Sports Nicknames - Larry Legend, Kodak, the Great White Hope

Larry Bird is one of the most unique players in basketball history.



Probably all of us have heard the quote that 'success is 10% talent and 90% work' but only a few know that Bird was the one who said that first.

And that was exactly the case for the kid from Indiana. Bird wasn't quick, he didn't jump high but he deserved all the respect both from his teammates as well as his opponents.

Nicknamed "Larry Legend", "the Great White Hope" and "Kodak", Bird spent his whole professional career with the Boston Celtics where he won three NBA championships.

Nine times he was selected in the All-NBA first team and three times in the second.

Bird was one of the best shooters in his time, winning the Three-point shooting contests in 1986, 1987 and 1988. Two times he finished the season shooting more than 50% from the field, 40% from the three-point line and 90% from the free-throw line.

Bird was a member of the 1992 United States Dream Team that competed at the Barcelona Olympics.

"Larry Legend" was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1998 and as a member of the Dream Team in 2010.

After retiring as a player, Bird spent three seasons coaching the Indiana Pacers. He won the NBA Coach of the Year award in 1998 and two years later led the Pacers to their only NBA Finals appearance.

After the coaching stint, Bird was named president of basketball operations for the Pacers.


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