5 Must-Know Larry Bird facts

Larry Bird, nicknamed "Larry Legend," is a basketball icon who played his entire Hall of Fame career with the Boston Celtics. Bird entered the NBA and immediately became one of the league's driving forces through his elite shooting, passing, and competitiveness. He helped lead the Celtics to three NBA championships, made 12 All-Star teams, and represented the United States for the iconic 1992 Dream Team.

Also known for his legendary trash-talking and genius-level basketball IQ, Bird later became a successful coach and executive with the Indiana Pacers. Now, let's take a look at some other must-know facts about the Celtics great.

When Bird was drafted sixth overall in 1978, the Celtics were on the decline after their most recent run of greatness. The team only won 29 games in the 1978-79 season, and in just one season with Boston, he completely turned the team around. The 1979-80 Celtics won 61 games, a 32-win improvement. It remains one of the best single-season turnarounds in NBA history.

Bird won Rookie of the Year and averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Bird was a superstar from the start and brought with him a passing talent that helped elevate his teammates. This led to Bostons '80s dynasty that won titles in 1981, 1984, and 1986.

Bird won three straight NBA Most Valuable Player awards in his prime, and it's no coindidence that the C's won two of his three titles in that span. Only two other players in the NBA accomplished this feat, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. He won these awards from 1984-1986, easily the best player in the league during this time.

During this hot stretch, Bird led the Celtics to championships by dominating playoff games, especially in the clutch moments. His peak season, and aguably that of the entire Celtics franchise, was 1985-86, when he averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and led the Celtics to a 67-15 record. Also, during his MVP streak, Bird got 85% of the first-place votes for the MVP award.

Before all of the modern era analytics showed high-efficiency shooting numbers, Bird was basically the standard for elite shooting. Twice in his career, he hit the elusive 50/40/90 mark, meaning he shot over 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line. He hit the historic benchmark in consecutive seasons, 1986-87 and 1987-88. Bird is one of only three players in history to have multiple 50/40/90 seasons, along with Kevin Durant and Steve Nash.

This skill showed that a forward could dominate on the inside, mid-range, and from deep. Even though Bird didn't play in an era where the 3-pointer was used as often as it's used today, he was still the best shooter of his time. He was able to prove this by winning the first three NBA 3-point contests from 1986-1988. In that third 3-point contest victory, Bird won it with his warm-up jacket on.

In the 1980s, the NBA was all about the rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The rivalry started in the 1979 NCAA Championship game, where Johnson's Michigan State beat Bird's Indiana State team, and that set the stage for an amazing rivalry, one that might have actually saved the NBA on a popular scale.

From there, the Los Angeles Lakers and Celtics battled three times in the NBA Finals. Bird's Celtics won in 1984, and Johnson's Lakers won in 1985 and 1987. Bird's style of play was all about grit, and Johnson was a flashy and fast-paced player. These two icons were able to capture national attention and bring solid viewership to the league. Even though it was a heated rivalry on the court, the two stars became close friends later in life.

Bird's final playing seasons in the NBA were from 1990-1992. During that stretch, he was playing through back injuries that were caused by nerve root compression. Bird was showing some legendary toughness, and despite needing to lie on the sidelines during substitutions, he was able to produce his usual elite numbers. He averaged over 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in his final season. 

In 1991, he had back surgery but returned to play that season. Bird refused to let pain halt his passion for the game. However, the constant grind through the pain led to a gradual physical collapse, and he retired in August of 1992, after helping the Dream Team win Olympic gold.

In closing, Bird was the Triple Crown of NBA success. He's the only person in NBA history to win the league's MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year awards. Bird left a solid mark on basketball through his fierce competitiveness and fundamental mastery. The success he had in the 1980s really cemented his status as one of the greatest winners in the history of the sport.

The "Hick from French Lick" was born in West Baden, Indiana, and raised in nearby French Lick, and his small-town roots inspired his famous nickname. Now, with these great nicknames and competitive trash talking, he carried consistent winning culture for the Celtics from the previous eras into the 1980s.