NBA Exec of the Year: Larry Bird

President of the Indiana Pacers, Larry Bird was named the NBA's executive of the year on Wednesday as his team pushes on in the playoffs against Miami Heat. Bird is the first to earn the title of NBA executive of the year in addition to his successes in other areas of the sport. In 1998, he was named coach of the year while with the Pacers and an MVP during his years as a player with the Boston Celtics. Among a number of smart decisions this season, one of Bird's best moves was to name Frank Vogel as head coach. In his new position, Vogel took the Pacers to the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a first-round playoff win against the Orlando Magic and a 1-1 standing during the second round against the Miami Heat. With Vogel in place he made a number of new additions to the team. This and three of Bird's recent draft picks contributed to this season's success. "This is an honor for the Indiana Pacers, not an award for Larry Bird," Bird said in a statement. "Everyone in this franchise put in a lot of work and showed a lot of patience as we have tried to get this team to a level on and off the court the fans in Indiana can be proud of. You always believe, and hope, the players you get will fit into a plan and I'm very proud of what our guys and our coaches have accomplished so far this year."