Larry Bird
“The Hick from French Lick” is the only person in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. In 2017, Larry Bird stepped down from his last official NBA role after a 13-year NBA career and 25 years in administrative roles with the Indiana Pacers.
Bird first rose to basketball prominence during the three years he spent with the Indiana State Sycamores. The forward became the Naismith College Player of the Year en route to the 1979 NCAA championship game. The Boston Celtics drafted Bird No. 6 overall in the 1978 NBA Draft. As the NBA Rookie of the Year, he brought the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Over the next 12 years, Bird became a three-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, and earned the overall MVP two more times. Bird will be remembered for many things, including his legendary rivalry with Magic Johnson.
- Birthday: December 7, 1956
- Hometown: French Lick, Indiana
- College: Indiana State University
- Height: 6'9″
- Spouse: Dinah Mattingly (m. 1989), Janet Condra (m. 1975–1976)
- Children: Corrie Bird, Connor Bird, and Mariah Bird
- Jersey: No. 33
- Number of NBA championship wins: three
- Number of NBA championship appearances: five
Visit Larry Bird's profile on Basketball-Reference.com.
Read the latest articles about Larry Bird:
Shaquille O'Neal wasn't a big fan of Larry Bird as he grew up. O'Neal finally admitted he was wrong about what he thought about Bird.
Larry Bird was a deadly shooter, even with an injured hand. Just ask a Boston Celtics beat reporter who lost $160 to the star.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic says comparisons to Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird are premature. Just for kicks, we worked up numbers for those two plus LeBron James and Magic Johnson.
Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird doubted himself as an NBA rookie, but things changed rather quickly for the three-time MVP.
The Boston Celtics tried to pair Larry Bird with Ralph Sampson in 1980 but instead came away with an even more dynamic combination of big men.
While Larry Bird was an elite trash-talker, the Boston Celtics legend was apparently a pretty nice guy behind the scenes.
Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics shone during the rough and tumble 1980s, but still appreciates the modern NBA's rulebook.
While Larry Bird had an iconic NBA career with the Boston Celtics, he didn't think about basketball once he stepped on the court.
In a roundabout way, Larry Bird could be partly responsible for helping the Los Angeles Lakers win their 17th NBA championship.
During his time with the Boston Celtics, Larry Bird became a living legend. The forward, however, isn't afraid of thinking about death.
