Larry Bird - the legendary basketball player

Larry Bird is the most famous player of the Celtics basketball team, a true professional. A great striker and defender, whom the fans nicknamed the "death blow" for his grandiose hits in the ring. He grew up and studied in Indiana before heading to the NBA to join the Boston Celtics. Over 13 seasons, Larry, thanks to his agile skills, led his team to victories, was named a valuable NBA player three times.

The list of his awards is incalculable: the champion of the NBA (1981, 1984, 1986); Finalist of the NBA MVP (1984, 1986); Nine times his team was recognized as the best (1980-88); NBA Newcomer of the Year (1980); One of the 50 great NBA players (1996); Olympic champion (1992). Not everyone knows that Byrd is an avid tourist, he loves country music, he loves motor racing and golf. Let's learn more about this great man!

Early Years

Larry Bird was born in the mid 50s of the 20th century in the city of West Baden Springs (Ind.), And grew up in the nearby town of French Lick. In Valley High School, he was a leading player in the school basketball team, becoming her top scorer.

At the University of Indiana, he played with the legendary coach Bob Knight. Under his "tutelage," Larry led his team to the NCAA championship against the Michigan national team , led by Erwin "Magic" Johnson - the future star of the NBA. This was the first time that two great players collided with each other in battle. The victory was won by Johnson. But Bird was still awarded the "Naismith" award and was considered 5 scorer in the NCAA list, although he played only three years.

Basketball player Larry Bird in the NBA

In 1978, Larry signed a contract with the "Boston Celtics" at a record then 650,000 dollars a year. However, he immediately justified his salary, gaining an average of 21.3 points per game. He used every spare moment of his time to develop his skills and become the best. The significant growth (2.1 meters) of the athlete did not prevent him from developing good agility and speed. Two years later, the NBA took over Robert Perrys and Kevin McHale. These three players will form the legendary front, perhaps the biggest one in NBA history. In the same season they will win against Houston Rockets with a score of 61:21. This was their first "great victory".

"Celtics" and "Lakers"

Along with Medzhik Johnson, who also joined the NBA in 1979, Larry Bird was a key figure in the corporation's revival in the 1980s: the Celtics and the Lakers teams were leading in all the championships. During this time, Larry has already become famous for his consistency and perseverance. Every fan knew that he was not just reacting to the movements of his opponents, but also foreseeing their subsequent actions. His concentration and composure were unparalleled. Therefore, he has established himself as the most unshakable player of the NBA.

Larry Byrd - career growth and achievements

A great basketball player led the "Celtics" in the NBA playoffs for 12 consecutive seasons. With his team captured the championship in 1981, 1984 and 1986. He was named the most valuable NBA player three times. And when the legendary striker retired (in 1992), in his piggy bank was 21791 points!

In the summer of 1992, the United States sent professional athletes to prepare for the Olympic Games. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and other NBA stars form the American basketball team, which will later become known as the Dream Team. They easily win the gold Olympic medal for the United States. A few weeks later, Larry Bird announced his retirement from professional basketball. The team and his comrades lost their mentor. The main reasons for the interruption of the career were numerous injuries of the athlete - he struggled for a long time with debilitating pain in his back.

After retirement

A year after this event, Larry begins a new page in his life - he works as a front-office special assistant for the Celtics. He held this position for 5 years. In 1997 he became head coach of the Indiana Pacers. So he again returned to his beloved homeland. Having no experience in the field of strategic management and command, he led his team to victory in the 1997-98 season and was recognized by the NBA as the best coach of the year. In 2000, he resigned from this post, but in 2003 he returned to the organization as president of Basketball Operations. At the end of the season 2011-12 he was named the best performer of the year by the NBA. After this event, he decided to calmly engage in his other favorite things - traveling, listening to country music and attending motor racing.

It is important to note that the name Larry Bird was included in the list of the top 50 athletes of the 20th century in the Basketball Hall in 1998.

Larry today

In recent years, the famous basketball player has been traveling with his wife in French Lick, visiting the states of Indiana and Naples, Florida. The sports legend is owned by two large enterprises, a hotel and a restaurant in Terre Haute, a showroom in Martinsville. He also successfully advertises his products together with Heinz Corporation.

Thus, we can conclude: Larry Bird - this is a real superstar "Celtics", a professional basketball player and a famous champion. This man was so self-confident and hardworking that many of his rivals simply feared him. "Brilliant Larry" was and remains the idol of millions of fans. He was deservedly recognized as the best athlete of the twentieth century. And knowingly his name became a legend!