‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: Larry Bird ushers in new era
Larry Bird helped restore the Celtics' winning tradition in the 1980s. Check out our recap of Episode 4 of HBO's docuseries "Celtics City".
admin
‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: Larry Bird ushers in new era originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics were in a difficult place in the late 1970s.
Bill Russell had been retired for about a decade. John Havlicek retired after the 1977-78 season, which also was Tommy Heinsohn’s last year as head coach. Dave Cowens was still a very good player but no longer MVP-caliber.
For the first time in many years, the team was not a championship contender. The C’s were losing a ton of games and didn’t have a superstar player to lead them into the 1980s.
That is, until, the team drafted one of its greatest players, Larry Bird. Celtics executive Red Auerbach scouted Bird and knew he had incredible talent and the type of play style required to win championships.
More ‘Celtics City’
The Celtics took Bird with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. But the talented forward didn’t make his debut for Boston right away because he returned to Indiana State for his senior season. The delay was tough for Celtics fans, who were eager to see if the hype surrounding Bird was legit, but he was definitely worth the wait.
The 1980s Celtics, Bird’s arrival in Boston and the rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers were the focus of the fourth episode of Max’s Celtics City docuseries, titled “Great Hope. Period”. In NBC Sports Boston’s Keys to the City recapping the episode, Jackie MacMullan shared her perspective on Bird.
“He’s the most authentic superstar I’ve ever been around in my life in any sport,” MacMullan said. “He is who he is, and you can take it or leave it. He’s not going to change the way he thinks or speaks because you don’t like it, or because it’s going to get him more endorsements — because he usually wanted less of those, anyway.
“I just thought, in this episode, you just see him unvarnished — developing into the great superstar he became. There’s a scene when they’re beating the Sixers and he hits that big shot (in Game 7 of the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals) and Red’s talking about, ‘I like people who want the ball at the end of the game.’ He says that throughout this documentary. Bird’s got the ball and he’s like, ‘Look, I know the time I’ve put in, the work I’ve put in. I know most of my teammates have not, so I’m going to take the shot because I’m going to make it.’ That was him.”
Bird alone wasn’t going to bring the Celtics back to championship glory. The Celtics had the No. 1 and No. 13 overall picks in the 1980 NBA Draft. The No. 1 pick was obtained from the Detroit Pistons in a trade the previous September. Auerbach then engineered one of the greatest trades in league history by sending both picks to the Golden State Warriors for center Robert Parish and the No. 3 pick, which the C’s used to select Minnesota forward Kevin McHale.
Two future Hall of Famers in one trade? Not bad.
Parish and McHale teamed with Bird to form the Celtics’ “Big Three” and establish one of the best frontcourts the game has ever seen. Bird won Rookie of the Year in 1979-80 as the Celtics’ win total improved by 32 from the previous season, which, at the time, was a league record.
Led by Bird, the C’s would make the NBA Finals five times in the next seven seasons, including titles in 1980-81 (vs. Rockets), 1983-84 (vs. Lakers) and 1985-86 (vs. Rockets). The 1985-86 Celtics are considered by many people as the greatest team in league history. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986, while winning league MVP three straight years from 1983-84 through 1985-86.
The epic rivalry between the Celtics and Lakers, and more specifically, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, vaulted the league to a new stratosphere of popularity during the decade. These teams met in the Finals three times in the 1980s, with the Lakers winning in 1985 and 1987 and the C’s prevailing in 1984.
Bird retired after the 1991-92 season as back injuries had taken their toll. By that time, the Celtics were still competitive but no longer were legit title contenders.
The 1980s Celtics will always hold a special place in the hearts and minds of Boston sports fans. It wasn’t just that the C’s won so many games during this span, it was the beautiful way they played — prioritizing team basketball, strong fundamentals and playing with relentless effort.
For more on the 1980s Celtics and Larry Bird, check out NBC Sports Boston’s exclusive footage and interviews below:
The 1985-86 Celtics are the greatest team in NBA history. They went 67-15, including a 41-1 record at home, before dominating in the playoffs en route to the franchise’s 16th title.
Here are some of Bird’s best highlights:
The story of how the Celtics drafted Bird:
