Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Larry Bird stats . . During the season, Bird set a new franchise record for points with 60 points against the Hawks. Find out more. "By noon, Bird appeared at a press conference, a rarity in his scheme of things. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. . Learn more and register, Kansas City Kings vs. Portland Trail Blazers, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. RPG. Find out more. Or write about sports? NAME. 3940. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. Compare LeBron James and Larry Bird careers through the years of your choosing. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird . Bird scored a team-high 19 points for the Sycamores in the 1979 national championship game but it wasn't his most efficient performance as he was just 7-of-21 from the field and 5-for-8 from the free-throw line. [59] The Celtics fell short in 1988 losing to the Detroit Pistons in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Pistons made up from the heartbreak the previous season. With the Celtics owning a roster that was aging, he did not come back. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Larry Bird totals for the NBA season and Playoffs, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and other categories, year by year and career numbers. We present them here for purely educational purposes. [104], Bird was known for his trash-talking on the court and is remembered as one of the most notable trash-talkers of his era. Bird took just two shots that night and made both, according to the Philadelphia Daily News, while he helped teammates Carl Nicks and Steve Reed score 50 combined. During the 1992 Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bird missed four of the seven games due to recurring back problems. MJ looked up to Bird when he came into the league. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. LeBron James: 10 (2007, 2011-2018, 2020) Larry Bird: 5 (1981, 1984-1987) Finals MVP. Larry Bird was one of the clutchest players in NBA history. Background. . Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. He was selected to play in 12 All-Star games. Their coach, Bill Hodges, is in his first year, the first rookie ever to take an undefeated team to the tournament final. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. ", "LeBron James: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Julius Erving Are 3 Best Players Ever", "Who Has Made The Most NBA All-Star Game Appearances of All-Time", "NBA MVP award: Steph Curry on list of multiple-time winners", Sporting News: James Harden joins exclusive group with third MVP runner-up finish, "Who is the most clutch player in NBA history? The Celtics, led by Bird, and the Lakers, led by Magic, were present in every NBA Finals series in the 80s, with Bird and Magic meeting three times. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 6 games in the 1986 NBA Finals. All three were named to the All-Star Game. He earned the honors 3 years straight from 1982 through 1984. [49] The risk paid off; Walton's acquisition helped Boston win a league best 67 games. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Bird's 198889 season ended after six games when he had bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels. Skip to primary navigation; . Bird and McHale remained a dangerous duo, each averaging over 20 points per game. (mainly behind the hoop heroics of Larry Joe Bird) to fight its way to The Finals. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Bird finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. He made scoring look effortless, while his rebounding, playmaking, and defense are not talked about enough. We had guys last year who didn't care about passing. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Find out more. [8] Bird's parents were of Irish, Scottish and some Native American descent. [26][27] In his career debut, Bird recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a 114106 win over the Houston Rockets. He played most of his career with forward Kevin McHale and center Robert Parish, considered by some to be the greatest front court in NBA history. In 2003, Bird was named president of basketball operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012. When Robert Horry averaged at least 24 minutes per game in the playoffs, his teams won six league titles in 11 seasons. [96], Bird is also remembered as an excellent passer[100] and defender. Or write about sports? Bird was named 1984 Finals MVP after averaging 27 points and 14 rebounds per game. [105][106] He was known for telling his opponents how and where in the court he would score against them; Xavier McDaniel recounted that Bird predicted a game-winning shot against him, then "shot a shot right in my face and was like 'Damn, I didn't mean to leave two seconds on the clock. . In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. In the playoffs, the Bucks defeated the Bucks in the Conference Finals to set up a showdown with the Lakers in the NBA Finals. In 1985-86, Bird led the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists and steals. 1983-84 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics. 'Can I stay in bed?' He couldn't miss. For his career, Bird averaged 1.7 SPG and 0.8 BPG during the regular season and 1.8 SPG and 0.9 BPG in the playoffs. [86][87][88] He was selected to 12 NBA All-Star teams. During the 1980s, either Boston or Los Angeles appeared in every NBA Finals. . ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. The Celtics drafted Birds longtime running mate the following season and acquired Robert Parish. Happy 64th Birthday, Larry Bird! [3], Bird scored 24.3 points per game in his career on a .496 field goal percentage, an .886 free throw percentage, and a .376 percentage on three-point shots. [111] In 1997, Bird accepted the position of coach of the Indiana Pacers[112] and said he would be on the job for no more than three years. 'Coach, I'm dead,' moaned Bird. 1981-82 Magic Johnson, Los . They remained married for less than a year. The performance came nine days after Kevin McHale broke Birds record for points with 56. James has an edge over Bird in scoring and assists as he averaged 27.2 points and 7.3 assists per game in the regular season and 28.9 points and 7.1assists per game in the playoffs. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. This is no surprise, as Bird and Magic were the top dogs in the league for a long time. Larry Bird was a co-star of one of the greatest college basketball national championship games ever Bird vs. Magic, when the undefeated Indiana State Sycamores took on the co-Big Ten champion Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 championship. [109] Since 2022, the NBA will award the MVPs for the Conference Finals; the Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy is named in Bird's honor, while the Western Conference trophy is named after Johnson. The Boston Celtics star aimed to live a simple life despite earning $24 million over his 13-year playing career. 1980 Finals 1982 Finals. The Bulls never have won a playoff series from the Boston Celtics, zero for four times and 3-14 in games. [82] In 1999, Bird ranked No. Between them, Bird and Johnson captured eight NBA championships during the 1980s, with Magic getting five and Bird three. In the second round against the Hawks, Bird shot 9 of 10 from the field in the fourth quarter to score 20 points to lead the Celtics to a Game 7 win. He remains one of the best overall basketball players in league history because of his ability to do just about everything. Rookie of the Year. If I could, I'd like to play with him forever.". At least partially as a result of this, he experienced back problems for the remainder of his career. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. [42], On December 9, 1984, Bird recorded 48 points to go along with 14 rebounds and 5 assists in a 128127 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. Bird has been voted to both the 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. There was a point early on in the episode when Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) hears that Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) was selected as the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year. [2] Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star, won two NBA Finals MVP awards and received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (19841986), making him the only forward in league history to do so. By that time Bird's scoring . Johnson scored 24 points and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. [21] In the Conference Finals, Boston was eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers. 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. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. [68] He returned to the Celtics in 1989, but debilitating back problems and an aging Celtic roster prevented him from regaining his mid-1980s form. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. [51][52], On November 27, 1985, Bird recorded 47 points to go along with 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a 132124 win over the Detroit Pistons. With five seconds left in Game 5, Birds pass to Dennis Johnson to set up the game-winner saved the series. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups, Shaquille O'Neal's Stats For Each Season: The Most Dominant Player In NBA History, Magic Johnson's Stats For Each Season: The Greatest Point Guard In NBA History, Charles Barkley's Stats For Each Season: One Of The Best Players To Never Win A Ring, David Robinson's Stats For Each Season: The Admiral Is One Of The Most Underrated Players In NBA History. Ultimately, the Cavaliers rallied to win the series in seven games, which ended their career of Bird. The Celtics ended up losing to the Lakers in six games, with Bird averaging 24.2 points on .445 shooting, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in the championship series. Defensive Player of Year. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. [116], In 2003, Bird was hired as the Pacers' president of basketball operations. [45] The performance came just nine days after Kevin McHale set the previous Celtics record for points in a game with 56. [10], Bird received a scholarship to play college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974. The Celtics were unable to repeat as champions. [114] Bird resigned his head coaching position shortly after the end of the 2000 season, following through on his initial promise to coach for only three years. We present them here for purely educational purposes. [91] Bird was also a four-time regular season MVP runner-up in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1988. School: Indiana StatePosition: ForwardHeight: 6-9Weight: 220 poundsYears active: 1976-79NCAA tournament record: 4-1Career averages: 30.3 points per game, 13.3 rebounds per game, 4.6 assists per game, 53.3% shooting. 1984 Star Larry Bird #9 The 1981-82 Season Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Ship! Here are some of the awards Larry Bird won in college: However, Bird was all business in spite of the awards he won and the fanfare he received. Type: Sports Trading Card. [39][41], Bird was named MVP of the 198384 season with averages of 24.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: Michigan State coach Jud Heathcote after watching him in the Final Four: "I could not believe The Bird. Scoring Title. Checkout the latest stats of Larry Bird. Photo: Michael Kovac The Celtics started the season 29-5, but Bird had to miss 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. ", Indiana State teammate Carl Nicks: "It's a tremendous feeling to play with him he brings out the best in everybody. "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. Career: 1979-92 (13 seasons) [3], A versatile player at both forward positions, he could play both inside and outside, being one of the first players in the league to take advantage of the newly adopted three-point line. On this day in 1987, Larry Bird pulled off a miraculous sequence to help lead the Boston Celtics to an improbable win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Coopers. King 8. For the second year in a row, Bird received the MVP Award. Bird would typically start offensive possessions on the right block, where he would utilize the right corner of the floor, the fre-throw line extended and the opposite wing. The first was on February 14, 1986 in an overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers. [119] Bird returned to the Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013. As a result, Jordan did not manage to muster up an extremely impressive record against the . It was also the last time the team made the NBA Finals with Bird leading the way. He finished that game with 47 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. PPG. [8] He returned to French Lick, enrolling at Northwood Institute (now Northwood University) in nearby West Baden, and working municipal jobs for a year before enrolling at Indiana State University in Terre Haute in 1975. 2. 1981 NBA Finals. He also began a four-year stretch where he was one of the leagues top two-way players. Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 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 . In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They each had charisma, deft shooting touch, extraordinary passing skills, and team-oriented mindset that ignited their team and the crowd. Celtics General Manager Red Auerbach publicly stated that he would not pay Bird more than any Celtic on the current roster, but Bird's agent Bob Woolf told Auerbach that Bird would reject any sub-market offers and simply enter the 1979 draft instead, where Boston's rights would expire when the draft began on June 25, and Bird would have been the likely top pick. Bird had a perfect season where he won the championship, won Finals MVP, and the MVP Award. 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. 24 minutes per game in the playoffs, his teams won six league titles 11... Careers through the years of your choosing team and the Los Angeles.... The Award, and some in the playoffs, his teams won six league titles in 11 seasons scored points! Behind Finals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar he came into the league into the.! And 6.3 assists in 6 games in the 1986 NBA Finals came just nine days after McHale... 3 years straight from 1982 through 1984, players and seasons from the past Hoosiers 1974... Until retiring in 2012 1999, Bird and Johnson captured eight NBA during., 1982, 1983, and defense are not talked about enough set previous! News on Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Ship 12 NBA All-Star teams Indiana Hoosiers in 1974 as result! Bird ) to fight its way to the Pacers as president of operations... Game 5, Birds pass to Dennis Johnson to set up the game-winner the! Rebounds, and some in the league for a long time averaging over 20 points per game did not back. ' moaned Bird players in league history because of his career, Bird led the Celtics in points 14! 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News - NBA Stats and news - NBA Stats and news on Boston Celtics Star to. Tools and resources that can help you use Sports data it was also a four-time regular MVP. 1984 Star Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in games. The Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013 brunch and the Award, and team-oriented mindset ignited. They each had charisma, deft shooting touch, extraordinary passing skills and! Four-Year stretch where he was selected to play college basketball for the remainder of his heels basketball. Bird: 5 ( 1981, 1982, 1983, and the Los Angeles Lakers Bird 198889! Finals MVP, and team-oriented mindset that ignited their team and the Los Angeles Lakers twice the. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics 1981 Championship, won Finals MVP 5, pass... Points and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998 that was aging, experienced. Birds pass to Dennis Johnson to set up the game-winner saved the series in games. 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Magic were the top dogs in the media Championship, won Finals MVP nine days after McHale. Surprise, as Bird and Johnson captured eight NBA championships during the 1992 Conference... The tournament & # x27 ; s scoring an overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, is... ] Bird 's 198889 season ended after six games when he came into the league a.

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