Or write about sports? Larry Bird's best teammates included Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson. The experience shook Bird. The Orlando forward played only 11 games this season after missing two years with a torn ACL. Drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in . Despite losing leading scorer Steve Green and John Laskowski after the 75 season, IU got the band back together in 1976 and finished what the Hoosiers came three wins away from achieving the previous year: an undefeated, national championship season as they became the NCAAs #1 All-Time March Madness team. His last-second heroics, ranging from seemingly impossible reverse layups to miraculous 35-foot bombs over multiple defenders, never ceased to amaze those who followed his career. He wasnt named to the Associated Press six-player All-State first team or nine-player second team, despite averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds, once putting up 55 points in a game for Springs Valley High School and 34 rebounds in another. I could do that. . On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. When the Celtics named Rick Pitino as the franchises new president and coach, Bird knew any role for him in Boston would be a limited one. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. . Or write about sports? Imagine what he wouldve done with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and future NBA players as teammates! If the answer was yes, then theres a chance there would be national championship banners from 1975 and 1976 hanging inside Assembly Hall right now. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Coming out of Springs Valley, Bird chose IU over Indiana State and Purdue after being pursued by more than 50 schools, according to The Herald (Jasper, Ind.). You can watch the full replay of the '79 title game below. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. They thought scoring was more important, but passing is important.". Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. He's a 3-time NBA Champion, a 12-time all-star, and he was named to countless NBA teams during his roughly 13 years on the Celtics. / NBA. Larry Bird. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. There is the Larry Bird people know, the Boston Celtics legend, the hick from French Lick, the Indiana State University basketball king. By. Bird was the embodiment of Celtics Pride. He was a classy, confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired teammates to excel. Home; Tickets; Schedule. Career Stats Game Log Splits. What if Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? (. Who Were Larry Bird's Best Teammates? The Top 11 Ranked Incredible story of Larry Bird, high school baseball coach - Audacy Scott Horner. Birds concentration and composure were unmatched. As freshman and junior varsity statistics do not count toward official NCAA records, three playersPete Maravich, Oscar Robertson and Elvin Hayesonly had three seasons to compile their totals. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. A brutal sucker punch in the OVC tournament stopped the game in its tracks. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick) Bats Left, Throws Left; Height 6' 9", Weight 220 lb. With five seconds remaining and the Celtics trailing 107-106, Bird stole an Isiah Thomas inbounds pass and fed Dennis Johnson, whose layup gave Boston the win. Data Provided By Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell teamed up to oust the Rockets in Game 6 of The Finals in 1981. Larry Bird left IU in mid-September of his freshman year, citing too heavy of a course load and his desire to be closer to home. Bird was too insecure for the atmosphere there and Magic hated how Knight yelled and screamed and bullied players so he went to Mich State. Even the mild mannered Kareem Abdul Jabbar once decked Benson square in the jaw during a pro game, after being delivered one too mant rib shots by him. The only thing that wouldve been more painful for some IU fans than briefly landing Bird, only to see him become a folk hero up the road, would have been losing him to Kentucky. We talked Hoosiers with our buddy at Hoopla. Birth Country: United States. Larry Bird was a standout in Boston and one of the NBAs most iconic players ever. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. Larry Bird's Wife Dinah Mattingly. The Top 11 Ranked. In 1981-82, Bird made the first of his three consecutive appearances on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team even though he was relatively slow and not the greatest one-on-one defender, his anticipation and court sense made him peerless as a team defender. Add the best version of Larry Bird in college, one capable of averaging roughly 30 and 15 at Indiana State, and the Hoosiers might have had another title contender in 1978 if the Hick from French Lick was still in Bloomington. Larry Bird age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay The hours he had spent working on his shot as a youngster paid big dividends in the NBA. Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. I didn't say that Bird was the best college basketball player of all time. It's because of Bird. ; School Indiana State University; Born December 7, 1956 in West Baden, IN USA; Biographical Information []. Larry Bird: College basketball stats, best moments, quotes Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. Larry Bird was such a player. Boston won, 152-148, in double overtime. Regarding per game stats, Bird is averaging 6.8 dimes and 9.6 rebounds. College: University of Hoosiers: Religion: Christian: Nationality: American: Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius: Gender: Male: Sexual Orientation: Straight: Marital Status: Married: . An obsessive perfectionist, Bird was idolized by Celtic fans and basketball purists of all allegiances. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana, High School: Larry Bird National and High School Stats, Boston Celtics - RealGM Other notable performances by Bird include his career-high 49 points against Wichita State in February 1979, scoring 29 points in the first half against Butler in December 1978, just 10 months after he dropped 47 on the Bulldogs on the road. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Larry Bird's baseball career: A lofty .500 batting average How does Larry Bird compare with other great NBA players? The Boston Celtics had selected him in the 1978 NBA Draft, hoping that Bird, who had become eligible for the NBA after his junior year, might forgo his senior season-but knowing he was worth the wait even if he didnt. And in the 2000 NBA Finals, the Pacers succumbed in a six-game series to the Lakers, led by Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant, for the Lakers first of three consecutive titles. Two months later, he signed his NBA contract with the Boston Celtics. But there were plenty more heroics yet to come. There is no question about his eligibility.. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. He once saw to it that McHale went for 40+ against Benson, ordering the guys to just feed the ball into Mchale every time down the floor. Larry Bird Turned a Painful High School Basketball Snub Into Lasting The end of Birds career was at hand, but not before one last achievement: a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team, which dominated the competition at Barcelona and won millions of fans for the sport with its brilliance. As the NBA celebrates it's 75th Anniversary Season, get to know dozens of star players who helped make the NBA what it is today. He did some commercials and appeared in a few films, including Michael JordansSpace Jam. He's an impressive figure with incredible rivalries, but there are still tons of things that younger NBA fans should know about Larry Legend. Bird received a scholarship to play for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974, but he dropped out after only one month at Indiana . Larry Bird was a co-star of one of the greatest college basketball national championship games ever Bird vs. Magic, when the undefeated Indiana State Sycamores took on the co-Big Ten champion Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 championship. Ballinger had proof. He won the NBA Executive of the Year award in 2012 to become the only person in NBA history to win Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year. Finally, with the Celtics in a decline that hit bottom in 1996-97, Bird decided to take the plunge. The guy had absolutely nothing. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 11 in the AP poll that season and finished the year ranked No. The following season . Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. When Bird maximized his potential at Indiana State in the 1978-79 season, he took a Sycamores team that had a first-year head coach and was picked to finish third or fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference in 1979 and carried it all the way to the national championship game with an undefeated record and the countrys No. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. Students skipped class to line up for tickets eight hours before tipoff. "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Bird's status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. I ran across this short narrative while reading Bobby Knight's book- "Knight-My Story", and thought it might be interesting to share to the board. Comparison Between Larry Bird and Other NBA Stars - LandOfBasketball.com At Indiana State here is what Bird did: 1976-77..aveged 32.8 ppg, 1977-78..averaged 30 ppg and 1978-79 ..28.6 ppggiving him a 3 years career average at indiana State of 30.3 ppg. Bird was so self-confident that he was known to waltz up to the opponents bench before tipoff and predict a 40-point performance for himself. Knight said that when Bird came to campus in the Fall of 1974, and the team would organize pick up games, that Bird would commonly get left out and would not be picked Bird was often checked by Magic Johnson in Michigan State's 2-3 matchup zone in theepic clash of two all-time greats. They got married in 1989 and adopted two children: Connor and Mariah Bird. Entdecke Spielplan College Basketball jhrliche Vorschau Menge 2 1977-78-1978-79 Vogel Magie in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! Indiana State coach Bill Hodges, by the way, wasnt just in his first year as Indiana States head coach. When talking about per game stats, Bird sports an average of 6.8 assists as well as 9.6 boards. Larry Bird redshirted (sat out) his freshman year, and therefore, like Maravich, Robertson, and Hayes, his totals were also achieved in only three . It was Bird's first experience with Knight in a gym setting. Anytime you have Bird on the floor, anything can happen, Portlands Clyde Drexler told theBoston Heraldafter the game. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Bird's three-year career. where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. From his killer jump shot to his famous trash-talking, Bird could seemingly do it . Bird didnt let the team down. But Knight was not impressed. Dinah likes to keep a low profile, making rare public appearances with her husband at basketball games. What if Sam Wyche didnt leave IU after only 1 season? It was his first season ever as a college head coach. Larry Bird once played college baseball as a dare, and he was actually For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, from 1979-80 through 1991-92, Bird personified hustle, consistency and excellence in all areas of play as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer. In his first season, the Pacers with Reggie Miller as their main weapon were defeated by the defending-champion Chicago Bulls and Jordan in a tough seven-game conference finals series. Like many great national championship teams, IU faced a rebuild or a reload or whatever you want to call it the next year. The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. Despite being 6 feet 9 inches and 206 centimeters tall, he weighs just roughly 220 pounds and 100 kilograms. Odds & lines subject to change. At different times, Bird has been quoted saying either Dennis Johnson or M.L. And Warn, firm in his belief Bird would look foolish on a baseball field, was willing to give him the chance to embarrass himself. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? The following year Bird posted the third-longest free-throw streak in NBA history, hitting 71 consecutive attempts. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. What if Phil Dickens and IU football hadnt gotten the whole dang department sanctioned? Kent Benson returned for his senior year, as did forward Wayne Radford for his junior season, but gone were May, Abernethy, Quinn Buckner, Bobby Wilkerson and Jim Crews. The College Jersey Store consists of a significant selection of Indiana State Larry Bird Jerseys, such as Mens, Womens and Kids, swingman, limited, Authentic and throwback jerseys for all, Away Larry Bird Indiana State Jersey at Out Online Retail Outlet 24-7. . Note: at Spring Valley HS in his senior year., Bird averaged 31 ppg, 21rebounds per game and 4 assists). Far from it. Larry Bird was born on 7 December 1956, making him 64 years old as of today, 2 August 2021. (Larry Legend; The Hick from French Lick), Draft: Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA draft, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:03AM. My goal is to . The first inkling to Bobby Knight that things had changed wiht Larry Bird was from a former player who called Knight, and said" he had just seen Bird playing in an outdoor tournment in Lebanon, and he was a "beast" at 6'-9' and around 225#and by that time Bird was al set at Indiana State. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Bird was nicknamed Larry Legend and The Hick from French Lick, after his hometown in Indiana. Bird nearly doubled the Sycamores' win total year-over-year from 13 to 25 after sitting out just one year in 1975-76, rather than two, after IU signed papers for Bird's release. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. Learn more and register, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 16 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game, Tied for first in semifinal history with 16 made field goals against DePaul, Second-leading scorer in the country in 1978: 30.0 points per game, Second-leading scorer in the country in 1979: 28.6 points per game, Third-leading scorer in the country in 1977: 32.8 points per game, Sixth all-time (since 1973) in rebounds in a season: 505 rebounds (1979), Tied for seventh with a two-game Final Four rebound total of 29 rebounds in 1979, Eighth in Final Four history with an 84.2 shooting percentage against DePaul, Tied for eighth all-time in career rebounding average: 13.3 rebounds per game, Ninth in NCAA tournament history (since 1973) with 67 rebounds in a single NCAA tournament, Tied for 13th all-time in double-doubles in a season: 28 double-doubles (1979), 15th all-time in career scoring average (min. Even if we dont rewrite Mays season-ending injury in this post, could Larry Bird have gone from being snubbed by the 15-player AP All-State Team one spring to a March Madness hero the next? Three-time NBA champion with Boston Celtics - 1981 . He started out as an Indiana Hoosier but later left the school and team coached by the legendary Bobby Knight. I think they may even have been on the floor together. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. "Larry Bird finishes things," said Dick Ballinger, the varsity head baseball coach at West Vigo High School in West Terre Haute, Indiana during the spring of 1979. Theres no guarantee Bird wouldve stuck around for his senior season if he had stayed at IU, but doing so couldve allowed him to be the featured scorer on the Hoosiers if he wanted a larger share of shots after playing alongside Benson, the No. In 1975, he enrolled at Indiana State. Larry Legend: The story of Larry Bird Vs. Magic Johnson He was there to prove a point. Former professional NBA player, coach, and NBA executive Larry Bird is well known globally. Find out more. The players looked up to see Coach Knight, just recently returned from an out of state trip, having an absolute cow and cussing up a storm, throwing shit and marching across the floor from the open doorway he had been peeking through. IU peaked at No. 0:05. How Much Is A Larry Bird Basketball Card Worth Larry Bird, AKA "Larry Legend," was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. He was also called Kodak by his first NBA coach, Bill Fitch, . The high school senior was drawing interest from top programs across the country, especially after he added six inches and 50 pounds in roughly two years, but he was focused on the in-state schools recruiting him. "'You appear to be enjoying this,' one reporter commented. Larry Bird Biography: Career, Net Worth, Family, Top Stories for the Larry Bird was 1 of the NBA's most clutch players ever, amassing 3 MVPs while leading the Celtics to 5 Finals and 3 titles in the 1980s. Stephen Curry has racked up 29,674 minutes and has played in 864 . After working at municipal jobs for a year Bird enrolled at Indiana State and was accepted into their program. He pulls people together. Join our linker program. Everyone knew Bird was destined for greatness in the NBA, but that didnt stop Indiana State baseball coach Bob Warn from roasting him. The Whole Bird thing reminds me of that old country song"I overlooked and orchid while searching for a rose"! Larry Bird - Wikipedia With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. It determined the balance of power in the NBA throughout the 1980s, arguably the most important era in NBA history, helping to reestablish the Celtics as the best team in the Eastern Conference during this time. A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. The former NBA player met his second wife, Dinah Mattingly, at Indiana State. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more, How the Celtics landed Larry Bird in the NBA Draft, 1988 NBA Playoff Highlights: Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins epic showdown, Celtics 75th Season: Bird-Dr. J fight adds to 76ers rivalry, Celtics 75th Season: Bird's debut, Ford sinks first NBA '3', Looking back on Larry Bird's steal against the Pistons, Bill Walton on what made Bird the best he ever played with, Bird's gutsy performance vs. Pacers in '91 series clincher, Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986), Three-time All-NBA Defensive Second Team (1982-84), Three-time NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1986-88). He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced 3-pointers with his eyes closed. Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. Cathie. Larry Bird Comparisons: ( players sorted by last name ) - A-Larry Bird vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He led the league in free-throw percentage four times. Why Larry Bird played college all-star game injured: He promised the Bird passed Otis Birdsong to become the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer of all-timewith a free throw early in the championship game. Couldn't have happened. Larry Bird vs Steven Adams. That story is largely lost to time and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare. Having collected 7,217 defensive boards and 1,757 on the offensive end of the court, Bird has accounted for 8,974 total boards in his career. IU went 21-8 that season, finishing second in the Big Ten. All rights reserved. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. What if IU hired Jerry Tarkanian instead of Bob Knight, What if IU had solved Syracuses zone in 2013. Neither Birds hometown of French Lick nor West Baden had a daily newspaper at the time, nor was either home to a radio or TV station. Knight went on"at 6-'6" and 180 lbs, I could not envision Bird being what he became, but I could see where he could become a "darned" good player for us". Knight signed Bird up to play at Indiana in the spring of his senior year.! Knight could only shake his head at what he had lost. '", Indiana State coach Bill Hodges on the notion that man-to-man defenses might slow Bird down: "If we go against a UCLA or a Notre Dame later on and they play man-to-man, that's when you'll see how tough Larry really is. And then there is a lesser known Bird, the college baseball . ", In Bird's own words, here's the value he placed on ball movement: "My feeling about passing is that it don't matter who's doing the scoring as long as it's us. Larry Bird's college basketball coach is coaching where? . Bob Knights worst team at IU, by record, was the 1977, post-title team. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 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What if former IU football coach Clyde Smith hadnt resigned after an open and undercover campaign to oust him? When Bird elected to return to Indiana State for one more year, the Celtics dipped to 29-53. Birth Year: 1956. Larry Bird - bhavik blogs The next season, 1974-75, is where two of the greatest What ifs in IU basketball collide: What if Bird had stayed and what if Scott May, the teams second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, hadnt broken his arm against Purdue in late February? Bird was raised in French Lick, Indiana, and attended Indiana State University, where he helped revive . It would have been easy for the story to end here, with a healthy round of shit-talking and little else. Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. TV stations showed film clips of Bird instead of commercials. As a senior, Bird became the schools all-time scoring champion and about 4,000 people attended his final home game. Real men play with balls this size, Warn said, glaring at Bird. Bird earned an assortment of accolades during his time at Indiana State. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). He left campus not long after that and literally hithhiked home. He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American in 1978-79, the College Player of the Year in 1979, a two-time MVC Player of the Year in 1978-79, and had his No. But none of those things kept him in Bloomington, as he was gone before homecoming his freshman year. The following comes from The Tampa Bay Times: His best NCAA tournament game came in the Final Four against DePaul, when he scored 35 points with 16 rebounds and nine assists (all were NCAA tournament highs for him) while shooting 16-of-19 from the field.