Editing Larry Bird (section)

====MVP threepeat (1983–1986)====
[[File:Larry Bird layup.jpg|thumb|upright|right|alt=Bird jumping into a layup|Bird in a game against the [[Washington Bullets]]]]
Bird was slated to become a [[free agent]] after the 1983–84 season.  In 1983, as part of a collective bargaining agreement, the NBA initially implemented a "hard" [[salary cap]] (meaning total player salaries could not exceed a certain limit) which would not go into effect until the 1984–85 season.  The NBA quickly modified this to a "soft cap", meaning the cap could be exceeded in order for a team re-sign its own free agents. This came to be erroneously known as the "Larry Bird Rule"; the Celtics didn't actually invoke the exception to specifically re-sign Bird, as the cap wasn't in effect.  Bird signed his seven-year, $12.6 million extension in 1983, before the cap came into effect and the Celtics were actually over the cap in total player salaries (including Bird's extension) at the time the cap was implemented.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/sports-now/story/2010-05-05/sports-legends-revealed-how-did-the-larry-bird-exception-to-the-nba-salary-cap-get-its-name |title=Sports Legends Revealed: How did the ‘Larry Bird exception’ to the NBA salary cap get its name? |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 5, 2010 |access-date=January 14, 2025}}</ref>

Bird was named MVP of the [[1983–84 NBA season|1983–84 season]] with averages of 24.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.<ref name="Larry Bird" /> In the [[1984 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]], the Celtics avenged their loss from the year before to the Bucks, winning in five games in the Conference Finals to advance to the Finals against the [[1983–84 Los Angeles Lakers season|Los Angeles Lakers]].<ref name=84P>{{cite web |title = 1984 NBA Playoffs Summary |url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1984.html |publisher = Basketball Reference |access-date = March 20, 2014 |archive-date = July 11, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220711140927/https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1984.html |url-status = live }}</ref> In Game 4, the Lakers—led by Bird's college rival Magic Johnson—were on the verge of taking a commanding 3–1 series lead before a flagrant foul was committed on [[Kurt Rambis]] that resulted in a brawl and caused the Lakers to lose their composure.<ref>{{cite book |last = MacMullan |first = Jackie |title = When the Game Was Ours |date = 2009 |publisher = Mariner |isbn = 978-0-547-39458-9 |page = 136 }}</ref> Boston came back to win that game and eventually won the series in seven games.<ref name=84P /> Bird was named [[NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|Finals MVP]] behind 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.<ref name=84P />
[[File:December 1983 One on One Dr J vs Larry Bird advertisement by Electronic Arts (cropped) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Bird in 1983]]
On December 9, 1984, Bird recorded 48 points to go along with 14 rebounds and 5 assists in a narrow 128–127 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198412090BOS.html |title = Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, December 9, 1984 |website = Basketball Reference |access-date = November 22, 2019 |archive-date = June 4, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200604074726/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198412090BOS.html |url-status = live }}</ref> On March 12 of the [[1984–85 NBA season|1984–85 season]], Bird scored a career-high and franchise record 60 points in a game against the [[Atlanta Hawks]].<ref>{{cite web |last = Schwartz |first = Larry |title = Eye for victory |url = https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00014103.html |website = ESPN |access-date = March 29, 2014 |archive-date = September 26, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130926235432/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014103.html |url-status = live }}</ref> The performance came just nine days after Kevin McHale set the previous Celtics record for points in a game with 56.<ref>{{cite book |last = MacMullan |first = Jackie |title = When the Game Was Ours |date = 2009 |publisher = Mariner |isbn = 978-0-547-39458-9 |page = 15 }}</ref> At the end of the year, Bird was named MVP for the second consecutive season, behind averages of 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game.<ref name="Larry Bird" /> Boston advanced through the [[1985 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]] to earn a rematch with the Lakers, this time losing in six games.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1985_finals.html |title = 1985 NBA Finals Composite Box Score |website = Basketballreference.com |access-date = December 31, 2015 |archive-date = September 23, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110923012030/http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1985_finals.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

During the 1985 offseason, Bird injured his back shoveling crushed rock to create a driveway at his mother's house. At least partially as a result of this, Bird experienced back problems for the rest of his career.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 13, 2023 |title=7 Surprising Larry Bird Facts |url=https://hoopmaestro.com/7-surprising-larry-bird-facts/ |access-date= |website=HoopMaestro |archive-date=March 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313205837/https://hoopmaestro.com/7-surprising-larry-bird-facts/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Larry Bird Lipofsky.jpg|thumb|upright|right|alt=Bird holding a basketball, aiming to shoot|Bird playing for the Celtics in the [[1985 NBA Playoffs|1985 NBA playoffs]]]]
Before the start of the [[1985–86 NBA season|1985–86 season]], the Celtics made a daring trade for [[Bill Walton]], an All-Star center with a history of injury.<ref name=86C>{{cite web |title = 1985–86 Boston Celtics |url = http://www.nba.com/playoffs2004/challenge_celtics1986.html |work = NBA.com |access-date = March 30, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140414075156/http://www.nba.com/playoffs2004/challenge_celtics1986.html |archive-date = April 14, 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref> The risk paid off; Walton's acquisition helped Boston win a league best 67 games.<ref>{{cite web |title = 1985–86 NBA Season Summary |url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1986.html |publisher = Basketball Reference |access-date = March 30, 2014 |archive-date = May 1, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120501203633/http://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1986.html |url-status = live }}</ref> One of Bird's career highlights occurred at the [[1986 NBA All-Star Game|1986 NBA All-Star Weekend]] when he walked into the locker room at the inaugural [[Three-Point Shootout]] and asked who was going to finish second before winning the shootout.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.espn.com/dallas/nba/columns/story?id=4888727 |title = With Bird in, good things came with 3s |access-date = June 15, 2014 |date = February 5, 2010 |publisher = [[ESPN]] |last = Caplan |first = Jeff |archive-date = January 2, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160102055556/http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/columns/story?id=4888727 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://nesn.com/2011/08/relive-the-moment-larry-bird-wins-inaugural-three-point-contest/ |title = Relive the Moment: Larry Bird Easily Wins Inaugural 3-Point Contest After Asking Field Who Would Finish Second |access-date = June 15, 2014 |date = August 17, 2011 |publisher = [[New England Sports Network]] |archive-date = July 26, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140726181929/http://nesn.com/2011/08/relive-the-moment-larry-bird-wins-inaugural-three-point-contest/ |url-status = live }}</ref><!-- Note that one source claims that he won the first two and then laid down the challenge before winning the third one http://www.nba.com/allstar2006/moments_bird88.html User:TonyTheTiger -->

On November 27, 1985, Bird recorded 47 points to go along with 12 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a 132–124 victory over the Detroit Pistons.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198511270BOS.html |title = Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics Box Score, November 27, 1985 |publisher = Basketball-Reference |access-date = November 22, 2019 |archive-date = June 4, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200604074724/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198511270BOS.html |url-status = live }}</ref> On March 10, 1986, he scored 50 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists in a narrow 116–115 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198603100DAL.html |title = Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks Box Score, March 10, 1986 |publisher = Basketball-Reference |access-date = November 22, 2019 |archive-date = August 29, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190829020245/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198603100DAL.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

With averages of 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, Bird became just the third player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP Awards.<ref>{{cite web |title = Larry Legend – Bird wins third straight MVP |url = https://www.espn.com/classic/s/moment010528bird-mvp.html |publisher = ESPN Classic |access-date = March 30, 2014 |archive-date = October 2, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131002102445/http://espn.go.com/classic/s/moment010528bird-mvp.html |url-status = live }}</ref> In the [[1986 NBA Playoffs|playoffs]], the Celtics lost only one game through the first three rounds en route to a match-up against the [[1985–86 Houston Rockets season|Rockets]] in the Finals.<ref name=86C /> In Game 6 of the Finals against the Rockets, Bird recorded a triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Celtics won the Finals in six games.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198606080BOS.html |title = Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics Box Score, June 8, 1986 |website = Basketball Reference |access-date = November 22, 2019 |archive-date = November 16, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171116075408/https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198606080BOS.html |url-status = live }}</ref> He averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1986_finals.html |title = 1986 NBA Finals Composite Box Score |website = Basketball Reference |access-date = December 31, 2015 |archive-date = May 18, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110518193752/http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1986_finals.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

The [[1985–86 Boston Celtics season|1985–86 Celtics]] are commonly ranked as one of the greatest basketball teams of all time, with the ''[[Boston Globe]]''{{'}}s Peter May and [[Grantland]]'s [[Bill Simmons]] listing them at number one.<ref>{{cite web |last = Poulard |first = JM |title = The 1985–86 Boston Celtics |url = https://www.warriorsworld.net/2011/08/25/1985-86-boston-celtics/ |date = August 25, 2011 |website = Warriors World |access-date = April 13, 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140414052549/https://www.warriorsworld.net/2011/08/25/1985-86-boston-celtics/ |archive-date = April 14, 2014 }}</ref>