larry bird finals record

larry bird finals record

As for their averages, Johnson posted 20.7 points, 13.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game in their head-to-head matchups in the Finals compared to Bird's 25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Find out more. Larry Bird. Both times it was to his rival dating back to college: Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Maxwell later claimed he said something like that but not quite so family friendly. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Why did David Stern Veto the Chris Paul to the Lakers Trade? He won his second NBA Finals MVP. 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. Those other two times? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. The Celtics snuck past the Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games after the Sixers had taken a 3-1 lead to open the series. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. In other words, he noticed that some . There's always a mystique about players that played before the 90's because we don't have all the data, stats etc as we have to. 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. "Wilt . The Celtics swept the Bulls after getting a bye in the first round for winning the Atlantic Division. He was still one to wear what he wanted, enjoy the simple pleasures of life, and, in this case, refuse to hype up his own accomplishments. The Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. This was a fantastic series overall. Game 4 of the 1984 Finals marked the last Finals game to go into overtime until Game 2 of the 1990 NBA Finals. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. Johnson was called "Tragic Johnson" by Celtics fans due to the two crucial errors he committed in Game 4 (the Parish steal, followed by two botched free throws in OT). He was a monster, averaging 22-16 in this Finals series. In his career, Larry Bird won three NBA regular season MVP awards. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. The series was the eighth time in NBA history that the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA finals, with Boston winning each time, and the first championship that the Celtics claimed at home since 1966. Larry Bird always showed up at the highest level when the Celtics needed him most. The Laker momentum was stalled, and Larry Bird came up with a crucial jumper over Magic Johnson with 16 seconds remaining in overtime, then M.L. The games were reasonably close if the series was not. In total, Larry Bird went to five NBA finals in his career. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. . Isn't 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 7 assists per game one of the coolest statlines for an NBA playoff series ever?A quote from Larry Bird's book "Drive" co. The Bullets featured Jeff Ruland a really good, likely underrated, player who was at his peak. more information Accept. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. The Boston Celtics legend is one of three players in NBA history to win three straight MVPs, and he helped the C's win three championships in the 1980s.. Bird, along with Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson, helped take the NBA to another level. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. 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). Chicago Bulls 3-0, 1986 Conference Semis: Celtics def. 2 NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) 3 NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986) . The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. 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. Bird's Boston Celtics won the NBA championship three times during his career (1981 and '86 vs. the Houston Rockets, '84 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers), and Bird won Finals MVP in '84 and '86. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3, 1981 NBA Finals: Celtics def. So lets look at the 1984 NBA season. All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. But it is also quite possible even probable that Larry Bird cost the Celtics the 1985 NBA championship.". If you remember, there was Kevin McHales hit on Kurt Rambis, and there was Larry Bird bumping Michael Cooper out of bounds. Bird was named Finals MVP after averaging 27.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in the series. 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. 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 It was a tough six game slugfest with the Houston Rockets but Bird and company were just too good. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 198384 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. The Celtics made short work of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning in five games. How to say Basketball in different languages? * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. 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.. Please check your email for a confirmation. Certain completely unbiased fans, like myself, rank him very highly in that top ten. Bird won three in a row between 1983 and 1986, whereas Johnson closedthe decade out with a pair ofMVP awards. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. Larry Bird was born on as Larry Joe Bird to parents: Georgia and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War.He attended Springs Valley High School. But it was in 1986 when the Celtics faced the Houston Rockets for the championship when Bird . Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. 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. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. Bird had a good series in other categories, but did not score at his normal rate. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Carr revealed that the motto of the 1983-84 Celtics was Dont be denied, and the team ended up winning the championship that no one thought they would win. At the macro level, the famous won three titles with the Boston Celtics. The league had changed the Finals homecourt schedule to the 2-3-2 format that year, allowing the team with the lesser record (LA) to host the middle three games. She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird went 3-2 in his five NBA Finals appearances. Now, the explanation. A year later, the Pacers would not have to worry about Michael Jordan as they returned to the playoffs, this time as the second seed in the east. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . The games were not much closer than the series itself. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? The 1984 championship series scored high TV ratings. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. October 9, 2019. It was yet again against the Lakers and they split the first two games 1-1. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". Larry, to his credit, was phenomenal. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. 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. Magic gets the edge because he finished his career stronger, he was able to get/maybe steal from Charles Barkley the 1990 MVP, and he got the Lakers to another finals in 91, after 88 and the injuries Boston was done being any kind of serious contender they never got past the second round again for the rest of Larry Bird's time but if you're talkin Peak vs. In the playoffs, the team went 15-3 en route to winning the championship. Which player is ultimately better all-time is a different conversationbecause that includes a lot more than their individual matchups. 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. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series. Houston Rockets in 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses) * 1984: Boston Celtics def. He led the Cs to a Conference Finals appearance once or twice in the ensuing years but the team just wasnt nearly as competitive anymore and it was obvious that Larry was getting up there in age. His first MVP award was in 1984. This series was a rematch of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the Magic JohnsonLarry Bird pair entering the league. The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. His individual performance was recognised all across the NBA as he helped Boston to a then record breaking 67-15 regular season record. It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. . Larry Bird stats . Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. Im kind of country, she explained. The Celtics blew out Houston in game 5 behind a big effort from Cedric Maxwell and then took a big lead and held on to win in game 6. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. Or maybe youre a younger fan wondering if Bird really deserves his place in the Pantheon of basketball greats. Is it tied to championships? Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. In the game, the Lakers rallied to cut a 14-point-deficit to three with one minute remaining when Cedric Maxwell knocked the ball away from Magic Johnson. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. Do you have a blog? Better than MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Larry and Magic.If you take out Steph's games with an NBA75 teammate (KD), Steph's Playoff Win% is 48-26 (.649), which is still better than Duncan, Kobe and Larry Bird's with all their NBA75 teammates. Bird: "So you're overpaid.". Bird averaged 25.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the series. Bird's 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson , 1985 & 1987. This included a Game six victory where a hostile Boston crowd booed Ralph Sampson, sapping his confidence to the point he only had 8 points on 3-12 shooting. In Game 4, the Lakers had a five-point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors, including Magic Johnson's bad pass to Robert Parish late in the fourth quarter, and missing two crucial free throws in OT as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. This site is a participant in the Impact Affiliate Platform which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Fanatics.com . This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. Many were expecting another Lakers-Celtics matchup, but it just wasnt in the cards this Finals. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Seriously, check out his Basketball Reference page. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . Boston's most crucial addition was Dennis Johnson, whom they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason in hopes of addressing their porous back-court defense. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: In Game 5, the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead with a 121-103 victory, as Larry Bird scored 34 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. Small Forward and Power Forward As someone who watched Bird play and has now researched and written more than a half dozen articles about his career, I can help you out. Cedric Maxwell, Larry Birds teammate, was awarded Finals MVP with 18-9-3. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. The top 31 players and coaches, The Bulls featured Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore (. Amazing! The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . The famous forward might not have been the most athletic man ever to hit the hardwood, but that wasnt a problem. Only the strong survive. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. Some of the greats Bird defeated in the playoffs include Moses Malone, Julius Dr. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. . The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. Simmons says that he got the idea from watching basketball and looking at player statistics. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. Larry Bird's continuing influence on the game of basketball crossed a new threshold . What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Things werent as cheerful from this point forward for Boston though. By: HoopsHype. 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. Jelani Scott. Indiana took Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. That went to Birds teammate. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. Furthermore, Johnson and Bird earned five of the 10 MVP awards handed out during the 1980s. 6-9 , 220lb (206cm, 99kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. Data runs from 1946-47 to present unless otherwise noted. us, College: At that time, Bird also expressed unhappiness over Mangurians decision to sell the team, and he was one of the players who defended Fitch after they were swept by the Bucks. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? This series prompted Bird to quote, Thats God disguised as Michael Jordan. Michael averaged 43 points through the three-game series. . Its pretty easy to forget how many times Bird has been in the NBA Finals with all of the many accolades and unbelievably, but true, stories about him. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. All-NBA First-Teamers NOT in the Hall of Fame, Basketball Positions 101: Understanding the Different Roles on the Court, The Best NBA Players to NOT Make the Hall of Fame, The Best All-Defensive Team in NBA History, The All-Time Worst NBA Finals Performances by a Superstar by Position. talent just don't get it. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. It was the beginning of one of the most legendary basketball rivalries in the history of the NBA, with Bird and Magic Johnson facing off against each other for the first time. Larry Bird Net Worth. Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Teaming with players like Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, Maxwell was an essential player on Boston teams that won NBA championships in both 1981 and 1984. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. The Boston Celtics won the 1981 NBA Championship in six games giving Larry Bird his first NBA title. Larry Bird said there were 'obvious' differences between himself and Magic Johnson. The Sixers took an 89-82 lead with five+ minutes to go. In his last season as the teams head coach, Birds Pacers were the number one seed in the east and were not really tested throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. Larry wouldnt have been a controversial choice, but Cedric Maxwell was the emotional center of the Celtics and meant so much to the teams culture. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. 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. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. 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. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. Amazing! Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. 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. * 1981: Boston Celtics def. Indiana State University, High School: Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. 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. The following season, the Celtics did end up losing to the Philadelphia 76ers after winning their first-round series against the Washington Bullets (what a team name!). 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 Eastern Conference Finals were much more difficult. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. Instead of battling fatigue and exhaustion from their grueling Semi-Finals series, they went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. He has been an NBA champion in 1981, 1984 and 1986 out of which he was the NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. 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. During that year Lesley Visser, Stockton's wife, became the first woman to cover the NBA Finals for CBS. Michael Cooper Backs Larry Bird and Blasts JJ Redick, Calling Him a Poor Mans Danny Ainge. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. In 1986, they failed a third straight NBA Finals meeting (it was later accomplished 31 years later by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors), as the Lakers were eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Houston Rockets. However, its the only individual award Cedric Maxwell won in his career. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . Larry averaged 27-10-6. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? And after watching the Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers twice during the 1982 and 1983 Finals, they were determined to win in 84. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. The Rockets fought back to win handily in game 5 at home but the Celtics closed out the series in game 6 in the Boston Garden to take their third title of the Bird era. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. Magics Michigan State team won the game 75-64, preventing Bird from winning a title for Indiana State. While he didnt change who he was if anything, the Hick from French Lick was remarkably consistent he had an incredibly low-key take when it came to his own legacy. Stockton, the play-by-play announcer for the series, was joined by Tom Heinsohn, and the duo would call the next four NBA Finals until 1987. In their professional careers, Bird played for the Boston Celtics and Magic played for the Los Angeles . There are so many different titles that Bird has. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. 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. May 12, 2022. . In retirement, though, Larry Legend managed to take things down a notch. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. 1956 he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). The Knicks were led by the explosive scorer Bernard King, who averaged 29-5-3 in the series. 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. Birds Celtics also defeated a very different Rockets team in 1981. Despite just reaching the finals, Bird stuck to his word and resigned shortly after the finals, taking up the role of Pacers president of basketball operations in 2003. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. The teams traded games throughout the series. Not that there was anything to really worry about for him, it really just added a chip on his shoulder to come back and perform to a high standard. 1984 was against the Los Ange. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. In his first trip to the NBA Finals, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, seven assists and 6.8 rebounds, but the Celtics came up short. 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. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right. 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.

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