How many rings does Larry Bird have? A list of Larry Bird’s achievements

How many rings does Larry Bird have? A list of Larry Bird’s achievements

Lenah Ann
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:23 PM

Hailing from Indiana, the United States of America, Larry Joe Bird, is a former basketball player, coach, and executive renowned for his influence in the NBA. Even after his retirement, he is till regarded as one of the greatest of all time, thanks to his achievements and having won several NBA championships.

How many NBA rings does Larry Bird have?
Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics looks on from the bench against the Houston Rockets during an NBA basketball game circa 1981 at The Summit in Houston, Texas. Photo: Focus on Sport
Source: Getty Images

For a player to be considered great in the NBA, they need to win championships at least more than once. Most great players have made a name for themselves, and Bird is no exception. In this article, you will find more about how many rings Larry Bird bagged throughout his career.

Larry Bird’s profile and bio summary

Full name

Larry Joe Bird

Date of birth

7 December 1956

Place of birth

West Baden, Indiana, the United States of America

Age

66 years of age as of January 2023

Nationality

American

Marital status

Married

Wife

Dinah Mattingly

Children

Corrie, Conner, and Mariah

Famous for

Bagging three NBA championship rings

Net worth

Estimated to be $75 million

How many rings does Larry Bird have?

The legendary basketball player has three NBA championship rings. The accomplishment was achieved while playing for the Boston Celtics, and he made sure that the Celtics reached the playoffs each season he played for them.

He was awarded the rings in the following years; 1981, 1984, and 1986. It was Bird's talent and zeal that helped revive the Boston Celtics back to glory.

How many NBA championship rings does Larry Bird have?
The legendary basketball player poses in the press room during the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia on TNT at Barker Hangar on 24 June 2019 in Santa Monica, California. Photo: Joe Scarnici
Source: Getty Images

Larry Bird's NBA championships wins

He came to the Bolton Celtics at the exact time that they needed him the most. He revived the team in a single year, winning as many trophies as possible. Let's take a peek at his rings.

The 1981 championship win

The former basketball player started playing for the Bolton Celtics in 1981. At the time, he was the current top pick and won his first NBA championship by defeating the Houston Rockers in the finals.

1984 championship win

If there's a year that the former basketball player will never forget in his career, it would be 1984. Larry and Magic Johnson faced each other head in the final match of the NBA championship. Celtics won the 1984 championship defeating the Los Angeles Lakers.

1986 championship win

The Boston Celtics team came out strong in the 1986 championship after losing to their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the previous year. In so doing, Bird won his third NBA ring by beating the Houston Rockets.

How many rings does Larry Bird have against Magic Johnson?

Larry Bird's finals MVP awards
The NBA Legend attends Day One of the 2019 NBA Draft Combine on 16 May 2019 at the Quest MultiSport Complex in Chicago, Illinois. Photo: Jeff Haynes
Source: Getty Images

The basketball guru has three rings while Johnson has five. They went down in history as the greatest rivals and the greatest NBA players of all-time. To date, few players have succeeded in filling the shoe of their likes.

Larry Bird's finals MVP awards

The legendary basketball player was awarded a 12-time NBA all-star, All-NBA first-team honours nine times, two NBA Finals MVPs, and became a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player. Additionally, he was a member of the gold medal-winning team in the 1992 Olympics.

Larry Birds' achievements

Larry's achievements include being a member of the Hall of Fame, three championship rings, and numerous MVP awards. He also holds numerous other honours and performed admirably as a coach.

Could Larry Bird have earned more rings?

Larry Bird's achievements
Indiana Pacers advisor and NBA player watches warm ups before the game between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Arena on 2 February 2019 in Miami, Florida. Photo: Mark Brown
Source: Getty Images

Larry retired due to health problems. He had a back injury that affected how well he performed as a player making his general performance uncertain. If Bird had played a few more years, his health issues probably may have caught up with him and prevented him from winning more rings.

It is unsure if he would have earned more rings if he had continued to play since his next opponent would have been the Chicago Bulls.

Who was better: Larry or Magic?

Larry led the Boston Celtics to glory and won three NBA championships and two MVPs finals. On the other hand, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers and won five NBA championships and three MVPs finals. Their achievements are at par, and they were considered true legends of their era.

Does Larry Bird have the most NBA rings?

The answer would be no, as Larry does not have the most NBA rings. Bill Russel, who also played for the Bolton Celtics, has the most rings, eleven, contrasted to Larry's three.

Even so, Russell played for Celtics in the 1960s during a formidable reign, and after the reign was over, the Boston Celtics suffered losses for seasons. Larry gave the team another chance when he joined in the 80s and returned them to glory.

Larry Bird's achievements
Larry Bird looks on during the 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony at Symphony Hall on 7 September 2018 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Photo: Maddie Meyer
Source: Getty Images

How many rings does Magic Johnson have?

Johnson was Larry's greatest rival and a legend who won five NBA championships rings in his career. He won all the rings while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, making them reach the finals nine times. He won his championships in the years: 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.

How many championship rings did Larry Bird win as a coach?

When Larry retired professionally as a basketball player in 1992, he joined the Indiana Pacers of the NBA as a coach and coached them for three years. Larry took home the NBA all-star Game Head Coach trophy in 1998 and the NBA coach of the year award.

He did not collect any championship ring as a coach but earned a few accolades.

Bird's rivalry with Magic Johnson

How many NBA rings does Larry Bird have?
Bird speaks during a press conference where the Indiana Pacers introduce Kevin Pritchard as the new president of Basketball Operations on 1 May 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo:Ron Hoskins
Source: Getty Images

Their well-known rivalry started in their first-ever match in 1979. Surprisingly, it then lasted throughout their NBA careers. More so, this rivalry was adapted into HBO's documentary in 2010.

In his career, Larry Bird achieved almost the impossible as he had issues with drug problems but eventually gained momentum and carried his team up to the top. As a result, he offered fresh and new energy to the NBA fans, and took home three championship rings before his retirement.

Players like Bird are hardly forgotten in the NBA as they go down as true legends that went all in for their teams and came out victorious.

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Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.