* 1981: Boston Celtics def. The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. 0:00. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. 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 going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. 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. The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. Not that there was anything to really worry about for him, it really just added a chip on his shoulder to come back and perform to a high standard. He joined the Celtics a year later. 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 Celtics won the first three games by an average of 6 points before the Hawks got their only win at home. Indiana State University, High School: Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. Celtics Starters: Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Boston also had to deal with the impending free agency of Kevin McHale and Larry Bird. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. Two years after his first finals loss to the Lakers, the re-match was on. In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 7564. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. The Boston Celtics legend is one of three players in NBA history to win three straight MVPs, and he helped the C's win three championships in the 1980s.. Bird, along with Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson, helped take the NBA to another level. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. In 1981, 1984 and 1986, it was Bird who led the Boston Celtics to championships, with him taking home two Finals MVP awards. The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 232 after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the Finals. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. What is Larry Birds Record in the NBA Finals? There's always a mystique about players that played before the 90's because we don't have all the data, stats etc as we have to. The Celtics beat the Lakers 4-3, winning by nine points in the deciding Game 7. Despite the changes, it did not stop the Lakers from finishing with the best record (5428) in the Western Conference, powered by their one-two punch of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. 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 . Both these players were representing teams from their home States, adding extra spice to the whole thing. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. While he didnt change who he was if anything, the Hick from French Lick was remarkably consistent he had an incredibly low-key take when it came to his own legacy. Traditional Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. Teaming with players like Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Maxwell was an essential player on Boston teams that won NBA championships in both 1981 and 1984. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. NAME DATE SEASON SERIES TM OPP REC W% MIN PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3P% FTM FTA FT% PF +/-Magic Johnson: 5/27/1984: 1983-84 . This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. By: HoopsHype. The first round was a 3-1 victory over the Washington Bullets. 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. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. Birds Pacers swept the Bucks and the Sixers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and looked likely to make it to the finals as they came up against the eight seed New York Knicks in the conference finals. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! The Lakers and the Celtics met again in 1987 where the Lakers won in six games. By the end of the 1984 season Bird had won his second NBA title, both with the Celtics. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. The Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121, thanks to Scott Wedman's game-winning shot from the baseline with 14 ticks left. The Cs closed it out winning game four by 3 points. However, the Lakers suffered a key injury when their 3rd leading scorer, Jamaal Wilkes (17 PPG) was ruled out of the finals. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Join our linker program. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. 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. more information Accept. Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. 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. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. Cedric Maxwell averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists to win Finals MVP. In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. 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. 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. Better than MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Larry and Magic.If you take out Steph's games with an NBA75 teammate (KD), Steph's Playoff Win% is 48-26 (.649), which is still better than Duncan, Kobe and Larry Bird's with all their NBA75 teammates. They did make the playoffs the year after and many thought that they would easily repeat at first. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. James Posey shared the culture that made the 2008 Boston Celtics experience so unique. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. No stats available. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Bird did not technically average a triple double for the series because both his rebounds and assists were slightly below 10 and Ive rounded them, but, still, those stats are unreal. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. Now, the explanation. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. Karl Malone believes LeBrons greatness is there to appreciate, not to hate. BOSTON (AP) June 12, 1984: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-102 in Game 7 in the first NBA Finals between Boston's Larry Bird and Los Angeles' Magic Johnson . The Celtics ended up shedding the ghosts of the last season and convincingly won 4-1. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. 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. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. 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 Birds NBA Finals record is 3-2. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. Boston had lost the previous two matchups to the Cavs and they were hungry for revenge last night. Head-to-Head Regular Season Stats. The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. 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. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. 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!). The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. It was clear that the Celtics were mentally exhausted after playing that many games in such a short span, which resulted in the Lakers beating Bird and the Celtics in six quick games. Peak, Bird was better imo While the 22111 format remained intact for the remainder of the playoff rounds, the 232 format would be used until 2013. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. 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. The 1984 NBA Finals was the first championship meeting between old rivals Boston and Los Angeles since 1969. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. December 7, The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title.