The NBA was changed forever on October 12, 1979 as legendary Boston Celtics small forward Larry Bird stepped on the court to play his first game, which just so happened to be the very first game a player — Bird’s Celtics teammate Chris Ford — sunk an official 3-pointer as well.
But that historic trey has paled in comparison of importance despite the position of prominence when compared to the lengthy and impressive exploits of the Hick From French Lick (as Bird was sometimes called), who assembled a greatest-of-all-time level career while with Boston. With three titles (1981, 1984 and in 1986), three MVP awards between 1984 and 1986, two Finals MVPs (1984 and 1986), 12 NBA All-Star elections, and an All-Star MVP, 10 All-NBA nods, and three All-NBA Defensive Second Team selections to his name, Bird is among the greatest to play the game.
To see some of Bird’s play from that fateful first game, watch the clip embedded below, courtesy of our friends at CLNS Media’s “NBA History & Legends on CLNS” YouTube channel.
