Larry Bird

By the time the 1984-85 season rolled around, Larry Bird was already a two-time champion, an MVP and an NBA Finals MVP — yet he still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. For the first and only time in his legendary career, Bird reached the 60-point threshold. The nine-time All-NBA First Team selection unleashed a performance for the ages against the Atlanta Hawks as he scored from wherever he called for the ball. Bird was especially sizzling down the stretch as he buried one difficult jumper after another, even getting the best of Hawks icon Dominique Wilkins on a turnaround bucket far from the basket. Bird shot an exceptional 22 for 36 from the field for a career and franchise-high 60 points, with only one of his baskets coming from outside the 3-point arc. During one particularly dominant stretch, Bird scored 32 of his 60 during a 14-minute interval in the second half. He added seven rebounds and three assists for the game while also converting 15 of his 16 free throws in a 126-115 Boston Celtics victory on March 12, 1985.

MVP Year