Larry Bird Drafted (1978)

Lore & Background

Bird was selected by the Boston Celtics as the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft after his junior year at Indiana State, but he elected to stay in college for the 1978–79 season. He led Indiana State to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the national championship in 1978–79, where they faced Michigan State and Magic Johnson. Celtics general manager Red Auerbach publicly stated that he would not pay Bird more than any Celtic on the current roster, but Bird's agent Bob Woolf told Auerbach that Bird would reject any sub-market offers and simply enter the 1979 draft instead. After protracted negotiations, he signed a five-year, $3.25 million contract with the team on June 8, making Bird the highest-paid rookie in sports history.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Boston Garden was thick with the smell of popcorn and anticipation, but it wasn't for a game yet. It was October 1979, and the players were gathering for their first official practice. The veterans, weary from years of mediocrity, stood in small clusters, whispering about the rookie who had taken so long to arrive. Then the doors swung open. Larry Bird walked in wearing a simple warm-up suit, his hair slightly longer than regulation, carrying an air of quiet confidence that felt alien to the current roster. He didn't say much, just nodded at Red Auerbach and took a spot on the court. When he picked up a basketball, the conversation stopped. The ball left his hands with a perfect arc, swishing through the net without touching the rim. In that single moment of silence, the history of the franchise changed forever.

Reader's Guide

Bird played for the Celtics during his entire 13-season professional career, leading them to five NBA Finals appearances and three NBA championships. He played most of his career with forward Kevin McHale and center Robert Parish, considered by some to be the greatest front court in NBA history. Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star, won two NBA Finals MVP awards and received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (1984–1986), making him the only forward in league history to do so. After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000, was named NBA Coach of the Year for the 1997–98 season, and later led the Pacers to a berth in the 2000 NBA Finals. In 2003, Bird was named president of basketball operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012, and was named NBA Executive of the Year for the 2012 season.

Did You Know?

• Bird is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
• Bird was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice as a player—first in 1998 as an individual, and again in 2010 as a member of the 'Dream Team'.
• Bird was rated the greatest NBA small forward of all time by Fox Sports in 2016.