Happy 69th Birthday, Larry Bird
- Jake C
- 11 minutes ago
- 9 min read
Cover photo: Larry Bird shooting the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers. Photo credit: Focus on Sport, Getty Images.
One of the greatest players in NBA history celebrates a birthday as 12-time all-star, 3-time NBA champion, and 3-time MVP Larry Bird turns 69 on Dec. 7.
Born in West Baden, Ind., Bird went to high school at Springs Valley in French Lick, which provided the genesis for one of his nicknames “The Hick from French Lick” (the moniker “Larry Legend” would be coined later by NBA columnist Peter Vecsey). Bird, a 1995 inductee into the National High School Hall of Fame, was a dominant player at Springs Valley, scoring over 1,100 career points with a per game average of 22.9 points. As a senior, he averaged 30.6 points, 20.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. In his final home game, he posted 54 points and 38 rebounds.
Bird originally enrolled at Indiana University, but ended up going to Terre Haute’s Indiana State University. He led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring in all three of his seasons there - 32.8 points, 30.0 points, and 28.6 points per game - and in rebounding twice, with 11.5 per game (junior) and 14.9 per game as a senior. For his college career, he posted 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. Bird was the College Player of the Year as a senior in 1979 (he was twice a consensus All-American in 1978 and 79) and led the Sycamores to a 33-1 record and a berth in the National Championship game, where they lost 75-64 to Magic Johnson and Michigan State.
Drafted by the Boston Celtics with the No. 6 pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, Bird elected to return to Indiana State for his senior season, but the Celtics maintained his rights. The Celtics won 29 games with the NBA’s 16th-ranked offense in 1978-79, but with Bird as rookie under new head coach Bill Fitch won 61 games in 1979-80 and had the NBA’s fifth-best offense at 113.5 points per game. In the playoffs, the Celtics swept the Houston Rockets and lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bird made 1st team All-NBA as a rookie, was an All-Star, and finished fourth in MVP voting. He posted 21.3 points (47.4% on 17.8 attempts in 36.0 minutes per game), 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in all 82 games. In the clinching Game 4 of the Rockets’ series, he scored 34 points (13-of-20 from the field, 7-of-8 from the line) with 10 rebounds and 7 assists. He posted 31 points in Game 2 of the Sixers’ series, and 21 rebounds in Game 3, 13 rebounds in Game 4, and 14 rebounds in Game 5, all of which were game highs.
In his first nine seasons, Bird was 1st team All-NBA and never finished lower than fourth in MVP voting. From his second to fourth seasons, he finished second in MVP voting.
Larry Bird’s Stats: 1980-81 to 1982-83
1980-81: 21.1 points (47.8% FG, 18.3 shots, 86.3% FT), 10.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.0 steals, 39.5 minutes, 82 games, 1st team All-NBA, 2nd in MVP voting
The 1980-81 Celtics finished the regular season 62-20 and won the NBA title, defeating the Chicago Bulls (4-0), and Philadelphia 76ers (4-3) before a six-game Finals’ victory over the Houston Rockets. In Game 3 of the Bulls’ series, Bird made 9-of-19 from the field and 6-of-7 from the line for his first career triple-double (24 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists). In Game 4, he posted 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. In the seven-game Sixers’ series, Bird went over 30 points three times (33 points and 10 rebounds, 34 points and 16 rebounds, and 32 points and 11 rebounds). In the Finals, he only reached 20 points once (27 points and 13 rebounds in Game 6) but pulled down 21 rebounds in Games 1 and 2 (18 points, 21 rebounds, 9 assists in Game 1, and 19 points and 21 rebounds in Game 2).
1981-82: 22.9 points (50.3% FG, 18.4 shots, 86.3% FT), 10.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.9 steals, 38.0 minutes, 77 games (58 starts), 1st team All-NBA, 2nd team All-Defense, 2nd in MVP voting
The 1981-82 Celtics won 63 games and defeated the Washington Bullets in five games in the first round before a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals’ loss to the 76ers. Bird posted triple-doubles in Game 1 against the Sixers (24 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists) and Game 3 (15 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) and in Game 5 posted 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 8 assists.
1982-83: 23.6 points (50.4% FG, 18.7 shots, 84.0% FT), 11.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.9 steals, 37.7 minutes, 79 games, 1st team All-NBA, 2nd team All-Defense, 3rd in DPOY, 2nd in MVP voting
The Celtics of 1982-83 won 56 games and defeated the Atlanta Hawks in three games in the first round before a Conference Semifinal loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in four games. In Game 1 against the Hawks, Bird posted 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists, and in Game 3 he put up 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists.
From the 1983-84 season through to the 1985-86 season, Bird won three consecutive Most Valuable Player awards. In doing so, Bird became just the third player to win the award three consecutive times, joining Bill Russell (1960-63), and Wilt Chamberlain (1965-68).
Larry Bird’s Stats: 1983-84 to 1985-86
1983-84: 24.2 points (49.2% FG, 19.5 shots, 88.8% FT (1st), 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 77 games, 38.3 minutes, 1st team All-NBA, 2nd team All-Defense, MVP
The 1983-84 Celtics won 62 games and defeated the Washington Bullets 3-1 in the first round, the New York Knicks in seven games in the Conference Semifinals, the Bucks in five games in the Conference Finals, and the Lakers in seven games in the Finals. In Game 2 against the Knicks, Bird posted 37 points and 11 rebounds, then 26 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds in Game 5, 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 6, and 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in Game 7. In Game 4 of the Finals, Bird registered 29 points and 21 rebounds, and followed up that effort with 34 points and 17 rebounds in Game 5. In Game 6, he scored 28 points with 14 rebounds, and 8 assists.
1984-85: 28.7 points (52.2% FG, 22.2 shots, 88.2% FT), 10.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 80 games, 39.5 minutes (1st), 1st team All-NBA, MVP
The Celtics of 1984-85 won 63 games, and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-1 in the first round, the Detroit Pistons 4-2 in the second round, and the 76ers four games to one in the Conference Finals. This set up a rematch with the Lakers in the Final, a series in which the Lakers prevailed four games to two. In Game 1 of the first round against the Cavaliers, Bird scored 40 points, and followed that up with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 2 and 34 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists in Game 3. In Game 2 against the Pistons, he posted 42 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, and in Game 5 poured in 43 with 13 rebounds and 5 assists. Bird scored 30 points with 12 rebounds in Game 2 of the Finals, and 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists in Game 4.
1985-86: 25.8 points (49.6%, 19.6 shots, 89.6% FT (1st), 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.0 steals, 82 games, 38.0 minutes, 1st team All-NBA, MVP; 1.0 3PM per game (1st)
The 1986 Celtics are regarded as one of the greatest teams in NBA history - 67 wins and just one home loss all season. They swept the Bulls in the first round 3-0, beat the Hawks 4-1 in the second round, and swept the Bucks in the Conference Finals before a 4-2 series win over the Rockets in the Finals. In Game 1 against the Bulls, Bird posted 30 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals, and followed that up with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. In Game 2 against the Hawks, he scored 36 points with 8 assists and 7 rebounds, then in Game 3 posted 28 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds. 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists was his Game 5 line. 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 13 assists was what he gave the Bucks in Game 3, followed by 30 (8 rebounds, 5 assists) in Game 4. In the clinching Game 6 of the Finals, Bird posted 29 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds.
Over the next two seasons, Bird finished third and second in MVP voting - 28.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.8 steals in 74 games (86-87) and 29.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals in 76 games 87-88 - while becoming the first player to make 50-40-90 (field-goals, 3-point attempts, and free-throws), which he did in both seasons. Bird led the NBA in minutes in 1986-87 (40.6), and made 52.5% of his shots (20.2 attempts), 40% from 3-point range (1st in the league in threes made at 1.2 and 1st in attempted at 3.0), and 91.0% from the free-throw line.
The 1987 Celtics lost to the Lakers in the Finals in six games, a playoffs in which Bird put up 40 and 42 in games one and two versus the Bucks in the first round. Bird scored 32 (7 rebounds, 6 assists) in Game 1 of the Finals, and had double-doubles in games two through five.
The 1988 Celtics lost to the Pistons in six games in the Conference Finals. Bird in that playoff run had 30 or more points in four games, topping out at 38 (8 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) in Game 1 of the second round against the Hawks. On May 22, 1988 in Game 7, Bird and the Hawks’ Dominique Wilkins dueled in one of the greatest mano e mano shows in league history. Wilkins scored 47, and Bird poured in 20 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter.
Following 1988, Bird played in 19 more playoff games in his career. In Game 1 against the New York Knicks in 1990’s first round, he registered a triple-double of 24 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. In Game 3 of that series, he posted 31 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds, and in Game 5 put up 31 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. In 1991’s first round against the Indiana Pacers, he registered a triple-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists, and in Game 5 put up 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. He posted his final playoff career double-double in Game 3 against the Cavaliers in the 1992 Conference Semifinals, with 16 points, 14 assists, and 6 rebounds.
In 1988-89, Bird was limited to just six games due to a back injury. He posted 19.3 points (47.1% shooting on 17.3 attempts), 6.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in 31.5 minutes per game. His streak of nine consecutive All-Star appearances was snapped.
Bird returned in 1989-90 and made the All-Star team once again, which he would do for the final three seasons of his career.
Larry Bird’s Stats: Final Three NBA Seasons
1989-90: 24.3 points (47.3% FG, 20.2 shots, 93.0% FT (1st), 9.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 39.3 minutes, 75 games, 2nd team All-NBA
1990-91: 19.4 points (45.4% FG, 17.0 shots), 8.5 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 38.0 minutes, 60 games
1991-92: 20.2 points (46.6% FG, 16.8 shots), 9.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 36.9 minutes, 45 games
Even with his ailing back, Bird was a member of the 1992 USA Men’s Olympic Dream Team, playing 18.0 minutes per game and averaging 8.4 points per game in the tournament.
In 13 NBA seasons, Bird started 870 of 897 games, and averaged 24.3 points (49.6% on 19.3 shots, 37.6% from 3-point range, and 88.6% from the free-throw line), 10.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game in 38.4 minutes per game. In 164 playoff games, Bird averaged 23.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.
His 9.6 field-goal makes per game and 19.3 attempts both rank first in franchise history. Bird ranks 8th all-time in Celtic history in games played (897), 5th in minutes (3,4443), 2nd in field-goals (8,591) and 3rd in field-goals attempted (17,334). He ranks 4th in free-throws made (3,960), 4th in rebounds (8,974), and 3rd in assists (5,695). His 21,791 points are third in franchise history, and his 59 triple-doubles are first. He holds single-season records for field-goals (918 in 1984-85), and had 10 triple-doubles in both 1985-86 and 1989-90, which are the most in a season in franchise history. He also holds the top two single-season marks for field-goals per game (11.6 in 1987-88 and 11.5 in 1984-85). He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
At a Bird ceremony at Boston Garden in 1993, longtime rival and friend Magic Johnson said “There will never, ever, ever be another Larry Bird”. Said Red Auerbach of Bird in 1987, “Before Bird came along, I used to think no one would ever come close to Russell. He was a force at center, the best player of his era. He had everything you’d want—the skills, the desire, the unselfishness. But now, having watched Larry for the past seven years, I think Bird’s got the edge because he’s the complete player. I mean, there’s nothing his game lacks.”
From 1997-2000, Bird was the head coach of his home state Indiana Pacers, leading his team to within one game of the NBA Finals in 1998 and then guiding them to a Finals’ berth in 2000. The Pacers won 58 games in Bird’s first season at the helm, 33 in the lockout-shortened season of 1998-99, and 56 in 1999-00. The team lost to the Lakers in six games in the 2000 Finals.
Bird is unquestionably one of the greatest players of all-time, a big forward with an unrivaled combination of ball handling, passing, and shooting for a player his size. And a player that was one half of one of the most important times in NBA history, helping to galvanize the league with the Lakers’ Johnson.
Happy Birthday, Larry Bird.
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