Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. 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.. Whether he makes an All-Defense team this season remains to be seen, but few wings in the association deserve more recognition than McDaniels this campaign. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. 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. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. The Cs won in a blowout in game 3 in Houston before Houston tied it up with a tight win in game 4. The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. The Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. 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. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. He tied it up with two free throws with 3 minutes to go. 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. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. We present them here for purely educational purposes. The Houston Rockets have long been a sneakily dangerous team even when they were losing, dating from when the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Finals with a losing record. 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. In the game the Lakers answered the Celtics' rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. As it turned out, Chauncey Billups was right about KG getting in trouble for being too vocal. J Erving, The Sixers swept a weak Indiana Pacers team in round 1 (2-0) then went seven games to defeat a tough Milwaukee Bucks team starring Bob Lanier, Marques Johnson and. 1956 He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. Larry Bird of the Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Lakers, Malcolm Emmons and MPS - USA TODAY Sports. The Celtics took four games to get by the Bullets in the first round best-of-five series. We have seen some teams lose in the NBA Finals off of some injuries and other situations leading up to it that the box score doesnt show, so lets dive into Birds record. Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. Your default site has been set for 7 days, Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their legendary head-to-head matchups. Bird and the Celtics lined up against the Los Angeles Lakers who took them to seven games. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Larry led the way and averaged 27-14-4 to lead the team to the championship, along with his first Finals MVP. Navigation Toggle NBA. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. I wrote about his underrated defense here. The top 31 players and coaches, 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. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. . 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.. Houston Rockets 4-2, Larry Bird Championship #2: 1984 Boston Celtics, 1984 First Round: Celtics def. Larry Joe Bird. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. There are so many different titles that Bird has. How Many Championships did Larry Bird win? The games were close enough but never really in doubt. Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. Which NBA Team had the Most Hall of Famers for one Season. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. 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. Data Provided By The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. 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. At the end of the season, Bird was named Coach of the Year. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Your email address will not be published. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. The Celtics had hope they could avenge the loss of two years prior. Unfortunately, the team was defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in five games and they were sent home. 1983: Moses Malone: C: * 1981: Boston Celtics def. Games. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . The Bullets were the 8th seed in the East winning only 35 regular season games and finishing last in the Atlantic division. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. 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. 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. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? Required fields are marked *. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Im kind of country, she explained. It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. Those other two times? As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Key Names off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Gerald Henderson, Rick Robey and M.L. That's the first time the (80's) Lakers ever encountered that, someone stronger minded. He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the . Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. 0:49. Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. Not only did he possess the skillset to thrive, but he had more than enough confidence to put any opponent in their place. His performances helped to take the Celtics to 62 wins in the regular season, topping the NBA. Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: . During the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Kansas City Kings in three, the Dallas Mavericks in five, and the Phoenix Suns in six. . 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. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. Is it tied to championships? Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. . The Hawks also still had good rebounder Tree Rollis. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Julius Erving, in full Julius Winfield Erving II, byname Doctor J, (born February 22, 1950, Roosevelt, New York, U.S.), American collegiate and professional basketball player who was one of the most colourful and exciting figures in the game during the 1970s and '80s. His accolades are countless, with the former Indiana State man being an NBA legend. Larry Legend also sank 42 of 47 foul shots in the pressure-packed series (89.4 . Johnson had the winning record in the regular season and playoffs, and he took down Bird twice in their three Finals showdowns although Johnson having the better team had something to do with that. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? Do you have a sports website? Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. Now, the explanation. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His career was cut dramatically short by injury. 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. With Kareem ageing, the Celtics hoped that they could win the finals. Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. Small Forward and Power Forward Remember, Boston selected Larry in the 1978 draft but decided to return to Indiana State for his senior season. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. While that body of work would give anyone the right to too their own horn, Larry Legend took a different course of action. Even with Jordan exploding, only game two was close at 135-131. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) . They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Birds missed game winner in game four turned out to be vital in the series as the Lakers did not let their 3-1 lead slip, winning the series in six games. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . Bird: "So you're overpaid.". In addition to Nique, the Hawks starred Kevin Willis. It was one of the most dominant playoff runs that we had ever seen in basketball at this time and it was hard to imagine them as anything other than favorites entering that series against the Rockets, a team that they already beat in the championship before. The Lakers were indeed the thoroughbreds that year. The games were not much closer than the series itself. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. Bird won the first Finals meeting between them in 1984 and Johnson won the two others; one in 1985, the other in 1987. . After . 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. In terms of individual honors, he won the 1979-80 Rookie of the Year title, claimed three MVP crowns, and earned two NBA Finals MVP nods. Two superstars, Magic and Larry, and the two most iconic teams in the leagues history, the Lakers and the Celtics. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. Thanks for signing up. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . The Los Angeles Lakers won both games in the regular season series: The Lakers opened the series with a 115-109 victory at Boston Garden. 2022-23 Season Schedule; The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. The Lakers took game 1 in Boston and looked like they made take a commanding 2-0 lead when Gerald Henderson stole the ball and the series. He was one member of the greatest rivalry in the leagues history between himself and Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson. 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. Unfortunately for the Pacers and Larry Bird, the Lakers were just too much for the Pacers. Your email address will not be published. In Birds career with Indiana State he did not ever win a championship. This book highlighted the rivalry between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson throughout their respected basketball careers. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. 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. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Among his accomplishments, Bird set the new single-game franchise record for points. 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. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. 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 1987 Finals was the culmination of Magic and Bird's decade-long rivalry that dominated the NBA. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. The Lakers, no slouch themselves, had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthey, and Bob McAdoo. Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. 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. Which Player has Played in the Most NBA Finals Games? Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win three titles in a row. The Celtics star received 52 first placed votes, with second place Bernard King only getting eleven. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) . The Lakers took an early lead in overtime, but a controversial foul call foul on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with 16 seconds remaining in regulation, had been his 6th foul, and he was out of the game. 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 . 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. October 9, 2019. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. The Conference Semifinals was a seven-game series against the Knicks, which ended with Boston winning 4-3. 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. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. The three finals victories are outlined above, but Bird also had two finals losses. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. The Bullets also had rookie Jeff Malone, who was a backup at this point but would go on to be a star, and future Piston Bad Boy Rick Mahorn. Game 7 at the Boston Garden was one for the ages! And, as if that wasn't enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . However, the Lakers suffered a key injury when their 3rd leading scorer, Jamaal Wilkes (17 PPG) was ruled out of the finals. 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. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. In terms of individual honors, he won the 1979-80 Rookie of the Year title, claimed three MVP crowns, and earned two NBA Finals MVP nods. 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 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. 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. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. Shoots: Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. May 12, 2022. . In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. Regular Season Record: 62-20 (The Celtics tied with 76ers for 1st in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference and the NBA but the Cs got the #1 seed in a tiebreaker by winning the last game of the season vs the Sixers). Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. Chicago Bulls 4-1, 1981 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. Answer (1 of 6): Larry Bird (basketball player) was 3-2 in the NBA Finals. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. Celtics forward Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. The Cs won a couple home games to start the series then lost a close one on the road. Being the reigning MVP, there were big expectations for Bird in the 1984-85 season. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Two-time National Basketball Association champion Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell points to the pillars of the game when it comes to the question, "Who is the greatest NBA player of all time?" "I measure it by those who changed the game," said the former Boston Celtics standout on Sunday afternoon while taking part in the Legends & Stars Sports Expo at Batavia Downs Gaming. 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. His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Bird averaged 24 points per game as Boston won the series in six to net him his THIRD ring. Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Regular season: PTS, FG, FT, 3P complete all-time. 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. The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. Former Celtics player M.L. This struggle did not deter Bird. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. Bird was very honest when taking up the role saying he would only coach the team for three years. This was the last NBA Finals to use the 22111 format until 2014. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. Despite excellent performances in his first two seasons, Indiana State had very little success. Amazing! Join our linker program. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. The East's award is named after Larry Bird and the West's after Magic Johnson. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. 1984 was against the Los Ange. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. Or write about sports? Larry Bird stats . MUMBAI, India Twenty-seven years after Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and the "Dream Team" made the world fall in love with the game of basketball in 1992, India showed its adoration for the Boston Celtics great during the first NBA India Games last week. Big Names Off the Bench: Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Quinn Buckner, Scott Wedman. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Bird averaged 24.2 points,10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game in the 1983-84 season. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Bird scored almost 26 points per game in winning his third-straight MVP award. They were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Larry Bird: Biography. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. 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. The Bucks won a five-game series over the Hawks to start the playoffs and got by Darryl Dawkins and his NJ Nets in round 2. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . They easily won their first round series against the Washington Bullets as they were named at that time, then advanced and knocked off the New York Knicks in a seven-game series. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. The Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. After altering wins with the Lakers, the Celtics won Game 7 and the series with a score of 111102.
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