The Pacers have in Larry Bird the knowledge,skills,enthusiasm,experience and ability for a great coach. In a league like the NBA it takes more than a great coach with ability and experience to succeed at a high level. With a team that is less than superb I think Larry Bird has had a moderatly good season considering his resources :Jase Merritt. Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. Larry Bird was such a player. Now Bird hopes to equal that success in the coaching ranks, as head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

Bird joins the Pacers after serving as a special assistant with the Boston Celtics since his retirement on August 18, 1992. The intelligence he so habitually exhibited while playing demanded a managerial role in the basketball operations domain, and now as head coach in Indiana, Bird brings his expertise from the front office down to the court.
For 13 years with the Boston Celtics, Bird personified hustle, consistency, and excellence in all areas of play-as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer. Bird was so self-confident that he was known to waltz up to the opponents' bench before tip-off and predict a 40-point performance for himself. He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced three-pointers with his eyes closed. Among Bird's contemporaries, perhaps only Earvin "Magic" Johnson was considered a better passer. Few played tougher than Bird, who would leap into crowds and over press tables for loose balls. Bird was the embodiment of "Celtics pride." He was a classy, confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired teammates to excel. Like Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, and Dave Cowens, the low-key Bird was not one to sign big-money endorsement deals. But even those legendary players didn't fill Boston Garden, wow fans, and dominate games as Bird did. Larry Bird is one of the greatest basketball players of all time and one very good reason to have Celtic Pride. Along with Magic Johnson, he reinvigorated the NBA in the 1980s with a competitive rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers. He has won every major distinction professional basketball bestows on its players. He was the MVP in 1984, 1985 and 1986. He was named to the all NBA First Team for 9 consecutive seasons from 1980-1988. He was a twelve time NBA All-Star, including ten times elected by the fans to start, and All-Star Game MVP in 1982. His Celtics won the World Championship in 1981, 1984 and 1986. He was the NBA Playoffs MVP in 1984 and 1986. He was also a member of the Dream Team that brought home a Gold Medal from the Olympics in Barcelona. Larry won the Long-Distance Shootout 3 times, proving he could play a game inside out...all by himself.