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Larry Bird

Larry Bird

Overview
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA
National Basketball Association
The 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...

 basketball
Basketball
Basketball 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. Drafted
NBA Draft
The 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 Celtics
Boston Celtics
The 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 1978
1978 NBA Draft
The 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 forward
Small forward
The 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 forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power 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 Parish
Robert Parish
Robert 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 McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin 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
1991-92 NBA season
-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 Team
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
The 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 Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The 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 1997
1997-98 NBA season
The 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
1999-2000 NBA season
-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.
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Quotations

Well, I don't worry about ratings. I'm trying to win a ballgame right now. Whatever it takes to win a ballgame, we're going to do it. If it takes a four-hour game, that's what we have to do.

Marty McNeal (June 11, 2000) "Bryant: A Game-Day Decision - Magic Had to Convince Him to Stay Out After Friday's Injury", The Sacramento Bee|The Sacramento Bee, p. C13.

I'm a firm believer in that you play the way you practice.

Michael Marot (May 24, 2000) "Pacers Notebook/Pacers Make Turnaround", The Journal Gazette|The Journal Gazette, p. 2B.

I've always been interested in jobs in the NBA. But I've been in this for 20 years and it might be time to do something else.

Sam Smith (February 14, 2000) "Bird's Flight Path May End at Boston", Chicago Tribune|Chicago Tribune, p. 12.

I hate to lose more than I like to win.

Douglas S. Looney (May 22, 1998) "Larry Bird : Doer and Teacher", Christian Science Monitor|Christian Science Monitor, p. 8.

You can make all the excuses you want, but if you're not mentally tough and you're not prepared to play every night, you're not going to win.

Sam Smith (February 17, 1998) "Making a Run From the Border", Chicago Tribune|Chicago Tribune, p. 5.

There is nothing better than being out there when the game is on the line; only now, I get to see what my players will do. How will they react? Retirement is fine for some people, but I got bored. I'm used to more of a fast-paced life.

Ailene Voisin (February 3, 1998) "Bird on the Bench - Larry the Legend Comes Home, Wins Accolades as Coach", The Sacramento Bee|The Sacramento Bee, p. D1.

I know the rigors of the NBA and what these guys can expect. I know my job is to prepare them, to get them in shape. We'll find a good offense and a good defense. And then let's do it.

Bob Ryan (October 31, 1997) "Bird Setting Feverish Pace With Indiana", Boston Globe|Boston Globe, p. E1.

I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and that's the NBA.

Dan Weber (October 30, 1997) "Life Is Still Good For Coach Larry", Post-Tribune|Post-Tribune, p. C1.

When I was a player, I didn't expect my teammates to play the way I did. I did expect them to work hard hard every day and get better. And I never learned anything by losing.

Don Wade (October 18, 1997) "A Bird on the Bench is Worth 12,252 In Roberts Stadium Seats", The Evansville Courier|The Evansville Courier, p. C1.
Encyclopedia
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA
National Basketball Association
The 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...

 basketball
Basketball
Basketball 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. Drafted
NBA Draft
The 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 Celtics
Boston Celtics
The 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 1978
1978 NBA Draft
The 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 forward
Small forward
The 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 forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power 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 Parish
Robert Parish
Robert 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 McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin 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
1991-92 NBA season
-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 Team
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
The 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 Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The 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 1997
1997-98 NBA season
The 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
1999-2000 NBA season
-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 Lick
French Lick, Indiana
French 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 poverty
Poverty
Poverty 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 alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism 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 disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress 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 War
Korean War
The 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 school
High school
High 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 School
Springs Valley High School
Springs 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 Benson
Kent Benson
Michael 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 University
Indiana State University
Indiana 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 Haute
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre 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
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 tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The 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 1979
1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 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 University
Michigan State University
Michigan 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" Johnson
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...

. The Sycamores finished the season 33–1. That year, Bird won the USBWA College Player of the Year, Naismith
Naismith College Player of the Year
The 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 Award
John R. Wooden Award
The 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 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The 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 Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The 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 State
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
The 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 State
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
The 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 State
Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball
The 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 Celtics
Boston Celtics
The 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 Draft
1978 NBA Draft
The 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 Draft
1979 NBA Draft
The 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 $
United States dollar
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 rookie
Rookie
Rookie 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 Johnson
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...

, also had entered the NBA in 1979, joining the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The 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 Year
NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The 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 Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The 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 NBA
National Basketball Association
The 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 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The 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 center
Center (basketball)
The 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 Parish
Robert Parish
Robert 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 Draft
1980 NBA Draft
The 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 Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The 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 Carroll
Joe Barry Carroll
Joe 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 Jazz
Utah Jazz
The 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 Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The 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 forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power 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 McHale
Kevin McHale
Kevin 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 forward
Small forward
The 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 Erving
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....

's Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The 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 Finals
1981 NBA Finals
The 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 Rockets
Houston Rockets
The 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 NBA
National Basketball Association
The 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 1980
1980 NBA Finals
The 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 1981
1981 NBA Finals
The 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 1982
1982 NBA Finals
The 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 1984
1984 NBA Finals
The 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...

, 1985
1985 NBA Finals
The 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 1987
1987 NBA Finals
The 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 Garden
Boston Garden
The 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 Arena
Lakefront Arena
The 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 Walton
Bill Walton
William 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 Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold 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 1986
1986 NBA Finals
The 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 Rockets
Houston Rockets
The 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 Russell
Bill Russell
William 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 Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton 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 Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The 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 Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The 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 Johnson
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...

 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 Russell
Bill Russell
William 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 Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton 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 Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los 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 limousine
Limousine
A 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 Converse
Converse
Converse 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
1988-89 NBA 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 Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The 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 Conference
Eastern Conference (NBA)
The 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 Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The 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 Johnson
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...

, Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael 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 Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 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 Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona 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 Team
1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team
The 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 NBA
National Basketball Association
The 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 Ryan
Bob Ryan
Bob 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 Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The 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 Year
NBA Coach of the Year Award
The 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
1999-2000 NBA season
-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 Morway
David Morway
David 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" |IND
Indiana Pacers
The 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. Finals
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 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. Finals
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 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 Finals
2000 NBA Finals
The 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 ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment 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 Finals
2008 NBA Finals
The 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 Playoffs
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 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 beater
Buzzer beater
In 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 clutch
Clutch (sports)
In 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 Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...

 and Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton 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 "Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman 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 rating
Player Efficiency Rating
The 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 Nash
Steve Nash
Stephen 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 Club
50-40-90 Club (NBA)
The 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-talk
Trash-talk
Trash-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 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
    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
    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 McDaniel
    Xavier McDaniel
    Xavier 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 clock
    Shot clock
    A 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 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


NBA Championship
Led the league

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;"| 1980
1980 NBA Playoffs
The 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"| 1981
1981 NBA Playoffs
The 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;"| 1982
1982 NBA Playoffs
The 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;"| 1983
1983 NBA Playoffs
The 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"| 1984
1984 NBA Playoffs
The 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;"| 1985
1985 NBA Playoffs
The 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"| 1986
1986 NBA Playoffs
The 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;"| 1987
1987 NBA Playoffs
The 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;"| 1988
1988 NBA Playoffs
The 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;"| 1990
1990 NBA Playoffs
The 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;"| 1991
1991 NBA Playoffs
The 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;"| 1992
1992 NBA Playoffs
NBA 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
Field goal (basketball)
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 3PM
Three-point field goal
A 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
Rebound (basketball)
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
Assist (basketball)
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
Steal (basketball)
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
Block (basketball)
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
    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
    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 Paramount
    Paramount Pictures
    Paramount 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 Jam
    Space Jam
    Aside 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 Jordan
    Michael Jordan
    Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

     and Bill Murray
    Bill Murray
    William 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 Pride
    Celtic Pride
    Celtic 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 Aykroyd
    Dan Aykroyd
    Daniel 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 Stern
    Daniel Stern (actor)
    Daniel 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 Wayans
    Damon Wayans
    Damon 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
    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 One
    Jordan vs Bird: One on One
    Jordan 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 2K12
    NBA 2K12
    NBA 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 Johnson
    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...

     and Michael Jordan
    Michael Jordan
    Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

    .
  • The band Dispatch
    Dispatch (band)
    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 Celtics
    Boston Celtics
    The 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
    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 MacMullan
    Jackie MacMullan
    Jackie "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
    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 Howard
    Dwight Howard
    Dwight 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 James
    LeBron James
    LeBron 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's
    McDonald's
    McDonald'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