The competitive stories that Larry Bird left the league with are the stuff of legends. Almost every contemporary star Bird played with has a story of his unbeatable competitive resolve, while many also have stories of his unabashed braggadocio.
One of the examples of being incredibly sure in himself came during Game 6 of the 1986 Finals. Bird’s Celtics were facing the Houston Rockets and a win in Game 6 would seal the title for the Celtics. After a dominant first half, Bird changed his jerseys to create an iconic memory for his third championship win.
“I changed up my uniform during halftime, and that’s something I never do. I was playing so well and feeling so great that I just took that uniform off, stuffed it into my bag, and got a new uniform out. That way, I would have two championship uniforms instead of one.”
Bird’s confidence was warranted as the Celtics won the game 97-114 and added yet another banner. It was their 16th in championship history, and only one more banner has since been raised in the TD Garden.
Larry Bird Dominated The 1986 Playoffs
Bird averaged 25.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in the playoffs as the Celtics took down the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, and Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference before meeting up with Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson’s Rockets.
In the Finals, Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists and won Finals MVP for his incredible contributions in the series. Unfortunately, Bird never won another title as the Celtics fell out of competitive favor with the rise of the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons and, eventually, Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls.
Bird retired early, forgoing millions to end his career after years of piling back injuries. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists for his career, won three MVPs, two Finals MVPs, 10 All-NBA appearances, and 12 All-Star appearances.
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