- In full:
- Larry Joe Bird
- Born:
- December 7, 1956, West Baden, Indiana, U.S. (age 69)
- Awards And Honors:
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1998)
Larry Bird
News •
-
Who is Larry Bird?
Larry Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American basketball icon celebrated as one of the sport's premier shooters. Bird's career highlights include three NBA championships with the Boston Celtics (1981, 1984, 1986). His college career at Indiana State University saw him lead the team to a 33–1 record during his senior year.
Known for his confidence and clutch shooting, the "chick from French Lick" played 13 seasons with the Celtics, earning 12 All-Star selections and three consecutive MVP awards (1984–86). His rivalry with Magic Johnson boosted basketball's popularity in the 1980s.
After retiring in 1992, Bird coached the Indiana Pacers and later became an executive, earning Coach of the Year in 1997. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
For which NBA team did Larry Bird play most of his career?
Larry Bird played his entire 13-season NBA career with the Boston Celtics. Drafted by the Celtics in 1978, he began playing with them in the 1979–80 season and won the Rookie of the Year award. During his time with the Celtics, Bird secured three NBA championships (1981, 1984, and 1986), was a 12-time All-Star, and won three consecutive league MVP awards (1984–86). He retired in 1992 and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What position did Larry Bird play on the basketball court?
Larry Bird, the "chick from French Lick," played forward for the Boston Celtics during his 13 seasons in the NBA. Bird, standing at 6-foot 9-inches (2.06 meters), was known for his confidence and clutch shooting. Bird won three NBA championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) and was a 12-time All-Star. Over his career, he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. In 1998, Bird was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some of Larry Bird’s most famous achievements as a player?
Larry Bird, celebrated as one of basketball's purest shooters, led the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Over his 13 seasons with the Celtics, Bird racked up 12 All-Star appearances and won three consecutive league MVP awards from 1984–86, the first noncenter to achieve this feat. His rivalry with Magic Johnson propelled basketball's popularity to unprecedented levels during the 1980s. In 1992, he won an Olympic gold medal as part of the "Dream Team". By the time of his retirement, he had scored 21,791 points, then the 11th highest in NBA history. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Larry Bird become a basketball coach after his playing career?
After retiring from his stellar playing career in 1992, Larry Bird transitioned to a front-office position with the Boston Celtics. In 1997, despite lacking prior coaching experience, Bird became the head coach of the Indiana Pacers and earned the Coach of the Year award in his first season. He resigned in 2000, following an NBA Finals appearance, and later became the Pacers' president of basketball operations in 2003. Bird stepped down in May 2017, having built teams that made the playoffs in 8 of his 13 seasons as president. He then took on a role as a scout and consultant within the Pacers organization.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
In what ways did Larry Bird impact the game of basketball both as a player and a coach?
As a player, Larry Bird led the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships, earning three consecutive MVP awards. Known for his shooting ability and confidence, he averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. Bird's rivalry with Magic Johnson during the 1980s increased basketball's popularity. He was also a member of the 1992 "Dream Team" that won an Olympic gold medal.
After retiring as a player, Bird coached the Indiana Pacers, and was named Coach of the Year after his first season. In 2003, he became the Pacers’ president of basketball operations, constructing teams that made the play-offs in 8 of his 13 seasons.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Larry Bird (born December 7, 1956, West Baden, Indiana, U.S.) is an American basketball player who led the Boston Celtics to three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) and is considered one of the greatest pure shooters of all time.
Bird was raised in French Lick, Indiana, and attended Indiana State University, where he helped revive the basketball program and led the team to a 33–1 record in his senior season. That season ended with a loss to Michigan State University in the NCAA championship game (1979), which was the first meeting of Bird and Magic Johnson, a rivalry that would become the centerpiece of the NBA’s popularization during the 1980s. Bird was drafted by the Celtics after his junior year at Indiana State (1978) but did not play professionally until the 1979–80 season, when he won the Rookie of the Year award after contributing to one of the largest single-season turnarounds in NBA history (a 32-win improvement).
Over the course of his 13 seasons with the Celtics, the self-described “hick from French Lick” cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players in NBA history. A 6-foot 9-inch (2.06-metre) forward, he was known for his unflappable confidence and clutch shooting ability, which together created an intimidating presence on the court. The Celtics won their first NBA title with Bird (and 14th overall) in 1981; they repeated with title wins in 1984 and 1986. Bird was a 12-time All Star and won three consecutive league Most Valuable Player awards (1984–86), the first noncenter to do so. He averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game over the course of his career, and his 21,791 total points scored was the 11th highest in NBA history at the time of his retirement. At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Bird was a member of the NBA-superstar-laden “Dream Team,” which won a gold medal in basketball. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
Bird retired in 1992 and moved to a front-office position with the Celtics. He became the head coach of the Indiana Pacers (despite having no previous coaching experience) in 1997 and was named Coach of the Year after his first season. Bird resigned in 2000 after guiding the Pacers to an appearance in the NBA finals during the previous season, and he became the Pacers’ president of basketball operations in 2003. In June 2012 he resigned from the Pacers’ front office, just weeks after winning the previous season’s Executive of the Year award. After a year away from the sport, he returned to his position as the Pacers’ president of basketball operations in June 2013. Bird again stepped down in May 2017, having constructed teams that qualified for the play-offs in 8 of his 13 seasons in that position, and then took a role in the Pacers organization as a scout and consultant.