This Day in History: , Larry Bird Retires .
August 18, 1992.
Having struggled with back issues for years,
the 35-year-old legend announced his retirement
in an emotional press conference in Boston.
The Hall of Famer began
his NBA career in 1979,
joining the Boston Celtics.
His impact that year led the Celtics to 61-21 record, after the team finished in last place the previous year. .
Along with Robert Parrish
and Kevin McHale, Bird
would lead the Celtics to
domination of the 1980s.
The team won NBA championships
in 1980, 1984 and 1986, with Bird as
NBA MVP three years in a row from 1984-1986.
After his retirement, Bird went
on to coach the Indiana Pacers,
leading the team to their best
record season ever in 1998. .
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
accepted the NBA Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2019