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Only three men in NBA history have won three straight MVP awards: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird.

Bird's arrival in Boston immediately transformed the Celtics, who had won just 29 games in 1979. But in Bird's first season, the C's won 61 games, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. In his second season, Boston won the 14th title in franchise history -- and added two more in the next five years.

Check out some of his great passes and buzzer-beaters in the video above -- including his memorable performance in the 3-Point Shootout at All-Star Weekend.

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The Celtics had no greater rival in the early 1980s than the Philadelphia 76ers -- and tensions really boiled over in one regular-season matchup early on in the 1984-85 season.

Bird torched the Sixers for 42 points in 30 minutes, leading the defending champion Celtics to the 130-119 victory, but that's not what the game is remembered for. A late offensive foul from Bird sparked an all-out melee at the Boston Garden, and Bird and Julius Erving were both fined $7,500 for their roles in the scuffle, at that point the second-highest fine for player conduct in league history.

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Bird's greatest play in a Celtics uniform didn't occur in the NBA Finals with a championship on the line -- but in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons.

Trailing 107-106 with five seconds left, the C's chances looked bleak... until Bird swooped in to intercept the Isiah Thomas inbounds pass and find a cutting Dennis Johnson for what would be the game-winning layup -- still one of the most iconic plays in Celtics franchise history.

Oh, and Bird's final line in that game? 36 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists plus one unforgettable steal.

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It's one thing to watch one NBA superstar take over a game. It's another when two stars are going head-to-head -- and in a Game 7, no less.

The scene? Celtics vs. Hawks in Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Dominique Wilkins and Bird finished 2-3 in scoring that season, and proved why in an unbelievable performance at the Garden. Wilkins racked up 47 points (12 in the fourth quarter) but it wasn't enough to take down Bird, who scored 20 of his 34 points in the final frame, leading the C's to the 118-116 win.

As Brent Musberger described the action: "You are watching what greatness is all about."

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Celebrate Larry Bird's birthday with these memorable Celtics highlights