verything always seemed to come so easily for Larry Bird on a basketball court. The way the ball appeared almost destined to swish through the net every time he finished his lightning-quick release with a flick of his right wrist. The way he could suck a defender in while running the break, only to zip a no-look pass to a cutting Boston Celtics teammate for an easy bucket. The way Bird related to his Indiana Pacers players as a coach, pushing the right buttons and drawing up the perfect plays late in games to lead his team to the NBA Finals. The intricacies of the executive's chair proved far more difficult for Larry Legend to master, which may make his latest award in a career full of them that much more fulfilling. Read more: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7938330/indiana-pacers-larry-bird-named-nba-executive-year
