Larry Bird

For the third and final time in his iconic career, Larry Bird was crowned a champion. In a rematch of the 1981 NBA Finals, Bird and the Boston Celtics sent the Houston Rockets home unhappy once again with a truly unforgettable Game 6 performance. Transcendent from everywhere on the floor, the 12-time All-Star wasn’t leaving his home court without some more hardware, scoring on a barrage of layups, long-range pull-up jumpers and transition buckets off of his three steals on defense. Bird went 8 for 17 from the field and 11 for 12 at the line for a total of 29 points to go with 11 rebounds and 12 assists on June 8, 1986, one of two Finals triple-doubles in his storied career. Bird won his second Finals MVP award in three years after averaging 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 2.7 steals across six games for the Celtics’ 16th championship in franchise history — and Boston’s last until 2008.

Championship Year

MVP Year