Larry Bird named NBA exec of the year

NEW YORK, May 16 (UPI) -- The NBA announced Wednesday that Larry Bird, president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers, had been named the league's executive of the year.

Bird became the first person to win the NBA's player of the year, coach of the year and executive of the year honors. Red Auerbach, Frank Layden and Pat Riley have been the only others to be named both coach and executive of the year.

Bird became president of the Pacers in 2003, one year before the team was involved in an ugly brawl with members of the Detroit Pistons. That incident eventually led to a makeover of the Pacers, which Bird administered.

With Frank Vogel having been promoted from interim to head coach prior to the start of the current season, Indiana posted a 42-24 record and finished as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Indiana will go into Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Thursday deadlocked with Miami at 1-1.

Bird won the league MVP award three times while with Boston and was honored as coach of the year after the 1997-98 season, when he guided the Pacers to a 58-24 record.

The award is voted on by executives throughout the league. Bird received 88 points and 12 first-place votes. San Antonio's R.C. Buford was second with 56 points.