NBA Draft: Top 30 draft steals in league history

Best NBA Draft steals of all time: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

Larry Bird’s nickname — “Larry Legend” — just about sums up how impactful of a player the man really was.

Selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, Bird wasted no time getting down to business in the league.

Bird started every game of his rookie season, playing 36.0 minutes a game, while averaging 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals a game. He was selected as an NBA All-Star as well.

And that was just the beginning.

Bird would go on to average 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists for his career, while shooting an incredibly efficient 37.6 percent from long-range and 49.6 percent from the field.

When it comes to efficiency — both on the court and with awards per season — there may not be a better player in league history than “Larry Legend”.

He was voted an NBA All-Star 12 times in his 13-year career, only missing out in the 1988-89 season, in which he played only six games due to surgery to remove bone spurs from both of his heels.

Bird became a 10-time All-NBA team player, made the All-Defensive team three times, won three NBA championships, while being NBA Finals MVP twice and was named NBA MVP three separate times in his career.

Bird may very well be the greatest Celtic in history, which is an impressive feat upon itself when you look at the team’s storied history.

For the Celtics to select one of the greatest players of all-time when five other teams had draft picks before them is a massive steal.