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Larry Bird is best known for his time with the Boston Celtics where he served as the franchise's cornerstone for several years. However, Bird was also fairly successful in his career in an NBA front office as well.
While his arch-rival Magic Johnson went on to own several sports franchises, Bird stuck to working as an executive for the most part.
After an extremely fruitful career with Boston, Bird had the opportunity to continue working with the Celtics in the capacity of a special advisor. He stayed in this role from 1992 all the way up until 1997, following which he was offered a job as head coach of the Indiana Pacers.
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Larry Bird's decision to join the Pacers as head coach was intriguing, as he initially stated that he would only hold the position for three years. However, in that relatively short time, Bird transformed the Indiana Pacers into a formidable team in the Eastern Conference.
In his first season as head coach, Bird led the Pacers to a franchise-best regular-season record and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. This remarkable achievement earned him the title of Coach of The Year in 1998. He continued to excel as a coach, guiding the Pacers to the NBA Finals in 2000, where they faced off against the LA Lakers. Despite their efforts, Indiana fell short in the Finals.
After his tenure as a head coach, Indiana reached out to Bird again. This time, it was in the capacity of an executive, much like with the Celtics. In 2003, he took over as president of basketball operations for the Pacers. He stayed in this role up until 2012 when health issues forced him to step down.
In his first stint as president, Bird was named Executive of the Year following the 2011-12 season. Although his second stint from 2013-2017 didn't yield the same success. He was an essential element in Indiana's system and had the trust of team owner Herb Simon.
Bird stayed on as an advisor after his term ended in 2017 but he completely moved away in 2022. However, as recently as June 2023, he appears to be back with the team in the capacity of a consultant.
Larry Bird's NBA career
Larry Bird was one of the most promising prospect heading into the 1979 NBA Draft. Picked up by the Boston Celtics with the sixth pick, the C's added a franchise player to the team from the first day itself.
Bird's impressive career spanned 13 seasons, cut short only by recurring injuries. In this time, he won three NBA titles and 3x MVP awards. He was named All-Star 12 times and as a 10x All-NBA player, he was nothing short of a legend.
He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1998 and was also named to the NBA's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. The Celtics also retired his No.33 jersey in 1993.
