10 Greatest Players in Boston Celtics Franchise History

#3 Larry Bird (1979 to 1992)

Larry Bird brought three titles to Boston in the 1980's...

Before the Boston Celtics rose to power once again in 2008, the last identifiable great of the franchise was Larry Bird. Famous for his rivalry on and off the court with Michael Jordan, Bird became a household name in the 1980's and 1990's.

Bird led the Celtics to three NBA Championships during his 13-year NBA career (all with Boston). In two of those title years, he added NBA Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986. He was also the NBA's MVP for three straight years from 1984-1986.

Bird ranks 3rd all-time in scoring for the Celtics with 21,791 points; which is good for 38th all-time in the NBA. He also ranks 2nd all-time for Boston in steals with 1556 total, just 27 behind Paul Pierce. He also ranks 3rd and 4th in assists and steals respectively all-time for Boston.

Bird's 33 is retired by both the Boston Celtics and Indiana State Sycamores.

After his playing career was done, he went into coaching for three seasons with the Indiana Pacers amassing a record of 147-67 and led the Pacers to the NBA Finals in 2000 where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games.

Today, Bird serves as a consultant to the same Indiana Pacers team he coached nearly 20 years ago.