Jan. 11,
1985
With a 33-point effort in a 103-101 win over the Bullets,
Bird goes over 10,000 career points.
| | Feb. 18,
1985
In just three quarters of a 110-94 win at Utah,
registers a triple-double of 30 points, 12 rebounds and 10
assists. He also has nine steals, but with Boston ahead
90-66 declines to re-enter the game in the fourth quarter
to try for a
quadruple-double.
"I already did enough damage," he would say afterward.
"Why go for it if we're up by
30?"
|
March 12,
1985
Just nine days after Kevin McHale broke his previous team
record with a 56-point outing against the Pistons, Bird
goes off for 60 (22-36 FG, 15-16 FT) in a 126-115 win over
the Hawks in New Orleans, hitting a jumper from the right
elbow at the final
buzzer. His best shot is a turnaround banker from just in front
of the Atlanta bench that doesn't count (he had been
fouled)—but it sends several Hawks tumbling out of
their seats, laughing in disbelief. "It's Kevin's own
fault," Bird says. "He should have
gone for 60 that day, and
I told him
that."
| | June 3,
1985
Wins second straight league MVP award following a
28.7-point, 10.5-rebound, 6.6-assist
campaign.
|
Feb. 8,
1986
Wins inaugural long-distance shootout at All-Star Weekend,
besting Chicago's Craig Hodges 22-12 in the final. Before
the competition he enters the locker room, surveys the
other contestants and asks, "All right, who's playing
for
second?"
| | June 2,
1986
Joins Bull Russell (1961-63) and Wilt Chamberlain (1966-68)
as the only players in NBA history to win three consecutive
MVP awards. Averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists
and 2.0 steals during the
season.
|
June 8,
1986
Celtics capture championship No. 16 with a 114-97 win over
the Rockets in Game 6 at the Garden, as Bird posts a
triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. He
is named Finals MVP after averaging 25.9 points, 9.3
rebounds and 8.2 assists in
the
playoffs.
| | Feb. 7,
1987
Wins second straight long-distance shootout at All-Star
Weekend, hitting his final two shots to beat Detlef
Schrempf of Dallas
16-14.
|
April 1,
1987
Achieves a triple-double by halftime of a 103-86 win over
the Bullets—17 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists.
Finishes with 30, 17, and 15. "He's playing in his own
league," then-Washington coach Kevin Loughery would
say. "Maybe it's a league other guys
can't get
to."
| | April 19,
1987
Ends the regular season shooting 52.5% from the field and
91.0% from the line, becoming the first player in NBA
history to finish above 50/90 in one season. He would
duplicate the feat a year
later.
|
May 26,
1987
Makes maybe the most famous play of his career with the
Celtics down by one in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference
finals against Detroit. Bird steals the inbounds pass from
Isiah Thomas with five seconds left and feeds Dennis
Johnson for the game-winning
layup. Final: 108-107,
Celtics.
| | May 30,
1987
After Bird closes out the Pistons with 37 points, nine
rebounds and nine assists in a 117-114 Game 7 victory,
Thomas utters these infamous words: ''I think Larry is a
very, very good basketball player, an exceptional talent.
But I'd have to agree with
[Dennis] Rodman. If he was black, he'd be just another good
guy.'' Bird's response: ''This isn't Russia. You can say
what you
want.''
|
Nov. 11,
1987
Completes the first 40-20 game in Celtics history,
dominating the Pacers for 42 points and 22 rebounds in a
120-106
win.
| |  Feb. 6,
1988
Wins third and final All-Star Weekend long-distance
shootout, this time defeating Dale Ellis of the Sonics
17-15. Needing to hit his last three shots, he does so,
raising his right index finger signaling No. 1 with the
last ball still in the
air.
|
April 24,
1988
Finishes the regular season at 29.9 points per game, the
highest of his career. Also averages 9.3 rebounds and 6.1
assists, shooting 52.7% from the field and 91.6% from the
line.
| | May 22,
1988
Engages in classic fourth-quarter shootout with Hawks'
Dominique Wilkins in Game 7 of Eastern Conference semis.
Hits nine of 10 shots and scores 20 points to Wilkins' 16
in the final 12 minutes of Celtics' 118-116 win (though
'Nique finished with 47 to
Bird's 34). ''The fourth quarter," McHale would say,
"was like two people standing at arm's length and
punching each
other."
|
Nov. 19,
1988
After playing the first six games in extreme discomfort,
Bird elects to have surgery to remove bone spurs from both
heels. Misses the rest of the season as the Celtics finish
42-40, the team's worst record since the season before Bird
joined the
club.
| | Sept. 30,
1989
Marries longtime girlfriend Dinah Mattingly, whom he met
when both were students at Indiana State. The couple will
adopt two children: son Connor and daughter
Mariah.
|
Nov. 3,
1989
In his return to NBA action, scores 32 points in 33 minutes
as Celtics beat Bucks 127-114 to open the
season.
| | Nov. 10,
1989
Playing just his fourth game since heel surgery, Bird
scorches the Hawks for 50 in a 117-106 victory, hitting 19
of 25 shots in 39
minutes.
|
Feb. 13,
1990
In a game at Houston, with Calvin Murphy in attendance,
Bird misses a free throw to end his streak at 71 straight,
seven shy of Murphy's then-NBA
record.
| | Nov. 14,
1990
Collects 5,000th assist of his career in a 135-126 win over
the
Hornets.
|
Nov. 30,
1990
Scores the 20,000th point of his career in a 123-95 win
over the
Bullets.
| | Jan. 8,
1991
Misses first of 14 straight games with back
injury.
|
April 6,
1991
More back woes cause Bird to sit out another seven games
(he would return for the season
finale).
| | April 26,
1991
Following the Celtics' 127-120 playoff-opening win over the
Pacers, back pain becomes so severe that Bird spends the
night in traction at New England Baptist
Hospital.
|
May 5,
1991
Dives to the floor midway through second quarter of Game 5
of series against Pacers and slams his head against the
parquet. Does not warm up with the rest of the team at
halftime, but comes out of the locker room to a standing
ovation early in the third
quarter and finishes with 32 points as the Celtics
eliminate Indiana
124-121.
| | June 7,
1991
Has surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back that is
compressing a nerve
root.
|
Nov. 1,
1991
Five months after back surgery, Bird plays 39 minutes in
the 111-108 season-opening win over Charlotte. He finishes
with 23 points (7-20 FG), seven rebounds and six
assists.
| | March 15,
1992
In his last great performance, Bird hits a leaning
three-pointer to send the game into overtime and finishes
with 49 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists in 54 minutes as
Celtics beat Trail Blazers 152-148 in double OT on national
television.
|
May 17,
1992
Celtics lose Game 7 of Eastern Conference semifinals to
Cavaliers, 122-104, as Bird plays what would be his final
NBA game. His line: 12 points (6-for-9 FG), five rebounds,
four assists in 33 minutes. "I'll decide in
September," Bird tells reporters
about his future. "Just put your phone numbers in a box
outside, and I'll call you to let you
know."
| |  Aug. 18,
1992
Ten days after winning a gold medal in Barcelona as a
member of the original Dream Team, Bird announces his
retirement. He finished his career with 21,791 points,
8,974 rebounds and 5,695
assists.
|
Feb. 4,
1993
In an unprecendented move, the Celtics hold Larry Bird
Night at the Garden—with no game scheduled—to
celebrate Bird's career and retire his number. Scalpers
would get as much as $400 for coveted tickets. The 2
1/2-hour event is emceed by Bob Costas and
features video highlights and personal testimony from former
teammates and past Celtics greats. Magic Johnson also makes
an appearance, revealing a Celtics T-shirt underneath his
Lakers
warmups.
| | Oct. 8,
1996
Georgia Bird dies of Lou Gehrig's disease at age
66.
|
 May 12,
1997
Frustrated with his largely ceremonial duties as special
assistant to Celtics owner Paul Gaston, Bird begins to
pursue other options. On this date, he is introduced as
head coach of the Indiana Pacers, signing a five-year,
$22.5 million deal four days
after the Celtics name Rick Pitino coach and president.
"I wanted to be involved," Bird says. "I wanted to
be out there being competitive every
night."
| | Feb. 8,
1998
With the Pacers off to an Eastern Conference-best 33-13
start, Bird coaches the East to a 135-114 win in the
All-Star Game, behind MVP Michael Jordan's 23 points.
"Give it to Michael and get out of the way," Bird
says. "That's the way it usually
happens."
|
May 12,
1998
Named NBA Coach of the Year, having led the Pacers
to a 58-24 record, the best in franchise history. He is the
fourth first-year coach to win the honor, joining Harry
Gallatin (1962-63), Johnny Kerr ('66-67) and Mike Schuler
('86-87).
| | June 29,
1998
Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Along with
Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens, Harlem Globetrotter Marques
Haynes, longtime NBA/ABA coach Alex Hannum, 13-year NBA
veteran Arnie Risen, University of Texas women's coach Jody
Conradt and European
coach Aleksandar Nikolic, he will be inducted into the Hall,
in Springfield, Mass., on Oct.
2.
|
Text by Albert Lin
Photos by (top to bottom): Walter Iooss Jr., David Walberg, Mathew Stockman/ALLSPORT |
