"I've been very blessed throughout my whole career to have great coaches" - Larry Bird on who had the greatest influence on his career

In the post-Bill Russell era, the Boston Celtics had Larry Bird to thank for keeping their legacy intact — especially during a period with the Showtime Lakers and the 'Bad Boys' from Detroit. The Bean Town faithful almost certainly regard Bird as one of the top athletes to ever play in the capital of Massachusetts.

He was the face of the Celtics, which won three NBA championships. After he retired, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. If there's one thing the Boston legend is grateful for, it's an unwavering foundation and guidance from his coaches.

"I've been very fortunate. I've had great coaches all the way since I was a young kid," said the Hall of Famer in an interview with "Slam Magazine." "My high school coach spent a lot of time with the young kids in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth grade teaching the fundamentals, how to set a proper pick and roll and where your hands should be placed on the ball."

The hick from French Lick

While many C's fans and NBA fans regard Russell as the greatest to don the iconic green and white, Bird is certainly up there as a Boston all-time great. When the Indiana native joined the Celtics in 1979, his arrival birthed a new era in basketball.

Originating from a small town, Bird led Springs Valley High School to a state sectional championship and took Indiana State to the 1979 NCAA national championship game.

Bird's mastery of fundamentals and competitive spirit rejuvenated both the NBA and the Celtics, alongside fellow rookie and Los Angeles Lakers player Magic Johnson. He brought all he had mastered and developed into the league by playing three years of college basketball.

"And then when I went to college [Indiana State University] with Coach King, it was more defense," the Hall of Famer continued. "What you're supposed to do on the defensive end, how you cut angles down, and how you really develop your game and your all around game . "And then when I got into the pros I was very fortunate to have Bill Fitch and Casey Jones, guys who were two different types of coaches, but they were excellent for me. So I've been very blessed throughout my whole career to have great coaches."

The end of Bird's career was marked by one last achievement: a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team. After 897 NBA games, the Boston legend retired with 24.3 points per game, scoring 21,791 career points. He added 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.

He shot 49.6% from the floor and 88.6% from the free-throw line, retiring fifth all-time in free-throw shooting behind Mark Price , Rick Barry, Calvin Murphy, and Scott Skiles.

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Managerial influence

After an illustrious NBA career, Bird decided to become a coach to spread his knowledge to the next generation. Aside from Boston, he was also well-connected to another franchise — the Indiana Pacers. Despite having no previous coaching experience, he was appointed head coach in 1997.

During his tenure as head coach, Larry led the Pacers to a 58–24 record in the 1997–98 season—the franchise's best at the time—and pushed the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. For his efforts, he was named NBA Coach of the Year.

Bird's three years as the Pacers head coach concluded with just one conference finals appearance. Still, his tenure as coach remains the most successful three-year stretch for the franchise.

Related: Larry Bird knew he was ‘struggling’ after winning two MVP awards: “I don’t have the skills that a lot of other players do”