March 12 marked the 40th anniversary of Larry Bird’s iconic 60-point game against the Hawks. The Celtics legend couldn’t miss, putting on a show for the ages for the fans in attendance. However, the Hawks players on the bench seemed to enjoy the performance more than the fans. Their antics resulted in a $500 fine each for openly cheering for the Boston star during his offensive onslaught.
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Bird showed up on a nightly basis, but the game against the Hawks felt a bit different. It wasn’t an ordinary road game for the Celtics. The game took place in a neutral location, in New Orleans. To the dismay of the Hawks, the arena featured too many Boston fans to count.
The energy fueled Bird to a performance he would never replicate. The Hall-of-Fame forward connected on 22 of 36 shots en route to a franchise-record 60 points. In the fourth quarter, Bird followed up a shot of high-degree difficulty with an even more difficult one.
40 years ago today…
Larry Bird went off for a career-high 60 points in a @celtics win! pic.twitter.com/lUqznQWoin
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) March 12, 2025
The Hawks players began to visibly fall off their seats and jump with excitement following Bird’s baskets. This reaction was unheard of for an opposing team during a game. Hawks head coach Mike Fratello was irate with the behavior of his players and punished them accordingly.
“We’re trying to beat these people,” Fratello said. “We’re not going to the movies to enjoy a show. This is our competitor. I didn’t appreciate the way they handled it, I let them know that, and we moved on. A lesson learned. Their lesson was that they got fined.”
The players were each fined $500. In regard to today’s NBA salaries, that seems like pocket change. However, at the time, it was worth a pretty penny.
Players sometimes react to an opposing team’s play but none have ever gone to the degree as this instance with the Hawks. In this age of social media, a reaction like theirs would result in a much more severe punishment.
Bird’s ability to capture the hearts of crowd and his opponents during that game is truly iconic. It’s safe to say that there will never be another performance like it in NBA history.
