If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Reflecting back on the series, Magic Johnson said ". In the playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Washington Bullets in four, the New York Knicks in seven, and the Milwaukee Bucks in five. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists, an NBA Finals record. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. During a mid-1980's game vs. Utah when Bird was torching the Jazz, Larry looked over at . Trailing in game 4, Kevin McHale clothes lined Kurt Rambis to spark the Cs to victory. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. Another book that demonstrated the competitive drive amongst athletes was, Magic/ Bird written by Eric Simonson. Larry averaged 27-10-7 and led the Celtics with 36 points in a game-five win that saw the Celtics beat the Hawks by 33 points. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning 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 . The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . Coming off the back of a disappointing loss to the Lakers in the finals, many people saw Bird taking a step back going into the 1985-86 season. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . Johnson evened the series after helping the LA . Its surprising that he wasnt able to win at least one more, though three championships nowadays is something that is wildly difficult to do, its no feat to be taken lightly. They beat the Rockets twice and the Lakers once to win NBA titles. He averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game across his three seasons, winning Naismith College Player of the Year in 1979. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. In the Finals, Bird dropped a triple-double on the Rockets in a series-clinching Game 6, giving the Celtics another ring. The Lakers fell in the Western Conference finals to a new team that sprung up seemingly out of nowhere. BOSTON (AP) June 12, 1984: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-102 in Game 7 in the first NBA Finals between Boston's Larry Bird and Los Angeles' Magic Johnson . Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. Houston Rockets 4-2, who would briefly play with Bird later in his career, the greatest non-final series in NBA history, Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. It gave Bird his first finals loss in his third appearance. The Boston Celtics were matched up against the Houston Rockets, led by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. 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) . After going 33-0, Bird led his team to the final of the tournament where he faced off against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. 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. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These performances earned Bird his second MVP award. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. In 1985, the Lakers beat the Celtics behind FInals MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He instead enrolled at the smaller Indiana State University. But what is Larry Birds record in the NBA Finals? After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? 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. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. The Cs closed it out with a lopsided victory in game 5. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. The Bulls had swept the Knicks 2-0 in a best-of-three first round. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. Aside from stats, Larry Bird was a winner, bringing home multiple championship rings during his time with the Celtics. . FTA complete back to 1948-49. Peak, Bird was better imo Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. The Celtics ended up shedding the ghosts of the last season and convincingly won 4-1. Bird retired from the NBA in 1992 and immediately took up an advisory role with the Boston Celtics. MUMBAI, India Twenty-seven years after Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and the "Dream Team" made the world fall in love with the game of basketball in 1992, India showed its adoration for the Boston Celtics great during the first NBA India Games last week. Data Provided By Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. Safe to say he absolutely dominated in every facet of the game for that second ring. Traditional The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. The Celtics next opponent was the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that swept them the year earlier. Larry Bird Reacts to Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Him. Fast forward a couple of seasons and Bird marched his team back into the 1984 postseason. Larry Bird won his first NBA Finals MVP. After that the series was all Lakers, they won four of the next five games to end the series in six and hand Larry his first Finals loss. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics then took the series lead for the first time by winning Game 5 but the thoroughbred Lakers sent the series to a Game 7 with their own double-digit win. 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. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. If you are interested in Larry Bird Championships, you might be interested in checking out some of these posts I have written about Larry Legend. Boston entered the new decade by winning the 1981 NBA Finals. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the . 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 Houston Rockets were led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. His team mate Cedric Maxwell won MVP. Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. Houston had gone 40-42 in the 1980-81 regular season compared to Boston's 62-20 season under second-year Celtics sensation Larry Bird you may have heard of him. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . All the playoff action was documented on the 1984 NBA Season documentary Pride and Passion, narrated by Dick Stockton. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. The NBA Playoffs saw some change this year, with the tournament expanding to 16-teams and the four-round knockout we see today. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in the finals twice, preventing Bird from having any more NBA titles. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. 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. 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. Join our linker program. The rules shift was a big factor . But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA Finals? Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . As weve mentioned, all these players were inducted into the Hall of Fame. 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. Or write about sports? One of the most exciting 3-0 series in league history, the Celtics made quick work of the up-and-coming Bulls featuring a young Michael Jordan. 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. he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record, which was the best in franchise history at the time. Despite the changes, it did not stop the Lakers from finishing with the best record (5428) in the Western Conference, powered by their one-two punch of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. 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 . The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. He swept through the Bulls the next year, then beat the Atlanta Hawks in five games, then swept the Bucks. 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. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 when his Celttics defeated the Lakers in seven games. . 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). The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs. [2] It was also the last time that a team with home court advantage in the NBA finals played Game 5 on its own floor until 2014. Finally, lets discuss the NBA Finals. Bird won three titles with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986, earning Finals MVP honors in the latter two. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The Bulls lost Michael Jordan for most of this season to a foot injury and they were mostly terrible, finishing 4th in the Central Division. Now, the explanation. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. 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. The 1986 team is among the greatest teams to ever take the hardwood. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. Bird's 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. 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. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. The NBA Finals series was closer than either of the Conference Finals. Despite home wins in games three and five, the Pacers lost the series in six games, with Shaq and Kobe just being too much for Indianas stars. Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? This Finals had everything. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. Larry Birds finals record was 3-2. Hall of Fame. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Larry Bird is one of the ten greatest players in the history of the NBA. 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. The number two-seeded Bucks went down in a series sweep, with all five Celtics starters averaging double-digit points. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Only the strong survive. It was one of the most dominant playoff runs that we had ever seen in basketball at this time and it was hard to imagine them as anything other than favorites entering that series against the Rockets, a team that they already beat in the championship before. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Navigation Toggle NBA. Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks. Aside from the two stars, the teams were among the most stacked in history. Larry Bird was a star. 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. Celtics Starters: Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford, Larry Bird, Cedric Cornbread Maxwell and Robert Parish. In the 198384 season, the Celtics won 62 games to lead the league. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. The 1984 NBA Finals is considered one of the most epic series in league history. Big Names Off the Bench: Jerry Sichting, Bill Walton and Scott Wedman. In the Western Conference Finals the Rockets handled the defending champion Lakers in five games. His career was cut dramatically short by injury. In other words, he noticed that some . . Carr stole James Worthy's inbounds pass followed by a dunk to seal the win. . Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. Hakeem was no slouch, averaging the most points and rebounds in the NBA playoffs. Bird's Boston Celtics finished 16-15 in NBA Finals games and 3-2 in NBA Finals series. The 86 Celtics are in the conversation for best team ever with Bill Walton joining Bird, Robert Parish and. The games were close enough but never really in doubt. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? 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. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 . Bill Walton needed a change of scenery when he was in San Diego and Red Auerbach provided that for him in Boston. Maxwell later claimed he said something like that but not quite so family friendly. Get the latest news on Larry Bird, biographical info . Michael Jordans First Championship: An Epic Run! (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. Both teams could have easily succeeded in taking the Eastern Conference Finals. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war.". The Lakers were coming off a four-game sweep by the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous year's finals. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. The next year, the NBA Finals switched to the 2-3-2 format with Game 5 going to the team without home-court advantage, which continued through 2013. 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. 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. Despite playing for another five seasons after his last title, Bird would retire with three NBA championships. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Johnson had the winning record in the regular season and playoffs, and he took down Bird twice in their three Finals showdowns although Johnson having the better team had something to do with that. * Larry Bird was injured and missed the playoffs in 1989. Tatum and the rest of his team are eager to avenge the loss in the Finals . He won his second NBA Finals MVP. When discussing his legacy with Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press (h/t the Daily Hampshire Gazette), Bird didnt take much time to sing his own praises. Paul George: 'I still believe we're gonna be a tough team to beat in seven games', Gilbert Arenas on Ja Morant: 'When we young, we do stupid sh**', Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not on injury report, Erik Spoelstra refuses to comment on when Kyle Lowry will return, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala probable for Sunday against Lakers, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The first two meetings of the season between Cleveland and Boston took OT, but the Celtics were able to sneak a 117-113 win at home. Two-time National Basketball Association champion Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell points to the pillars of the game when it comes to the question, "Who is the greatest NBA player of all time?" "I measure it by those who changed the game," said the former Boston Celtics standout on Sunday afternoon while taking part in the Legends & Stars Sports Expo at Batavia Downs Gaming. The Bucks now featured a young Terry Cummings along with Paul Pressey and Sidney Moncrief. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. Magic led the team in scoring this time but was still joined by the same stars: Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. Jordan scored an all-time playoff record in game 2: 63 points. Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. Bird poured in 39 in game 7 to lead the Cs to 30.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists for the series. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. The Cs shut the door at home in game 5 winning 115-108. James Posey shared the culture that made the 2008 Boston Celtics experience so unique. Carr. 2022-23 Season Schedule; It's an era thing. Larry Bird reached 5 NBA Finals, wining 3 and losing 2, he played his entire career with the Boston Celtics. 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. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. 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. Larry Bird | Net Worth, Salary, And Career Earnings The Indiana-born was the highest-paid rookie of the year, with $3.25 million an average of $650,000 a year in a 5-year contract with the Celtics.Bird had played 879 games in his career until his retirement in 1992.. This Rockets team still had Robert Reid but now also featured Rodney McCray. Pretty good matchup between he and MJ. The Celtics struggled to slow down finals MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bird struggled compared to his incredibly high standards. The Cs turned up the D and Bird was everywhere. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low . Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. . Those other two times? SI examines the rivalry between the basketball hall of famers and how they changed the landscape of the NBA. The Cs won games five and six by two points each to reach game 7. Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Despite a back injury in the 1985 offseason, Bird averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebound and 6.8 assists per game and for the third straight season, the Celtics finished top of the Eastern Conference. Background. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Larry Bird's Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Shoots: Some notable games between the two of them: At least when it comes to how they fared in theirhead-to-head matchups. Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. Some of Johnson's notable performances against Bird: As for some of Bird's notable performances against Johnson: Johnson and Bird played against each other 19 times in the playoffs over the course of three NBA Finals. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. Bird outscored Dr. J 26.7 to 19.9 ppg in the series, led all players in rebounds and was second on Boston in assists. 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. They snuck into the playoffs because of a weak Central division. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. December 7, And they werent. The NBA unveiled two new postseason awards on Thursday morning: the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP. 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. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Lakers in 1983 and the Detroit Pistons snuck by the Lakers in 1989. L.A. went on to blow out the Celtics in Game 3 but the resilient Celtics responded with a 129-125 OT win in Game 4 which was sealed by Carrs steal at the buzzer. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. When asked about what he remembers most about beating the Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals, Carrs reply was: The final seconds of Game 7. Find out more. Birds great performances in games one and six helped lead the Celtics to the title and Bird claimed his first NBA Championship in 1981. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this. In his first season as Pacers coach, Indiana finished third in the east, having finished tenth the prior season. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. Larry is a three time NBA MVP consecutively from 1984-86, which is still a record. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum were carrying their teams on the offensive [] Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. It's clear the two dominated the decade, but who got the better of who? [1] The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. Bird set a career-high with 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks during the 1984-85 season. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. 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. Sample Searches for learning more about the power and flexibility of Stathead. No stats available. The Sixers took an 89-82 lead with five+ minutes to go. Larry Bird beat iconic NBA players on his way to three NBA championships including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. he was voted the NBA Finals MVP. Larry Bird is 6-9. How many games did Larry Bird field goal miss a season due to injury? Sadly, after that Finals loss, Bird never made it into another Finals series. The Cs took game 5 at home behind Larry Birds 34 points and 17 boards. inWest Baden,Indiana . So as it seems unlikely for Bird to ever coach again, Larry Bird has never won a championship as a coach. The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's clothesline take-down of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry. This was brought on after Ralph had an altercation with a Boston player in game five. Dominique was an offensive force, but, unlike MJ, he was not noted for doing much else . Take a look below. The Lakers then inbounded the ball and Magic Johnson inexplicably dribbled the clock out during regulation time. The Celtics entered the next season off a high, cruising into the NBA playoffs and sweeping Cleveland in the opening series. . On May 16, 1985 the off-day between Games 2 and 3 of . The teams traded games throughout the series. 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. Larry Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 & 1986, the trophy would go to his teammate Cedric Maxwell in 1981. us, College: It seemed like it should be an easy series for the Celtics, with game one and two victories by double digits, but the Knicks home crowd helped their team to win all their series home games. It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. J Erving, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. How to say Basketball in different languages? Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball.