Larry Bird

With the Boston Celtics having won 18 of their past 20 games, Larry Bird decided to try something new in a way that only he could. With his squad on cruise control and a date with the archrival Los Angeles Lakers on tap in 48 hours, the 12-time All-Star decided to save his silky smooth right hand for the next game. Good news for the Portland Trail Blazers, right? Not so fast. While he did not completely remove his right hand from the equation, Bird interspersed shots with his left in the first three quarters as he briefly moonlighted as a southpaw and connected on a variety of jumpers, hook shots, layups and putbacks much to the chagrin of the home team and its fans. All told, Bird made 10 field goals and scored 20 of his game-high 47 points with his left hand — he shot 21 of 34 for the game and connected on all three of his 3-pointers while adding 14 rebounds and 11 assists in the 120-119 overtime win on February 14, 1986.

Championship Year

MVP Year