Larry Joe Bird is a former American
NBAThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player and coach.
DraftedThe NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
into the NBA sixth overall by the
Boston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in
1978The 1978 NBA Draft was the 32nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1978, before the 1978–79 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, Bird started at
small forwardThe small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
and
power forwardPower forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center
Robert ParishRobert Lee Parish is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003...
and forward
Kevin McHaleKevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
. Due to chronic back problems, he retired as a player in
1992-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets*Defensive Player of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs...
. Bird was voted to the
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time TeamThe 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History were chosen in 1996 to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association...
in 1996 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. He served as head coach of the
Indiana PacersThe Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
from
1997The 1997–98 NBA season was the 52nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Chicago Bulls winning their third straight championship and sixth in the last eight years, beating the Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the 1998 NBA Finals...
to
2000-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers, which he currently holds.
Early life
Larry Bird was born in West Baden, Indiana, the son of Georgia (née Kerns) and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird. He grew up in both West Baden and the adjacent town
French LickFrench Lick is a town in French Lick Township, Orange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,807 at the 2010 census. In early 2006 the French Lick Resort Casino, the state's tenth casino in the modern legalized era, opened drawing national attention to the small town.- History :French...
, which earned him the nickname "the Hick from French Lick" in his professional basketball career. Bird recalled how his mother would make do on the family's meager earnings: "If there was a payment to the bank due, and we needed shoes, she'd get the shoes, and then deal with them guys at the bank. I don't mean she wouldn't pay the bank, but the children always came first." According to Bird, his being poor as a child "motivates me to this day". He sometimes was sent to live with his grandmother due to the family's struggles. The Bird family's struggle with
povertyPoverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
was compounded by the
alcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and personal difficulties of Joe Bird, who likely suffered from
post-traumatic stress disorderPosttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
from serving in the
Korean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
By the time he was a
high schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
sophomore, Bird had become one of the better basketball players in French Lick. He started for French Lick/West Baden's high school team,
Springs Valley High SchoolSprings Valley Junior-Senior High School is a secondary school located in French Lick, Indiana. Athletic teams at the school are nicknamed "Blackhawks". The school opened in 1957 after the politically contentious consolidation of French Lick and West Baden High Schools. Fortunately, the basketball...
, where he left as the school's all-time scoring leader. Bird's high school coach, Jim Jones, was a key factor to Bird's success. "Jonesie", as Bird called him, would come help Bird and his friends practice any day of the week. Bird would often go to the gym early, shoot between classes, and stay late into the evening. He quit both football and baseball to focus on basketball.
Collegiate career
Bird received a basketball scholarship to Indiana University in 1974. However, he was overwhelmed by the size of the campus and number of students and was not mentally ready for this stage of life; according to Bird, "it didn't take long to realize that I was out of my cocoon." Bird was also treated poorly by an established IU star,
Kent BensonMichael Kent Benson is a retired American collegiate and professional basketball player.-1969-1973:...
; as Bird recalled, the other upperclassmen of the team treated him well. He dropped out of Indiana after 24 days, disappointing his mother. Bird returned home to French Lick where he enrolled in the nearby Northwood Institute before dropping out and getting a job with the Street Department (the department picked up garbage, repaired roads, removed snow, mowed lawns, etc.) for a year. He played AAU basketball for Hancock Construction and, after that year, decided to enroll at
Indiana State UniversityIndiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
in
Terre HauteTerre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, where he was coached by Bob King.
King suffered a stroke prior to the 1978–79 season and assistant
Bill Hodges-Notes:Hodges is a member of the Indiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame; the 1978-79 Men's Basketball Team were inducted in 1999. Hodges is a former golf coach, coaching the Armstrong Atlantic State University Pirates before moving to Indiana State. He is also a Vietnam-era veteran of the...
, who had persuaded Bird to return to college basketball, was promoted to head coach. Before Bird, the Sycamores had never been to the Division I
NCAA tournamentThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
; he led the team to the NCAA championship game in
1979The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9, 1979, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah...
, his senior season, only to lose to the
Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
Spartans, who were led by his future NBA rival,
Earvin "Magic" JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
. The Sycamores finished the season 33–1. That year, Bird won the USBWA College Player of the Year,
NaismithThe Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
and
Wooden AwardThe John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
s, given to the year's top male college basketball player. After his three seasons at Indiana State, he left as the fifth-highest scorer in
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
history. Bird finished his collegiate career with an average of 30.3 points per game. In 2007, he was voted as one of the
Missouri Valley ConferenceThe Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
men's basketball 50 greatest players.
NCAA career statistics
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1976–77
| style="text-align:left;"|
Indiana StateThe Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
| 28 || ... || 36.9 ||
.544 || ... ||
.840 || 13.3 || 4.4 || ... || ... ||
32.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1977–78
| style="text-align:left;"|
Indiana StateThe Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
| 32 || ... || ... || .524 || ... || .793 || 11.5 || 3.9 || ... || ... || 30.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 1978–79
| style="text-align:left;"|
Indiana StateThe Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
|
34 || ... || ... || .532 || ... || .831 ||
14.9 ||
5.5 || ... || ... || 28.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
Career
| style="text-align:left;"| ...
| 94 || ... || 36.9 || .533 || ... || .822 || 13.3 || 4.6 || ... || ... || 30.3
|-
1979–1981: Immediate impact
The
Boston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
selected the 6'9", 220-pound Bird 6th overall in the
1978 NBA DraftThe 1978 NBA Draft was the 32nd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 9, 1978, before the 1978–79 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, even though they were uncertain whether he would enter the NBA or remain at Indiana State to play his senior season. Bird ultimately decided to play his final college season, but the Celtics retained their exclusive right to sign him until the
1979 NBA DraftThe 1979 NBA Draft was the 33rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 25, 1979, before the 1979–80 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, because of the NBA's "junior eligible" rule that existed at that time (allowing a collegiate player to be drafted when the player's original "entering" class was graduating and giving them one calendar year to sign them, even if they went back to college). Shortly before that deadline, Bird agreed to sign with the Celtics for a
US $The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
650,000 a year contract, making him at the time the highest-paid
rookieRookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
in the history of the NBA. Shortly afterwards, the NBA draft eligibility rules were changed to prevent teams from drafting players before they were ready to sign. The rule is called the Bird Collegiate Rule.
Bird's impact on the Celtics was immediate. The Celtics were 29–53 during the 1978–79 season, but with Bird the team improved to 61–21 in the 1979–80 season, posting the league's best regular season record. Bird's collegiate rival,
Magic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
, also had entered the NBA in 1979, joining the
Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. In 1980, despite a strong rookie season from Johnson, Bird was named the league's
Rookie of the YearThe National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, which is named in honor of the Philadelphia Warriors head...
and was voted onto the
Eastern ConferenceThe Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
All-Star team (an honor he would receive for each of his 12 full seasons in the
NBAThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
). For the 1980 season, Bird led the Celtics in scoring (21.3 points/game), rebounding (10.4 rebounds/game), steals (143), and minutes played (2,955) and was second in assists (4.5 assists/game) and three-pointers (58). Though Boston was beaten by the more athletic
Philadelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in the Eastern Conference finals that year, Bird's addition to the team had renewed the promise of Celtic glory.
Following Bird's first season, the Celtics acquired
centerThe center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
Robert ParishRobert Lee Parish is a retired American basketball center. He was known for his strong defense and jump shooting, and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003...
and the 3rd pick in the
1980 NBA DraftThe 1980 NBA Draft was the 34th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1980, before the 1980–81 season. In this draft, 23 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
via a trade with the
Golden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(in exchange for the 1st and 13th picks in the draft). After the Warriors took
Joe Barry CarrollJoe Barry Carroll is a retired American professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the NBA.-1974–1976:...
with the 1st pick and the
Utah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
chose
Darrell Griffith second, the Celtics selected
University of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
power forwardPower forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
Kevin McHaleKevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player and current head coach of the Houston Rockets. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach. He was fired as coach in June 2009...
. With Bird at
small forwardThe small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
, the additions of Parish and McHale gave Boston one of the most formidable frontcourts in the history of the NBA. The three would anchor the Celtics throughout Bird's career.
In his second season, Bird led the Celtics into the playoffs, where they faced off for a second consecutive year with
Julius ErvingJulius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
's
Philadelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. Bird helped the Celtics overcome a 3–1 deficit by winning the last three games by two, two, and one point margins, propelling them into the
NBA FinalsThe 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1980-81 NBA season, pitting the Boston Celtics against the Houston Rockets.-Houston Rockets:...
, where they defeated the
Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in six games with Bird averaging 15.3 points on .419 shooting, 15.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. It would be the first of three championships in Bird's career, as well as the first of his five Finals appearances.
1982–1987: MVPs, championships and the rivalry with Magic Johnson
The additions of Bird and Johnson rejuvenated the
NBAThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, which had suffered from low attendance and minimal television interest through much of the 1970s. Immediately upon their entry into the league, the two players became repeating presences in the NBA Finals. Johnson's Lakers won the championship in
1980The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1979–80 NBA season.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP. But midway through Game 5, the Laker center suffered a severely sprained ankle. He managed to come back in the game in the 4th quarter to lead the Lakers to victory...
, Bird's Celtics captured the NBA title in
1981The 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1980-81 NBA season, pitting the Boston Celtics against the Houston Rockets.-Houston Rockets:...
, and Johnson's Lakers wrested it back in
1982The 1982 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1981-82 NBA season, the top level of competition in men's professional basketball in North America. The series saw the Los Angeles Lakers face the Philadelphia 76ers....
. Bird and Johnson first dueled in the 1979 NCAA title game; as professional basketball players, they would face off numerous times during the 1980s, including the NBA Finals of
1984The 1984 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1983-84 NBA season. In 1984, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning Game 7 111-102. Larry Bird averaged 27 points and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of...
,
1985The 1985 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1984–85 NBA season.The Boston Celtics were looking to repeat as NBA Champions for the first time since the . The Celtics had homecourt advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63-19...
and
1987The 1987 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1986-87 NBA season. The match took place between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. The Lakers won 4–2, beating the Celtics in the Finals. The key moment of the series was Magic Johnson's junior sky hook in Game 4...
. Lakers versus Celtics, and specifically Bird versus Magic, quickly became one of the greatest rivalries in the history of basketball.
In 1984, the Celtics defeated the Lakers in a seven-game Finals, winning game seven 111–102. Bird averaged 27.4 points on .484 shooting and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bird was also named the league regular season MVP for that year. In 1985, however, the Lakers avenged the loss, defeating the Celtics in game 6 of the Finals in the
Boston GardenThe Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
. In a losing effort against Los Angeles, Bird averaged 23.8 points on .449 shooting, 8.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. That year, the NBA again named Bird the league MVP.
On , in a game played between the Celtics and Atlanta Hawks at the
University of New Orleans Lakefront ArenaThe Senator Nat G. Kiefer University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, in New Orleans, Louisiana and was built in 1983. It is named in honor of Nat G. Kiefer, the late state senator who aided UNO’s efforts to obtain state funding for the building...
in New Orleans, Louisiana, Bird scored a career high 60 points in a tremendous shooting display. Bird scored all 19 of his points in the third quarter without the aid of a free throw; instead, he scored on jump shots from 20 feet and out. Bird scored Boston's last sixteen points in the game. In the fourth quarter, he made a fadeaway three-point shot while being fouled. He was not given continuation and the basket was not allowed (instead it was ruled a non-shooting foul and he received two free throws). Bird's 59th and 60th points were scored on a 17-foot jump shot at the buzzer. For the game, Bird officially shot 22 of 36 from the field, 1 of 4 from three-point range, and 15 of 16 from the free throw line.
Boston would have another great season the next year, with help from another Hall of Famer,
Bill WaltonWilliam Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
. Walton, whose up and down career had been plagued by foot injuries, was looking for a team, and after having been turned down by the Lakers called Celtics president and general manager
Red AuerbachArnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
in a last ditch effort to close out his career on an upswing. Because of Walton's reputation for being injury prone, Auerbach was initially unwilling to take a risk on him, but Bird, who happened to be in Auerbach's office at the time of Walton's call, urged him to sign Walton, saying that if Walton felt he was healthy enough to play, it was all Bird needed to hear.
With Walton backing up Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, the Celtics would return to the finals in
1986The 1986 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1985-86 NBA season. It pitted the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics against the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets. The Celtics defeated the Rockets four games to two to win their 16th NBA championship. The championship would...
, albeit not against Johnson and the Lakers, who lost in the Western Conference Finals to the
Houston RocketsThe Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. The 1986 Celtic team, which finished the regular season 67–15 and defeated the Rockets in six games, is generally considered to be the best of Bird's career. Bird again was named the Finals' MVP for that year, averaging 24 points on .482 shooting, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game for the series. He also won his third consecutive league MVP award, a feat matched only by the great Celtic center
Bill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
and the dominant
Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
, who played for Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
In 1987, the Celtics made their last Finals appearance of Bird's career, fighting through difficult series against the
Milwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
and
Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
but as they reached the NBA Finals, the Celtics, hampered by devastating injuries, lost to a dominant Lakers team which had won 65 games during the season. The Celtics ended up losing to the Lakers in six games, with Bird averaging 24.2 points on .445 shooting, 10 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in the championship series. The Celtics would fall short in 1988 losing to the Pistons in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Pistons made up from the heartbreak the previous season. Between them, Bird and Johnson captured eight NBA championships during the 1980s, with Magic getting five and Bird three. During the 1980s, either Boston or Los Angeles appeared in every NBA Finals.
Throughout the 1980s, contests between the Celtics and the Lakers—both during the regular season and in the Finals—attracted enormous television audiences. The first regular season game between the Celtics and the Lakers in the 1987–88 season proved to be a classic with
Magic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
banking in an off balance shot from near the three-point line at the buzzer for a 115–114 Lakers win at Boston Garden. The historical rift between the teams, which faced each other several times in championship series of the 1960s, fueled fan interest in the rivalry. Not since
Bill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
squared off against
Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
had professional basketball enjoyed such a marquee matchup. The apparent contrast between the two players and their respective teams seemed scripted for television: Bird, the introverted small-town hero with the blue-collar work ethic, fitted perfectly with the throwback, hard-nosed style of the Celtics, while the stylish, gregarious Johnson ran the Lakers' fast-paced "Showtime" offense amidst the bright lights and celebrities of
Los AngelesLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. A 1980s Converse commercial for its "Weapon" line of basketball shoes (endorsed by both Bird and Johnson) reflected the perceived dichotomy between the two players. In the commercial, Bird is practicing alone on a rural basketball court when Johnson pulls up in a sleek
limousineA limousine is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coachbuilder. These are called "stretch" limousines and are traditionally black or white....
and challenges him to a one-on-one match.
Despite the intensity of their rivalry, Bird and Johnson became friends off the court. Their friendship blossomed when the two players worked together to film the
ConverseConverse is an American shoe company that has been making shoes, lifestyle fashion and athletic apparel since the early 20th century. Converse is one of the earliest pioneers in the sneaker and sporting good industry founded in 1908.- 1908–1941: Early days :...
commercial, which depicted them as archenemies. Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony on February 4, 1993 and emotionally described Bird as a "friend forever".
1988–1992
In 1988, Bird had the best statistical season of his career, but the Celtics failed to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in five years, losing to the Pistons in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals. Bird started the
1988–89 season-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Mitch Richmond, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz...
with Boston, but ended his season after six games to have bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels. He returned to the Celtics in 1989, but debilitating back problems and an aging Celtic roster prevented him from regaining his mid-1980s form. Nonetheless, through the final years of his career, Bird maintained his status as one of the premier players in the game. He averaged over 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists a game in his last three seasons with the Celtics, and shot better than 45% from the field in each. Bird led the Celtics to playoff appearances in each of those three seasons.
Bird's body, however, continued to break down. He had been bothered by back problems for years, and his back became progressively worse. After leading the Celtics to a 29–5 start to the 1990–91 season, he missed 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that would eventually lead to his retirement. He had off-season surgery to remove a disc from his back, but his back problems continued and he missed 37 games during the 1991–92 season. His past glory would be briefly rekindled, however, in a game that season in which he scored 49 points in a double-overtime victory over the
Portland Trail BlazersThe Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
. During the 1992
Eastern ConferenceThe Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
semi-finals against the
Cleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
, Bird missed four of the seven games in the series due to those recurring back problems.
In the summer of 1992, Bird joined
Magic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
,
Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
and other NBA stars to play for the United States basketball team in that year's
OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in
BarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain. It was the first time in America's Olympic history that the country sent professional basketball players to compete. The "
Dream TeamThe 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, nicknamed the "Dream Team", was the first American Olympic team to feature active NBA players. Often considered one of the strongest teams assembled in any sport, it defeated its opponents by an average of almost 44 points en route to the gold ...
" won the men's basketball gold medal.
Following his Olympic experience, on August 18, 1992, Bird announced his retirement as an
NBAThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player. He finished his career with averages of more than 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, while shooting 49.6% from the field, 88.6% from the free throw line and 37.6% from three-point range. Following Bird's departure, the Celtics promptly retired his jersey number 33.
In 1989, Bird published his autobiography,
Drive: The Story of My Life with
Bob RyanBob Ryan is an American sportswriter for The Boston Globe. He has been described as "the quintessential American sportswriter" and a basketball guru and is well known for his coverage of the sport including his famous stories covering the Boston Celtics in the 1970s. After graduating from Boston...
. The book chronicles his life and career up to the 1989 NBA season.
NBA career after retirement
The Celtics employed Bird as a special assistant in the team's front office from 1992 until 1997. In 1997, Bird accepted the position of coach of the
Indiana PacersThe Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and said he would be on the job for no more than three years. Despite having no previous coaching experience, Bird led the Pacers to a 58–24 record—the franchise's best as an NBA team at the time—in the 1997–98 season, and pushed the Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals. He was named the
NBA Coach of the YearThe National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
for his efforts, becoming the only person in NBA history to have won both the MVP and Coach of the Year awards. He then led the Pacers to two consecutive Central Division titles in 1999 and
2000-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
, and a berth in the NBA finals in 2000.
Bird resigned as Pacers coach shortly after the end of the 2000 season, following through on his initial promise to coach for only three years. In 2003, he returned as the Pacers' President of Basketball Operations, where he oversees team personnel and coaching moves, as well as the team's draft selections. Bird promoted
David MorwayDavid Morway is the current general manager of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association, having been promoted by Larry Bird, current President of Basketball Operations, on May 7, 2009 after the departure of long-time CEO and President Donnie Walsh. Previously, Morway had served as...
to general manager in 2008, but Bird still has the final say in basketball matters.
Head coaching record
|-
| align="left" |
INDThe Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
|82||58||24||.707|| align="center" |2nd in Central||16||10||6||.625
| align="center" |Lost in
Conf. FinalsThe 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
|-
| align="left" |IND
| align="left" |
|50||33||17||.660|| align="center" |1st in Central||13||9||4||.692
| align="center" |Lost in
Conf. FinalsThe 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
|-
| align="left" |IND
| align="left" |
|82||56||26||.683|| align="center" |1st in Central||23||13||10||.565
| align="center" |Lost in
NBA FinalsThe 2000 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1999-2000 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Indiana Pacers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage...
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |
Career
| ||214||147||67||.687|| ||52||32||20||.615
Legacy
In 1999, Bird ranked #30 in
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's SportsCentury's 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century.
For the
2008 NBA FinalsThe 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
, which featured a rematch of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, Bird appeared in a split-screen advertisement with Magic Johnson (as part of the "There Can Only Be One" campaign which had played throughout the
2008 NBA PlayoffsThe 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
but to that point only featured players from the two teams competing in a given series) discussing the meaning of rivalries.
Bird was widely considered one of Red Auerbach's favorite players. He considered Bird to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Auerbach was so enamored with the player that he drafted him out of Indiana State and waited a year before Bird was eligible to suit up for the Celtics. During his introductory press conference, after Auerbach's contentious negotiations with agent Bob Woolf, Bird announced he "would have played for free." This was after Woolf asked for the most lucrative contract in NBA history, to which Auerbach was quick to point out that Bird had not played a game in the NBA yet.
Player profile
Bird, a versatile wing man who played the power forward and small forward positions, is considered one of the greatest players of all time, to which his twelve All-Star team nominations are a testament. The sharpshooting Bird made his name stepping up his performance in critical situations, and is credited with a long list of dominating games,
buzzer beaterIn basketball, a buzzer beater is a shot taken just before the game clock of a period expires, when the buzzer sounds. The term is normally reserved for baskets that win or tie the game, but also refers to shots that beat an end-of-quarter or halftime buzzer...
s and
clutchIn American sports terminology, "clutch" means performing well under extreme pressure. It often refers to high levels of production in a critical game, such as Game 7 of a best-of-seven series, the last hole of a Major Championship golf tournament, or the final minute in a close match...
defensive plays. He won two NBA Finals MVP and three regular-season MVP awards. He won them all in a row, a feat only shared by
Bill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
and
Wilt ChamberlainWilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
.
Bird possessed an uncanny and unparalleled ability to anticipate and react to the strategies of his opponents. His talent for recognizing the moves of opponents and teammates prompted his first coach with the Celtics,
Bill Fitch, to nickname him "
KodakEastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
", because he seemed to formulate mental pictures of every play that took place on the court.
Bird scored 24.3 points per game in his career on a high .496 field goal average, a stellar .886 free throw average (9th best all-time) and a 37.6 percentage on three-point shots. Bird was also a good rebounder (10.0 rebound career average) and an excellent playmaker (6.3 assist career average). His multidimensional game made him a consistent triple-double threat; Bird currently ranks fifth all-time in triple-doubles with 59, not including the 10 he recorded in the playoffs. Bird's lifetime
player efficiency ratingThe Player Efficiency Rating is ESPN Insider writer John Hollinger's all-in-one basketball rating, which attempts to boil down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula, Hollinger developed a system that rates every player's statistical performance.-Introduction:PER...
(PER) is 23.5, 18th all-time, a further testament to his all around game. Additionally, he is the only 20, 10, 5 player in NBA history (points, rebounds, assists per game) with a lifetime PRA rating (points + rebounds + assists per game) of 40.6, which is 8th all-time. Bird was the first player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better on field goals, 40% on three-pointers, and 90% on free-throws in a single NBA season while achieving the league minimum for makes in each category. Bird accomplished this feat twice and is second only to
Steve NashStephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
for seasons in the
50-40-90 ClubThe 50–40–90 Club is an informal term referring to the very exclusive group of National Basketball Association players who have had a shooting percentage at or above 50% for field goals, 40% for three-point field goals, and 90% for free throws during an entire NBA season while also achieving the...
.
Bird is also remembered as an excellent defender. While he was neither fast nor quick-footed, and could not always shut down an individual player one-on-one, he consistently displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, allowing him to intercept passes and create turnovers. His 1,556 career steals ranks 27th all-time. Unspectacular but effective defensive moves, such as jumping into a passing lane to make a steal or allowing his man to step past and drive to the hoop, then blocking the opponent's shot from behind, were staples of Bird's defensive game. In recognition of his defensive abilities, Bird was named to three All-Defensive Second Teams.
Bird's humble roots were the source of his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick From French Lick". Other observers called him "The Great White Hope". He has also acquired the nickname "Larry Legend".
Bird's competitive nature often emerged in nearly constant
trash-talkTrash-talk is a form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations , primarily in the US. It is often used to intimidate the opposition, but can also be used in a humorous spirit...
ing on the court. Some notable examples follow:
- During the three-point shooting contest on All-Star Weekend 1986, Bird entered the locker room, looked around without saying a word, then finally said, "I want all of you to know I am winning this thing. I'm just looking around to see who's gonna finish up second." He won the shooting contest.
- During one game on Christmas Day against the Indiana Pacers, before the game Bird told Chuck Person
Chuck Connors Person is a retired American National Basketball Association player and current assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.-High school and college:...
that he had a Christmas present waiting for him. During the game, when Person was on the bench, Bird shot a three-pointer on the baseline right in front of Person. Immediately after releasing the ball, Bird said to Person, "Merry fucking Christmas!", and then the shot went in. This was no doubt inspired by Person (nicknamed the "Rifleman") stating prior to the game that "The Rifleman is Coming, and He's Going Bird Hunting."
- Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
recalled his encounter with Larry Bird's legendary trash talking ability in his book I Love Being the Enemy. Reggie tried to disrupt Larry's concentration when he was shooting free throws late in a game. Larry glared at him, made the first free throw and said, "You got to be kidding me. Rook, I'm the best shooter in the league right now. In the league. Understand? And you're up here trying to say something?" Then Larry buried the second free throw.
- Late in a tied game against the Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, Bird told Supersonics forward Xavier McDanielXavier Maurice McDaniel , nicknamed the X-Man, is a retired American National Basketball Association player who, at 6 ft 7 in, played both small forward and power forward, and former head coach of the Riders Slamball team.-College:While at Wichita State, McDaniel was the first person to...
, who was guarding him, “I’m going to get [the ball] right here and I am going to bury it in your face.” As McDaniel remembers it, he responded by saying, “I know, I’ll be waiting.” After a timeout, Bird made two baseline cuts, then posted in the exact spot he had indicated to McDaniel, paused, turned, and made it in his face. He finished up the sequence by telling McDaniel, “I didn’t mean to leave two seconds on the clockA shot clock is used in some sports to quicken the pace of the game. It is normally associated with basketball, but has also found use in sports such as snooker, professional lacrosse, water polo, and korfball....
.”
- On November 9, 1984, Bird was ejected along with Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II , commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim....
in the third quarter after an on court scuffle. At the point of both ejections, Bird had outscored Erving 42 to 6. During the game, Bird had continuously informed Erving of their tallies with every chance he got to score. Bird denies this stating that it was teammate "M.L. (Carr) talking trash from the bench" during that game. Eventually a shoving match ensued, then swings taken by both players, and finally a bench-clearing brawl.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
|
82 ||
82 || 36.0 || .474 || .406 || .836 || 10.4 || 4.5 || 1.7 || 0.6 || 21.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| †
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
|
82 ||
82 || 39.5 || .478 || .270 || .863 || 10.9 || 5.5 ||
2.0 || 0.8 || 21.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 77 || 58 || 38.0 || .503 || .212 || .863 || 10.9 || 5.8 || 1.9 || 0.9 || 22.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 79 || 79 || 37.7 || .504 || .286 || .840 ||
11.0 || 5.8 || 1.9 || 0.9 || 23.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| †
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 79 || 77 || 38.3 || .492 || .247 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| .888 || 10.1 || 6.6 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 24.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 80 || 77 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 39.5 || .522 ||
.427 || .882 || 10.5 || 6.6 || 1.6 ||
1.2 || 28.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"| †
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
|
82 || 81 || 38.0 || .496 || .423 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| .896 || 9.8 || 6.8 ||
2.0 || 0.6 || 25.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 74 || 73 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|
40.6 || .525 || .400 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| .910 || 9.2 ||
7.6 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 28.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 76 || 75 || 39.0 ||
.527 || .414 || .916 || 9.3 || 6.1 || 1.6 || 0.8 ||
29.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 6 || 6 || 31.5 || .471 || ... ||
.947 || 6.2 || 4.8 || 1.0 || 0.8 || 19.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 75 || 75 || 39.3 || .473 || .333 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| .930 || 9.5 || 7.5 || 1.4 || 0.8 || 24.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 60 || 60 || 38.0 || .454 || .389 || .891 || 8.5 || 7.2 || 1.8 || 1.0 || 19.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 45 || 45 || 36.9 || .466 || .406 || .926 || 9.6 || 6.8 || 0.9 || 0.7 || 20.2
|-class=sortbottom
| style="text-align:left;" colspan=2|
Career
| 897 || 870 || 38.4 || .496 || .376 || .886 || 10.0 || 6.3 || 1.7 || 0.8 || 24.3
|-
Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1980The 1980 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1979-1980 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 9 || 9 || 41.3 || .469 || .267 || .880 || 11.2 || 4.7 || 1.6 || 0.9 || 21.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"|
1981The 1981 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament which followed National Basketball Association's 1980–81 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics winning their 14th overall championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets in...
†
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 17 || 17 || 44.1 || .470 || .375 || .894 ||
14.0 || 6.1 || 2.3 || 1.0 || 21.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1982The 1982 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1981-1982 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers, four games to two in the NBA Finals...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 12 || 12 || 40.8 || .427 || .167 || .822 || 12.5 || 5.6 || 1.9 ||
1.4 || 17.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1983The 1983 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1982-1983 season. This was the final postseason using the 12-team format, before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 6 || 6 || 40.0 || .422 || .250 || .828 || 12.5 || 6.8 || 2.2 || 0.5 || 20.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"|
1984The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983-84 season. This was the first postseason allowing sixteen teams to qualify, a format that is still in use as of 2011...
†
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| bgcolor="CFECEC"|
23 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|
23 || 41.8 ||
.524 ||
.412 || .879 || 11.0 || 5.9 ||
2.3 || 1.2 ||
27.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1985The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984-85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, four games to two, in the NBA Finals...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 20 || 20 || 40.8 || .461 || .280 || .890 || 9.1 || 5.8 || 1.7 || 1.0 || 26.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="AFE6BA"|
1986The 1986 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1985-86 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets, four games to two, in the NBA Finals. The Celtics won...
†
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 18 || 18 || 42.8 || .517 || .411 ||
.927 || 9.3 || 8.2 || 2.1 || 0.6 || 25.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1987The 1987 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1986-1987 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics four games to two in the Finals...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| bgcolor="CFECEC"|
23 || bgcolor="CFECEC"|
23 || bgcolor="CFECEC"| 44.1 || .476 || .341 || .912 || 10.0 || 7.2 || 1.2 || 0.8 || 27.0
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1988The 1988 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1987-1988 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons four games to three in the Finals...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 17 || 17 ||
44.9 || .450 || .375 || .894 || 8.8 || 6.8 || 2.1 || 0.8 || 24.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1990The 1990 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989-1990 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons successfully defending their championship by beating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 5 || 5 || 41.4 || .444 || .263 || .906 || 9.2 ||
8.8 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 24.4
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1991The 1991 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship via a four-games-to-one victory over the Western Conference champion Los...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 10 || 10 || 39.6 || .408 || .143 || .863 || 7.2 || 6.5 || 1.3 || 0.3 || 17.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
1992NBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 4 || 2 || 26.8 || .500 || .000 || .750 || 4.5 || 5.3 || 0.3 || 0.5 || 11.3
|-class=sortbottom
| style="text-align:left;" colspan=2|
Career
| 164 || 162 || 42.0 || .472 || .321 || .890 || 10.3 || 6.5 || 1.8 || 0.9 || 23.8
|-
40 point games
Bird scored 40 or more points 47 times in the regular season.
| Points |
Opponent |
Home/Away |
Date |
Minutes
played |
FGM In basketball, the term field goal refers to a basket scored on any shot or tap other than a free throw, worth two or three points depending on the distance of the attempt from the basket. "Field Goal" is the official terminology used by the National Basketball Association in their rule book,...
|
FGA |
3PMA three-point field goal is a field goal in a basketball game, made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc radiating from the basket...
|
3PA |
FTM |
FTA |
Rebounds A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
|
Assists In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
|
Steals In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
|
Blocks In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
|
| 60 |
Atlanta Hawks |
Neutral
|
|
43 |
22 |
36 |
1 |
4 |
15 |
16 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| 53 |
Indiana Pacers |
Home |
|
|
21 |
30 |
0 |
|
11 |
11 |
|
|
|
|
| 50 |
Dallas Mavericks |
Away |
|
40 |
18 |
33 |
4 |
7 |
10 |
11 |
11 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
| 50 |
Atlanta Hawks |
Home |
|
39 |
19 |
25 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
| 49 |
Washington Bullets |
Home |
|
43 |
20 |
30 |
0 |
4 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
| 49 |
Phoenix Suns |
Away |
|
43 |
17 |
27 |
3 |
6 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
7 |
0 |
2 |
| 49 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Home |
|
54 |
19 |
35 |
2 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
14 |
12 |
4 |
1 |
| 48 |
Atlanta Hawks |
Home |
|
42 |
20 |
32 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
9 |
14 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
| 48 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Home |
|
45 |
17 |
28 |
2 |
5 |
12 |
12 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
| 48 |
Houston Rockets |
Home |
|
43 |
17 |
32 |
0 |
2 |
14 |
15 |
15 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
| 47 |
Milwaukee Bucks |
Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 47 |
Detroit Pistons |
Home |
|
39 |
17 |
31 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
13 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| 47 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Away |
|
49 |
21 |
34 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
14 |
11 |
1 |
2 |
| 47 |
New York Knicks |
Home |
|
38 |
22 |
34 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
8 |
4 |
0 |
| 47 |
Washington Bullets |
Away |
|
53 |
19 |
29 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
10 |
8 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
| 46 |
Orlando Magic |
Away |
|
44 |
19 |
33 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
| 45 |
Phoenix Suns |
Away |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 45 |
Indiana Pacers |
Away |
|
45 |
18 |
31 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
11 |
12 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
| 45 |
Charlotte Hornets |
Home |
|
44 |
18 |
28 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
2 |
5 |
| 44 |
Houston Rockets |
Away |
|
44 |
17 |
27 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
10 |
15 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
| 44 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Home |
|
44 |
17 |
35 |
1 |
5 |
9 |
9 |
11 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
| 44 |
Chicago Bulls |
Home |
|
40 |
19 |
29 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
| 43 |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
Neutral
|
|
29 |
17 |
24 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| 43 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Home |
|
46 |
17 |
30 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
| 43 |
New Jersey Nets |
Home |
|
39 |
16 |
29 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
9 |
15 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
| 43 |
Denver Nuggets |
Home |
|
44 |
14 |
26 |
3 |
6 |
12 |
13 |
8 |
13 |
2 |
2 |
| 42 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 42 |
Seattle SuperSonics |
Home |
|
46 |
15 |
28 |
2 |
5 |
10 |
10 |
12 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
| 42 |
Indiana Pacers |
Home |
|
42 |
15 |
24 |
2 |
2 |
10 |
10 |
20 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
| 41 |
Detroit Pistons |
Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 41 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 41 |
Atlanta Hawks |
Away |
|
40 |
15 |
27 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
11 |
7 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
| 41 |
Chicago Bulls |
Away |
|
46 |
17 |
29 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
| 41 |
Golden State Warriors |
Home |
|
43 |
15 |
24 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
10 |
10 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
| 41 |
New York Knicks |
Home |
|
44 |
17 |
30 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
| 41 |
Philadelphia 76ers |
Home |
|
43 |
15 |
21 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
| 40 |
Detroit Pistons |
Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 40 |
Dallas Mavericks |
Away |
|
44 |
16 |
20 |
0 |
|
8 |
8 |
10 |
9 |
0 |
1 |
| 40 |
Denver Nuggets |
Away |
|
46 |
14 |
28 |
0 |
2 |
12 |
13 |
9 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
| 40 |
New Jersey Nets |
Home |
|
46 |
15 |
28 |
3 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
| 40 |
Atlanta Hawks |
Home |
|
39 |
14 |
24 |
3 |
7 |
9 |
10 |
12 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
| 40 |
New Jersey Nets |
Home |
|
42 |
17 |
27 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
8 |
13 |
2 |
0 |
| 40 |
Denver Nuggets |
Home |
|
40 |
16 |
25 |
0 |
5 |
8 |
8 |
13 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
| 40 |
Portland Trail Blazers |
Away |
|
40 |
18 |
27 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
13 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
| 40 |
Seattle SuperSonics |
Home |
|
46 |
17 |
27 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
11 |
10 |
1 |
2 |
| 40 |
Utah Jazz |
Home |
|
41 |
16 |
30 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
| 40 |
Miami Heat |
Home |
|
40 |
14 |
23 |
2 |
5 |
10 |
10 |
6 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
Regular season
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Points, game |
60 |
Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Points, half |
37 |
Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Points, quarter |
24 |
vs. Indiana Pacers |
|
Points without a
free throw, quarter |
19 |
Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Consecutive points |
16 |
Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Field goal percentage |
|
|
|
| Field goals made |
22 |
Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Field goals made |
22 |
vs. New York Knicks |
|
| Field goals made, half |
15 |
Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Field goals made, half |
15 |
vs. Washington Bullets |
|
| Field goals made, quarter |
10 |
vs. Indiana Pacers |
|
| Field goals made, quarter |
10 |
vs. Washington Bullets |
|
| Field goal attempts |
36 |
Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Field goal attempts |
36 |
vs. Chicago Bulls |
|
| Field goal attempts, half |
23 |
Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Free throws made, none missed |
|
|
|
| Free throws made, one missed |
16—17 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Free throws made |
16 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Free throw attempts |
|
|
|
| Three-point field goals made |
7 |
vs. Dallas Mavericks |
|
| Three-point field goals made |
7 |
vs. Indiana Pacers |
|
| Three-point field goal attempts |
10 |
three |
times |
| Rebounds |
21 |
at Philadelphia 76ers |
|
| Rebounds |
21 |
at Los Angeles Lakers |
|
| Rebounds |
21 |
at Denver Nuggets |
|
| Rebounds |
21 |
at Washington Bullets |
|
| Offensive rebounds |
|
|
|
| Defensive rebounds |
18 |
at Chicago Bulls |
|
| Defensive rebounds |
18 |
vs. Indiana Pacers |
|
| Assists |
17 |
at Golden State Warriors |
|
| Assists |
16 |
vs. Cleveland Cavaliers |
|
| Steals |
9 |
at Utah Jazz |
|
| Steals |
8 |
at New Jersey Nets |
|
| Steals |
8 |
vs. New Jersey Nets |
|
| Blocked shots |
|
|
|
| Turnovers |
10 |
at New York Knicks |
|
| Minutes played |
|
|
|
Playoffs
| Stat |
High |
Opponent |
Date |
| Points |
43 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Points |
42 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Points |
42 |
at Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Points, half |
30 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Points, quarter |
24 |
vs. Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Field goal percentage |
|
|
|
| Field goals made |
17 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Field goals made |
16 |
vs. New York Knicks |
|
| Field goals made, quarter |
10 |
vs. Atlanta Hawks |
|
| Field goal attempts |
33 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Free throws made, none missed |
14—14 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Free throws made, one missed |
14—15 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Free throws made |
14 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Free throws made |
14 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Free throws made, half |
12 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Free throw attempts |
15 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Free throw attempts |
15 |
vs. Los Angeles Lakers |
|
| Free throw attempts |
15 |
at Los Angeles Lakers |
|
| Free throw attempts |
15 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Free throw attempts |
15 |
at Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Three-point field goals made |
5 |
at Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Three-point field goal attempts |
6 |
vs. Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Three-point field goal attempts |
6 |
at Milwaukee Bucks |
|
| Rebounds |
21 |
at Philadelphia 76ers |
|
| Rebounds |
21 |
vs. Houston Rockets |
|
| Rebounds |
21 |
vs. Houston Rockets |
|
| Rebounds |
21 |
at Los Angeles Lakers |
|
| Offensive rebounds |
|
|
|
| Defensive rebounds |
19 |
at Philadelphia 76ers |
|
| Assists |
16 |
vs. New York Knicks |
|
| Assists, half |
11 |
vs. New York Knicks |
|
| Steals |
5 |
vs. Houston Rockets |
|
| Steals |
5 |
at Houston Rockets |
|
| Steals |
5 |
at New York Knicks |
|
| Steals |
5 |
vs. Detroit Pistons |
|
| Blocked shots |
|
|
|
| Turnovers |
10 |
vs. Chicago Bulls |
|
| Minutes played |
56 |
at Milwaukee Bucks |
|
In popular culture
- In October 2005, a man in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, Eric James Torpy, was convicted of shooting with intent to kill and robbery. He asked that his sentence be changed from 30 years imprisonment to 33 so that it would match Bird's jersey number. His request was granted.
- Bird has appeared in three movies, Blue Chips
Blue Chips is a 1994 drama film about basketball, directed by William Friedkin, written by Ron Shelton and starring Nick Nolte as a college coach and real-life basketball stars Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway as talented finds....
, released in 1994 by ParamountParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, the Warner Brothers film Space JamAside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
with Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
and Bill MurrayWilliam James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
in 1996, and Celtic PrideCeltic Pride is a comedy film written by Judd Apatow and Colin Quinn and directed by Tom DeCerchio. It features Daniel Stern and Dan Aykroyd as Mike O'Hara and Jimmy Flaherty, two passionate Boston Celtics fans and Damon Wayans as Lewis Scott, the Utah Jazz's All-Star shooting guard.-Plot:Best...
with Dan AykroydDaniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
, Daniel SternDaniel Jacob Stern is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the Hollywood films C.H.U.D., Diner, City Slickers and the first two Home Alone films, and as the narrator for the television series The Wonder Years.-Early life:Stern was born in Bethesda, Maryland to a...
, and Damon WayansDamon Kyle Wayans is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans brothers.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager...
, which was also released in 1996.
- Bird's likeness has appeared in several video games. In One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird
Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One, more commonly known as One on One, is a 1983 computer basketball game for the early era of home computers...
, Bird plays opposite Julius Erving in a game of one-on-one. A sequel, Jordan vs Bird: One on OneJordan vs. Bird: One on One was a 1988 basketball video game developed by Electronic Arts. It is available for the Mega Drive/Genesis, the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Commodore 64, Game Boy and the PC. It was also available as a Tiger Handheld Electronic Game. It was the sequel to One on...
, was a 1988 basketball video game. In 2011, Bird was featured on the cover of NBA 2K12NBA 2K12 is a basketball video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It was released on October 4, 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Microsoft Windows, Wii and for the first time on iOS iPhone and iPad...
, alongside Magic JohnsonEarvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
and Michael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
.
- The band Dispatch
Dispatch is an American indie/roots band. The band consists of Brad Corrigan , Pete Francis Heimbold , and Chad Urmston ....
has a song called "Just Like Larry" about Larry Bird, who is their hometown hero from his days as a member of the Boston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
- In a phone commercial when Larry Bird tells Tweety Bird that they are not related, Tweety not only comments on them having the same last name but that they "look an awful lot alike".
- Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
wrote a book together (with Jackie MacMullanJackie "Mac" MacMullan is an American freelance newspaper sportswriter and NBA columnist for the sports website ESPN.com. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she played Division I basketball for the Wildcats, MacMullan was a columnist and associate editor of the Boston Globe...
) titled When The Game Was Ours.
- In a commercial during Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
, Dwight HowardDwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
and LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
challenge each other at trick shots for a McDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
lunch. After they finish, clapping is heard, then the camera pans to the crowd and Bird says "Great show, guys. Thanks for lunch." Howard and James share a confused look. Howard asks, "Who was that?" James replies, "I have no idea." This refers to a McDonald's commercial from 1991 in which Bird and Michael Jordan have a trick shot contest, in which the winner got the lunch and the loser had to watch the winner eat.
See also
External links