[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. With his averages, he won Rookie of the Year. 1956 [26][27] In his career debut, Bird recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a 114106 win over the Houston Rockets. Happy 64th Birthday, Larry Bird! [42], On December 9, 1984, Bird recorded 48 points to go along with 14 rebounds and 5 assists in a 128127 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics and the Lakers are the two most storied franchises in the NBA, and the rivalry has often been called the greatest in the NBA. Sixth Man of the Year. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are known to be "one of the greatest rivalries in sports. [36] He averaged 21.9 points, 14 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for the postseason and 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 7 assists per game for the Finals. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. During the 80s, it was either the Lakers or the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Compare Magic Johnson and Larry Bird careers through the years of your choosing. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. Bird packed a lot of success into his first decade of NBA play, but longevity wouldn't prove his strong suit. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? They each had charisma, deft shooting touch, extraordinary passing skills, and team-oriented mindset that ignited their team and the crowd. Larry Bird led his Boston Celtics team to 3 championships in . In 2003, Bird was named president of basketball operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. These are Birds stats and achievements season by season. 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: Larry Bird (24.0 / 9.7 / 9.5) 1986 Playoff Leaders: PTS: Hakeem Olajuwon (537) From 1984 to 1986, no one in the NBA could top him, and he racked up quite a bit of hardware. His stats back up that statement as well. [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. Stats Yahoo Celtics News . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. For the second year in a row, Bird received the MVP Award. [23], Bird was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. He had the ability to play the small and power forward positions. '"[107] When playing against Dennis Rodman, a player known for his defensive abilities, in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Bird continually belittled Rodman's ability, at one point asking the opposing head coach to send in someone up to the task of guarding him. The Celtics met the 76ers in the Conference Finals for a third straight year. 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. Hodges said of Bird, "His only personal goal this year was to lead the nation in rebounds. [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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. With that said, the following three years were legendary. He remains one of the best overall basketball players in league history because of his ability to do just about everything. His effort helped to overcome a 47-point performance by Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins. Indiana State University, High School: Stats: 21.3 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG, Awards And Achievements: All-Star, All-NBA First Team, Rookie of the Year, All-Rookie First Team. That came in spite of Bird playing with a fracture in his left thumb in the Final Four after getting hurt against Arkansas. 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. He played both the small forward and power forward positions. But they have . [103] Bird was also referred to as "Larry Legend". James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. [67] Wilkins remarked, "The basket was like a well. Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 21:21, retired by Springs Valley High Blackhawks, 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, United States men's national basketball team, List of career achievements by Larry Bird, List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game, List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game, List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders, List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds, "Big Threes Beyond the Boston Celtics & Miami Heat: 50 Best Trios in NBA History", Fox Sports: Top 10 small forwards in NBA history, "Larry Bird resigns as Indiana Pacers president for second time", Larry Bird: Hall of Fame Basketball Superstar, "EDDIE BIRD HAS A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW AT INDIANA STATE", "Boston's Larry Bird, in what may be his finest season, gets Red Auerbach's voteover Bill Russellas the best ever", "Throwback Thursday: Celtics Draft Larry Bird Sixth Overall", "The story of how rookie phenom Larry Bird led the NBA's greatest turnaround season", "Larry Bird's baseball career: A lofty .500 batting average", "Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics Box Score, October 12, 1979", "Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics Box Score, November 14, 1979", "Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics Box Score, November 23, 1979", "5 best players in Boston Celtics history", "NBA expert panel: Warriors not the greatest of all time, or even No. Bird was rated the greatest NBA small forward of all time by Fox Sports in 2016. 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. Sport: Basketball. but, still, those stats are unreal. It remains an iconic play that helped the Celtics make the NBA Finals. He was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. You can watch the full replay of the '79 title game below. When it comes to the 80s decade, he is in the conversation for the best overall player. Bird was one of the best scorers in the country, a big forward who led the way for the Sycamores from the Missouri Valley Conference to the biggest national stage. Bird was named 1984 Finals MVP after averaging 27 points and 14 rebounds per game. He was named NBA Coach of the Year for the 19971998 season and later led the Pacers to a berth in the 2000 NBA Finals. Bird passed Otis Birdsong to become the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer of all-timewith a free throw early in the championship game. You can see stats, Championships, awards and more. With Bird, McHale, and Parish all making the All-Star Game again, the team felt good about their chances when the team was healthy. The Celtics started the season 29-5, but Bird had to miss 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Playoffs, All-Star) Awards. The Celtics trailed 3-1 in the series but won the next three games to play the Rockets in the NBA Finals. Bird was raised in French Lick, Indiana, and attended Indiana State University, where he helped revive . What Was Michael Jordans Playoff Record? How many games did Larry Bird field goal miss a season due to injury? 6.3. . 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 [12] Georgia and Joe divorced when Larry was in high school, and Joe died by suicide about a year later. Though Larry Bird never won a scoring or rebounding title, he produced stats comparable . All rights reserved. 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. Winning Time again explored the Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird narrative in its season finale. Despite facing adversity, the Celtics were able to win the Atlantic Division and finished with a 51-31 record. Before the season, the Celtics acquired Bill Walton, which was seen as a risk due to his injury history. Bird would typically start offensive possessions on the right block, where he would utilize the right corner of the floor, the fre-throw line extended and the opposite wing. [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. [42] Bird was named Finals MVP behind 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. From NBA.com Staff September 14, 2021 2:10 PM He also secured All-NBA and All-Defensive Team status. . [56] Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round. Rookie of the Year. [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. The next year he attended the smaller Indiana State University, ultimately playing three years for the Sycamores. He couldn't miss. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. This is no surprise, as Bird and Magic were the top dogs in the league for a long time. 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. The team remains one of the greatest overall teams in the history of the NBA. [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. No Awards . . [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. Find out more. Doubleday, pp. Falling out of bounds, Bird turned and passed the ball to teammate Dennis Johnson, who converted a game-winning 2-point layup with less than a second left. When Robert Horry averaged at least 24 minutes per game in the playoffs, his teams won six league titles in 11 seasons. Instead, Bird came back and beat the record over his longtime teammate. Washington Bullets vs. Boston Celtics; Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) . Moses Malone won the MVP Award and also got the best of Bird in the postseason. Bird, however . Team: [60], Throughout the 1980s, contests between the Celtics and the Lakersboth during the regular season and in the Finalsattracted enormous television audiences. The Lakers ultimately won the series in six games. 1981-82 [86][87][88] He was selected to 12 NBA All-Star teams. Stats: 20.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Bird returned to the Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013,[6] and remained in that role until 2017. 1984 Star Larry Bird #5 Playoff Stats Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Shipping! Basketball icon Larry Bird won three MVP awards and three NBA championships during his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics. 2 seed. Language: English. Larry Bird is 6-9. more information Accept. [8] Bird's parents were of Irish, Scottish and some Native American descent. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. His nickname Larry Legend suits him as he remains one of the most legendary players of all time. Forum; InsideHoops Main Basketball Forums; NBA Forum; Larry Bird is the 2nd best player in the history Bird was a Swiss army knife. 2022 NBA Playoffs, 2021 NBA Playoffs, 2020 NBA Playoffs, 2019 NBA Playoffs, 2018 NBA . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. . [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. [97] He accomplished this feat twice. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. The announcement clearly gets underneath Johnson's skin. 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. 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 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. Card Name: All-Star Stats. Titles did indeed come in 1981, 1984, and 1986, and Boston also played in the 1985 and 1987 Finals. [83] While he was relatively slow, Bird displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, making him a strong team defender. [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. In the playoffs, the Celtics took on a very tough Detroit Pistons team in the Conference Finals. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com. Stats; Standings; Teams; Players; All-Star . [8] He returned to French Lick, enrolling at Northwood Institute (now Northwood University) in nearby West Baden, and working municipal jobs for a year before enrolling at Indiana State University in Terre Haute in 1975. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . Bird and Magic met a few times after that, and it's wild to see two legends of the . Below you can see the playoff results for all of Birds Celtics teams. Bird remained a top player in the league, securing All-NBA and All-Defensive team honors again. ", "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. He also secured All-NBA and All-Defensive team honors again 20.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 6.8,! 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