Bird, Larry (1956– )
US basketball player. Playing as a forward, he led the Boston Celtics to the US National Basketball Association (NBA) title in 1981, 1984, and 1986. He was voted the NBA's most valuable player for three consecutive years (1984–86). Beset by injuries from the late 1980s, he retired from basketball after leading the US ‘Dream Team’ (a star-studded team featuring the NBA's leading professional players) to the Olympic title in 1992. In 1997 he was appointed coach of the Indiana Pacers in the NBA. In June 2000 he led the Indiana Pacers to the NBA finals for the first time in the team's history. In October 1998 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Career highlights
regular season scoring: 21,791 points (average 24.3); play-off scoring: 3,897 points (average 23.8)
NBA Championship
1981, 1984, 1986
Awards
Most Valuable Player (regular season)
1984, 1985, 1986
Most Valuable Player (finals)
1984, 1986
Rookie of the Year
1980
| He was born in French Lick, Indiana, and was drafted by the Boston Celtics from Indiana State in 1978. He was NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980 and won his first NBA title with the Celtics the following year. By 1984, when they next won the title, he had become the key figure in the team, scoring heavily but also controlling games with his exceptional passing ability. In 1998 he enjoyed a successful first season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, winning the Coach of the Year award, and leading the team to the Eastern Conference finals where they lost to the Chicago Bulls by four games to three. In 2003, he became president of basketball operations for the Pacers. |
