The NBA Finals’ Top 10 Players That Larry Bird Defeated

The NBA Finals’ Top 10 Players That Larry Bird Defeated.

In the 1980s, Larry Bird, one of the best players to have ever played in the NBA, took the basketball world by storm. Many people believe that Bird’s rivalry with Magic Johnson in college and the NBA is what keeps the league viable. Even after he finished his playing career more than 25 years ago, Larry Bird’s legend endures. For a long time, his opponents have claimed that even while they knew predict what Bird would do and how, they were still unable to prevent him from seizing control of a game.

In his five attempts, Larry Bird won three NBA titles during his career. In two of his three career Finals victories, he was awarded Finals MVP. From 1984 to 1986, he was the only player to win three MVP trophies in a row. We’re going to look at some of Larry Bird’s biggest opponents on the biggest stage of the NBA today. All of these opponents stood in Bird’s way of winning a championship, and for the duration of at least one series, Bird was superior.

In the NBA Finals, Larry Bird defeated ten of the top NBA players.

10. Bob McAdoo

A Hall of Famer, Bob Mcadoo is among the best centers in NBA history. McAdoo was already battling the injuries that had dogged him for the majority of his career by the time he arrived at the Lakers. During his four seasons with Los Angeles, McAdoo only made one start for the team and saw action in 223 games as a substitute. In 1983 and 1984, McAdoo averaged 15.0 points per game and 13.1 points per game, respectively, but he was not quite as dominant as he once was.

When the Lakers faced Bird and the Celtics in the 1984 NBA Finals, McAdoo was a major factor in getting them there. He played slightly more than 24.0 minutes per game and made appearances in 6 of the 7 series games. He would finish the series with an average of 12.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.3 BPG over its last seven games. With Magic, Kareem, and Worthy in the mix, McAdoo’s efforts as a substitute point guard would not be sufficient as the Celtics won Game 7 thanks to 20 or more points from Bird, Dennis Johnson, and Cedric Maxwell. Bird’s 27.4 PPG and 14.0 RPG would earn him the title of Finals MVP for the series.

9. The Reid Brothers