Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird has been out of the game for quite some time, as he ended his playing career in 1992 after playing with the Dream Team in Barcelona playing alongside fellow NBA superstars Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
Although it seemed like Bird was content with retiring and walking away from the game completely, the three-time NBA champion got the itch to coach in the league he dominated during his time in Boston.
Even though great players of his caliber haven’t done well as coaches, as they lead more by example than telling players what to do on the basketball floor, Bird was one of the few exceptions, as he went on to win NBA Coach of the Year in 1998 as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers.
After three years of coaching, Bird decided to make the transition to the front office as he became the president of basketball operations for the Pacers in 2003 and went on to win NBA Executive of the Year in 2012 but stepped down five years later until recently returning as a consultant in Indiana, according to the team’s Twitter account.
Larry Bird is back in the building serving as a consultant. pic.twitter.com/kp4z974X0S
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 30, 2023
Although the Pacers finished the 2022-23 NBA season without a playoff berth, ending their campaign with a record of 35-47, the team showed signs of promise, with Tyrese Haliburton becoming the new face of the franchise moving forward.
Indiana needs a few more talented pieces around Haliburton to make some noise in the Eastern Conference, but they are off to a good start with Bennedict Mathurin, Buddy Hield, and Myles Turner as their core.
NEXT: Tyrese Haliburton Took An Impressive Step Forward This Season
