Tag: 1981 nba championship

Every play by Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird in the 1981 NBA Finals vs. the Houston Rockets

See every play made by Larry Legend vs. Houston on the way to his first title.

The Houston Rockets have long been a sneakily dangerous team even when they were losing, dating from when the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Finals with a losing record. 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.

And while Bird, series MVP Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and company clearly outmatched Moses Malone and the Rockets on paper, it took six games to put away Houston.

If you want to see how that second-year phenomenon hailing from French Lick, Indiana was an instrumental part of the team’s 14th title, check out the clip embedded below with every play made by Bird in the series (courtesy of CLNS Media’s “NBA History and Legends on CLNS” YouTube channel).

If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” “Celtics Lab,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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On this day: Celtics win ’81 championship vs. Rockets; Braun signed

On this day, the Boston Celtics won their 14th championship, beating the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the 1981 NBA Finals.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the 62-20 Boston Celtics won their 14th NBA Championship with a 102-91 Game 6 triumph over the Houston Rockets in 1981 on their home floor despite going five minutes late in the game without a basket.

Forward Larry Bird led the Celtics with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists, and forward Cedric Maxwell chipped in 19 points, 5 boards, and 6 assists. center Robert Parish added 18 points and 6 rebounds. Shooting guard Robert Reed scored 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists for Houston, and legendary big man Moses Malone added 23 points and 16 boards.

Maxwell was awarded Finals MVP for his performance against the Rockets, who, at 42-40, were the last team in league history to make the NBA Finals with a losing record.

Not every 1981 Boston Celtics champion was a fan of Bill Fitch’s coaching style

But in the end, winning was what mattered.

Former Boston Celtics head coach Bill Fitch was held in high regard for what he accomplished on the court with the teams he led. The Celtics were no exception. Boston legend Larry Bird was a fan of Fitch’s coaching style that helped lead to the Celtics’ 14th title in 1981.

But not all of Bird’s teammates were as wild about Fitch’s bedside manner, even if they respected the results. Among such players is Hall of Fame Celtics center Robert Parish, who described how Fitch bothered him with how he treated players on a recent episode of the “Players’ Own Voice” podcast.

“The late, great Bill Fitch — great coach, but he was lacking in the people skills,” said Parish.

Boston Celtics champion Hall of Fame head coach Bill Fitch passes away at 89

Fitch helped Boston win its first title with Larry Bird in 1981.

Per multiple accounts, former Boston Celtics Hall of Fame head coach Bill Fitch has passed away at age 89, confirmed by Fitch’s daughter Marcy Ann Coville by way of Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Via Substack’s Marc Stein, Carlisle said “I am sad to announce that NBA Hall of Famer Bill Fitch passed away Wednesday evening … He died peacefully surrounded by his loving family in Lake Conroe, Texas.”

A 25-year coaching veteran in a league that is as unforgiving to that profession as any, Fitch helmed the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets, and Los Angeles Clippers, winning a title with the Celtics in 1981, and Coach of the Year twice, once with Cleveland (1975-76) and once with Boston (1979-80).

He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 and before that, was awarded the National Basketball Coaches Association’s Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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WATCH: Every play by Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird in the 1981 NBA Finals vs. the Houston Rockets

See every play made by Larry Legend vs. Houston on the way to his first title.

The Houston Rockets have long been a sneakily dangerous team even when they were losing, dating from when the Rockets faced the Boston Celtics in the 1981 NBA Finals with a losing record. 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.

And while Bird, series MVP Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and company clearly outmatched Moses Malone and the Rockets on paper, it took six games to put away Houston.

If you want to see how that second-year phenomenon hailing from French Lick, Indiana was an instrumental part of the team’s 14th title, check out the clip embedded below with every play made by Bird in the series, courtesy of CLNS Media’s “NBA History & Legends on CLNS” YouTube channel.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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On this day: Celtics win ’81 championship vs. Rockets; Braun signed

On this day, the Boston Celtics won their 14th championship, beating the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of the 1981 NBA Finals.

On this day in 1981, the 62-20 Boston Celtics won their 14th NBA Championship with a 102-91 Game 6 triumph over the Houston Rockets on their home floor despite going five minutes late in the game without a basket.

Forward Larry Bird led the Celtics with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists, and forward Cedric Maxwell chipped in 19 points, 5 boards and 6 assists. center Robert Parish added 18 points and 6 rebounds.

Shooting guard Robert Reed scored 27 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for Houston, and legendary big man Moses Malone added 23 points, and 16 boards.

Maxwell was awarded Finals MVP for his performance against the Rockets, who, at 42-40, were the last team in league history to make the NBA Finals with a losing record.

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