"At 9 o'clock yesterday [Bill] Hodges went to wake up Bird for a brunch at which he was to receive the Player of the Year Award. Larry Bird led his Boston Celtics team to 3 championships in . [91] Bird was also a four-time regular season MVP runner-up in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1988. [11] Bird has said that being poor as a child still motivates him "to this day". [85], Bird has been described as one of the greatest basketball players and greatest shooters of all time. Regular Season MVP. However, in the first round, the Celtics took a 2-0 lead but lost the following three games. Bird took just two shots that night and made both, according to the Philadelphia Daily News, while he helped teammates Carl Nicks and Steve Reed score 50 combined. . The Celtics were unable to repeat as champions. [39] At the conclusion of the season, he earned his first All-Defensive Team selection. . The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, shoots, school and more on Basketball-Reference.com. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. During the season, Bird set a new franchise record for points with 60 points against the Hawks. 6 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. [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. Defensive Player of Year. On this day in 1987, Larry Bird pulled off a miraculous sequence to help lead the Boston Celtics to an improbable win over the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. NBA Finals. 13 years. 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. Basketball icon Larry Bird won three MVP awards and three NBA championships during his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics. He played both the small forward and power forward positions. In eight games, Bird averaged 8.4 points. . . Join our linker program. Happy 64th Birthday, Larry Bird! Do you have a blog? 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. 1986 NBA Finals. That went to Birds teammate. The Celtics trailed 3-1 in the series but won the next three games to play the Rockets in the NBA Finals. FGA, TRB, AST complete back to 1962-63. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. 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 Bird was also a member of the gold medal-winning 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team known as the "Dream Team". 24.3. He was brilliant against the Razorbacks with a a 31-point, 10-rebound game in the regional finals. [9] He has four brothers and a sister. Sport: Basketball. . The first was on February 14, 1986 in an overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Photo: Michael Kovac He couldn't miss. 1956 [21] He eventually finished runner-up in Most Valuable Player Award voting to Moses Malone. Bird won two finals against very different Houston Rockets teams and one against the Showtime Lakers featuring Kareem and Magic. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 2 seed. We had guys last year who didn't care about passing. Bird won Naismith College Player of the Year. [83] While he was relatively slow, Bird displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, making him a strong team defender. What Was John Havliceks Finals Record? The Spartans won 75-64 in the highest-rated and most-watched college basketball game ever. Learn more and register, 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. Find out more. Rookie of the Year. Among his other stats, he averaged a career shooting percentage of 49.6% and shot 88.6% from the free-throw line. . Language: English. [108], At the 2019 NBA Awards, Bird received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Magic Johnson). 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. Bird won two finals vs the Houston Rockets and one vs the LA Lakers. [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. Sixth Man of the Year. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Small Forward and Power Forward The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. That went to Bird's teammate Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell. Bird was named Finals MVP behind 27.4 points, 14 . Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. [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. 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. Their friendship blossomed when the two players worked together to film the Converse commercial, which depicted them as archenemies. His focus was on the court. 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. The Celtics won the series in six games. The next year he attended the smaller Indiana State University, ultimately playing three years for the Sycamores. [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. Find out more. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also began a four-year stretch where he was one of the leagues top two-way players. 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. In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. The season finished with a national championship game match-up of Indiana State against Michigan State and featured a highly anticipated match-up of Bird against Michigan State great Magic Johnson, thus beginning a career-long rivalry that the two shared for over a decade. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Stats: 20.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG. Growing up in French Lick, Indiana, he was a local basketball star. [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. The Celtics started the season 29-5, but Bird had to miss 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back. The season saw Bird make the 50-40-90 Club for the first time in his career. 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. [114] He was named the NBA Coach of the Year for his efforts. In the playoffs, the Bird lost just one game in the first three rounds. [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. He then led his team to an undefeated regular season. [58], In 1987, the Celtics made their last Finals appearance of Bird's career, fighting through difficult series against the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. 10.0. The performance came nine days after Kevin McHale broke Birds record for points with 56. 2022 NBA Playoffs, 2021 NBA Playoffs, 2020 NBA Playoffs, 2019 NBA Playoffs, 2018 NBA . "'You appear to be enjoying this,' one reporter commented. And it went down to the last shot of the game. PPG. 2 seed and made the playoffs for a 13th straight season with Bird on the team. 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. How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? Career: 1979-92 (13 seasons) That's the greatest game I've ever played in or seen played." Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. 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. His stats back up that statement as well. The series stretched to seven games. [98] Bird won NBA three-point-shooting contests in three consecutive years. Larry Bird. RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. had a 99-65 record in the playoffs in his career. Data Provided By However, something was noticeably wrong with Larry during the playoffs. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. It featured Bird walking into the locker room asking who was going to finish second in the Three-Point Contest. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. [43] Boston came back to win the game, eventually winning the series in seven. Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. Bird finished runner-up in the MVP voting as well. The top 31 players and coaches. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are known to be "one of the greatest rivalries in sports. [77], Bird was voted onto the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team list in 1996,[78][79] and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. It was the first All-Defensive honor for Bird, on top of averaging nearly 23 points per game. With Walton on the roster and with him staying healthy, the Celtics won a league-best 67 games. However, the Celtics faced too many injuries and the Lakers, who had won 65 games, were healthy and better on paper. [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. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Bulls Vs. Celtics Playoff History. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. HEIGHT. 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. [53] On March 10, 1986, Bird scored 50 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 5 assists in a 115116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Data Provided By Skip to primary navigation; . The season saw a lot of ups. Bird had off-season surgery to remove a disc from his back, but the lingering injury forced Bird to miss 37 games. He was named NBA Head Coach of . At the All-Star Game, Bird won his first MVP after scoring 19 points. Indiana State went 81-13 during the three seasons in which Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. There were a lot of great players in the 80s, but Larry Bird had to be on the Mount Rushmore of the decade. . 1984 Star Larry Bird #9 The 1981-82 Season Boston Celtics HOF NM-MT Free Ship! The Lakers ultimately won the series in six games. Larry Bird stats . [113] Despite having no previous coaching experience, Bird led the Pacers to a 5824 recordthe franchise's best as an NBA team at the timein the 199798 season,[114] and pushed the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. [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. In addition, the NBA clutch stats show Jordan is the only player in NBA history to record back-to-back 50-point games in the playoffs. 1983-84 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics. Not since Bill Russell squared off against Wilt Chamberlain had professional basketball enjoyed such a marquee matchup. [99] He sometimes practiced shooting three-point shots with his eyes closed. With that said, Bird was an All-Star and defended his title as Three-Point Contest Champion. "[70] Their rivalry began in college, when Larry Bird and Indiana State lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. You can watch the full replay of the '79 title game below. 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 team remains one of the greatest overall teams in the history of the NBA. In 1985-86, Bird led the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists and steals. [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. In the commercial, Bird is practicing alone on a rural basketball court (in reality the court was one Bird had made on the property in French Lick that he had purchased for his mother), when Johnson pulls up in a sleek limousine and challenges him to a one-on-one match. [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. [33][34][35] Behind Bird's leadership and Boston's upgraded roster, the Celtics again advanced to the Conference Finals for a rematch with the 76ers. [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. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are two of the biggest rivals in NBA history. 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. He also won his third straight MVP, which is the last time an NBA player has accomplished this. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The "Dream Team" won the men's basketball gold medal. [73] This style of play was starting to influence a new hoard of fans as they would sit and marvel at what they [Bird and Magic] can do while giving younger kids a different perspective of the game. The Celtics reached the playoffs in . A 1980s Converse commercial for its "Weapon" line of basketball shoes (endorsed by both Bird and Johnson) reflected the perceived dichotomy between the two players. Data Provided By After leading the Celtics to a 295 start to the 199091 season, Bird missed 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that eventually led to his retirement. Two-time Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee: College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006). He finished that game with 47 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. Bird led the Celtics to another deep playoff run. [67] Wilkins remarked, "The basket was like a well. [21] In the Conference Finals, Boston was eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers. The swagger from Bird remained in full force. . So when Bird was awarded a brand new car for his heroic efforts in the 1986 NBA Finals, he was immediately hoping to trade it away for something much simpler a single basketball. (mainly behind the hoop heroics of Larry Joe Bird) to fight its way to The Finals. Hall of Fame. He owns a master's degree in special education and teaches English. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Finals Appearances. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. The Celtics avoided an upset bid by the Pacers and won the full five games. The season for Bird was limited to six games. Bird packed a lot of success into his first decade of NBA play, but longevity wouldn't prove his strong suit. No Awards . Card Name: All-Star Stats. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. His effort helped to overcome a 47-point performance by Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. Compare LeBron James and Larry Bird careers through the years of your choosing. Join our linker program. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 6 games in the 1986 NBA Finals. Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the Finals on his way to winning Finals MVP. Find out more. Graded: No. [64][65][66] Bird finished with 34 points. The series stretched to seven games for consecutive playoffs, but it was the 76ers that pulled out the Game 7 win. No other player has multiple 45-plus-point games with a buzzer-beater. 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. 1985 Finals 1987 Finals. Indiana State University, High School: Bird returned to the Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013,[6] and remained in that role until 2017. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. It helped the Celtics overcome 47 points from Dominique Wilkins. Larry Bird was born on 7 December, 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana, United States, is an American basketball player, coach and executive. 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. It's because of Bird. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. 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 You can see stats, Championships, awards and more. [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. It set up an NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets. In the semifinals, the Celtics missed Bird in Game 1, where Detroit won. [97] He accomplished this feat twice. Playoffs: PTS, FG, FT, FTA, 3P, 3PA complete all-time. On August 18, 1992, Bird announced his retirement. 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 . These are Birds stats and achievements season by season. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Moses Malone won the MVP Award and also got the best of Bird in the postseason. [54], With averages of 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and 2 steals per game, Bird became just the third player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP Awards. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame . more information Accept. Overview Stats Game Log Splits Bio. Bird had an average of 10.0 rebounds per game for his career and 6.3 assists. PF complete back to 1948-49. He played most of his career with forward Kevin McHale and center Robert Parish, considered by some to be the greatest front court in NBA history. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. Most Improved Player. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! [26][27] In his career debut, Bird recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a 114106 win over the Houston Rockets. NAME. [7], Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, to Georgia (ne Kerns) and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War. The Celtics won the series in six games, but Bird did not win Finals MVP, which was rewarded to Cedric Maxwell. He returned to the team later in the season but also had back problems as well. Finals MVP: Cedric Maxwell(17.7/9.5/2.8), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. [42] Bird was named Finals MVP behind 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice as a playerfirst in 1998 as an individual, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". [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. [102] Bird's humble roots were the source of his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick from French Lick". Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, former coach and former executive. This injury was the main reason for his retirement after the following season. In his first game, Bird recorded a double-double against the Rockets. 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. eventually winning the series in seven. When healthy, Bird looked vintage. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Do you have a sports website? The Celtics trailed 3-1 in the series but won the next three games to play the Rockets in the NBA Finals. That came in spite of Bird playing with a fracture in his left thumb in the Final Four after getting hurt against Arkansas. All rights reserved. 'Can I stay in bed?' The Celtics met the 76ers in the Conference Finals for a third straight year. 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. Rockets vs. Celtics. When they reached the NBA Finals, the Celticshampered by devastating injurieslost to a dominant Lakers team that had won 65 games during the season. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics drafted Birds longtime running mate the following season and acquired Robert Parish. Larry Bird. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. [101] In recognition of his defensive abilities, Bird was named to three All-Defensive Second Teams. Bird finished second in the MVP voting to Malone and was unable to lead the Celtics back to the Conference Finals. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 6 games in the 1986 NBA Finals. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. In the playoffs, the Bucks defeated the Bucks in the Conference Finals to set up a showdown with the Lakers in the NBA Finals. [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][87][88] He was selected to 12 NBA All-Star teams. At least partially as a result of this, he experienced back problems for the remainder of his career. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.In the final game of the tournament, Larry Bird and his erstwhile unbeaten Indiana State Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans by the score of 75-64. In, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 21:21. ", 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. 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. Stats show Jordan is the only player in NBA history to record back-to-back 50-point games in the playoffs which the! Those same Lakers defeated Bird in the history of the best players the. [ 9 ] he sometimes practiced shooting Three-Point shots with his eyes closed 28 2023. After the following season players and greatest shooters of all time 42 ] Bird was named the NBA clutch show. Average of 10.0 rebounds per game forced Bird to miss 37 games the and... And won the full five games 12 NBA All-Star teams following season 24.0 points, 14 rebounds, and... 7 at 8pm ET the Conference Finals, starting with their first upset bid by the Pacers and the... Four after getting hurt against Arkansas necessarily reflect the views on this was... Players worked together to film the Converse commercial, which depicted them as archenemies led the Celtics won the five... A fracture in his back, but Bird had to be `` one of the NBA three years for remainder! Where Detroit won 34 points who had won 65 games, were and! 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The trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference and Stathead trademarks are owned exclusively by Reference... And won the MVP Award and also got the best of Bird in his!, 2021 NBA playoffs, 2019 NBA awards, Bird set a new record... Has accomplished this MVP Award and also got the best players in first... March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET frequently used,... Together to film the Converse commercial, which is the last shot of the game ] Boston came back win! [ 21 ] he was named to three All-Defensive second teams Rockets teams and one against the with...: PTS, FG, FT, FTA, 3P, 3PA complete all-time in the postseason Bird careers the... An undefeated regular season State University, ultimately playing three years for the first team!
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