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. [80][81] He was inducted into the Hall of Fame again in 2010, as a member of the "Dream Team". [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. Magic got the upper hand against Bird, beating him in 1985 and 1987, while Bird beat Magic in 1984. [68] He returned to the Celtics in 1989, but debilitating back problems and an aging Celtic roster prevented him from regaining his mid-1980s form. Background. The Celtics ended up losing to the Lakers in six games, with Bird averaging 24.2 points on .445 shooting, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in the championship series. "Larry Bird Ball" was the most popular sport in Terre Haute. Manufacturer: The Star Co. [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. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. [45] The performance came just nine days after Kevin McHale set the previous Celtics record for points in a game with 56. Compare LeBron James and Larry Bird careers through the years of your choosing. In 34 total Finals games in his career, Curry is averaging 27.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 6.0 APG 43.2% shooting overall, and 39.5% from three. [49] In Game 6 of the Finals series, Bird recorded a triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists as the Celtics won the Finals series 4 games to 2 against the Rockets. He couldn't miss. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. Stats: 28.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 7.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, Awards And Achievements: All-Star, All-NBA First Team, Three-Point Contest Champion, 50-40-90 Club. HEIGHT. [15] After less than a month on the Indiana University campus he dropped out of school, finding the adjustment between his small hometown and the large student population of Bloomington to be overwhelming. Bird's 198889 season ended after six games when he had bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels. . [8][14], Bird's youngest brother, Eddie Bird, also played basketball at Indiana State University. 2 seed and made the playoffs for a 13th straight season with Bird on the team. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Bird has appeared in three movies, each time playing himself: Bird's likeness has appeared in several video games. PF complete back to 1948-49. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [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. It set up an NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets. Data Provided By the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB . He was selected to the All-Star Game but didnt play due to a back injury. Join our linker program. [96], Bird is also remembered as an excellent passer[100] and defender. Bird, Larry (1989), Drive: The Story of My Life. [116], In 2003, Bird was hired as the Pacers' president of basketball operations. Bird would remain an All-Star player after he was back and healthy. . [120] He continued to serve as an advisor until July, 2022, when he "stepped back from maintaining an active role with the Indiana Pacers". RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. His stats back up that statement as well. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Amazing! Do you have a sports website? Bird passed Otis Birdsong to become the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer of all-timewith a free throw early in the championship game. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. 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. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. that the Celtics returned to the NBA Finals. Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Draft: Bird was selected with the No. 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. "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. [118] On June 27, 2012, a day before the 2012 NBA draft, Bird and the Pacers announced that they would be parting ways; Bird said that health issues were among the reasons for his departure. He was the leagues best player after years of looking up to Malone. Once he entered his 30s, . The top 31 players and coaches. Larry Bird Larry Bird, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, speaks onstage during the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia on TNT at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? During the season, Bird set a new franchise record for points with 60 points against the Hawks. 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. home/away, monthly, etc More Larry Bird Basketball Reference pages, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. "[70] Their rivalry began in college, when Larry Bird and Indiana State lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game. They remained married for less than a year. Their coach, Bill Hodges, is in his first year, the first rookie ever to take an undefeated team to the tournament final. In his free time, he coaches high school cross country and track, as well as takes care of his two daughters. Bird had a double-double in all five NCAA tournament games he played in that year. Birds Celtics beat three pretty different teams in their Finals victories despite two of them being the Houston Rockets. 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. There was a point early on in the episode when Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) hears that Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) was selected as the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year. [69] Following Bird's departure, the Celtics promptly retired his jersey number 33. Bird was also a member of the gold medal-winning 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team known as the "Dream Team". . 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. Search this website. Who was going to make the last shot? Data Provided By [20] Bird also appeared in one game for the baseball team, going 1-for-2 with 2 RBI. Join our linker program. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. By that time Bird's scoring . In the Celtics 1981 Championship, Bird did not win Finals MVP. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. 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. [67] Wilkins remarked, "The basket was like a well. '", Indiana State coach Bill Hodges on the notion that man-to-man defenses might slow Bird down: "If we go against a UCLA or a Notre Dame later on and they play man-to-man, that's when you'll see how tough Larry really is. Instead, Bird came back and beat the record over his longtime teammate. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 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. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird . [98] Bird won NBA three-point-shooting contests in three consecutive years. Bird led the Celtics to another deep playoff run. 30 on ESPN SportsCentury's list of 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th century. All three were named to the All-Star Game. 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. This was the Celtics' first appearance in The Finals since their 1976 championship winning team against the Phoenix Suns.The Celtics were not quite the same team as five years before, as they added the likes of Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale, a trio that would come to be known as "The Big Three." M. L. Carr, Cedric Maxwell, and Nate Archibald were also capable players off the . This is no surprise, as Bird and Magic were the top dogs in the league for a long time. Happy 64th Birthday, Larry Bird! . Bird finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. NBA Finals. [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 team improved its win total by 32 games from the year before he was drafted and finished first in the Eastern Conference. 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. Magic Johnson: 9 (1980, 1982-1985, 1987-1989, 1991) Larry Bird: 5 (1981, 1984-1987) Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. I couldn't miss. With the Celtics down by one point, and less than 10 seconds left, Bird missed a potential go-ahead layup after his shot was blocked. No other player has multiple 45-plus-point games with a buzzer-beater. [3], A versatile player at both forward positions, he could play both inside and outside, being one of the first players in the league to take advantage of the newly adopted three-point line. The team was defeated in the semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Johnson scored 24 points and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. After protracted negotiations, Bird inked a five-year, $3.25 million contract with the team on June 8, making him the highest-paid rookie in sports history. And it went down to the last shot of the game. 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. 6.3. Birds Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. Bird recorded three 40 point triple double games in his professional career. [108], At the 2019 NBA Awards, Bird received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Magic Johnson). [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. [10], Bird received a scholarship to play college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974. . [102] Bird's humble roots were the source of his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick from French Lick". They thought scoring was more important, but passing is important.". Do you have a sports website? The trio became a dangerous big three that helped the Celtics stay competitive in 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. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. His effort helped to overcome a 47-point performance by Atlanta's Dominique Wilkins. Finals MVP. This injury was the main reason for his retirement after the following season. [86], Bird was widely considered one of Red Auerbach's favorite players. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . more information Accept. Finals Appearances. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are two of the biggest rivals in NBA history. 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. The first was on February 14, 1986 in an overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers. [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. Defensive Player of Year. [21][38], At the 1982 All-Star Game, Bird scored 19 points en route to winning the All-Star Game MVP Award. Player Stats. What Was John Havliceks Finals Record? Finals MVP: Larry Bird(24.0/9.7/9.5), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. 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. Washington Bullets vs. Boston Celtics; Sport: Basketball. With five seconds left in Game 5, Birds pass to Dennis Johnson to set up the game-winner saved the series. Bird was often checked by Magic Johnson in Michigan State's 2-3 matchup zone in theepic clash of two all-time greats. [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. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. During the 1992 Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bird missed four of the seven games due to recurring back problems. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. [4] After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. Here are some of the awards Larry Bird won in college: However, Bird was all business in spite of the awards he won and the fanfare he received. . [60], Throughout the 1980s, contests between the Celtics and the Lakersboth during the regular season and in the Finalsattracted enormous television audiences. 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. He returned to the team later in the season but also had back problems as well. 1981-82 Doubleday, pp. The Celtics drafted Birds longtime running mate the following season and acquired Robert Parish. [43] Boston came back to win the game, eventually winning the series in seven. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: How Does Larry Birds Finals Record Compare to Other Great NBA Players? Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. No Awards . For the second year in a row, Bird received the MVP Award. Search this website. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. [9] He has four brothers and a sister. The Celtics met the 76ers in the Conference Finals for a third straight year. Games he played in that year Cleveland Cavaliers, Bird received the MVP.... Beat the record over his longtime teammate in 1984 and a sister Bird also appeared in three movies, time... Bill Walton joining Bird, Larry ( 1989 ), Drive: the Story of My Life with! 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Owners and not sports Reference and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by sports Reference.... Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird are two of the NBA instead Bird.
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