Though he was very self-assured, basketball player Larry Bird also had a critical mindset. Possibly among the top five players of all time, the Boston Celtics great and three-time Most Valuable Player was among the best of his generation.
In only his second NBA season, he won the first of his three titles in 1981. At that time, the industrious 6-foot-9 forward graded himself as a player, and the outcome was a little unexpected.
The Boston Celtics and Larry Bird had a fantastic 1980–81 season.
Bird made an immediate impression on the NBA. He was named the 1979 NCAA champion with the Boston Celtics, fresh off his exciting victory over Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the championship game. Bird averaged 21.3 points and 10.4 rebounds while starting all 82 regular-season games during his first campaign.
The next year, he teamed up with rookies Kevin McHale and Robert Parish to form maybe the greatest frontcourt in history, which helped Boston win the NBA Finals. After overcoming Moses Malone and the Houston Rockets in six games, the Celtics took care of business.
Bird maintained his success in his second year of professional basketball, averaging 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He appeared in the NBA All-Star game for the second time in a row.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted Bird in 1998.
