We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. In 1981, 1984 and 1986, it was Bird who led the Boston Celtics to championships, with him taking home two Finals MVP awards. Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. The Celtics did not warm up with their sweat pants on because of extreme heat, and an oxygen tank was provided to give air to an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Larry Bird | Net Worth, Salary, And Career Earnings The Indiana-born was the highest-paid rookie of the year, with $3.25 million an average of $650,000 a year in a 5-year contract with the Celtics.Bird had played 879 games in his career until his retirement in 1992.. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. Magics Michigan State team won the game 75-64, preventing Bird from winning a title for Indiana State. In this first iconic matchup, eight Hall of Famers saw play. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. "Wilt . The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. 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. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. Karl Malone believes LeBrons greatness is there to appreciate, not to hate. Isn't 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7 assists per game one of the coolest statlines for an NBA playoff series ever?A quote from Larry Bird's book "Drive" co. 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. Boston finished with a 62-20 regular season record and got their revenge on the Bucks, whom they beat 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics and the Lakers are the two most storied franchises in the NBA, and the rivalry has often been called the greatest in the NBA. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. 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. Bird, who was selected 6th in the 1978 NBA draft but committed back to Indiana State for his senior season, was named Rookie of the Year after leading the Celtics to a 32-game turnaround from the previous year, going from 29 to 61 wins. Unfortunately, the team was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and they were sent home. During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. Is it tied to championships? 2 NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) 3 NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986) . This site is a participant in the Impact Affiliate Platform which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Fanatics.com . In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: A member of the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound club: 2,850 points and 1,247 rebounds Indiana State's all . I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. Larry Bird Net Worth. Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. 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. 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. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. Larry Joe Bird. Amazing! I am fully convinced that anyone under the age of 40 will never admit Larry Bird was a better player than Stephen Curry. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. I wrote about his underrated defense here. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. Another book that demonstrated the competitive drive amongst athletes was, Magic/ Bird written by Eric Simonson. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. 1984: Larry Bird: Boston Celtics: No stats available. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first championship meeting between old rivals Boston and Los Angeles since 1969. In the 198384 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. Find out more. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Larry, to his credit, was phenomenal. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? There were three Larry Bird championships with the Boston Celtics: in 1981, 1984 and 1986. Do you have a blog? 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. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. Boston won two close ones to start the series before Washington stole game three by 3 points. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. After that the series was all Lakers, they won four of the next five games to end the series in six and hand Larry his first Finals loss. 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. After . 1983: Moses Malone: C: It's an era thing. 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. 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. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. Do you have a sports website? Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. The Bulls lost Michael Jordan for most of this season to a foot injury and they were mostly terrible, finishing 4th in the Central Division. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. L.A. went on to blow out the Celtics in Game 3 but the resilient Celtics responded with a 129-125 OT win in Game 4 which was sealed by Carrs steal at the buzzer. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. By the end of the 1984 season Bird had won his second NBA title, both with the Celtics. The big reason of course for this is Magic Johnson and the Lakers. . 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. Who is the highest paid NBA player in the 2021-2022 Season? Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. However, this was not the case. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? You can only imagine how fiery this rivalry was, with two consecutive seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. 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 Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. Or write about sports? Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! 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 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!). Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. 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. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. The Sixers took an 89-82 lead with five+ minutes to go. 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? Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's clothesline take-down of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. He and Chauncey Billups are the only two retired players to win Finals MVP but not to make the Hall of Fame. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. No stats available. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. But it is also quite possible even probable that Larry Bird cost the Celtics the 1985 NBA championship.". Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. FTA complete back to 1948-49. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Peak, Bird was better imo Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. Small Forward and Power Forward Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. The Celtics were led by Bird, who won his first MVP award, and was complemented by 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell, first-time all-star and Sixth Man Award winner Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Gerald Henderson and Danny Ainge. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. In retirement, though, Larry Legend managed to take things down a notch. . Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. Larry Bird could do it all on the basketball court. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. Despite just reaching the finals, Bird stuck to his word and resigned shortly after the finals, taking up the role of Pacers president of basketball operations in 2003. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. The Detroit Pistons took two games off them in the second round but it didnt matter, Bird averaged 28 points per game as they won in six. Take a look below. 2022-23 Season Schedule; Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. In Game 7, the Celtics got 24 points from Cedric Maxwell and 22 from DJ with Bird scoring 20 as they won the game 111-102 and the series for Bostons 15th NBA title. 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. Arrives by Wed, Mar 15 Buy Larry Bird Boston Celtics Autographed Wilson Replica Basketball with "HOF 1998" Inscription - Limited Edition of 133 at Walmart.com Games. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. Bird averaged 24 points per game as Boston won the series in six to net him his THIRD ring. 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. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. The teams traded games throughout the series. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? Things werent as cheerful from this point forward for Boston though. This was a fantastic series overall. Right, Born: Despite good performances from Bird, Magic Johnson outplayed him as the jumbo sized Lakers guard won finals MVP. While Bird did not have the finals success of a Jordan or Russell, he still had a better record than greats including LeBron and Wilt. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. However, the Lakers suffered a key injury when their 3rd leading scorer, Jamaal Wilkes (17 PPG) was ruled out of the finals. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. Your email address will not be published. In other words, he noticed that some . That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. Im kind of country, she explained. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Only the strong survive. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . He joined the Celtics a year later. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. More player info On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Coopers. When asked about what he remembers most about beating the Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals, Carrs reply was: The final seconds of Game 7. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. Larry pushed the Celtics out of the second round with an easy 4-1 series win over the Atlanta Hawks, led at the time by Dominique Wilkins. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. The series was not a close one: the Cs took a 3-0 lead before Milwaukee won their second home game to stay alive. The Celtics had Larry Bird as their centerpiece and posted a record of 67-15, including an NBA record 40 wins at home. Bill Walton needed a change of scenery when he was in San Diego and Red Auerbach provided that for him in Boston. So, for me, being back in the old Boston Garden for Game 7, with twelve seconds left on the clock, and knowing that we were going to be world champions when absolutely no one gave us a chance but usthat is the thing that I remember the most.. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . All rights reserved. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. The rules shift was a big factor . Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. 1984 was against the Los Ange. Why did the Philadelphia 76ers trade Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns? The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. How to say Basketball in different languages? Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. Larry wouldnt have been a controversial choice, but Cedric Maxwell was the emotional center of the Celtics and meant so much to the teams culture. Indiana State University, High School: But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . Former Celtics player M.L. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s. Sadly for Bird, the Pacers lost the series in six games. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. The Celtics ended the series shooting 52% from the field while holding the Bucks to 44% shooting. Even from his first season with Indiana State, Birds performances were exceptional. Johnson was called "Tragic Johnson" by Celtics fans due to the two crucial errors he committed in Game 4 (the Parish steal, followed by two botched free throws in OT). After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. Then head coach Bill Fitch resigned as head coach despite having the second-best coaching record in the NBA during his four-year stint in Boston. . 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. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. 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 cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Bird created a very good team. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. Larry averaged 27-10-7 and led the Celtics with 36 points in a game-five win that saw the Celtics beat the Hawks by 33 points. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. The Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals in 1984, 1985, and 1987 with Bird and Cooper going at it. The type of player who didnt even care about stats but always seemed to put up the most absurd statlines ever seen. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. Home; Tickets; Schedule. 1st seed in the West, 2nd best league record. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. Boston's most crucial addition was Dennis Johnson, whom they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason in hopes of addressing their porous back-court defense. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Birds mother, Georgia, once said that she couldnt fathom he sons NBA salary and, despite his earning power, insisted that she wasnt out buying expensive clothes. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), More Larry Bird pages at Sports Reference. This was the last of Larrys three straight MVP seasons. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. Bird's Pacers fell in the East finals in '98 and '99, then came up short in the NBA Finals in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. Despite home wins in games three and five, the Pacers lost the series in six games, with Shaq and Kobe just being too much for Indianas stars. Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. Noise Group Limited is a UK registered company. In Game 5, the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead with a 121-103 victory, as Larry Bird scored 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. 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. Of the subsequent finals, Basketbawful writes, "the Lakers played great and the Boston bench sucked. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. Hall of Fame. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards.
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