Larry Bird stood at center court on Larry Bird Night and admitted it: he was in a shooting slump during the 1981 Finals — and Cedric Maxwell “pulled us through.” Bird credited Max’s Finals MVP and his Game 7 clamps on James Worthy in 1984, in a clip that later vanished from the condensed DVD releases.
Cedric Maxwell watches it back and reacts — the 6-of-7 MVP vote, the mystery holdout voter, who really carried the ’81 Finals against Houston, and why Jaylen Brown’s exit hits him personally.
🍀 Watch the tape that started the debate: https://youtu.be/F0gk_COfa1Y
🍀 Bob Ryan’s response: https://youtu.be/PeaA8en8eoc
Chapters:
0:00 – Cedric Maxwell’s Return to The Garden
0:43 – What Maxwell Said to Red Auerbach
1:45 – One of Boston’s Most Beloved Athletes
6:08 – Larry Bird Praises Cedric Maxwell
8:02 – Reacting to Larry Bird’s Comments
10:05 – The 1981 Finals MVP Debate
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