In 1985, Larry Bird was a star for the Boston Celtics and one of their primary weapons in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. However, on June 17th that year, he got into an altercation with Frank Brickowski at a bar called The Brass Rail. Although it’s not clear what started this brawl between two players who were later fined $1,000 each by commissioner David Stern-Bird’s history is now marked as one where he “can’t win.”
Larry Bird was involved in a bar fight, which cost the Celtics in the 1985 NBA Finals. The Celtics were up 3-2 in the series, but they lost to the Lakers and ended up losing the championship. Read more in detail here: larry bird injury history.
Larry Bird, the legendary Boston Celtics basketball player, competed in almost everything, even drinking. However, in one case, it landed Larry Legend in serious trouble.
To begin the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Celtics won both games at home, and Bird felt like unwinding with a drink at the now-defunct Chelsea’s pub in Quincy Market. The evening, however, ended in tragedy, and the events that followed had major ramifications for an NBA Finals matchup with the despised Los Angeles Lakers.
During the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals, Larry Bird damaged his shooting hand in a bar brawl.
On April 20, 1985, Larry Bird collapses on the court in pain during an NBA game | Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Larry Bird and the Celtics battled Julius Erving and the rest of the 76ers in the Boston Garden earlier in the 1984-85 season. Bird was still fighting in Beantown six months later, still throwing fists. He brawled away from the court this time.
When Bird labored terribly in Game 4, there was some uncertainty. In a 76ers win, he shot 4-of-15 with eight turnovers and scored only 14 points. After the game, everything became evident since Bird’s index finger had swelled significantly.
According to the New York Times, Bird’s finger has been scarred since college, according to people close to him. Meanwhile, the NBA MVP shrugged off his injuries and continued on his way. In Game 5, Boston won the series, but the Hick from French Lick suffered once again. Larry Legend led all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-18 shooting.
It wasn’t until November when the truth was revealed.
Bird was allegedly engaged in a bar brawl at Chelsea’s, according to reports. He accepted responsibility for his behavior, claiming he was to fault for the confrontation and admitting he, too, made errors (h/t LA Times).
Unfortunately for the Celtics, this specific gaffe loomed big when they fell short in the NBA Finals against Magic Johnson and the Lakers.
Bird’s injured finger derailed a fantastic scoring streak, and he didn’t seem the same in the Finals.
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Bird had been on a tear coming into the playoffs, averaging more than 30 points per game in the last three months of the regular season. During that span, he had his memorable 60-point performance, which had Atlanta Hawks players on the bench reacting.
The winning streak continued into the playoffs. In a first-round series triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Larry Legend averaged 34.7 points per game, then had a pair of 40-point outings in the conference semifinals against the Detroit Pistons.
Bird started the Conference Finals by scoring at least 23 points in three consecutive games. However, looking back on the last two games of that series, it’s evident that the damaged index finger had a factor in his troubles. His performance in the Finals demonstrates this as well.
Against the Lakers, the Hick from French Lick averaged 23.8 points on 45 percent shooting. By any measure of the imagination, they aren’t bad figures. Despite this, he struggled at critical moments.
Bird scored only 20 points on 8-of-21 shooting in Game 3 as the Lakers claimed a 2-1 series lead. Bird was restricted to 20 points in Game 5 after Boston knotted the series in Game 4. In Game 6, he attempted to take on a heavier scoring burden, ending with 28 points. He did, however, shoot only 12-of-29 from the field at the Garden as LA won the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
What if?
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After losing in the Finals to Boston in 1984, the Lakers must have sensed delicious vengeance in 1985. But, if Larry Bird and the Celtics had been totally fit, would LA have won the title?
Let’s be clear: Larry Legend is not completely to blame for the Finals defeat. With Cedric Maxwell still dealing with knee issues, Boston’s bench lacked the same depth as LA’s. Dennis Johnson’s problems were exacerbated by the bench constraints, as DJ shot just over 38% from the field for the series.
Despite the mostly six-man rotation and Bird’s struggles to establish a rhythm, the Celtics managed to make it a competitive series. What if he’d been at a hundred percent? In the 1984 Finals, Bird averaged 27.4 points and shot over 48% from the field. Do the C’s win it if they get that level of productivity in 1985? Kevin McHale, after all, performed like a superstar. That added scoring punch would have been beneficial to the Celtics.
Even if Bird had been healthy in 1985, he may not have been able to beat the Lakers. Still, it’s worth pondering what may have happened if he hadn’t gotten involved in the bar brawl.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
Larry Bird, the Pacers’ executive, stunned the team by hitting 15 straight shots in practice: ‘We couldn’t decide whether to keep shooting or just call it a day.’
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Larry Bird had a back injury during the 1985 NBA Finals. This back injury caused the Celtics to lose in 5 games, which led to them losing the series and missing out on a championship. Reference: larry bird back injury.
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