| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| Bird, Larry Joe |
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| 1956–, American basketball player, b. West Baden, Ind. Considered one of the greatest all-around players in basketball history, the 6-ft 9-in. Bird played for Indiana State Univ. (1975–79). Joining the Boston Celtics, he was named the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Rookie of the Year in 1980, led the team to championships in 1981, 1984, and 1986, and was the league’s most valuable player three times (1984–86). He retired in 1992. From 1997 to 2000 he was the coach of the Indiana Pacers, winning the NBA Coach of the Year award in his first season; he became the Pacers’ president of basketball operations in 2003. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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