Johnny Most: Oh my godness… o my godness!!! I am a Lakers fan (and Celtics too). From the documentary Larry Bird – A Basketball Legend. The best sport – basketball documentary i have seen. For me Larry Bird is the most admirable basketball player of all time, my second preferred player after Wilt Chamberlain, the greatest.

The Atlanta Hawks go up by 23 in the first half but Boston Celtics battle back to force overtime led by their superstar Larry Bird who finished with 41 points.

The Boston Celtics selected the 6’9″, 220-pound Bird 6th overall in the 1978 NBA Draft, even though they were uncertain whether he would enter the NBA or remain at Indiana State to play his senior season. Bird ultimately decided to play his final college season, but the Celtics retained their exclusive right to sign him until the 1979 NBA Draft, because of the NBA’s “junior eligible” rule that existed at that time (allowing a collegiate player to be drafted when the player’s original “entering” class was graduating and giving them one calendar year to sign them, even if they went back to college). Shortly before that deadline, Bird agreed to sign with the Celtics for a US $650000 a year contract, making him at the time the highest-paid rookie in the history of the NBA. Shortly afterwards, the NBA draft eligibility rules were changed to prevent teams from drafting players before they were ready to sign. The rule is called the Bird Collegiate Rule. Larry Bird’s impact on the Celtics was immediate. The Celtics were 29–53 during the 1978–79 season, but with Bird the team improved to 61–21 in the 1979–80 season, posting the league’s best regular season record. Bird’s collegiate rival, Magic Johnson, also had entered the NBA in 1979, joining the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1980, despite a strong rookie season from Johnson, Bird was named the league’s Rookie of the Year and was voted onto the Eastern Conference All-Star team (an honor he would receive for each of his 12 full …

Converse was – and is – the official shoe in the NBA. In 1987, that is.

Awesome game! Back in the days when NBA was at its most exciting… If you were around to experience it back then, be glad!

Larry Bird’s impact on NBA basketball history was immediate. For the 1980 season Larry Bird led the Celtics to superstardom legacy. Bird was named the league’s Rookie of The Year and was voted onto the Eastern Conference All Star-Team. He was honored with this title all for all of his twelve seasons of his career in the NBA. He was scoring 12 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, an outstanding 143 steals and second in assists.

In Bird’s second professional season- he led the Celtics to the NBA Playoffs. Larry Bird helped the Celtics’ deficit by helping them overcome and winning the last three games, which propelled the Celtics into the NBA Finals. They defeated the Houston Rockets in six games.

In 1984 Bird earned the award for Most Valuable Player by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven game final. The following year, the Boston Celtics would have another incredible winning year by defeating The Rockets in six games. Bird again was honored with the Finals MVP Award for that year, averaging 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

In 1987 Bird made his final appearance for the Celtics against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons. That year the Celtics ended up losing to the unmatched Lakers in six games and to the Detroit Pistons in 1988.

Bird’s body continued to deteriorate to injuries to debilitating back problems and to bone spurs in his heels. Both these conditions would eventually lead to his retirement in 1992. Unwilling to stop due to injuries, he joined Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan to play in the United States basketball team for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Names the “Dream Team”- they defeated their competition to win the Gold Medal for the United States Basketball Olympic Team.

Larry Bird’s NBA honors include; elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame (1988),  NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986),  NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986),  NBA MVP ( 1984, 1985, 1986),  Nine-Time All-NBA First Team ( 1980-88),  All NBA Second Team (1990),  All-Defensive Second Team (1982, 1983, 1984),  NBA Rookie of The Year (1980),  One of the Fifty Greatest Players in NBA History (1996),  Olympic Gold Medalist (1992).

Larry Bird was undoubtably the greatest clutch player to ever play the game of basketball. Not only did he hit game winners, he hit them against great players like Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler (twice) He also had a playoff, game ending steal against Isiah and a game/series ending steal against the Boston Strangler.

Basketball legends Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson discuss their unmatched rivalry and unlikely friendship.

2 on 2 pickup game between Magic Johnson & Kobe Bryant Vs. Larry Bird & LeBron James. Which team do you think is better? Enjoy!

Larry Birds Top 10 Game Winners against great Hall of Famers like Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan. In order of shot difficulty.