Larry J. Bird
Doctor of Letters
Larry Bird, currently president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers, is acclaimed as one of the best professional basketball players of all time and is a legend among legends within Boston professional sports.
He joined the Boston Celtics in 1979 after graduating from Indiana State University and immediately had a major impact on the team. A year before his arrival, the Celtics had posted a record of 29 wins and 53 losses, and in the first year of the Bird era the team won 61 games with only 21 losses. Mr. Bird was named Rookie of the Year. In his second year with the team, the Celtics won the league championship, repeating in 1984 and 1986.
Mr. Bird was a twelve-time All-Star, three-time league Most Valuable Player, and twice the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, among his many honors. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” in 1992, the first year professional basketball players were allowed to compete. That summer, in Barcelona, he earned a gold medal, along with Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and other NBA stars. Following the Olympics, he announced his retirement as a player.
After five years in the Celtics’ front office, he was named coach of the Indiana Pacers, in 1997. The following year, he was named NBA Coach of the Year, becoming the only person ever to be named both Coach of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the NBA.
Bringing an unprecedented level of excitement to the game, Mr. Bird helped lead a resurgence of fan interest in basketball, and earned the respect of his opponents for his exceptional skill and his professionalism.
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