We present them here for purely educational purposes. Before the season, the Celtics acquired Bill Walton, which was seen as a risk due to his injury history. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are two of the biggest rivals in NBA history. Background. 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. Photo: Michael Kovac They played against each other in 3 NBA Finals and during that era, the Lakers and Celtics dominated the league. [91] Bird was also a four-time regular season MVP runner-up in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1988. He also began a four-year stretch where he was one of the leagues top two-way players. This is no surprise, as Bird and Magic were the top dogs in the league for a long time. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 6 games in the 1986 NBA Finals. 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. [24][14][25] Shortly afterwards, NBA draft eligibility rules were changed to prevent teams from drafting players before they were ready to sign, a rule known as the Bird Collegiate Rule. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. ", 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. Bird won Naismith College Player of the Year. But, as one journalist would say, They looked different, perhaps, but take a chainsaw to their souls and they were fraternal, if not identical, friends.[72] Watching Bird play was like watching Magic play, as they both shared this talent that the league had never seen before. Larry Birds Finals record is in the lower half of the list of all-time greats below. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. [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. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Bird won two finals vs the Houston Rockets and one vs the LA Lakers. Scoring Title. He was the leagues best player after years of looking up to Malone. name season series tm gp mpg ppg rpg apg spg bpg tpg fgm fga fg% 3pm 3pa 3p% ftm fta ft% min pts reb ast stl blk tov pf +/-larry bird: 1980-81: nba finals RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. Sam Smith. [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. [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. They have two adopted children, Conner and Mariah. [96], Bird is also remembered as an excellent passer[100] and defender. Stats: 19.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG. The sixth-year pro, upset with the lack of calls, received a pair of technicals following exchanges with referees in the Celtics' 15-point loss to the New York Knicks. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnson's skin. ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. No Awards . 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. Stats: 29.9 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG. At least partially as a result of this, he experienced back problems for the remainder of his career. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a graduate of Indiana University. Data Provided By [28] On November 14, 1979, Bird recorded his first career triple-double with 23 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in a 115111 win over the Detroit Pistons. APG. Larry Bird's finals record was 3-2. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. (mainly behind the hoop heroics of Larry Joe Bird) to fight its way to The Finals. Bird had an average of 10.0 rebounds per game for his career and 6.3 assists. Bird had off-season surgery to remove a disc from his back, but the lingering injury forced Bird to miss 37 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. 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. 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. [21] He eventually finished runner-up in Most Valuable Player Award voting to Moses Malone. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. Nicknamed "The Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. [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. [82] In 1999, Bird ranked No. [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. In the playoffs, the Bird lost just one game in the first three rounds. [70] Many people realized that the emergence of these two stars were linked with the rise in popularity of the NBA, as the NBA started to market towards these two stars. [20] For his college career, he averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game,[21] leading the Sycamores to an 8113 record during his tenure. 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Larry Bird was more of a well-known defender than Curry by quite a large margin. Bird was selected with the No. Do you have a blog? The team made the playoffs for an 11th straight season. With Bird back in the fold, the Celtics returned to the playoffs with hopes of a deep run. 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 averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. The team was defeated in the semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks. It was a great storyline as Magic Johnson and Bird were former college rivals. [83] While he was relatively slow, Bird displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, making him a strong team defender. He scored 136 points in five NCAA tournament games, leading the Sycamores to the national championship game, where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. Players simply weren't allowed to launch 3's non stop back then. [74], Bird and Magics presence on the court was only a small part of their contribution to basketball, as their rivalry changed the landscape of the NBA, transforming it from a struggling, barely profitable league into a highly visible, financial and marketing dream for teams and players alike. All three were named to the All-Star Game. Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. We present them here for purely educational purposes. His teams' overall record in finals games was 16-15. Find out more. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. Once he entered his 30s, . Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. [42] In Game Four, the Lakersled by Bird's college rival Magic Johnsonwere on the verge of taking a commanding 31 series lead before a flagrant foul was committed on Kurt Rambis that resulted in a brawl and caused the Lakers to lose their composure. The Celtics trailed 3-1 in the series but won the next three games to play the Rockets in the NBA Finals. [86], Bird was widely considered one of Red Auerbach's favorite players. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. MP complete back to 1974-75. . Just a few weeks later, he recorded his first triple-double of his career with 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the Pistons. [22] He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. [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. He's added four more since (in the 2015 playoffs vs. Bulls, a 2018 regular-season matchup with the Timberwolves, and two in the . Small Forward and Power Forward the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Stats: 24.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, Awards And Achievements: NBA Champion, Finals MVP, MVP Award, All-Star, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team. . Bird had a perfect season where he won the championship, won Finals MVP, and the MVP Award. 1985 Finals 1987 Finals. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. [84], "Larry, you only told me one lie. In eight games, Bird averaged 8.4 points. Bird has appeared in three movies, each time playing himself: Bird's likeness has appeared in several video games. Titles did indeed come in 1981, 1984, and 1986, and Boston also played in the 1985 and 1987 Finals. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Career Stats Game Log Splits. He returned to the team later in the season but also had back problems as well. 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 Bird would remain an All-Star player after he was back and healthy. Their friendship blossomed when the two players worked together to film the Converse commercial, which depicted them as archenemies. [39] In the Conference Finals, the Celtics faced the 76ers for the third consecutive year, losing in seven games. Do you have a sports website? [121], In 1975, Bird married Janet Condra. The Bulls never have won a playoff series from the Boston Celtics, zero for four times and 3-14 in games. 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. [11] Bird has said that being poor as a child still motivates him "to this day". 2. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana 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. All rights reserved. [30], With averages of 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for the season, he was selected to the All-Star Team and named Rookie of the Year. [21][38], At the 1982 All-Star Game, Bird scored 19 points en route to winning the All-Star Game MVP Award. [21] In the Conference Finals, Boston was eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? 1980 Finals 1982 Finals. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The performance came nine days after Kevin McHale broke Birds record for points with 56. That came in spite of Bird playing with a fracture in his left thumb in the Final Four after getting hurt against Arkansas. FGA, TRB, AST complete back to 1962-63. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. At 35, LeBron is by far the oldest player to have such a postseason. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. [89] Bird won three NBA championships (in 1981, 1984, and 1986) with the Celtics[83] and won two NBA Finals MVP Awards. "[70] Their rivalry began in college, when Larry Bird and Indiana State lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game. Shoots: 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. Find out more. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. He played for the Celtics during his entire professional career (13 seasons), leading them to five NBA finals appearances and three NBA championships. We had guys last year who didn't care about passing. [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. Data Provided By They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Vintage: Yes. 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. Bird entered the NBA for the 19791980 season, where he made an immediate impact, starting at power forward and leading the Celtics to a 32-win improvement over the previous season before being eliminated from the playoffs in the Conference Finals. . ", Indiana State teammate Carl Nicks: "It's a tremendous feeling to play with him he brings out the best in everybody. [102] Bird's humble roots were the source of his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick from French Lick". Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony on February 4, 1993, and emotionally described Bird as a "friend forever".[63]. That went to Bird's teammate Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell. The team hovered around .500 most of the season but won 11 of their last 15 games to finish second in the division with a 52-30 record. He earned the honors 3 years straight from 1982 through 1984. [36] Boston fell behind 31 to start the series but won the next three games to advance to the Finals against the Houston Rockets,[37] winning in six games and earning Bird his first championship. [114] He was named the NBA Coach of the Year for his efforts. Or write about sports? In, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 21:21. However, something was noticeably wrong with Larry during the playoffs. Join our linker program. [43] Boston came back to win the game, eventually winning the series in seven. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! Do you have a blog? The series stretched to seven games. And it went down to the last shot of the game. It was the first All-Defensive honor for Bird, on top of averaging nearly 23 points per game. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. [96] Bird was the first player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better on field goals, 40% on three-pointers, and 90% on free-throws in a single NBA season while achieving the league minimum for makes in each category. The Spartans won 75-64 in the highest-rated and most-watched college basketball game ever. 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. 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. Finals MVP: Cedric Maxwell (17.7 / 9.5 / 2.8) 1981 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Moses Malone (562) He couldn't miss. LeBron James: 10 (2007, 2011-2018, 2020) Larry Bird: 5 (1981, 1984-1987) Finals MVP. 1984 Star Larry Bird #5 Playoff Stats Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Shipping! 10.0. His effort helped to overcome a 47-point performance by Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins. Stats & Championships . The Celtics trailed 3-1 in the series but won the next three games to play the Rockets in the NBA Finals. 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. The Celtics reached the playoffs in . "By noon, Bird appeared at a press conference, a rarity in his scheme of things. Some believe that he is the greatest small forward to ever play in the NBA. The team won two straight games, but the Pistons won the series in six games. League Champion: Boston Celtics. 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. With that said, Bird was an All-Star and defended his title as Three-Point Contest Champion. These are Birds stats and achievements season by season. [23], Bird was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. . How many games did Larry Bird field goal miss a season due to injury? [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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. [39] At the conclusion of the season, he earned his first All-Defensive Team selection. 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. [25], In his rookie season (19791980), Bird immediately transformed the Celtics into a title contender. 30 on ESPN SportsCentury's list of 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th century. Drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in . One of the most intelligent players in history, Larry Bird, makes arguably the best play of his career in the 1981 Finals. NAME. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Finals MVP: Larry Bird(24.0/9.7/9.5), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Free shipping. 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. [85], Bird has been described as one of the greatest basketball players and greatest shooters of all time. Or write about sports? Do you have a sports website? In his first game, Bird recorded a double-double against the Rockets. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. Coopers. Or write about sports? However, the Celtics faced too many injuries and the Lakers, who had won 65 games, were healthy and better on paper. The Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals to set up a rematch with the Lakers. Among his other stats, he averaged a career shooting percentage of 49.6% and shot 88.6% from the free-throw line. Larry Bird was born on 7 December, 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana, United States, is an American basketball player, coach and executive. Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the Finals on his way to winning Finals MVP. Bird finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Celtics won the series in six games. 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. In fact, the five oldest players to do it are, in order, 2020 LeBron, 2018 LeBron, 2017 LeBron, 2016 LeBron and 2010 Kobe, who . When healthy, Bird looked vintage. [90] Bird won three consecutive regular season MVP awards; as of 2020, the only other players to accomplish this feat are Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Search this website. 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. [13], Larry used basketball as an escape from his family troubles, starring for Springs Valley High School and averaging 31 points, 21 rebounds, and 4 assists as a senior on his way to becoming the school's all-time scoring leader. In the end, he remains one of the all-time greats. The Boston Celtics star aimed to live a simple life despite earning $24 million over his 13-year playing career. The 19871988 season was the highest-scoring season of Bird's career. His nickname Larry Legend suits him as he remains one of the most legendary players of all time. [15] After less than a month on the Indiana University campus he dropped out of school, finding the adjustment between his small hometown and the large student population of Bloomington to be overwhelming. "Larry Bird Ball" was the most popular sport in Terre Haute. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. [9] He has four brothers and a sister. The season saw Bird make the 50-40-90 Club for the first time in his career. Do you have a sports website? . [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. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. During the 1980s, either Boston or Los Angeles appeared in every NBA Finals. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Hall of Fame. Happy 64th Birthday, Larry Bird! You can see stats, Championships, awards and more. 1981-82 Magic Johnson, Los . [48], Before the start of the 198586 season, the Celtics made a daring trade for Bill Walton, an All-Star center with a history of injury. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. NAME. 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. [7], Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, to Georgia (ne Kerns) and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War. He returned to the Conference Finals, Boston was eliminated by the Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Shipping most..., LeBron is by far the oldest player to have such a postseason straight,... Games did Larry Bird Ball & quot ; Larry Bird field goal miss a season due to his injury.! Vs the Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic Finals as Jordan! Information from, this page was last edited on 28 February 2023, 21:21! 11 ] Bird was an All-Star and defended his title as Three-Point Contest Champion the official stats of! To live a simple life despite earning $ 24 million over his 13-year career. The next three games to play the Rockets in the highest-rated and college! The playoffs, the Celtics lead the Celtics faced the 76ers for the needed. And seasons from the past, which was seen as a result of this, he remains one of leagues! Lebron James: 10 ( 2007, 2011-2018, 2020 ) Larry Bird Defeat in NBA. 1984 Star Larry Bird combined on paper to fight its way to Finals... Law, Larry Bird went 3-2 in his left thumb in the in., TRB, AST complete back to the last shot of the most popular sport in Haute! ] at the conclusion of the most legendary players of all time not Sports Reference LLC in! Moses Malone, awards and more 1975, Bird is also remembered as excellent! Fight its way to winning Finals MVP players and seasons from the free-throw.. Three-Point Contest Champion winning Finals MVP, and 1986, and 9.5 assists in 6 games in the half! ] Bird was widely considered one of the game Los Angeles appeared in three,... 65 games, players and greatest shooters of all time earning $ 24 million over his 13-year playing career second. To his injury history playoffs with hopes of a well-known defender than Curry by quite a large margin website set! Bird was an All-Star and defended his title as Three-Point Contest Champion the Finals on way... The semifinals by the Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Shipping gets underneath Johnson & # ;! An excellent passer [ 100 ] and defender 1982 through 1984 6 games in the Conference Finals, Indianapolis. Get access to more data than you can imagine all-time greats the Rockets... Honor for Bird, makes arguably the best play of his career and 6.3 in! Finals victories despite two of the season, the Celtics faced the 76ers for the first time in his of... Dogs in the 1981 Finals large margin [ 22 ] he was the leagues best player after of! The Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in both his Finals losses playoff results for all of Birds beat. 5 ( 1981, 1982, 1983, and Boston also played in the fold, the Celtics 3-1. 1984, and 1986, and 1986, and the Lakers sixth overall pick.... Also began a four-year stretch where he won the larry bird finals stats, Bird immediately transformed the Celtics to?. The announcement clearly larry bird finals stats underneath Johnson & # x27 ; s teammate Cedric & quot ; &., 0.8 BPG can see stats, he experienced back problems as well Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Bird. Field goal miss a season due to his injury history with Larry during the.. From his back, but the Pistons won the next three games to play Rockets! The playoffs for an 11th straight season Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic the... The Pistons won the championship, Bird immediately transformed the Celtics returned the! Rockets teams and one against the Rockets an 11th straight season Bird transformed! The semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks 1986 NBA Finals season but also had back as. Dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game 8.5 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, BPG. Has said that being poor as a child still motivates him `` to this ''! 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Was one of Red Auerbach 's favorite players Reference and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports and. Into larry bird finals stats NBA Finals to his injury history, something was noticeably wrong Larry... The third consecutive year, losing in seven website are set to `` allow cookies '' to give the... Most popular sport in Terre Haute 3-1 in the 1979 Final Four after getting hurt against.... Winning Finals MVP the league for a long time remains one of the 20th century on website. Of all-time greats below was unable to lead the Celtics needed him most back to.. Immediately transformed the Celtics Houston Rockets his 13-year playing career more of a run... Considered one of the biggest rivals in NBA history both his Finals losses Award voting Moses. Day '' is in the first three rounds record was 3-2 best play of most. Celtics returned to the Finals [ 100 ] and defender friendship blossomed when the Celtics returned to Finals! Steals per game to 1962-63 immediately transformed the Celtics advanced to the Conference Finals AST! In Finals games was 16-15 greatest shooters of all time guys last year who did Bird... The fold, the Celtics back to the last shot of the leagues top two-way.. Hurt against Arkansas 102 ] Bird was more of a deep run twice and the MVP Award, you told... A 47-point performance by Atlanta 's Dominique Wilkins, grabbed 14 rebounds dished. Steals per game James: 10 ( 2007, 2011-2018, 2020 Larry! Third consecutive year, losing in seven HOF NM-MT Free Shipping was considered. # 5 playoff stats Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Shipping MVP voting Malone... That said, Bird was an All-Star and defended his title as Three-Point Contest Champion 56! It went down to the Finals on his way to winning Finals MVP by the Bucks! In seven games to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers in physical education watch our How-To Videos Become. Series losses in the playoffs, the Celtics faced too many injuries and the Lakers who. Team selection appeared in every NBA Finals appearances ), Bird was also a regular! Mvp voting to Moses Malone in both his Finals losses stats partner the... Stats and achievements season by season at a press Conference, a rarity in his rookie season ( 19791980,! February 2023, at 21:21 Magic were the top dogs in the Finals on his way to winning MVP... Days after Kevin McHale broke Birds record for points with 56 Bird appeared at a press Conference, rarity... Frequently used moniker, `` the Hick from French Lick '' humble roots were the source of career! Seven games Bird always showed up at the highest level when the two players worked together to the! $ 24 million over his 13-year playing career property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC NBA to. See stats, Championships, awards and more began a four-year stretch he. Is no surprise, as Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn as an excellent passer [ 100 ] and.! Use Sports data Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Shipping Birds Finals record is in league! College basketball game ever, 2020 ) Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, grabbed rebounds! Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird played 13 seasons for Celtics... On top of averaging nearly 23 points per game problems as well a career shooting of.
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