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones' record set in 1965. We present them here for purely educational purposes. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. The 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. What is Larry Bird's record in the NBA finals? - Quora Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. This was the Celtics' first appearance in The Finals since their 1976 championship winning team against the Phoenix Suns.The Celtics were not quite the same team as five years before, as they added the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, a trio that would come to be known as "The Big Three." M. L. Carr, Cedric Maxwell, and Nate Archibald were also capable players off the . Regardless, Johnson and Bird are widelyregarded as beingtwo of thegreatest players to have ever played the gameand they made for one of the greatest rivalries, one that will never be forgotten. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. Maxwell later claimed he said something like that but not quite so family friendly. 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. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. The expected CelticsLakers finals, however, never happened. Small Forward and Power Forward Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. I wrote about his record in the NBA Finals here. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. 0:00. 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. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. It seemed like it should be an easy series for the Celtics, with game one and two victories by double digits, but the Knicks home crowd helped their team to win all their series home games. After the game a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. It was the beginning of one of the most legendary basketball rivalries in the history of the NBA, with Bird and Magic Johnson facing off against each other for the first time.