October 7, 2026
October 7, 2026
1980-1981 Boston Celtics: The Bird Era Begins
Larry Bird was a gifted forward out of Indiana State University whose talents very few other basketball players could replicate. The Boston Celtics took Bird with the 6th overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, and it would only take him a few years to experience his first NBA championship run with the team. The 1980-1981 Boston Celtics season was that time for Bird. Wanting to capitalize on the picks he already held in the 1980 NBA Draft, Celtics general manager Red Auerbach traded the 1st and 13th overall picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for center Robert Parish and the 3rd overall pick, which would become power forward Kevin McHale from the University of Minnesota.
The 1980-1981 Boston Celtics finished 62-20, winning the Atlantic Division crown and posting the best record in the Eastern Conference. Larry Bird had 1,741 total points, 895 rebounds, 451 assists and 161 steals and posted an .863 free throw percentage, averaging 21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2 steals per game.
Point guard Nate “Tiny” Archibald had 1,106 total points and 618 assists, averaging 13.8 points and 7.7 assists per game. Small forward Cedric Maxwell had 1,234 total points and 525 rebounds, averaging 15.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Shooting guard Chris Ford had 728 total points and 100 steals and made 36 of 109 three-point shots, averaging 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Robert Parish had 1,552 total points, 777 rebounds and 214 blocks, averaging 18.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. Kevin McHale had 818 total points, 359 rebounds and 151 blocks, averaging 10 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
Point guard Gerald Henderson had 213 assists and averaged 2.6 assists per game, while reserve center Rick Robey had 740 total points and averaged 9 points per game.
During the regular season, the Celtics went on two significant winning streaks. The first lasted 12 games, running from a 112-89 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on December 9, 1980, until Boston’s 88-85 win over the San Diego Clippers on January 1, 1981. The second streak lasted 13 games, from a 120-111 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on January 4 to a 104-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on January 28.
The Celtics faced the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, opening the series with a 121-109 win in Game 1 on April 5 at the Boston Garden. Larry Bird had 23 points, Cedric Maxwell and Kevin McHale had 21 points, and Robert Parish had 17 points. Power forward and center Dwight Jones had 19 points for the Bulls, while center Artis Gilmore had 18 points. In Game 2 on April 7, the Celtics won 106-97 as both Archibald and Parish had 27 points. Guard Reggie Theus had 21 points for Chicago, while Gilmore had 19 points.
The series moved to Chicago for Game 3 on April 10, but Boston won again, 113-107, as Bird had 24 points and Maxwell had 19 points. Reggie Theus kept scoring for Chicago with 26 points, and power forward Dave Greenwood added 23 points. Though it wasn’t easy, the Celtics completed the series sweep in Game 4 on April 12 with a 109-103 win, led by Bird’s 35 points.
The Celtics then took on the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and it proved to be a tough seven-game series. In Game 1 on April 21, the Celtics lost to the 76ers 105-104. Larry Bird had 33 points, Nate Archibald had 20 points and Robert Parish had 17 points. Shooting guard Andrew Toney was a key piece of Philadelphia’s offense with 26 points, while Julius Erving had 25 points and power forward Bobby Jones had 17 points. In Game 2 on April 22, the Celtics responded with a 118-99 win. Bird had 34 points, McHale had 20 points, Archibald had 19 points and Parish had 17 points; Andrew Toney’s 35 points weren’t nearly enough for the 76ers.
As the series moved to The Forum in Philadelphia on April 24, the 76ers won Game 3, 110-100. Julius Erving had 22 points and Andrew Toney had 19 points, while Larry Bird had 22 points for Boston and Nate Archibald had 21 points. The Celtics found themselves in a 3-games-to-1 hole after losing Game 4, 107-105, on April 26. Julius Erving had 20 points, Bobby Jones had 18 points and Andrew Toney had 17 points for Philadelphia. Cedric Maxwell had 20 points for Boston, while Bird and Archibald both had 18 points and Chris Ford had 16 points.
Back at the Boston Garden for Game 5 on April 29, the Celtics got a much-needed win by the score of 111-109. The 76ers brought an offensive punch, with guard Lionel Hollins scoring 23 points and center Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins scoring 21 points. Julius Erving also had 21 points, while Andrew Toney had 20 points and Bobby Jones had 17 points. Larry Bird had a great game for the Celtics with 32 points, Nate Archibald had 23 points and Cedric Maxwell had 16 points.
Back at The Forum in Philadelphia for Game 6 on May 1, the Celtics won again, 100-98, to tie the series. Darryl Dawkins had 24 points for Philadelphia, while Julius Erving had 16 points. Bird had 25 points for Boston, while Parish had 21 points, Archibald had 19 points and Maxwell had 17 points. Boston completed its comeback and won the decisive Game 7 at home on May 3 by the score of 91-90. Julius Erving had 23 points for the 76ers, while Darryl Dawkins had 16 points. Bird had 23 points for the Celtics, while Maxwell had 19 points and Parish had 16 points.
The 1981 NBA Finals pitted the Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets. Beginning at the Boston Garden for Game 1 on May 5, the Celtics pulled out a 98-95 victory. Houston small forward and shooting guard Robert Reid had 27 points and guard Calvin Murphy had 16 points, while Boston countered with Larry Bird’s 18 points and 21 rebounds and Robert Parish’s 16 points. However, the Rockets came back to beat the Celtics in Game 2 on April 7 by the score of 92-90. Center Moses Malone was the catalyst for Houston’s resurgence with 31 points and 15 rebounds; Larry Bird had 21 rebounds but managed only 19 points.
On April 9, the series shifted to The Summit in Houston, and the Celtics blew out the Rockets 94-71 in Game 3. Cedric Maxwell and Chris Ford helped with 19 and 17 points respectively, while Larry Bird worked hard to grab 13 rebounds and record 10 assists. Moses Malone was the only bright spot for Houston, scoring 23 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
The Rockets came back to win Game 4 on May 10, 91-86, as guard Mike Dunleavy had 28 points, Moses Malone had 24 points and 22 rebounds, and Robert Reid contributed 19 points. Maxwell had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Boston, and Parish had 18 points.
Going back to the Boston Garden for Game 5 on May 12, the Celtics stunned the Rockets 109-80, holding Moses Malone to just 20 points and 11 rebounds. Cedric Maxwell had a big game for Boston with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Though the Rockets were looking to extend the series, the Celtics shut the door on them in Game 6 on May 14 by the score of 102-91. The Rockets attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter when Calvin Murphy scored 13 unanswered points to cut Boston’s lead to just 3 at one point, and Robert Reid had 27 points and 5 assists while Moses Malone grabbed 16 rebounds. However, Larry Bird’s sharpshooting and Cedric Maxwell’s timely baskets made the difference. Bird had 27 points and 13 rebounds, while Maxwell had 19 points, Robert Parish kicked in 18 points, and Nate Archibald, who had been in the NBA for 11 years, had 12 assists to finally capture his first championship ring.
The title capped a historic season for the 1980-1981 Boston Celtics. Averaging 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in the series, Cedric Maxwell was selected as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
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