Kyle Daubs has 15 years' worth of writing experience for numerous sports sites. Stats: 24.3 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.8 BPG, Awards And Achievements: All-Star, All-NBA Second Team. He returned to the team later in the season but also had back problems as well. In his first game, Bird recorded a double-double against the Rockets. In a way, this season started at the beginning of an end. Position: F Seasons: 13 (1979-92) Team: Celtics. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. NBA Finals. [57], The '86 Celtics are commonly ranked as one of the greatest basketball teams of all time, with the Boston Globe's Peter May and Grantland's Bill Simmons listing them at number one. 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. Nonetheless, during the final years of his career, Bird maintained his status as one of the premier players in the game. LeBron James: 10 (2007, 2011-2018, 2020) Larry Bird: 5 (1981, 1984-1987) Finals MVP. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. [21] In the playoffs, the Celtics avenged their loss from the year before to the Bucks, winning in five games in the Conference Finals to advance to the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. ", In Bird's own words, here's the value he placed on ball movement: "My feeling about passing is that it don't matter who's doing the scoring as long as it's us. Bird won Naismith College Player of the Year. Find out more. Their coach, Bill Hodges, is in his first year, the first rookie ever to take an undefeated team to the tournament final. That came in spite of Bird playing with a fracture in his left thumb in the Final Four after getting hurt against Arkansas. He was voted onto the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list in 1996, and consequently the 75th Anniversary Team list in 2021. Bird had two triple-doubles in the series to secure his second NBA Finals MVP award. Postseason stats/game: 7.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals. [21][38], At the 1982 All-Star Game, Bird scored 19 points en route to winning the All-Star Game MVP Award. Rockets vs. Celtics. Or write about sports? [75] It was the first time in the United States' Olympic history that the country sent NBA players to compete. Language: English. [70], In the summer of 1992, Bird joined Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and other NBA stars to play for the United States men's national basketball team in that year's Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. But they have . RPG. With that said, Bird was an All-Star and defended his title as Three-Point Contest Champion. 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. #7 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 1971 NBA Finals MVP Stats: 27.0 PPG | 2.8 APG | 18.5 RPG | 60% FG. 30 on ESPN SportsCentury's list of 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th century. Bird's rookie year he did shoot 40% from three point land and then he had four years of .270, .212, .286, 247, and then he was the Larry Bird at 40% that we all grew accustomed to. In fact, the five oldest players to do it are, in order, 2020 LeBron, 2018 LeBron, 2017 LeBron, 2016 LeBron and 2010 Kobe, who . Sixth Man of the Year. "[70] Their rivalry began in college, when Larry Bird and Indiana State lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game. In the commercial, Bird is practicing alone on a rural basketball court (in reality the court was one Bird had made on the property in French Lick that he had purchased for his mother), when Johnson pulls up in a sleek limousine and challenges him to a one-on-one match. Skip to primary navigation; . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Stats: 28.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG, Awards And Achievements: MVP, All-Star, All-NBA First Team. [93][94][95] In October 2021, as part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary, Bird was honored as one of the 75 greatest players of all time, by being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. Michael Jordan vs. Larry Bird 11-23 Record (0-6 in playoffs) Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images. During the 80s, it was either the Lakers or the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Finals MVP: Larry Bird(27.4/14.0/3.6), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. Do you have a sports website? Finals MVP: Larry Bird (24.0 / 9.7 / 9.5) 1986 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Hakeem Olajuwon (537) 1985-86 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics. Do you have a blog? 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. [53] On March 10, 1986, Bird scored 50 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 5 assists in a 115116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Bird also won Finals MVP in 1986 when he scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and had 2.7 steals per game. It was the first All-Defensive honor for Bird, on top of averaging nearly 23 points per game. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. Growing up in French Lick, Indiana, he was a local basketball star. The Celtics reached the playoffs in . Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the Finals on his way to winning Finals MVP. Join our linker program. [42] Bird was named Finals MVP behind 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. 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. [citation needed] The apparent contrast between the two players and their respective teams seemed scripted for television: Bird, the introverted small-town hero with the blue-collar work ethic, fit perfectly with the throwback, hard-nosed style of the Celtics, while the stylish, gregarious Johnson ran the Lakers' fast-paced Showtime offense amidst the bright lights and celebrities of Los Angeles. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. [64][65][66] Bird finished with 34 points. Nine days later, he recorded his first 30-point game. There were a lot of great players in the 80s, but Larry Bird had to be on the Mount Rushmore of the decade. Stats: 21.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG, Awards And Achievements: NBA Champion, All-Star, All-NBA First Team. [60], Throughout the 1980s, contests between the Celtics and the Lakersboth during the regular season and in the Finalsattracted enormous television audiences. . Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Search this website. With his averages, he won Rookie of the Year. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Among his other stats, he averaged a career shooting percentage of 49.6% and shot 88.6% from the free-throw line. 10.0. At the All-Star Game, Bird won his first MVP after scoring 19 points. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird competed at just about everything, including drinking.In one such instance, though, it got Larry Legend in a world of trouble. In 34 total Finals games in his career, Curry is averaging 27.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 6.0 APG 43.2% shooting overall, and 39.5% from three. Larry. Sport: Basketball. In the playoffs, the Bucks defeated the Bucks in the Conference Finals to set up a showdown with the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. The team improved its win total by 32 games from the year before he was drafted and finished first in the Eastern Conference. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are known to be "one of the greatest rivalries in sports. He's added four more since (in the 2015 playoffs vs. Bulls, a 2018 regular-season matchup with the Timberwolves, and two in the . 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. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. . All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. MJ looked up to Bird when he came into the league. He was selected to the All-Star Game but didnt play due to a back injury. He had off-season surgery to remove a disc from his back, but his back problems continued and he missed 37 games during the 199192 season. [4] After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. [6] He stepped down again in 2017, but stayed with the team in an advisory capacity. "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.[1]. Larry Bird is 6-9. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice as a playerfirst in 1998 as an individual, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. [49] The risk paid off; Walton's acquisition helped Boston win a league best 67 games. Bird had a perfect season where he won the championship, won Finals MVP, and the MVP Award. Data Provided By Indiana State nearly became the most recent undefeated national champion, reaching the 1979 national title game with a 33-0 record. [97] He accomplished this feat twice. [54], With averages of 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and 2 steals per game, Bird became just the third player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP Awards. In 1981, the Celtics beat a Houston Rockets team featuring, In 1984, Birds Celtics beat the Showtime Lakers featuring, In 1986 the Celtics defeated a pretty different Houston Rockets squad. [19][20] Indiana State lost the game 7564, with Bird scoring 19 points but making only 7 of 21 shots. APG. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird . Bird, Larry (1989), Drive: The Story of My Life. The following comes from The Tampa Bay Times: His best NCAA tournament game came in the Final Four against DePaul, when he scored 35 points with 16 rebounds and nine assists (all were NCAA tournament highs for him) while shooting 16-of-19 from the field. Or write about sports? If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? The Celtics were the No. Team: Bird and Magic met a few times after that, and it's wild to see two legends of the . Doubleday, pp. The second occurred on December 13, 1989 in a win over the Seattle SuperSonics (40 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists). With the Celtics owning a roster that was aging, he did not come back. Their rivalry continued on in the revived CelticsLakers Rivalry in the NBA. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. We present them here for purely educational purposes. The "Dream Team" won the men's basketball gold medal. DI indoor T&F championship selections revealed, Women's swimming qualifiers announced for DI championships. Stats Yahoo Celtics News . where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. He was brilliant against the Razorbacks with a a 31-point, 10-rebound game in the regional finals. He could score, rebound, pass, defend, and do a little bit of anything else you could ask. In an effort to stop Bird, Bradley coach Dick Versace installed what was referred to as the "Bird's Nest Defense," where two defenders would guard Bird and the other three defenders would cover the four other Sycamores. [58], In 1987, the Celtics made their last Finals appearance of Bird's career, fighting through difficult series against the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. From 1984 to 1986, no one in the NBA could top him, and he racked up quite a bit of hardware. [82] In 1999, Bird ranked No. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . ", The New York Times' Dave Anderson: "[Bill] Hodges likes to say that his primary contribution to the Sycamores this season has been 'not messing up Larry Bird. Other notable performances by Bird include his career-high 49 points against Wichita State in February 1979, scoring 29 points in the first half against Butler in December 1978, just 10 months after he dropped 47 on the Bulldogs on the road. You can see stats, Championships, awards and more. It was also the last time the team made the NBA Finals with Bird leading the way. 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. ", "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? Bird remained a top player in the league, securing All-NBA and All-Defensive team honors again. Vintage: Yes. 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. [56] Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round. ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. Or write about sports? The next year he attended the smaller Indiana State University, ultimately playing three years for the Sycamores. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. After leading the Celtics to a 295 start to the 199091 season, Bird missed 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that eventually led to his retirement. [114] He was named the NBA Coach of the Year for his efforts. Bird finished runner-up in the MVP voting as well. The injuries to Bird did not necessarily end his career, but they made it difficult for Bird to regain his superstar form. He was selected to play in 12 All-Star games. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? April 14, 2017 2:34 PM EDT. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Find out more. [117] After the 20112012 NBA season, Bird was named NBA Executive of the Year, becoming the only man in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year. [67] Wilkins remarked, "The basket was like a well. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Compare LeBron James and Larry Bird careers through the years of your choosing. Larry Bird was one of the clutchest players in NBA history. Despite facing adversity, the Celtics were able to win the Atlantic Division and finished with a 51-31 record. The team was defeated in the semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks. [77], Bird was voted onto the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team list in 1996,[78][79] and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony on February 4, 1993, and emotionally described Bird as a "friend forever".[63]. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. [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. Bird recorded three 40 point triple double games in his professional career. [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. Join our linker program. This season was a precursor for a string of successes that no other player has matched in league history. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. During the 1980s, either Boston or Los Angeles appeared in every NBA Finals. Drafted by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft after his second year at Indiana State, Bird elected to stay in college and returned for the 19781979 season. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 83.3 free throw percentage in an NCAA tournament game (min. 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. Larry Bird had a 99-65 record in the playoffs in his career. However, something was noticeably wrong with Larry during the playoffs. 2 seed. Finals stats: 28.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 55 games Finals rank: . 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. The Celtics did finish with 56 wins, which was good enough for the No. They remained married for less than a year. Amazing! The 19871988 season was the highest-scoring season of Bird's career. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. He couldn't miss. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. . Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. He finished that game with 47 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. Larry Bird vs. Kevin Durant Career Comparison: They Are So Close, But Bird Still Flies High Michael Jordan Never Beat Larry Bird And Boston Celtics In The NBA Playoffs: 0-6 [86], Bird was widely considered one of Red Auerbach's favorite players. Bird averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in the series. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Learn more and register, 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. Bird was one of the best scorers in the country, a big forward who led the way for the Sycamores from the Missouri Valley Conference to the biggest national stage. Stats: 25.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG, Awards And Achievements: NBA Champion, Finals MVP, MVP, All-Star, All-NBA First Team, Three-Point Contest Champion. 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. [10], He was raised in nearby French Lick, where his mother worked two jobs to support Larry and his five siblings. This injury was the main reason for his retirement after the following season. In the semifinals, the Celtics missed Bird in Game 1, where Detroit won. When it comes to the 80s decade, he is in the conversation for the best overall player. Two-time Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee: College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006). Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? You said there will be another Larry Bird. 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. One of the most intelligent players in history, Larry Bird, makes arguably the best play of his career in the 1981 Finals. 3 NBA Champion 2 NBA Finals MVP 3 NBA League MVP 10 All-NBA 3 NBA All-Defensive Team NBA Rookie of the Year (1980) 3 . Shoots: [69] Following Bird's departure, the Celtics promptly retired his jersey number 33. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. The season saw Bird make the 50-40-90 Club for the first time in his career. They thought scoring was more important, but passing is important.". He earned the honors 3 years straight from 1982 through 1984. An Amazing 8-0! With the Celtics out of the championship, it marked the first time in five years the Celtics didnt make it. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. [50] One of Bird's career highlights occurred at the 1986 NBA All-Star Weekend when he walked into the locker room at the inaugural Three-Point Shootout and asked who was going to finish second before winning the shootout. With five seconds left in Game 5, Birds pass to Dennis Johnson to set up the game-winner saved the series. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Data Provided By Compare Magic Johnson and Larry Bird careers through the years of your choosing. . Players simply weren't allowed to launch 3's non stop back then. Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I couldn't miss. 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. Data Provided By the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB . [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. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnson's skin. RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. 1982-83 Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers. Bird was a Swiss army knife. Titles did indeed come in 1981, 1984, and 1986, and Boston also played in the 1985 and 1987 Finals. When media outlets conduct their all-time great lists, Bird is spotted on those lists every time. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. 'Coach, I'm dead,' moaned Bird. He considered Bird to be the greatest basketball player of all time. 1956 Bird owns four buzzer-beaters and in each of those moments the Celtics trailed when he took the clutch shot. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? 1984 Star Larry Bird #5 Playoff Stats Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Shipping! 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. With the Celtics down by one point, and less than 10 seconds left, Bird missed a potential go-ahead layup after his shot was blocked. Player Stats. Stats: 19.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG. 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. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. . All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Ultimately, the Cavaliers rallied to win the series in seven games, which ended their career of Bird. . I just think when a man is open, he should get the ball whether it's 30 feet out on the wing or underneath. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Rockets vs. Celtics. [39] In the Conference Finals, the Celtics faced the 76ers for the third consecutive year, losing in seven games.
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