As they entered the famed Boston Garden on June 12, 1984 for a winner-take-all that paired NBA history’s greatest rivalry with its greatest phrase — Game Seven — the Los Angeles Lakers found that they would also have to endure a “sauna-like” atmosphere, reaching upwards of 90 degrees. Burning in his desire to secure a second championship, Larry Bird made certain that wasn’t the only heatwave they would contend with. One step ahead of Los Angeles’ defense throughout the night, the soon-to-be-named Finals Most Valuable Player picked his spots to perfection. Sometimes, the situation demanded unselfish, flawlessly-timed passes to cutting teammates; at others, the recipe called for aggressive, in-traffic buckets. Even when the requirement was for Bird to roam the sidelines, rallying his teammates on during a game-changing third-quarter run, “Larry Legend” met the task with grace. Bird’s final act of greatness in Game Seven occurred at the charity stripe, as he drained a pair of free throws to the crowd’s elation, clinching his second NBA title. The victor in the first-ever Finals meeting against his storied foe in the purple-and-gold, Bird shined in the finale, recording 20 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. · Jun 12, 1984