larry bird finals record larry bird finals record

Allen Iverson Jersey Mitchell and Ness: A Complete Guide. However, despite sweeping the Bulls in the first round again, they had serious issues the next few. Larry Birds Celtics lost two NBA Finals. Larry wouldnt have been a controversial choice, but Cedric Maxwell was the emotional center of the Celtics and meant so much to the teams culture. Referee Hugh Evans became dehydrated and fainted at one point in the first half. That might seem unbelievable this is coming from a man who famously asked his Three-Point Contest peers who was coming in second but it largely fits within Birds character. 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. Larry Mangurian announced that he was selling the team because of difficulties with the owners of the Boston Garden. This series was an eye-opener into how good the Celtics were this season. Larry Bird Net Worth. December 7, 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. The Bucks took them to seven games before they were able to advance and the Pistons took them to seven in the Conference Finals. His teams overall record in finals games was 16-15. Im not a guy that talks about my past because I always look to the future, but you really sit down and look at it, Ive been involved in a lot, its pretty nice, the forward simply explained. Bird averaged 27.2 points, 9.6 boards and 7.0 assists for the series. James has as many series losses in the Finals as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird combined. Larry led the way with an average of 25 points per game. Who Did Larry Bird Defeat in the NBA Finals? 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. The 1987 NBA Finals again saw the Los Angeles Lakers up against Birds Celtics. Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson helped define the modern NBA with their individual brilliance and team success in the 1980s. Boston's most crucial addition was Dennis Johnson, whom they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason in hopes of addressing their porous back-court defense. This was Birds last finals appearance, meaning that he went to five NBA finals overall, winning 3. In his last season as the teams head coach, Birds Pacers were the number one seed in the east and were not really tested throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs. In Game 2, the Lakers led 113-111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup. The Philidelphia 76ers were led by NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Andrew Toney, and Darryl Dawkins. 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. In his second season with the Celtics, Boston finished first in the East as they had done the previous year. Birds third and final NBA championship came in 1986. Between 1980 and 1989, there were only two seasons that ended with someone other than Johnson or Bird winning the title. In 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to championships, winning three Finals MVPs along the way. 9 John Vanak (alternate, replaced Evans), This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 23:16. Despite the similarities, the Lakers won the series in six games. It was the same matchup with pretty much the same teams. How Many Finals MVPs Does Larry Bird Have? Houston had a tough road to the Finals: they beat the defending champion Lakers featuring both. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. Have the Phoenix Suns ever won the NBA title? It didnt take the Lakers long to learn, but in that series, it was the element of surprise that we needed. Larry Bird won three championships as a player, but did not win any as a coach. BIrd averaged 27.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assist per game for the series. In MVP voting, Bird dominated the competition as he took home his third straight MVP award. Fox believes the Westbrook is the most scrutinized player in the NBA, while also stating that everyone inside the league loves Westbrook, regardless of what the outside perception may be, Arenas believes that the Grizzlies should ignore Morant's actions because every other team would and he's a productive player for them, Tim Hardaway told his favorite Run TMC story involving Don Nelson which resulted to an unforgettable moment for the group. talent just don't get it. After . The Sixers had an incredible roster featuring three Hall of Famers in Julius Dr. The Bucks won a five-game series over the Hawks to start the playoffs and got by Darryl Dawkins and his NJ Nets in round 2. Another book that demonstrated the competitive drive amongst athletes was, Magic/ Bird written by Eric Simonson. Larry Bird would go after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. Amazing! Your default site has been set for 7 days, Scoring the rivalry: How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played in their legendary head-to-head matchups. The Celtics had lost to the Lakers in the finals the previous year, but this time their opposition was the Houston Rockets. He was pre-knee injury at this point and averaged 26 per game in the regular season and 29 per game in this series. So, for me, being back in the old Boston Garden for Game 7, with twelve seconds left on the clock, and knowing that we were going to be world champions when absolutely no one gave us a chance but usthat is the thing that I remember the most.. Between the two players, they won eight NBA titles, five Finals MVP awards, six league MVP . Is it tied to championships? And, as if that wasnt enough, Bird found success after hanging up his sneakers. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. He averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 boards and 3.6 assists per game for the series. The Larry Bird Finals Record is a statistic of the player who most often wins the NBA Finals. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. The games were closer than youd expect for a 1 seed vs 8 seed series. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 1979-80 season with high . Bird is a universally known NBA legend and is often credited with the NBAs explosion of popularity in the 1980s. 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. He worked the first half, but was replaced by John Vanak for the second half. What are the abbreviations on the NBA table. Sadly for Bird, Michigan State were just too much for him as the Spartans ran out 75-64 winners. It was an offensive and defensive clinic. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. Im kind of country, she explained. It was Boston's worst playoff defeat in franchise history to that date. After a tough seven game series in the conference finals against the Sixers, Boston advanced to the finals to face the Rockets. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Position: the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA . It went back and forth but the Celtics were able to walk away with a massive victory to seal the series. Milwaukee Bucks 4-0, 1986 NBA Finals: Celtics def. As one of the greatest players to ever step foot in the . However, this was not the case. Larry, to his credit, was phenomenal. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. We had Larry Bird, Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson on the Celtics. The Lakers drew first blood but Boston evened the series in Game 2. Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. Flynn. The Pacers had two pretty comfortable series to begin the 1998 post season with wins over the Cavaliers and the Knicks. The Celtics then knocked the 76ers off once again, this time in five games and advanced to the Finals for the second time in as many years. 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. Larry Bird. Click the links to read up on the Finals records of the best players in league history. 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. Bird averaged 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for the series. 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). In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. He won his second NBA Finals MVP. Regardless, Johnson and Bird are widelyregarded as beingtwo of thegreatest players to have ever played the gameand they made for one of the greatest rivalries, one that will never be forgotten. That went to Birds teammate. I write about games, players and seasons from the past. Stephen Curry is now a career 21-4 (.840) in playoff series. Nevertheless, it is rare to see a player dominate in so many areas of the game, theres no wonder why the Celtics made multiple deep playoff runs. 1984 was against the Los Ange. He finished 1986 with averages of 25-10-7. Data Provided By The 86 Celts, in the conversation for the greatest team of all time, defeated Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player of all time, in the first round. The Celtics won the Finals in six games to cap off a season that . Birds 2 Finals losses both came against the Lakers and Magic Johnson, 1985 & 1987. The Bucks swept the Nets in the first round then took seven games to get by a tough Sixers squad starring a young. After dispatching MJ, the Cs cruised by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semis. Amazing! He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1981, and the . The Celtics again saw their Eastern Conference rivals matching up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Larry Joe Bird. . He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. A year later, the Pacers would not have to worry about Michael Jordan as they returned to the playoffs, this time as the second seed in the east. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. There are so many different titles that Bird has. The Lakers destroyed the Cs in their first home game 137-104 in game 3. Larry Bird stats . Birds 3 wins came against the Rockets (1981 & 1986) and the Lakers (1984). Larry averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in this series. . And, to be clear, he came by it honestly. This series prompted Bird to quote, Thats God disguised as Michael Jordan. Michael averaged 43 points through the three-game series. The 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell led the team in scoring after saying something like Get on my back boys before the game. Larry Bird was one of the most polished rookies to enter the league and was great for the Celtics right from game one. 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. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. The first happened in 1985, a year after the Celtics had defeated the Lakers in the finals. . Thanks in main to two close overtime wins, Boston won the series in seven games despite Bird struggling in the deciding game. Celtics Starters: Gerald Henderson, Dennis Johnson, Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell and Robert Parish. The seeds of the 1984 Finals were first sown five years earlier, during the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Jordan averaged an insane 43.7 points, 5.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds for this. His performances included scoring 60 points against the Hawks which is still a Boston record to this day. Three seasons later, the Celtics were in the finals again and this time they faced the Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson for the first time. How to say Basketball in different languages? She reported on the Celtics' sideline while Pat O'Brien reported on the Lakers' sideline. Larry Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. The game after setting an NBA finals record for made threes with eight in game 2 against the Lakers in 2010, Ray Allen . The Boston Celtics legend is one of three players in NBA history to win three straight MVPs, and he helped the C's win three championships in the 1980s.. Bird, along with Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson, helped take the NBA to another level. The Celtics swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. 1956 Meanwhile, the Clydesdales, AKA the Celtics, were coming off a season where they went 56-26 and were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in round 2 of the playoffs. Bird picked up his first Finals MVP honurs. All three broke into laughter, led by Russell's infamous cackle. Houston lost a close game 1 then won a tight game 2 in Boston. Keep reading to learn more about each championship win, the series leading up to the finals, and each Larry Bird championship season. 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. How to say Basketball in different languages? Summary: Larry Bird's Finals Record. The big reason of course for this is Magic Johnson and the Lakers. Johnson won 11 of those games, posting averages of 19.4 points, 11.5 assists and 6.8 rebounds in their head-to-head matchups compared to 21.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game for Bird. Bostons setbacks didnt end on the basketball court. I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. The Cs were heavily favored and had won 10 straight vs the Rockets, but Houston put up more of a fight than expected. Tree had famously bit Danny Ainge in a playoff fight three seasons prior. In 1974, Bird received a scholarship to play basketball at Indiana University but struggled to adapt to the large student population. Larry Birds First NBA Championship 1981. "[3] The teams met again in the 1985 finals, which the Lakers won 42. Larry Bird was born on as Larry Joe Bird to parents: Georgia and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War.He attended Springs Valley High School. Milwaukee Bucks 4-1, 1984 NBA Finals: Celtics def. Who Did Larry Bird Lose To In the NBA Finals? Malone is an underrated player, not as well-known as he should be. You can read up on all three of Larry Birds incredible championships below. They quickly swept the Chicago Bulls, then marched down and knocked off the 76ers in a revenge series that wound up going into seven games. Larry Bird won the NBA Finals MVP two times. The last four games all came down to the last shot, with all the games being decided by two points or less. The Celtics won the Finals convincingly 4-2. In the first two NBA matchups between Bird and Magic . Right, Born: Even when he found fame and fortune, the NBA star never forgot his humble roots. Los Angeles Lakers 4-3, Larry Bird Championship #3: 1986 Boston Celtics, 1986 First Round: Celtics def. Michael Jordans Prime: The Greatest of All Time, Who has the most rings in the NBA? . 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. Copyright 2023 Sports Nostalgia HQ | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. The games were not much closer than the series itself. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. After the tournament, both entered the NBA in the 197980 season with high expectations. The first series matched Boston up with the Chicago Bulls. The following year, the NBA Finals format was changed to 232 after Red Auerbach complained about the constant travelling during the Finals. Larry Bird's 1986 Playoff Stats . He joined the Celtics a year later. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Despite getting swept in the 1983 NBA Finals by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers entered the season among the favorites to win the title. Jayson Tatum passed Celtics legend Larry Bird (1987-88) last night with his 34th 30-point game of the 2022-23 season. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Finals stats: 19.4 points, 11.7 assists and 7.9 rebounds in 50 games Finals rank: . The Larry Bird Finals Record was first recorded by Bill Simmons in his book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair 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. Bird averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the series. Bird does not have any titles outside of the NBA, despite making the NCAA tournament final in 1979. But does that record provide a fair verdict on James' performance in the NBA 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Their rivalry was second to none and saw them meet up in the NBA Finals three times. Head to Head: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. The top 31 players and coaches, The Bulls featured Reggie Theus and Artis Gilmore (. Required fields are marked *. He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 3.6 assists and had 2.1 steals per game. Born in Indiana in 1956, Larry Bird began playing basketball at a young age. No stats available. Larry Birds Celtics made the Finals in 1985 and 1987 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. Games. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. Having finished second in MVP voting the prior year, Bird dominated the season and the voting. Averaging 30-10-7 with 3 steals. NY Knicks 4-3, 1984 Eastern Conference Final: Celtics def. Larry Bird's Career Record vs. NBA Legends: He Beat Michael Jordan 23 Times, But Magic Johnson Won The Head-To-Head Matchups . In other words, he noticed that some . Your email address will not be published. While everyone has their own favorite NBA players, its impossible to argue with Larry Birds position in the all-time basketball pantheon. more information Accept. Larry averaged 23-13-7 on his way to a four-game sweep. Larry pushed the Celtics out of the second round with an easy 4-1 series win over the Atlanta Hawks, led at the time by Dominique Wilkins. Larry Bird had a winning record in NBA Finals games and series. The Cs won games five and six by two points each to reach game 7. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. Magic led the Lakers to victory at home in game 6, setting the stage for a Boston Garden Game 7. The Western Conference Finals also led to one of the greatest game-winners ever. Magic beat Larry in their college showdown, but Bird made sure he got his revenge in 1984. 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. 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. Jelani Scott. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, though, Larry Bird has you covered. Funny story about that series, Boston was actually down 3-1 entering Game 5, and Bird ended up dropping 32, 25 and 23 points in each of those games to rally off three straight wins and advance his team to the Finals. Larry Bird Playoffs Game Log. Washington Bullets 3-1, 1984 Conference Semis: Celtics def. The #1 and #2 seeds were set to face off in the Conference Finals. Magic Johnson had an 11-8 record in the NBA Finals versus Larry Bird in his career. Should individual honors and scoring records take precedence? His back suffered major issues, as he injured it building on his farm. That NCAA tournament final is one of the most iconic games in college basketball history. Bird was Finals MVP in the teams victories over the Houston Rockets in 1986 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984. Despite this, Bird did not win any championships during his college career. (the Lakers) learned a valuable lesson. Fans gave Bird a standing ovation when he was introduced. 1981 was against the Houston Rockets where Cedric Maxwell was the NBA Finals MVP. In 1987 the Lakers once again beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. 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 Celtics got the better of their Showtime Lakers rivales in a heated seven game series to claim the 1984 NBA Title. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Celtics won game 2 at home but lost two games in Philly to fall behind 3-1. You have to really understand the circumstances in each Finals run and see how he ended up with the record that he has right now. Those same Lakers defeated Bird in both his finals losses. From a statistical perspective, he also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists across his career. They lost twice to the same team: the Los Angeles Lakers. No one thought we could beat the Lakers. Bill suffered through injuries for much of his career but appeared in 80 games for the Celtics. 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. These Knicks really were Bernard Kings team. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: A member of the 2,000-point, 1,000-rebound club: 2,850 points and 1,247 rebounds Indiana State's all . He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the . The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and also featured defensive ace Michael Cooper, a young. By: HoopsHype. October 9, 2019. Join our linker program. 1983: Moses Malone: C: Answer (1 of 2): Larry Bird has been in the NBA Finals 5 times as a player, all while playing with the Boston Celtics. You can't tell the story of the 1980s without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. In Birds rookie season in the league, he helped lead the Boston Celtics all the way into the Eastern Conference Finals. 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 . Larry Bird, the former basketball player for NBA's Boston Celtics, is a true icon in the world of basketball. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Larry Bird Championship #1: 1981 Boston Celtics, 1981 Conference Semis: Celtics def. Bill Walton needed a change of scenery when he was in San Diego and Red Auerbach provided that for him in Boston. The Bucks, coached by Celtics legend Don Nelson, won the Central Division title in 1984. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points . Though just looking at his record can get a bit confusing. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Bird averaged 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists across the regular season as the Celtics once again topped the eastern conference. Known as "Larry Legend," Bird has achieved incredible success in his career, earning multiple awards and holding numerous records. Larry Bird's NBA Finals record is 3-2. Larry Bird won three NBA championships in his basketball career. 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. The trade signaled a transition period, as some of the key players from the first two championships gave way to younger talent. His first run to the NBA Finals came in his second season, averaging 21-11-5 with 2 steals a game. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Also, Bird pushed Michael Cooper to the baseline following the inbound play during the second quarter. Ruland, a center, averaged 22 points and 12 boards for the season. As the reigning rookie of the year, Bird led the Celtics to the finals, beginning with a sweep of the Bulls. The Celtics took seven games to defeat Bernard Kings Knicks in the conference semifinals. He made the Finals five times in his thirteen-year career, winning the championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. It brought Bird his third and final NBA Championship. Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One Bird owns a unique NBA record. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Traditional Only game 3 finished within ten points with the Cs winning 111-107. Its pretty easy to forget how many times Bird has been in the NBA Finals with all of the many accolades and unbelievably, but true, stories about him. The Houston Rockets were mostly a completely different team from the Moses Malone-led Rockets of the 1981 Finals. The Bucks were no match for the Celtics, and this spelled the end of a competitive Bucks team that fizzled out after this season. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In terms of individual honors, he won the 1979-80 Rookie of the Year title, claimed three MVP crowns, and earned two NBA Finals MVP nods. Larry Bird Championships: He Defeated the Best! The Celtics won the series, with Bird getting a triple double in the deciding game six. The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 198384 season, and the culmination of the season's playoffs. Featured Image Photo Credit: Adapted from:Bernard Cardinal Law, Larry Bird and Mayor Raymond L. FlynnbyBoston City Archivesis licensed underCC BY 2.0. 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 Detroit Pistons took two games off them in the second round but it didnt matter, Bird averaged 28 points per game as they won in six. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have met a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, starting with their first . He banked in a shot with a minute to go to put the Cs ahead for good and they won 91-90. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97F (36C) heat, and without any air conditioning, at Boston Garden. Which Player has Played in the Most NBA Finals Games? What surprises me more, though, is that former NBA player, 38-year-old JJ Redick, can't admit that the NBA of the 1980s was more physical than the game played today.. Nearly two weeks ago, Redick caused a stir by saying Bird shouldn't be considered . His first MVP award was in 1984. It did not slow Bird down as he won a title the next season with the now legendary 86 Celtics. Same ammount of titles, Lebron has more MVP's and FMVP's, played longer etc. Featuring prime Larry Legend, apex Kevin Mchale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. 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. It was also the first of three NBA Finals meetings between the Celtics and Lakers during the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. Birds Pacers swept the Bucks and the Sixers in the first two rounds of the playoffs and looked likely to make it to the finals as they came up against the eight seed New York Knicks in the conference finals. 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.