"[70] Their rivalry began in college, when Larry Bird and Indiana State lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game. "Larry Bird Ball" was the most popular sport in Terre Haute. 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. And it went down to the last shot of the game. When healthy, Bird looked vintage. He played for the Celtics during his entire professional career (13 seasons), leading them to five NBA finals appearances and three NBA championships. During the season, Bird set a new franchise record for points with 60 points against the Hawks. [23], Bird was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. The main reason the Celtics were able to sustain a long run of success was because of Bird. [49] The risk paid off; Walton's acquisition helped Boston win a league best 67 games. "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. Larry Bird was named the league MVP three times in his career, and they all came in consecutive fashion. You can see stats, Championships, awards and more. [91] Bird was also a four-time regular season MVP runner-up in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1988. In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Pacers in the first round and took a 2-1 series lead over the Cavaliers in the semifinals. [7], Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, to Georgia (ne Kerns) and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War. You can see stats, Championships, awards and more. Stats & Championships . 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. Bird's 198889 season ended after six games when he had bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels. Checkout the latest stats of Larry Bird. NAISMITH AWARDS: Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year, While Bird was most known for his scoring, he had a well-rounded game that included double-digit rebound totals and unselfish passing. Compare LeBron James and Larry Bird careers through the years of your choosing. His NBA years : from 1980 to 1992 Larry Bird NBA Stats Summary : [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. Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. Playoffs, All-Star) Awards. had a 99-65 record in the playoffs in his career. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones record set in 1965. [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. GS complete back to 1973-74. [71], Journalists speculated that Bird and Magic represented different contrasts, such as clashes between Celtics and Lakers, between East and West, and between Blacks and Whites. At least partially as a result of this, he experienced back problems for the remainder of his career. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. In the semifinals, the Celtics missed Bird in Game 1, where Detroit won. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons, with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Boston trailing the Pistons 107106, Bird stole an inbound pass. 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. Bird averaged 24.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in the Finals, but the Celtics lost in six games. 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". 1985 Finals 1987 Finals. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 6 games in the 1986 NBA Finals. [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. Bird was rated the greatest NBA small forward of all time by Fox Sports in 2016. The second occurred on December 13, 1989 in a win over the Seattle SuperSonics (40 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists). 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. He could score, rebound, pass, defend, and do a little bit of anything else you could ask. Larry Bird. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. . Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? When it comes to the 80s decade, he is in the conversation for the best overall player. Sixth Man of the Year. Join our linker program. Bird and Magic met a few times after that, and it's wild to see two legends of the . [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. By that time Bird's scoring . Despite failing to win the championship, Bird earned numerous year-end awards and honors for his outstanding play, including the Naismith College Player of the Year Award. Some believe that he is the greatest small forward to ever play in the NBA. Bird recorded three 40 point triple double games in his professional career. 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. However, in the first round, the Celtics took a 2-0 lead but lost the following three games. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. [45] The performance came just nine days after Kevin McHale set the previous Celtics record for points in a game with 56. [103] Bird was also referred to as "Larry Legend". [98] Bird won NBA three-point-shooting contests in three consecutive years. He also began a four-year stretch where he was one of the leagues top two-way players. He earned the honors 3 years straight from 1982 through 1984. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: [9] He has four brothers and a sister. Find out more. In the playoffs, the Bucks defeated the Bucks in the Conference Finals to set up a showdown with the Lakers in the NBA Finals. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Bird remained a top player in the league, securing All-NBA and All-Defensive team honors again. 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. The season saw Bird make the 50-40-90 Club for the first time in his career. It marked the first . In 1985-86, Bird led the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists and steals. His teams' overall record in finals games was 16-15. There were a lot of great players in the 80s, but Larry Bird had to be on the Mount Rushmore of the decade. . His stats back up that statement as well. The team was defeated in the semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics won the series in six games, but Bird did not win Finals MVP, which was rewarded to Cedric Maxwell. Bird was often checked by Magic Johnson in Michigan State's 2-3 matchup zone in theepic clash of two all-time greats. [62], Despite the intensity of their rivalry, Bird and Johnson became friends off the court. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Finals Appearances. Head-to-Head: Games Played Between Larry Bird and Michael Jordan This is the detail of NBA games in which Larry Bird and Michael Jordan played against each other, including head-to-head record, stats average, game highs and game-by-game data both in the Regular Season and Playoffs. [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. . In his final three seasons with the Celtics, Bird averaged over 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists per game, shot better than 45% from the field, and led the Celtics to playoff appearances. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. With Bird back in the fold, the Celtics returned to the playoffs with hopes of a deep run. [8][14], Bird's youngest brother, Eddie Bird, also played basketball at Indiana State University. [21] He did not sign with the Celtics immediately; instead, he played out his final season at Indiana State and led the Sycamores to the NCAA title game. The swagger from Bird remained in full force. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [92] Bird is also remembered as one of the foremost clutch performers in the history of the NBA; he was known for his excellent play in high-stakes, high-pressure situations. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. 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. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. He was also one of the first players to take advantage of the three-point line. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Bird has appeared in three movies, each time playing himself: Bird's likeness has appeared in several video games. . Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 16 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game, Tied for first in semifinal history with 16 made field goals against DePaul, Second-leading scorer in the country in 1978: 30.0 points per game, Second-leading scorer in the country in 1979: 28.6 points per game, Third-leading scorer in the country in 1977: 32.8 points per game, Sixth all-time (since 1973) in rebounds in a season: 505 rebounds (1979), Tied for seventh with a two-game Final Four rebound total of 29 rebounds in 1979, Eighth in Final Four history with an 84.2 shooting percentage against DePaul, Tied for eighth all-time in career rebounding average: 13.3 rebounds per game, Ninth in NCAA tournament history (since 1973) with 67 rebounds in a single NCAA tournament, Tied for 13th all-time in double-doubles in a season: 28 double-doubles (1979), 15th all-time in career scoring average (min. Finals MVP. League Champion: Boston Celtics. LeBron James: 10 (2007, 2011-2018, 2020) Larry Bird: 5 (1981, 1984-1987) Finals MVP. . Titles did indeed come in 1981, 1984, and 1986, and Boston also played in the 1985 and 1987 Finals. It set up an NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets. 2 seed and made the playoffs for a 13th straight season with Bird on the team. [5] He was named NBA Executive of the Year for the 2012 season. Or write about sports? While Indiana State coach Bill Hodges was frustrated with the style of defense, according to the Philadelphia Daily News, Bird wasn't concerned about his lack of shots. Indiana State University, High School: Bird won two finals vs the Houston Rockets and one vs the LA Lakers. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The first regular-season game between the Celtics and the Lakers in the 198788 season proved to be a classic with Magic Johnson banking in an off-balance shot from near the three-point line at the buzzer for a 115114 Lakers win at Boston Garden. Join our linker program. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Larry Bird. An Amazing 8-0! Finals MVP: Larry Bird (27.4 / 14.0 / 3.6) 1984 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Larry Bird (632) TRB: Larry Bird (252) AST: Magic Johnson (284) WS: Larry Bird (4.7) More playoffs info. APG. Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Celtics out of the championship, it marked the first time in five years the Celtics didnt make it. [20] Bird also appeared in one game for the baseball team, going 1-for-2 with 2 RBI. [46] At the conclusion of the year, Bird was named MVP for the second consecutive season behind averages of 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. Larry Bird was born on 7 December, 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana, United States, is an American basketball player, coach and executive. [55] In the playoffs, the Celtics lost only one game through the first three rounds en route to a match-up against the Rockets in the Finals. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. [21] In the Conference Finals, Boston was eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. [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. Find out more. 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. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? He remains one of the best overall basketball players in league history because of his ability to do just about everything. Playoffs: PTS, FG, FT, FTA, 3P, 3PA complete all-time. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He owns a master's degree in special education and teaches English. He is a graduate of Indiana University. Cedric Maxwell won the finals MVP award, but Bird averaged 21.9 points, 14 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game during the playoffs. [114] He was named the NBA Coach of the Year for his efforts. After protracted negotiations, Bird inked a five-year, $3.25 million contract with the team on June 8, making him the highest-paid rookie in sports history. [61] The historical rift between the teams, which faced each other several times in championship series of the 1960s, fueled fan interest in the rivalry. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! [40] Boston's misfortunes continued into the next season, with Bird again finishing second in MVP voting to Malone and the team losing in the Conference Semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks. [56] Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round. 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. He considered Bird to be the greatest basketball player of all time. All rights reserved. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. With that said, the following three years were legendary. 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. 'Coach, I'm dead,' moaned Bird. 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