History of Larry Bird in Timeline
Larry Bird, nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the NBA. Widely considered one of the greatest basketball players ever, he's the only person in NBA history to win Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. Bird's career with the Boston Celtics saw him win three NBA championships and three MVP awards, solidifying his legacy as a dominant force and a basketball icon.
1926: Claude Joseph Bird Birth
In 1926, Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, Larry Bird's father, was born.
1930: Georgia Marie Kerns Birth
In 1930, Georgia Marie Kerns, Larry Bird's mother, was born.
December 7, 1956: Larry Bird's Birth
On December 7, 1956, Larry Joe Bird was born. He would go on to become one of basketball's most celebrated figures.
1974: Springs Valley High School Graduate
In 1974, Larry Bird graduated from Springs Valley High School, having excelled in basketball.
1974: Indiana Hoosiers Scholarship
In 1974, Larry Bird received a scholarship to play basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers.
February 1975: Father's Suicide
In February 1975, Joe Bird, Larry Bird's father, committed suicide.
1975: Death of Claude Joseph Bird
In 1975, Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, Larry Bird's father, passed away.
1975: Bird Marries Janet Condra
In 1975, Larry Bird married Janet Condra, though the marriage lasted less than a year.
1975: Enrolls at Indiana State University
In 1975, after a brief period at Northwood Institute, Larry Bird enrolled at Indiana State University.
1977: Bird and Condra have a Daughter
Following an attempted reconciliation, in 1977 Larry Bird and Janet Condra had a daughter, Corrie.
1978: Drafted by the Boston Celtics
In 1978, Larry Bird was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick.
November 14, 1979: First Career Triple-Double
On November 14, 1979, Larry Bird recorded his first career triple-double with 23 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in a game against the Detroit Pistons.
1979: Enters the NBA
In 1979, Larry Bird entered the NBA and immediately made an impact, leading the Celtics to significant improvement.
1979: Graduation from Indiana State
In 1979, Larry Bird graduated from Indiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education.
1979: Signs with Boston Celtics
In 1979, Larry Bird signed a five-year contract with the Boston Celtics, becoming the highest-paid rookie in sports history.
1980: Celtics Acquire Key Players
In 1980, before the 1980-81 season, the Celtics drafted Kevin McHale and acquired Robert Parish, forming a legendary front court with Larry Bird.
1982: All-Star Game MVP
At the 1982 All-Star Game, Larry Bird was named the All-Star Game MVP.
1983: Signs contract extension
In 1983, Larry Bird signed a seven-year, $12.6 million extension before the NBA salary cap came into effect.
1983: Named MVP of the 1983-84 season
In 1983, during the 1983-84 season, Larry Bird was named MVP of the season with averages of 24.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
December 9, 1984: 48 Point Game
On December 9, 1984, Larry Bird recorded 48 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists in a narrow victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
1984: NBA MVP Award
In 1984, Larry Bird received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, recognizing his outstanding performance.
1984: Larry Bird Rule
In 1984, the NBA modified the salary cap to allow teams to re-sign their own free agents, a rule that became erroneously known as the "Larry Bird Rule".
November 27, 1985: 47 Point Game
On November 27, 1985, Larry Bird recorded 47 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a victory over the Detroit Pistons.
1985: Acquisition of Bill Walton
Before the start of the 1985-86 season, the Celtics traded for Bill Walton, which helped Boston win a league best 67 games.
1985: Back Injury
During the 1985 offseason, Larry Bird injured his back shoveling crushed rock, leading to back problems for the remainder of his career.
1985: 1985-86 Celtics
In 1985, the 1985-86 Celtics are commonly ranked as one of the greatest basketball teams of all time.
March 10, 1986: 50 Point Game
On March 10, 1986, Larry Bird scored 50 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a narrow loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
1986: Second NBA MVP Award
In 1986, Larry Bird received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the third consecutive time.
1986: Three-Point Shootout Win
In 1986, at the NBA All-Star Weekend, Larry Bird won the Three-Point Shootout.
1987: Bird-Magic Rivalry in NBA Finals
In 1987, Magic Johnson got the upper hand against Bird in the NBA Finals.
1987: Celtics Finals Appearance and Game 5 Steal
In 1987, the Celtics reached the NBA Finals, marking Bird's last appearance in the Finals. A notable moment was in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals where Bird stole an inbound pass and passed to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup.
1987: Bird trash-talking in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals
In the 1987 Eastern Conference finals, Larry Bird continually belittled Dennis Rodman's ability, a player known for his defensive abilities.
1987: Celtics-Lakers Rivalry Attracts Enormous Television Audiences
Throughout the 1980s, games between the Celtics and Lakers attracted large television audiences. In the 1987-88 season, a regular-season game was won by the Lakers with a buzzer-beater shot by Magic Johnson.
1988: Bird Runner-Up for Regular Season MVP Award
In 1988, Larry Bird was a four-time regular season MVP runner-up.
1988: Bird's Season Ends Due to Bone Spurs Surgery
In 1988, Larry Bird's season ended after six games due to bone spurs, which required surgical removal from both of his heels.
1988: Celtics Lose to Pistons in Eastern Conference Finals
In 1988, the Celtics fell short, losing to the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. This prevented them from reaching the NBA Finals.
1988: Bird's Highest Scoring Season and Loss to Pistons
The 1987-88 season was Bird's highest-scoring season. In 1988, the Celtics failed to reach the NBA Finals, losing to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.
1989: Bird Marries Dinah Mattingly
In 1989, Larry Bird married Dinah Mattingly.
1989: Bird Returns to Celtics
In 1989, Larry Bird returned to the Celtics, though back problems and the team's aging roster affected his performance.
August 18, 1992: Bird Announces Retirement from NBA
On August 18, 1992, Larry Bird officially announced his retirement from the NBA, leading to the Celtics retiring his jersey number 33.
1992: Bird Misses Games Due to Back Problems
During the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Larry Bird missed four of the seven games due to recurring back problems.
1992: Bird Becomes Special Assistant for Celtics
From 1992 until 1997, Larry Bird worked as a special assistant in the Celtics' front office.
1992: Olympic Gold Medal
In 1992, Larry Bird was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic basketball team, known as the "Dream Team".
1992: Bird Plays in Olympics with "Dream Team"
In the summer of 1992, Larry Bird played for the United States men's national basketball team, known as the "Dream Team," in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, winning the gold medal.
February 4, 1993: Johnson Appears at Bird's Retirement Ceremony
On February 4, 1993, Magic Johnson attended Larry Bird's retirement ceremony, where he expressed his deep friendship with Bird.
1996: Death of Georgia Marie
In 1996, Georgia Marie (née Kerns), Larry Bird's mother, passed away.
1996: NBA's 50 Greatest Players
In 1996, Larry Bird was voted onto the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list.
1996: Bird Voted onto NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
In 1996, Larry Bird was voted onto the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team list, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest players.
1997: Bird Becomes Coach of Indiana Pacers
In 1997, Larry Bird accepted the position of coach of the Indiana Pacers, despite having no previous coaching experience.
1998: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Induction
In 1998, Larry Bird was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player.
1998: Bird Inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
In 1998, Larry Bird was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizing his outstanding basketball career.
1999: Bird Leads Pacers to Central Division Title
In 1999, Larry Bird led the Pacers to consecutive Central Division titles.
1999: Bird Ranked on ESPN's SportsCentury List
In 1999, Larry Bird was ranked No. 30 on ESPN SportsCentury's list of 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th century.
2000: Leads Pacers to NBA Finals
In 2000, Larry Bird led the Indiana Pacers to a berth in the NBA Finals as their head coach.
2003: Bird Hired as Pacers' President of Basketball Operations
In 2003, Larry Bird was hired as the Indiana Pacers' president of basketball operations.
2003: President of Basketball Operations
In 2003, Larry Bird was named president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers.
2010: Bird Inducted into Hall of Fame as Part of Dream Team
In 2010, Larry Bird was inducted into the Hall of Fame again, as a member of the "Dream Team,"
2010: Second Hall of Fame Induction
In 2010, Larry Bird was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time as a member of the "Dream Team".
2012: Executive of the Year
In 2012, Larry Bird was named NBA Executive of the Year.
2012: Bird and Pacers Announce Parting Ways
On the day before the 2012 NBA draft, Larry Bird and the Pacers announced that they would be parting ways; he said that health issues were among the reasons for his departure.
2013: Bird Returns to Pacers as President of Basketball Operations
In 2013, Larry Bird returned to the Pacers as president of basketball operations.
2013: Return to Pacers
In 2013, Larry Bird returned to the Pacers as president of basketball operations.
2016: Greatest NBA Small Forward
In 2016, Larry Bird was rated the greatest NBA small forward of all time by Fox Sports.
2017: Departure from Pacers
In 2017, Larry Bird stepped down as president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers.
2017: Bird Steps Down as President but Stays as Advisor
In 2017, Larry Bird stepped down as president of basketball operations for the Pacers, but stayed with the team in an advisory capacity.
2019: Bird Receives NBA Lifetime Achievement Award
In 2019, Larry Bird received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award, shared with Magic Johnson.
2020: Bird Placed on All-Time Starting Five Roster
In 2020, Larry Bird was placed at the power forward position on an NBA all-time starting five roster with other superstars.
October 2021: Bird Honored on NBA's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
In October 2021, Larry Bird was honored as one of the 75 greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.
2021: Named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team
In 2021, Larry Bird was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
July 2022: Bird Steps Back from Active Role with Pacers
In July 2022, Larry Bird "stepped back from maintaining an active role with the Indiana Pacers."
July 2022: Returns to Pacers as Consultant
In July 2022, Larry Bird returned to the Indiana Pacers organization as a consultant after a brief break.
2022: Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Named After Bird
Since 2022, the NBA named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy in Larry Bird's honor.
June 2023: Pacers Re-hire Bird as Consultant
In June 2023, the Indiana Pacers re-hired Larry Bird to serve as a consultant.
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