On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. not larry bird basketball shorts 9%, the greatest considering that 2019 plus great for 90th percentile amongst certified remedies in most associated with football. Boston survived a memorable Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia in which the Celtics bounced back from a 3-1 deficit and posted come-from-behind victories in each of the last three games, then took the title over Moses Malone and the Houston Rockets in a six-game NBA Finals. How does Larry Bird compare with other great NBA players? Playing in all 82 contests, Bird led the team in scoring (21.3 ppg), rebounding (10.4 rpg), steals (143), and minutes played (2,955) and was second in assists (4.5 apg) and 3-pointers (58). Larry Bird is an Indiana basketball legend, starting at Springs Valley High School and running through his playing days at Indiana State . Bird poured in 20 points in the final period to outdo his counterpart and lead the Celtics to victory even though he had bronchial pneumonia. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) . He was seemingly able to get almost any shot he wanted whether it was 30 seconds after the tip or with as much time left on the clock . Han slutade spela i NBA 1992. Bird recalls in his Book "Drive"--which he wrote late in his playing career-- how he never missed an opportunity to take it to Benson during their NBA days. Even though he had never coached a game in his life, the Pacers had no qualms about turning over the reins to Bird. Recently crowned national champion N.C. State also joined the pursuit of Bird in mid-April 1974, right before he was slated to sign his National Letter of Intent with the Hoosiers. Knight said(to the effect).."I didn't handle that well, I just let him goI had a lot of good players(at the time) who were happy to be where they wereto me, we had a great team shaping up and I didn; envision Bird playing much for us until he was a junior, anyway. Only a few photos exist from the game, but seeing it live would have been legendary. Bird was raised in French Lick, Indiana, and attended Indiana State University, where he helped revive . The Official Store of the Larry Bird Indiana State Jersey for College. Play Index. 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. The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. 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. I think they may even have been on the floor together. Regarding per game stats, Bird is averaging 6.8 dimes and 9.6 rebounds. Bird helped rebuild a Celtics franchise that had been suffering from sub-standard play and poor attendance in the late 1970s. And the rest is history. Imagine what he wouldve done with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and future NBA players as teammates! School: Indiana StatePosition: ForwardHeight: 6-9Weight: 220 poundsYears active: 1976-79NCAA tournament record: 4-1Career averages: 30.3 points per game, 13.3 rebounds per game, 4.6 assists per game, 53.3% shooting. This type of behavior was par for the course with Knight, but a new experience alltogether for Bird. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced 3-pointers with his eyes closed. Then he left the local junior college, Northwood Institute. Birth City: West Baden Springs. Larry Bird's college stats were as incredible as his mustache he averaged more than 30 points and 13 rebounds in his collegiate career. Stephen Curry has racked up 29,674 minutes and has played in 864 . 1 ranking. Layed him out cold. Odds & lines subject to change. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He was particularly hard on freshmen players, such as a young Larry Bird. See our ethics statement. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Larry Bird's best teammates included Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson. Looking at his stats alone, he is known as one of the greatest pure shooters in . All rights reserved. With Bird as the focal point of a well-rounded squad, the Celtics won three NBA titles and 10 Atlantic Division crowns. But his arrogant attitude is hardly a big surprise to those who know about Benson. IU had three one-possession losses in the 1976-77 season and three defeats by two possessions. When I started here, I wanted to see the high school, college and professional basketball worlds come together, and Bird symbolizes that. College: University of Hoosiers: Religion: Christian: Nationality: American: Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius: Gender: Male: Sexual Orientation: Straight: Marital Status: Married: . He has compiled 1,556 steals, in addition to 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. Everyone knew Bird was destined for greatness in the NBA, but that didnt stop Indiana State baseball coach Bob Warn from roasting him. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? At one point, Kentucky was the first school to do the heavy recruiting, according to The Heralds Jerry Birge. The team didnt have equipment big enough to accommodate Birds 69 frame, so they stretched out the longest pair of pants they could find, procured the largest hat on campus, and trotted out onto the field one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Then one day, Warn called Bird a wuss for his seemingly endless postgame recovery and threw down the gauntlet when he picked up a baseball. 'Can I stay in bed?' This was easy to see when you noticed Bird's basketball stats. But Knight was not impressed. Bird was the embodiment of Celtics Pride. He was a classy, confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired teammates to excel. May 12, 1997: Hired as Head Coach by the Indiana Pacers. 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. Check out 50 great assists by Larry Bird. The guy had absolutely nothing. FIBA Senior Team Events Stats. He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. Indiana womens basketball Q&A: HooplaWyatt on the Big Ten Tournament. Bird's Pacers fell in the East finals in '98 and '99, then came up short in the NBA Finals in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers. I heard this story once and I believe it is true. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU. Bobby said at this same time he (Knight) made a very huge mistake with having Bird room with an exceptional sophistcated player, with a very vibrant personalitythe complete opposite of Bird ..it was a very bad match-up..and Bird left school even before pre-season practice had started..He hitchiked home.and stayed! He has accounted for 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. Year Event GP MIN PTS FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3PT% FTM FTA FT% TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF Place; 1992: Olympic Games . It wasnt just that Bird played; he stunned everyone watching that day. 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. McHale just destroyed him. What if IU hired Jerry Tarkanian instead of Bob Knight, What if IU had solved Syracuses zone in 2013. There may not be a folding chair in the state that would be left un-flung. Bird, now 30 years old and with worsening back condition and foot problems as well, would not win a fourth championship ring. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Like Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Dave Cowens, the low-key Bird never forced the spotlight upon himself, but rather was a player who brought out the best in the players around him. All rights reserved. RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell teamed up to oust the Rockets in Game 6 of The Finals in 1981. 13, but spent most of the season outside of the AP poll. It looked almost like a straight uppercut. The massive strike zone should have given pitchers a field day, but they soon realized Bird wasnt there to goof around. Cathie. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Career NBA statistics; Points: Rebounds: Assists: Stats at Basketball-Reference.com: . But Bird, ever the competitor, wanted to prove a point. Real men play with balls this size, Warn said, glaring at Bird. We present them here for purely educational purposes. You wont find much on Larry Birds short-lived baseball career, but those who were there wont soon forget. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: Michigan State coach Jud Heathcote after watching him in the Final Four: "I could not believe The Bird. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. "He was named an Indiana All-Star.". The Hick from French Lick. Anytime you have Bird on the floor, anything can happen, Portlands Clyde Drexler told theBoston Heraldafter the game. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. Bird didnt let the team down. 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. There is the Larry Bird people know, the Boston Celtics legend, the hick from French Lick, the Indiana State University basketball king. UNLV 77, Duke 79, Kentucky 103, Duke 104, Notre Dame 91, UConn 89, Texas A&M 63, Stanford 62. The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. May 16, 2022. In 2003, he joined the Pacers front office as the teams president of basketball operations and worked side-by-side with Walsh to rebuild Indiana into a contender. Larry Bird redshirted (sat out) his freshman year, and therefore, like Maravich, Robertson, and Hayes, his totals were also achieved in only three . Former professional NBA player, coach, and NBA executive Larry Bird is well known globally. 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. Do you have a blog? 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. Not just some guy. Bird's status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. 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 But mostly he was bored. Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. Two months later, he signed his NBA contract with the Boston Celtics. 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. Larry used BB tThe internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. The pair made an agreement: A non-conference doubleheader was looming against Kentucky Wesleyan, a perfect low-risk opportunity to put Bird in a baseball uniform. Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. The following year was Birds last. The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. Dinah likes to keep a low profile, making rare public appearances with her husband at basketball games. Get to know more about the C's legend below: Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Bird received a scholarship to play for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974, but he dropped out after only one month at Indiana University. Larry Bird SF #33. 2 Notre Dame, No. In addition to his three championship rings, Bird piled up an awesome collection of personal achievements. Bird and Johnson were already playing their first year in the NBA by then. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. It was merely an escalated version of Warns usual brand of teasing, but Bird had enough and was ready to prove a point. Although Johnson also turned in an impressive first season for the NBA-champion Los Angeles Lakers, Bird was named Rookie of the Year and made the first of his 12 trips to the All-Star Game. . Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It may have also hurt him in his transition to a big state school, where he lasted a matter of weeks after the start of the school year. 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 . "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game, vividly remembering Birds bizarre, ungainly swing. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Bird returned to his role with the Pacers in 2013 before stepping down in 2017 to assume an advisory role for the franchise. Bird passed Otis Birdsong to become the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer of all-timewith a free throw early in the championship game. Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP. Bird nasceu em West Baden Springs e cresceu em French Lick, em Indiana, e iniciou a sua carreira no basquete ao fazer parte de seu time no colegial, sendo posteriormente selecionado pela Indiana University e por seu legendrio tcnico, o explosivo Bob Knight.Contudo, com um time repleto de estrelas e uma atmosfera no muito compatvel com seu estilo de . That story is largely lost to time and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare. Do you have a blog? Nicknamed "The Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.. I also really believe he can be a heck of a coach. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Bird was nicknamed Larry Legend and The Hick from French Lick, after his hometown in Indiana. He was brilliant against the Razorbacks with a a 31-point, 10-rebound game in the regional finals. ", Indiana State teammate Carl Nicks: "It's a tremendous feeling to play with him he brings out the best in everybody. Bird also cites an instance during an off season open gym, soon after he arrived on campus, during a period of "no contact" between the players and coaches. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers of all time, it . We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. He led the league in free-throw percentage four times. With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. January 19, 2023 3:00 am ET. Best Known For: Basketball icon . He was out to embarrass him from the beginning buzzer to the end buzzer of every meeting. The small forward had just led Indiana State to a 33-1 season, with the team's sole loss coming to Magic Johnson . Everyone remembers Michael Jordans decision to leave the Bulls and pursue a career in baseball, but it was Larry Bird who tried his hand at the game on April 28, 1979, and became a one-day legend in the process. The Top 11 Ranked. Lost to most people in the basketball statistics for the Springs Valley team that year, however, was a short piece in a Bedford newspaper that noted, "The freshman free-throw trophy was presented to Larry Bird. No other player in his era was as good or as consistent a shooter as Bird. Hodges is credited with recruiting Larry Bird to Indiana State and coached Bird in the famous 1979 NCAA Final against Michigan State. Larry Bird - net worth, private life. Larry Bird stats. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Ballinger had proof. Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Larry Bird is recognized as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. 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. Bird signed autographs for fans in attendance and Kentucky Wesleyan players before walking off the field that day. Fans were filling not only Boston Garden, which sold out the final 541 games of Birds career, but arenas all over the country to witness Birds exploits. Larry Bird was born on 7 December 1956, making him 64 years old as of today, 2 August 2021. 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? The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. On a grander scale, however, college basketball may have needed Birds run with Indiana State to really make March Madness the spectacle it is today. Here are some of the awards Larry Bird won in college: However, Bird was all business in spite of the awards he won and the fanfare he received. TV stations showed film clips of Bird instead of commercials. Bobby would have won another NC with Bird. As of today, his net worth is around $75 million. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. There is no question about his eligibility.. Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. 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. It began as gentle ribbing, poking fun at Birds propensity to spend a majority of his free time getting ice and massages in the ISU training room. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . Larry Bird ranks as one of the all-time top players of the NBA. Bird once again led the team in points (21.2 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg), steals (161), and minutes (3,239). What if Sam Wyche didnt leave IU after only 1 season? The .500 batting average still exists in Indiana State history books as one of the highest ever recorded by a player for the team. One newspaper in Indiana vaguely described the reason as personal dissatisfaction. He then enrolled at Northwood Institute, a two-year school with roughly 200 students in West Baden, Indiana, near his hometown of French Lick. When Bird enrolled in Bloomington, he joined the reigning Big Ten champions, an IU team that had gone 23-5 and missed the NCAA tournament after a loss to Michigan but won the Collegiate Commissioners Association Tournament to close out its 1973-74 campaign. Larry Legend dragged a coach to the national championship game who later had a five-win season and a three-win season in something called the Trans America Athletic Conference while coaching Mercer. six players on the first team and . Like many great national championship teams, IU faced a rebuild or a reload or whatever you want to call it the next year. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources . Bird's stats are about as crazy as one would expect one the greatest players of all time to be if they played in a mid-major conference. It's because of Bird. Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson Stats. That may have been to his detriment when he was a senior in high school. He said he was prepared to leave the team after the 2010-11 season with the Pacers headed in the right direction. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. While Indiana State coach Bill Hodges was frustrated with the style of defense, according to the Philadelphia Daily News, Bird wasn't concerned about his lack of shots. However, he was eligible to be drafted without applying for "hardship" because his original college class at Indiana University had graduated. 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. Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. IU would have definitely won 1 or 2 more titles had Bird stuck around and become the player he eventually did. Wins over No. In an effort to stop Bird, Bradley coach Dick Versace installed what was referred to as the "Bird's Nest Defense," where two defenders would guard Bird and the other three defenders would cover the four other Sycamores. Known as 'Chief', Parish played 21 seasons in the NBA and was one of the mainstays in Boston during the '80s, leading the Celtics to three titles. 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! Three-time NBA champion with Boston Celtics - 1981 . But Bird finally came to Boston for the 1979-80 campaign and sparked one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NBA history. 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. Their coach, Bill Hodges, is in his first year, the first rookie ever to take an undefeated team to the tournament final. Both Dinah and Larry studied at Indiana State University. Bird took just two shots that night and made both, according to the Philadelphia Daily News, while he helped teammates Carl Nicks and Steve Reed score 50 combined. He scored zero points while wearing cream and crimson, however. In the final, they played Michigan State, led by "Magic" Johnson, and together their rivalry would eventually be responsible for the resurgence of the NBA in the 1980s. Isiah Thomas was in the high school class of 1979. Games. In 1977-78 the Celtics had compiled a 32-50 record, their worst since 1949-50. Its also fair to speculate that the south wall of Assembly Hall might be a little more crowded if Larry Bird had never transferred from IU. Larry Bird. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Surgery to remove bone spurs from both heels limited Bird to only six games in 1988-89. When he talks, you come into his world. They battled against Earvin "Magic" Johnson -- Bird's rival throughout his professional career -- and Michigan State in the championship game, falling 75-64. Larry Bird played in the NCAA tournament just once, in 1979, but he made the most of it. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. Thats what a coach has to do.. Those would be my first two." When asked if personal statistics matter, he responded: "Yes, it is about numbers. A brutal sucker punch in the OVC tournament stopped the game in its tracks. Experience: 13 years. 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In a first-round series that year, Bird badly bruised his face in a second-quarter fall in Game 5 against Indiana. Hodges said of Bird, "His only personal goal this year was to lead the nation in rebounds. Check out the detailed 1977-78 Indiana State Sycamores Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Maybe theres a chance that Bird filling Mays minutes wouldve led to one of the first Is the backup better than the starter? conversations, now famous on message boards regarding college quarterbacks. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. Larry Bird once played college baseball as a dare, and he was actually good, The Clippers Russell Westbrook experiment is off to a terrible start. Birth Country: United States. > Archive 75: Larry Bird| 75 Stories: Larry Bird. 1 pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, and Woodson. I didn't say that Bird was the best college basketball player of all time. Twelve of the top 14 picks in that years draft were seniors, with the other two non-seniors being juniors Kenny Carr and Bernard King, so staying all four years of college was still very much the norm then. Then, however, a loud voice suddenly halted play. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 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 was named the NL's Freshman of the Year after playing in his first All-Star game. But none of those things kept him in Bloomington, as he was gone before homecoming his freshman year. Larry Bird's book is incredible. Fans always seemed to be willing to give a ride to Birds parents, who couldnt afford a car of their own. Birds legend was born in the tiny town of French Lick, snuggled in Indianas corn country, where his family led a spartan life. The Orlando forward played only 11 games this season after missing two years with a torn ACL. The former NBA player met his second wife, Dinah Mattingly, at Indiana State. Find out more. Carreira Basquete universitrio. The Hoosiers were still very good, winning national titles in 1976 and 1981, and maybe Bird gives the Hoosiers another in 1975 or 1978, making that three chips in a six- or seven-year span. In 1975, John Woodens last season, UCLA won its 10th national championship to cap off an NCAA tournament run in which it needed overtime to beat Michigan in the opening round and Louisville in the Final Four.