eventually winning the series in seven. [96], Bird is also remembered as an excellent passer[100] and defender. [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. Stats: 19.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG. 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. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. Data Provided By Michael Jordan vs. Larry Bird 11-23 Record (0-6 in playoffs) Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images. In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, Bird shot 9 of 10 from the floor in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points in that quarter and lifting the Celtics to a series-clinching victory over Atlanta. It helped the Celtics overcome 47 points from Dominique Wilkins. ", "Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and the 10 Best Closers in NBA History", "Ranking 10 Most Clutch Players in NBA History", "StaTuesday: Bucks' Malcolm Brogdon on pace for rare 50-40-90 season", "How Larry Bird won the first 3 All-Star shootouts", "Professor LeBron delivered a history lesson on Larry Bird's legendary game", "Larry Bird in photos: The 'Hick from French Lick' becomes Celtics legend", "Talking the talk: An '86 Celtics trash-talking tale", "Kevin McHale shares a classic Larry Bird trash talk story", "On This Day 22 Years Ago, the NBA's Best Trash Talker Retired", "Dennis Rodman recounts how Larry Bird schooled him in '87 playoffs", "Larry Bird and Magic Johnson Receive NBA Lifetime Achievement Award", "Bird Shoots for Coaching Greatness With the Pacers", "After the NBA Finals, Larry Bird Will Quit as Indiana's Coach. In the end, he remains one of the all-time greats. Larry Bird was a co-star of one of the greatest college basketball national championship games ever Bird vs. Magic, when the undefeated Indiana State Sycamores took on the co-Big Ten champion Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 championship. No Awards . . Find out more. Bird finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. us, College: In the playoffs, the Celtics took on a very tough Detroit Pistons team in the Conference Finals. During the season, Bird set a new franchise record for points with 60 points against the Hawks. When Robert Horry averaged at least 24 minutes per game in the playoffs, his teams won six league titles in 11 seasons. Overview Stats Game Log Splits Bio. He chose to play out his final season at Indiana State, so he played the following season. Finals Appearances. 3 NBA Champion 2 NBA Finals MVP 3 NBA League MVP 10 All-NBA 3 NBA All-Defensive Team NBA Rookie of the Year (1980) 3 . The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Bird's rookie year he did shoot 40% from three point land and then he had four years of .270, .212, .286, 247, and then he was the Larry Bird at 40% that we all grew accustomed to. Data Provided By the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB . Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. 2 seed. He then led his team to an undefeated regular season. He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.[1]. 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. This season was a precursor for a string of successes that no other player has matched in league history. The Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals to set up a rematch with the Lakers. He was named NBA Head Coach of . [133], Bird married Dinah Mattingly in 1989. [39] In the Conference Finals, the Celtics faced the 76ers for the third consecutive year, losing in seven games. 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. Johnson scored 24 points and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Hall of Fame. 1985-86 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics. 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. Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: . Sport: Basketball. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. Bird has been voted to both the 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Larry Bird stats. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. 1984 Star Larry Bird #5 Playoff Stats Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Shipping! In his first game, Bird recorded a double-double against the Rockets. [27], Before the 198081 season, the Celtics selected forward Kevin McHale in the draft and acquired center Robert Parish from the Golden State Warriors,[31][32] forming a Hall of Fame trio for years to come; the front-court of Bird, McHale, and Parish is regarded as one of the greatest front-courts in NBA history. [114] He was named the NBA Coach of the Year for his efforts. Larry Bird, in full Larry Joe Bird, (born December 7, 1956, West Baden, Indiana, U.S.), American basketball player who led the Boston Celtics to three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) and is considered one of the greatest pure shooters of all time. . 6.3. [4] After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. [69] Following Bird's departure, the Celtics promptly retired his jersey number 33. What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? That went to Birds teammate. 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The Celtics won the series in six games. 1979-80 Bird 1980-81 Bird 1981-82 Bird 1982-83 Bird 1983-84 Bird 1984-85 Bird 1985-86 Bird 1986-87 Bird 1987-88 Bird 1988-89 Bird 1989-90 Bird 1990-91 Bird 1991-92 Bird 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 82 82 77 79 79 80 82 74 76 6 75 60 45. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. [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. 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. Finals MVP: Larry Bird (24.0 / 9.7 / 9.5) 1986 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Hakeem Olajuwon (537) the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. [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. Stats: 23.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG, Awards And Achievements: All-Star, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team. [76] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame called the team "the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet". Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. In 1985-86, Bird led the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists and steals. [83] Universally recognized as an all-time great player, Bird was placed at the power forward position on an NBA all-time starting five roster with fellow superstars Magic Johnson (point guard), Michael Jordan (shooting guard), LeBron James (small forward), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (center) in 2020. [86] He had 1,556 career steals. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com. Career: 1979-92 (13 seasons) Bird was also a member of the gold medal-winning 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team known as the "Dream Team". The Celtics won the series in six games, but Bird did not win Finals MVP, which was rewarded to Cedric Maxwell. Stats: 20.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG. He even plays defense, although that's not what's causing the NBA Boston Celtics to salivate over him.". Hodges said of Bird, "His only personal goal this year was to lead the nation in rebounds. Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Finals Appearances. Bird had a double-double in all five NCAA tournament games he played in that year. Language: English. NAME. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. During the 1980s, either Boston or Los Angeles appeared in every NBA Finals. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The series stretched to seven games. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Larry Bird was named the league MVP three times in his career, and they all came in consecutive fashion. [19][20] Indiana State lost the game 7564, with Bird scoring 19 points but making only 7 of 21 shots. League Champion: Boston Celtics. What Was John Havliceks Finals Record? 1985 Finals 1987 Finals. [11] Bird has said that being poor as a child still motivates him "to this day". where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! In the semifinals, the Celtics missed Bird in Game 1, where Detroit won. Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the Finals on his way to winning Finals MVP. And it went down to the last shot of the game. The Celtics were the No. 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. Do you have a sports website? Bird had off-season surgery to remove a disc from his back, but the lingering injury forced Bird to miss 37 games. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. The Boston Celtics star aimed to live a simple life despite earning $24 million over his 13-year playing career. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. HEIGHT. Free shipping. . [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. [21] In the playoffs, the Celtics avenged their loss from the year before to the Bucks, winning in five games in the Conference Finals to advance to the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Larry. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 6 games in the 1986 NBA Finals. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 6 games in the 1986 NBA Finals. Bird won Naismith College Player of the Year. Player Stats. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. [67] Wilkins remarked, "The basket was like a well. Larry Bird was born on 7 December, 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana, United States, is an American basketball player, coach and executive. He's added four more since (in the 2015 playoffs vs. Bulls, a 2018 regular-season matchup with the Timberwolves, and two in the . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Forum; InsideHoops Main Basketball Forums; NBA Forum; Larry Bird is the 2nd best player in the history 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. His Competitiveness Has Taken Its Toll. His focus was on the court. Bird won two finals vs the Houston Rockets and one vs the LA Lakers. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. [29] On November 23, Bird recorded his first 30-point scoring game (along with 11 rebounds and 3 assists) in a 118103 win over the Indiana Pacers. Kyle Daubs has 15 years' worth of writing experience for numerous sports sites. Larry Bird averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 31 games in the NBA Finals in his career. [104], Bird was known for his trash-talking on the court and is remembered as one of the most notable trash-talkers of his era. Bird scored 53 points against the Indiana Pacers, which broke Sam Jones record set in 1965. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. [120] He continued to serve as an advisor until July, 2022, when he "stepped back from maintaining an active role with the Indiana Pacers". That went to Bird's teammate Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell. [85], Bird has been described as one of the greatest basketball players and greatest shooters of all time. With that said, Bird was an All-Star and defended his title as Three-Point Contest Champion. Stats: 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG, Awards: 3x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 12x All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, 9x All-NBA First Team, All-NBA Second Team, 3x All-Defensive Second Team, Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie First Team, 2x 50-40-90 Club. Graded: No. However, Birds individual success was marred by the Celtics not making the NBA Finals. At 35, LeBron is by far the oldest player to have such a postseason. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. [103] Bird was also referred to as "Larry Legend". The next year he attended the smaller Indiana State University, ultimately playing three years for the Sycamores. Learn more and register, Washington Bullets vs. Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers vs. Denver Nuggets, 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. [121], In 1975, Bird married Janet Condra. Indiana State went 81-13 during the three seasons in which Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. [citation needed] The apparent contrast between the two players and their respective teams seemed scripted for television: Bird, the introverted small-town hero with the blue-collar work ethic, fit perfectly with the throwback, hard-nosed style of the Celtics, while the stylish, gregarious Johnson ran the Lakers' fast-paced Showtime offense amidst the bright lights and celebrities of Los Angeles. Find out more. When healthy, Bird looked vintage. DI indoor T&F championship selections revealed, Women's swimming qualifiers announced for DI championships. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Or write about sports? He owns a master's degree in special education and teaches English. ", 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. Regular Season MVP. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird . [99] He sometimes practiced shooting three-point shots with his eyes closed. 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. 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. Finals MVP: Larry Bird(24.0/9.7/9.5), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. Bird returned to the Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013,[6] and remained in that role until 2017. Two-time Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee: College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006). Right, Born: The team improved its win total by 32 games from the year before he was drafted and finished first in the Eastern Conference. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: 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. The Celtics failed to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in five years, losing to the Pistons in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals. [80][81] He was inducted into the Hall of Fame again in 2010, as a member of the "Dream Team". The Celtics won both games at home to open the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, and Bird felt like blowing off some steam by having a drink at the now-defunct Chelsea's bar in Quincy Market. When they reached the NBA Finals, the Celticshampered by devastating injurieslost to a dominant Lakers team that had won 65 games during the season. Stats: 22.9 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.9 BPG, Awards And Achievements: All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team. Rockets vs. Celtics. Bird finished runner-up in the MVP voting as well. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. Stats; Standings; Teams; Players; All-Star . Data Provided By Bird and Magic met a few times after that, and it's wild to see two legends of the . Bird's 198889 season ended after six games when he had bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels. He was also one of the first players to take advantage of the three-point line. This is no surprise, as Bird and Magic were the top dogs in the league for a long time. The Celtics trailed 3-1 in the series but won the next three games to play the Rockets in the NBA Finals. 1983-84 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics. Stats: 25.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.6 BPG, Awards And Achievements: NBA Champion, Finals MVP, MVP, All-Star, All-NBA First Team, Three-Point Contest Champion. 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. It was the first All-Defensive honor for Bird, on top of averaging nearly 23 points per game. [44] On March 12 of the 198485 season, Bird scored a career-high and franchise record 60 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. [21] He eventually finished runner-up in Most Valuable Player Award voting to Moses Malone. He had the ability to play the small and power forward positions. The series stretched to seven games for consecutive playoffs, but it was the 76ers that pulled out the Game 7 win. Sixth Man of the Year. The Celtics reached the playoffs in . We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The Celtics did finish with 56 wins, which was good enough for the No. With the Celtics owning a roster that was aging, he did not come back. By that time Bird's scoring . "[70] Their rivalry began in college, when Larry Bird and Indiana State lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game. He was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. Bird ultimately finished ninth in the MVP voting, while McHale was sixth in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. [83] While he was relatively slow, Bird displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, making him a strong team defender. That's the greatest game I've ever played in or seen played." [102] Bird's humble roots were the source of his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick from French Lick". * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. [16][17][18] He had a successful three-year career with the Sycamores, helping them reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history with a 330 record where they played the 1979 championship game against Michigan State. Manufacturer: The Star Co. 'Coach, I'm dead,' moaned Bird. Bird owns four buzzer-beaters and in each of those moments the Celtics trailed when he took the clutch shot. Bird averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in the series. Players simply weren't allowed to launch 3's non stop back then. The Celtics made the Conference Finals before losing to the 76ers. 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. When it comes to the 80s decade, he is in the conversation for the best overall player. Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird. Join our linker program. 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.