Legends profile: Larry Bird

Larry Bird was an exceptional player in Boston and one of the most iconic figures in NBA history.

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Every generation or so, a player emerges who can genuinely be termed a superstar. Larry Bird was one of those players.

Bird epitomized determination, consistency, and outstanding performance in every aspect of the game during his 13-season stint with the Boston Celtics from 1979-80 to 1991-92. His skills shone as a scorer, passer, rebounder, defender, team player, and notably, a clutch player. Bird’s self-assuredness was such that he would stride over to the opposing team’s bench prior to the game’s start and forecast a personal 40-point game.

He was an exceptionally lethal shooter, even practicing 3-pointers with his eyes shut at times. Among Bird’s peers, perhaps only Earvin “Magic” Johnson was regarded as a superior passer, and their names would forever be intertwined. Bird was among the toughest players, willing to dive into crowds and leap over press tables to chase loose balls.

Bird epitomized “Celtics Pride.” He was a dignified, self-assured, and industrious player who flourished under pressure and motivated his teammates to surpass their limits. In the same vein as Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Dave Cowens, the understated Bird never sought out the limelight, but was a player who elicited top performance from those around him. However, even those iconic figures didn’t captivate Boston Garden, amaze fans, or control games in the way Bird did.

The Celtics franchise, which had been plagued by poor performance and low attendance in the late 1970s, was revitalized with the help of Bird. As the central figure of a robust team, Bird led the Celtics to three NBA championships and 10 Atlantic Division titles. Besides his championship rings, Bird amassed a remarkable list of personal accolades. He became only the third player – and the first non-center – to secure three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. His achievements also include 12 All-Star selections, two NBA Finals MVP awards, and nine All-NBA First Team memberships. He also topped the league in free-throw percentage four times.

Bird, a perfectionist to the core, was revered by both fans of the Celtics and basketball purists of all affiliations. His career, punctuated by last-second feats ranging from seemingly impossible reverse layups to astounding 35-foot shots over multiple defenders, never failed to astonish his followers.

“When Larry Bird retired in 1992 due to a painful back condition, after securing a gold medal with the original Dream Team at the Barcelona Olympics, Commissioner David J. Stern stated, ‘Larry Bird has significantly influenced how a generation of basketball fans perceive and value the NBA’,”

The legend of Bird was born in the small town of French Lick, nestled in the cornfields of Indiana, where his family lived a simple, spartan lifestyle. French Lick had a population of 2,059, the majority of whom would gather to watch the home games of Springs Valley High School, in a state known for its serious attitude towards schoolboy basketball. The attendance often peaked at 1,600 – all present to watch the golden-haired shooting sensation with the quirky smile known as Larry Joe Bird.

Bird rose to stardom in his junior year after his sophomore season was cut short due to a broken ankle. During that year, Springs Valley recorded a 19-2 win and Bird became a local sensation. Fans were always ready to provide transportation for Bird’s parents who could not afford a car. In his senior year, Bird set a record as the school’s highest scorer of all time, and approximately 4,000 people were present at his last home game.

The transition to college life was challenging for Bird. Originally, he became an Indiana Hoosier but ultimately departed the team that was coached by the renowned Bobby Knight. He also left Northwood Institute, a local junior college. Eventually, Bird decided to attend Indiana State, a university that had tallied 12-14 records for two consecutive years prior. The pressure here was considerably less than at Indiana, a consistent Big Ten power and contender for the national title.

When Bird joined Indiana State, the average home-game attendance was around 3,100. However, just as he had done at Springs Valley, Bird on his own filled the stadium and raised the status of his team. In his first campaign for the Sycamores, he averaged over 30 points and 10 rebounds. As a result, season-ticket sales tripled. TV stations preferred to air Bird’s clips over commercials. Even students would skip their classes to queue for tickets eight hours before the start of the game.

The sport known as “Larry Bird Ball” was the most popular in Terre Haute.

During Bird’s senior year, The Sycamores remained undefeated until they were defeated by a Michigan State team led by a 6-foot-9 guard named Earvin “Magic” Johnson in the 1979 NCAA Championship Game. This game is one of the most viewed in basketball history. Bird was recognized as the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and concluded his tenure at Indiana State as the fifth top scorer in NCAA history. During Bird’s three-year career with The Sycamores, they had an impressive record of 81-13.

In the 1978 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics chose him, hoping that Bird, who became eligible for the NBA after his junior year, might skip his senior season. However, they knew he was worth waiting for even if he didn’t. In 1977-78, the Celtics had a dismal 32-50 record, their worst since 1949-50. Bird chose to return to Indiana State for another year, and the Celtics’ record worsened to 29-53. Bird finally joined the Celtics for the 1979-80 season and triggered one of the most remarkable single-season revivals in NBA history.

The Celtics of 1979-80 bounced back to the top of their division with a 32 game improvement to 61-21. Bird stood out in the team, leading in scoring (21.3 ppg), rebounding (10.4 rpg), steals (143), and minutes played (2,955) across all 82 games, while also ranking second in assists (4.5 apg) and 3-pointers (58). Despite Johnson’s outstanding debut season for the NBA champion team, the Los Angeles Lakers, it was Bird who was honored as Rookie of the Year and took his first trip to the All-Star Game, the first of 12 such appearances.

A trade during the offseason with Golden State, widely regarded as the most unbalanced in NBA history, resulted in center Robert Parish and a future first-round pick (who turned out to be Kevin McHale) moving to Boston. Alongside Bird and seasoned player Cedric Maxwell in the frontcourt, they propelled the Celtics to victory in the 1981 championship.

The Boston Celtics overcame a significant 3-1 deficit in a memorable Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia, securing wins in the final three games. They then clinched the title over Moses Malone’s Houston Rockets in a six-game NBA Finals. Larry Bird led the team in various categories, including points (21.2 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg), steals (161), and minutes (3,239).

Not only was Boston Garden, which was sold out for the last 541 games of Bird’s career, packed with fans, but also arenas across the country were filled with people eager to see Bird’s feats. Bird, together with Magic, was breathing new life into the NBA, enabling the league to live up to its fresh slogan, “NBA Action: It’s FAN-tastic.” Just two seasons in, the fans, coaches, and players were completely aware of what Bird stood for: impressive statistics and crucial performances. Bird’s focus and coolness were unparalleled. He was unwavering and nearly invincible. The time he invested in improving his shot during his youth yielded significant rewards in the NBA. No other player in his era could match Bird’s shooting skills or consistency.

Bird made his first of three consecutive appearances on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in the 1981-82 season. Despite his relative sluggishness and less than stellar one-on-one defensive skills, his predictive abilities and court awareness made him an unmatched team defender. Many noted that he had the ability to foresee plays even before they unfolded.

Bird was the runner-up to Moses Malone for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, a position he would repeat the following year. His performance in the 1982 NBA All-Star Game, contributing 19 points, including 12 of the East’s final 15, won him the game’s MVP trophy. However, the Celtics didn’t make it back to the NBA Finals until the 1983-84 season. By then, Bird’s average score had climbed to the mid-20s, and he was making more than seven assists per game. He also successfully completed almost 90 percent of his free-throw attempts.

Bird, a clever defensive player, is best known for his remarkable steal during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit. In the last five seconds with the Celtics down by one point, Bird intercepted an inbounds pass from Isiah Thomas and passed it to Dennis Johnson, who scored a layup, enabling Boston to clinch the victory. After winning the highly contested, intense series in seven games, the Celtics reached the NBA Finals for the fourth successive year, facing the Lakers for the third instance. However, the Lakers triumphed in the series after six games.

At the age of 30, Bird’s deteriorating back condition and foot issues meant a fourth championship ring was out of reach. However, he still had many more heroic moments ahead.

Bird marked history in the 1987-88 season as the first Celtic to ever achieve a 40-20 game, with a stunning 42-point, 20-rebound performance against Indiana. That year, he also reached a personal best, averaging 29.9 points per game, just a few points shy of 30. In addition, Bird secured his third straight 3-point shootout championship, a record that was later equaled by Craig Hodges of the Chicago Bulls from 1990-92.

In the seventh game of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta, Bird had a notable fourth-quarter face-off with the Hawks’ Dominique Wilkins. Despite suffering from bronchial pneumonia, Bird scored 20 points in the final quarter, surpassing Wilkins and leading the Celtics to a win. However, the Celtics were later defeated by the Pistons in the conference finals.

In the 1988-89 season, Bird’s play was restricted to six games due to a surgery to remove bone spurs from both his heels. The next year, he achieved the third-longest free-throw streak in NBA history, making 71 consecutive shots. However, in the 1990-91 season, he sat out 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back, which would eventually lead to his retirement. During a first-round series that same year, Bird injured his face after a fall in the second quarter of Game 5 against Indiana. Despite also suffering from back pain, he returned in the third quarter and contributed to the Celtics’ thrilling 124-121 win. After the season, Bird underwent surgery to remove a disk from his back, though this did not provide significant relief.

Bird’s final year was the subsequent year. His persistent back issues caused him to sit out 37 games. In a game against Portland in March that was broadcast nationally, Bird had one last remarkable performance. He notched up 16 points in the fourth quarter, which included the Celtics’ last nine points and a crucial game-leveling 3-pointer with just two seconds remaining. The Celtics triumphed over Portland, 152-148, after a double overtime. Bird’s final stats were impressive – 49 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists, and four steals.

“Anytime you have Bird on the floor, anything can happen,” Portland’s Clyde Drexler told the Boston Herald after the game.

Bird made a rare mistake in his career by missing a simple layup during overtime in Game 4 of a playoff series with Cleveland that spring, which could have tied the game. The Cavaliers ultimately won the series in seven games. Boston lost three of the four games, with Bird unable to play in those games due to his back injury.

Bird’s career was nearing its end, but not before he accomplished one last feat: winning a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team. This team dominated the competition at Barcelona and gained millions of fans for the sport with their incredible skills.

As the 1992-93 NBA season was on the horizon, Bird came to the conclusion that he couldn’t keep going. He made his retirement announcement on August 18, 1992. Bird ended his career having played 897 games, scoring 21,791 points (averaging 24.3 points per game), securing 8,974 rebounds (averaging 10.0 rebounds per game), and providing 5,695 assists (averaging 6.3 assists per game). Throughout his career, he had a shooting average of .496 from the field and .886 from the free-throw line. When he retired, he was fifth in all-time free-throw shooting, following Mark Price, Rick Barry, Calvin Murphy, and Scott Skiles.

Bird was named a special assistant in the Celtics’ front office, with limited duties that included some scouting and player evaluation. In reality, he spent most of the next five years in Florida, playing golf and taking it easy. He did some commercials and appeared in a few films, including Michael Jordan’s Space Jam.

However, he was predominantly bored. He yearned for the competition, and with every year that passed, his desire to be more actively involved in the NBA increased. Eventually, as the Celtics plummeted, hitting rock bottom in 1996-97, Bird resolved to dive back in. When the Celtics appointed Rick Pitino as the new president and coach of the franchise, Bird realized that his role in Boston would be restricted. Consequently, he severed his connection with the team and returned home.

Bird was appointed as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers on May 12, 1997. Despite his lack of coaching experience, the Pacers were confident in entrusting him with the responsibility.

“Bird embodies everything I’ve strived to achieve here,” stated Donnie Walsh, who was the Pacers president at the time. “When I first started, my vision was to unify the high school, college, and professional basketball spheres, and Bird signifies that. I also firmly believe he has the potential to be an outstanding coach.”

“He has the ability to unite people. When he speaks, you find yourself drawn into his world. This is a crucial skill for a coach to possess.”

Bird humorously commented about hoping to get the Xs and Os right in the huddle and not creating any plays involving himself. Yet, he undertook his new responsibility with his usual unpretentious confidence.

“He expressed, “I’m a novice in this coaching field, but I believe I’m capable of performing the job well. I have absolute confidence that I can manage these players and do whatever is needed to secure victories.”

Bird performed admirably in his three seasons as a coach. In his debut season, despite having Reggie Miller as their lead player, the Pacers were narrowly beaten by the reigning champions, the Chicago Bulls led by Jordan, in a grueling seven-game conference finals series.

In the 2000 NBA Finals, the Pacers lost to the Lakers in a six-game series. The Lakers, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, went on to win their first of three consecutive titles.

The Coach of the Year in 1997-98, Bird, stepped down as the Pacers’ coach after they made it to the Finals. Bird, an enthusiastic outdoorsman with a love for country music, auto racing, golf, and the St. Louis Cardinals, has a wide range of interests. He is also the proprietor of “Larry Bird’s Boston Connection,” a hotel and restaurant in Terre Haute that doubles as a display venue for his numerous trophies and awards.

In 2003, he became a part of the Pacers’ front office as the president of basketball operations, where he worked closely with Walsh to transform Indiana into a competitive team. When Walsh transitioned to a similar position with the Knicks before the 2008-09 season, Bird took over full control of the team’s basketball operations. His leadership helped the Pacers break their four-year absence from the playoffs in the 2010-11 season. In 2012, he was awarded the NBA Executive of the Year, making him the only individual in NBA history to have won Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

Bird resigned as the Pacers’ president of basketball operations after the 2011-12 season, citing health issues. He had been ready to leave the team after the 2010-11 season, confident in the team’s positive trajectory. Bird’s eventual departure had been a topic of discussion between him and team owner Herb Simon for several years.

In 2013, Bird resumed his role with the Pacers, but stepped down in 2017 to take on an advisory role for the franchise.