Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle played with Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, so he knows the Hall of Famer pretty well.

Or at least he thought he did.

Carlisle says he was shocked when Bird became a coach in the NBA. The subject came up when a reporter asked Carlisle if he could see Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki become a coach down the line after he retires.

Larry Bird coached the Indiana Pacers for three seasons. He compiled a record of 147-67 and led the Pacers to the NBA Finals in 2000, where they lost to Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

Bird stepped down as coach and became an executive in Indiana in 2003. He won Executive of the Year in 2012.

Larry Bird is one of the best basketball players of all-time. He was a 12-time All-Star, three-time MVP, three-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP. Bird was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Dirk Nowitzki would probably make a good NBA coach since he knows how to connect with players. It will be interesting to see what ventures the Mavs legend decides to pursue after he ends his NBA career.

Just don't count on Rick Carlisle knowing what Dirk is going to do ahead of time.