For most NBA players, facing Michael Jordan in the playoffs ended with heartbreak or devastation. Larry Bird felt that as well, but not as a player, but during his coaching years in the league, when he was the head coach of the Indiana Pacers .
As one of the greatest players of all time, Larry Legend had already accomplished nearly everything basketball had to offer. He won three NBA championships, collected three MVP awards and cemented his legacy as arguably the most decorated small forward in NBA history.
Bird also found immense success when he transitioned to coaching. Yet, whenever he reflects on his coaching stint with the Pacers, one unfinished piece of business continues to linger.
"My only regret would be we didn't beat Chicago ," Bird wrote in his book, " Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching The Game I Love ."
"I never stopped believing we could do it. I was hoping Michael Jordan wouldn't retire, because I wanted another crack at the Bulls at their best."
Bird's debut season as head coach immediately transformed Indy into a legitimate championship contender. Led by a pack of seasoned veterans in Reggie Miller , Mark Jackson , Rik Smits, Antonio and Dale Davis, the Pacers pushed the Bulls further than any Eastern Conference opponent during Chicago's second three-peat.
Though Indiana had a solid unit, it was Coach Larry's brilliance and competitiveness that gave them a fighting chance against Jordan and the mighty Bulls. That rivalry was defined by their epic 1998 Eastern Conference finals duel.
The Pacers refused to back down against the defending champions. Bird consistently made adjustments that forced MJ and the Bulls into a winner-take-all Game 7. It was anybody's series until the Bulls did what they did best - close games out.
Chicago went on to win their sixth NBA title before Jordan retired for the second time. Despite yearning to run it back with MJ again, Larry Legend admitted that part of him also liked the fact that the best player in the league was gone.
"At the same time, I knew when he did retire everybody would be watching our team to see if we could do it… I liked the idea of having that kind of pressure on my team," Bird further divulged.
Bird and Jordan go way back and to better understand their healthy competition, one must revisit how it all started.
When Mike entered the NBA in 1984, Larry was already an established superstar leading the Boston Celtics through one of the franchise's greatest eras. By the time Jordan evolved into the league's most dominant force at the end of the '80s, Bird's body had begun to break down as the years of playing at the highest level finally took their toll.
For a time, Bird and Jordan shared the spotlight, though. However, Larry Legend believed he and MJ never really developed a genuine rivalry simply because their careers peaked at different periods of time.
"You've got to understand, Michael came [into the NBA] in' 84–85," Bird once explained. "We were at the top of our games and he was just getting started. By the time he got really good, we were on our way out, so there wasn't really a rivalry there. I only played against him [twice] in the playoffs."
Bird's perspective offers an interesting contrast to the way most fans frame NBA history. Moreover, it's also fascinating to discover that for all his career achievements, Larry Legend is still bugged by the thought that he never beat Jordan when he was coaching his hometown team and when the Bulls were still at their peak.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
