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Larry Bird
Larry Bird stats, teams and career impact
#9 all-timeCareer averages · 24.3 PPG · 10.0 RPG · 6.3 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
- Position
- Small forward
- Final NBA team
- Boston Celtics
- Height / weight
- 6 ft 9 in (206 cm) · 220 lb (100 kg)
- Born
- December 7, 1956 (69 yrs old)
- College
- Indiana State University
- NBA seasons
- 13 seasons · 1979–80 to 1991–92
Career summaryLarry Bird was a small forward who played 13 NBA seasons, from 1979–80 through 1991–92.
- Career PPG
- 24.3
- Career RPG
- 10.0
- Career APG
- 6.3
- #1 in 4 seasons
- #9 all-time
Best-Season Impact Rank
Career Impact Rank
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded
Career overview
Why Larry Bird ranks #9 all time
Larry Bird ranks #9 all time. He finished #1 in 4 seasons and in the top five 7 times, a level of dominance few players have matched. Injuries shortened the back half of his career, which helps explain why his full-career value ranks #20 despite that extraordinary peak.
7 top-five · 10 top-ten finishes
897 games · Career Value Rank #20
NBA honors12× All-Star · 3× MVP · 10× All-NBA · 3× All-Defense · ROYContext only; honors are not model inputs.
Head to head
Compare Larry Bird with…
Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.
- Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson Featured comparison
- Larry Bird vs. Kevin Durant Featured comparison
- Larry Bird vs. Nikola Jokić Scoring and playmaking across eras
- Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan Elite scoring and passing
- Larry Bird vs. LeBron James Elite scoring and passing
- Larry Bird vs. Oscar Robertson Elite scoring and passing
- Larry Bird vs. Julius Erving Selected matchup
- Larry Bird vs. John Havlicek Selected matchup
- Larry Bird vs. Rick Barry Selected matchup
- Larry Bird vs. Scottie Pippen Selected matchup
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources
Full team history
- Teams
- Boston Celtics
Career shooting
NBA regular season- Field goal
- 49.6%FG%
- Three-point
- 37.6%3P%
- Free throw
- 88.6%FT%
897 career games · 34,443 minutes
Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.
Traditional box score
Larry Bird stats by season
Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.
Box impact is an estimate in points per 100 possessions, not the 0–100 Impact Rate score. Zero is league average; higher is better. Rate rank is a league place: No. 1 is best.
Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Box impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →
| pts/100 · higher is better | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | 20.2 | 9.6 | 6.8 | +5.81 | BOS | 45 | 45 | 36.9 | 46.6% | 40.6% | 92.6% | #6 | 259.1 |
| 1990–91 | 19.4 | 8.5 | 7.2 | +4.47 | BOS | 60 | 60 | 38.0 | 45.4% | 38.9% | 89.1% | #16 | 302.5 |
| 1989–90 | 24.3 | 9.5 | 7.5 | +5.70 | BOS | 75 | 75 | 39.3 | 47.3% | 33.3% | 93.0% | #11 | 463.5 |
| 1988–89 | 19.3 | 6.2 | 4.8 | -0.84 | BOS | 6 | 6 | 31.5 | 47.1% | — | 94.7% | — | 4.5 |
| 1987–88 | 29.9 | 9.3 | 6.1 | +8.45 | BOS | 76 | 75 | 39.0 | 52.7% | 41.4% | 91.6% | #3 | 632.1 |
| 1986–87 | 28.1 | 9.2 | 7.6 | +8.81 | BOS | 74 | 73 | 40.6 | 52.5% | 40.0% | 91.0% | #2 | 667.6 |
| 1985–86 | 25.8 | 9.8 | 6.8 | +8.54 | BOS | 82 | 81 | 38.0 | 49.6% | 42.3% | 89.6% | #1 | 692.0 |
| 1984–85 | 28.7 | 10.5 | 6.6 | +8.81 | BOS | 80 | 77 | 39.5 | 52.2% | 42.7% | 88.2% | #1 | 723.5 |
| 1983–84 | 24.2 | 10.1 | 6.6 | +7.41 | BOS | 79 | 77 | 38.3 | 49.2% | 24.7% | 88.8% | #1 | 591.6 |
| 1982–83 | 23.6 | 11.0 | 5.8 | +7.65 | BOS | 79 | 79 | 37.7 | 50.4% | 28.6% | 84.0% | #1 | 623.6 |
| 1981–82 | 22.9 | 10.9 | 5.8 | +6.37 | BOS | 77 | 58 | 38.0 | 50.3% | 21.2% | 86.3% | #3 | 517.2 |
| 1980–81 | 21.2 | 10.9 | 5.5 | +3.88 | BOS | 82 | 82 | 39.5 | 47.8% | 27.0% | 86.3% | #9 | 400.0 |
| 1979–80 | 21.3 | 10.4 | 4.5 | +3.86 | BOS | 82 | 82 | 36.0 | 47.4% | 40.6% | 83.6% | #10 | 370.0 |
| Career | 24.3 | 10.0 | 6.3 | — | BOS | 897 | — | 38.4 | 49.6% | 37.6% | 88.6% | — | — |
Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.
Film evidence
Larry Bird highlights
Watch the selected footage or film analysis, then use the season record and impact data to put what happened on the floor in context.
Career mixtape
Larry Bird ultimate mixtape
The NBA's career reel supplies the visual evidence for Bird's shooting, anticipation and playmaking during one of the model's strongest peaks.
What these measures mean
- Box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average, from the historical box-score model. Zero is league average; higher is better. Historical defense estimates are included where labeled. This is not the live model's lineup-adjusted estimate.
- Impact Rate
- A 0–100 score comparing performance within one season. Higher is better. This is a score, not points per possession.
- Impact estimate
- The season model's final estimated points per 100 possessions above league average, before conversion to the 0–100 Impact Rate score. It includes lineup evidence where available. Zero is league average; higher is better.
- Impact Rate rank
- The player's place among qualified players in that season's Impact Rate ranking. No. 1 is best. This is a rank, not an impact score.
- Value contribution / Season Value
- Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
- Career Impact Rank
- An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
1.6 composite · lower is better
1.2 average league finish
6,247 total value
- Impact Rate
- 0–100 score within one season. Higher is better.
- Box impact
- Estimated points per 100 possessions above league average, from the historical model. Zero is average; higher is better.
Career standing
How Larry Bird ranks all time
These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.
Best in the league
Elite finishes
Upper-tier finishes
Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons
Career Composite Score1.6
Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.
- Best 3 effective weight
- 74%
- Missing-season finish
- 255.5
- Qualified seasons
- 12
- All-time rank
- #9
Strongest seasons
Every season
Larry Bird advanced stats by season
Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.
More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
Scroll for more columns
| pts/100 · higher is better | 0–100 · higher is better | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 35 | 45 | 1,662 | +5.81 | 98.3 | #6 | 259.1 | 91st | Broad |
| 1990–91Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 34 | 60 | 2,277 | +4.47 | 94.8 | #16 | 302.5 | 93rd | Broad |
| 1989–90Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 33 | 75 | 2,944 | +5.70 | 96.5 | #11 | 463.5 | 97th | Broad |
| 1988–89Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 32 | 6 | 189 | -0.84 | — | — | 4.5 | — | Limited |
| 1987–88Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 31 | 76 | 2,965 | +8.45 | 99.2 | #3 | 632.1 | 99th | Broad |
| 1986–87Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 30 | 74 | 3,005 | +8.81 | 99.6 | #2 | 667.6 | 100th | Broad |
| 1985–86Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 29 | 82 | 3,113 | +8.54 | 100.0 | #1 | 692.0 | 100th | Broad |
| 1984–85Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 28 | 80 | 3,161 | +8.81 | 100.0 | #1 | 723.5 | 100th | Broad |
| 1983–84Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 27 | 79 | 3,028 | +7.41 | 100.0 | #1 | 591.6 | 100th | Broad |
| 1982–83Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 26 | 79 | 2,982 | +7.65 | 100.0 | #1 | 623.6 | 100th | Broad |
| 1981–82Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 25 | 77 | 2,923 | +6.37 | 99.2 | #3 | 517.2 | 99th | Broad |
| 1980–81Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 24 | 82 | 3,239 | +3.88 | 96.8 | #9 | 400.0 | 98th | Broad |
| 1979–80Historical Defense Estimate | BOS | 23 | 82 | 2,955 | +3.86 | 96.1 | #10 | 370.0 | 97th | Broad |
Career movement
Larry Bird's box impact by season
Peak box impact +8.81 points per 100 possessions in 1986–87 · 13 seasons · 34,443 minutes
Box impact estimates points per 100 possessions above each season's league average. Zero is average; higher is better. Rank labels show Impact Rate league places, not ranks on this chart's box-impact scale.
Box impact · points per 100 possessionsMinutes
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload
Career comparison
Compare the shape, not the calendar
Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.
Larry BirdKawhi Leonard
| NBA season | Larry Bird | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.9 | 2.7 |
| 2 | 3.9 | 2.6 |
| 3 | 6.4 | 4.6 |
| 4 | 7.7 | 5.8 |
| 5 | 7.4 | 8.1 |
| 6 | 8.8 | 8.9 |
| 7 | 8.5 | 4.3 |
| 8 | 8.8 | 6.4 |
| 9 | 8.5 | 7.6 |
| 10 | -0.8 | 6.1 |
| 11 | 5.7 | 5.8 |
| 12 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| 13 | 5.8 | 2.6 |
| 14 | Did not play | 7.9 |
NBA season number
Similar career arcs
Players with careers similar to Larry Bird
The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.
SF · All-Time Career #35
Kawhi Leonard
89career similarity score
85/100 closest-season score · 1986–87 ↔ 2016–17C · All-Time Career #3Wilt Chamberlain
87career similarity score
84/100 closest-season score · 1986–87 ↔ 1966–67C · All-Time Career #40Anthony Davis
85career similarity score
82/100 closest-season score · 1986–87 ↔ 2019–20Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →