Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics faced off against Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals on three occasions. The Celtics won the first of those three series in 1984, but the Lakers got the better of them in 1985 and 1987.
This was a golden era for the NBA, with the Bird vs. Magic rivalry regenerating interest in the league and helping save it from potentially dying. And in these closely contested series, small things made big differences. For example, Larry Bird once explained how the heat in Boston Garden helped them win a crucial Game 5 in 1984.
“When we got back to Boston for Game 5, it was hot,” Bird wrote in his book, Drive: The Story of My Life. “It can get hot in June when you live in Boston, but this was really hot. The Garden is not air-conditioned, so we all knew the fifth game was going to be played in serious heat.
“We were prepared, and we knew we had to run. We wanted to get out running, get them sweaty, and get the crowd into it early in the ballgame.
“It was hot, but we didn’t care because we were already so fired up. We knew the Lakers had to be miserable. They were used to playing in the air-conditioned comfort of the Forum. This just wasn’t their idea of basketball.”
The series had been tied 2-2 going into Game 5 and it was obvious that whoever won it would have a huge advantage. The Celtics used the heat well, beating the Lakers by 18 points in a 121-103 win. Larry Bird was simply unbelievable in the game as well, putting up a ridiculous 34 points and 17 rebounds. Boston eventually won in seven games.
Larry Bird Won MVP, Finals MVP, And Made An All-Defensive Team In 1984
Larry Bird won both MVP and Finals MVP in the same season on two occasions in his career. The first one was in 1984, the same year they beat the Lakers. This was truly the prime of Bird’s career, considering that he also earned a place on the All-Defensive Second Team with his exploits.
Larry Bird averaged 24.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists that season, dominating the league and getting the job done in the playoffs as well. He was the ultimate competitor and used every advantage he could to ensure that he got the victory over his rivals.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
