A defensive maven who stifled some of the best stars, Dennis Johnson was an All-Star, a Finals MVP and won three NBA titles. 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. 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. 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. An offseason trade with Golden State which that many consider the most lopsided in NBA history brought center Robert Parish and a future first-round pick (which became Kevin McHale) to Boston. 'Coach, I'm dead,' moaned Bird. See our ethics statement. 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. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 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Former professional NBA player, coach, and NBA executive Larry Bird is well known globally. Bird soon realized that it was actually HE who was the target of Knight's ridicule--because of the way he had come off of a screen in a pick up game. Those would be my first two." When asked if personal statistics matter, he responded: "Yes, it is about numbers. Larry Bird age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay Larry Bird's greatest clutch plays with the Celtics 2022-23 Season Schedule; Join our linker program. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. forty-five, the most effective larry bird [] 1977-78 Indiana State Sycamores Men 's Roster and Stats | College The Sycamores went undefeated and reached No. His focus was on the court. So, what will Larry Bird's age, height, and weight be in 2021? He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Knight could only shake his head at what he had lost. He initially enrolled at Indiana University in 1974 but dropped out before the season began. The Larry Bird Draft Story | SQUAD, LLC Indiana womens basketball Q&A: HooplaWyatt on the Big Ten Tournament. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. Larry Joe Bird, "Larry legend", fdd 7 december 1956 i West Baden Springs i Indiana, r en amerikansk fre detta basketspelare och fre detta baskettrnare.. Draftad av Boston Celtics r 1978, spelade small forward och power forward i tretton ssonger. 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. What if Phil Dickens and IU football hadnt gotten the whole dang department sanctioned? 0:49. Let me be clear, college basketball would look and feel the same if Bird never transferred from IU to ISU, but the 1979 national championship game Bird vs. Magic is still the highest-rated college basketball game of all-time, with a 24.1 rating for a game in which 38 percent of all TVs in the country that were turned on at the time were tuned into Indiana State vs. Michigan State on NBC. Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography For one day, Bird got to prove he wasnt just a basketball player icing up in the locker room; he was a star at anything he wanted to try. But even though one might expect that he, a superstar, would live a high life of splashing cash every day, that wasn't at all the case with Larry. Bird chose IU because he likes coach Bobby Knight, the players, the fans and the way they have things set up there, according to The Noblesville Ledger. Odds & lines subject to change. 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. 31.8 - HOF Larry Bird - Indiana State - 30.3 . 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. Find out more. RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. when they were picking teams! 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. 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. He was particularly hard on freshmen players, such as a young Larry Bird. ; School Indiana State University; Born December 7, 1956 in West Baden, IN USA; Biographical Information []. Larry Legend: The story of Larry Bird Vs. Magic Johnson Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. 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. When the doubleheader was over, hed finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs while recording nine putouts from first base in the second game. But he has said many times over the years that he would have never been able to play for Bob Knight. 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. Editors note: This is part of a series of stories revisiting the biggest what-ifs in IU history. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. OT: Larry Bird College Statistics. The Official Store of the Larry Bird Indiana State Jersey for College. We talked Hoosiers with our buddy at Hoopla. Larry Bird's Wife Dinah Mattingly. As the 1992-93 NBA season approached, Bird decided he could not continue. Data Provided By Bird finished runner-up to Moses Malone for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, as he would the following year. Scott Horner. Larry Bird Turned a Painful High School Basketball Snub Into Lasting However, he was eligible to be drafted without applying for "hardship" because his original college class at Indiana University had graduated. At the time, Bird was a junior at Indiana State University and decided he wanted to play his senior year . I didn't say that Bird was the best college basketball player of all time. Hes very intense. In 1977-78 the Celtics had compiled a 32-50 record, their worst since 1949-50. 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. Springs Valley went 19-2 and young Larry became a local celebrity. 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. With Bird as the focal point of a well-rounded squad, the Celtics won three NBA titles and 10 Atlantic Division crowns. Larry Bird - Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Larry Bird, playing for Indiana State, and Magic Johnson, playing for Michigan State, were two of the best basketball players during this time and were about to go head-to-head in a competition that sparked a rivalry between them that lasted throughout the 1980s. 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 Birds release. The highlight of Bird's three-year collegiate career came in 1979, when he led the Sycamores to a 33-0 record and their first NCAA Tournament berth in the program's history. It wasnt just that Bird played; he stunned everyone watching that day. Larry Bird Comparisons: ( players sorted by last name ) - A-Larry Bird vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. 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. Nearly 30 years ago, then-college basketball star Jamal Mashburn saw Larry Bird in a hotel prior to a week of scrimmages between The Dream Team and some of the country's top college players. Everyone knew Bird was destined for greatness in the NBA, but that didnt stop Indiana State baseball coach Bob Warn from roasting him. 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. Talking trash to Larry Bird rarely ever ended well, as former NBA player Rodney Rogers found out the hard way. Larry Bird played in the NCAA tournament just once, in 1979, but he made the most of it. Check out the top highlights and plays from Larry Bird's storied NBA career. Larry Bird - net worth, private life. Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. 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. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. Despite joking that he hoped he could get the Xs and Os right in the huddle, and that he didnt draw up any plays with himself in them, Bird approached his new role with typical aww-shucks aplomb. FIBA Senior Team Events Stats. No shit! He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. All rights reserved. Find out more. Larry Bird's Wife Keeps a Low Profile - FanBuzz This was easy to see when you noticed Bird's basketball stats. Larry Bird Dominated Rodney Rogers in Dream Team Game After - Insider 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. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. Become an Annual VIP member today and get access to VIP content, ad-free forums & more. Do you have a blog? Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana College: Indiana State University Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 As Player: 897 G, 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG (Full Record) Comparison Between Larry Bird and Other NBA Stars - LandOfBasketball.com What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU? Drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in . In reality, he spent most of the next five years in Florida, playing golf and taking it easy. How Much Is A Larry Bird Basketball Card Worth But mostly he was bored. Bird was the embodiment of Celtics Pride. He was a classy, confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired teammates to excel. But even those legendary players didnt fill Boston Garden, wowing fans and dominating games as Bird did. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:03AM. Best Known For: Basketball icon . Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? There may not be a folding chair in the state that would be left un-flung. Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 assists, and 4.5 steals in 82 games during his rookie season in 1979-80. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN 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. 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. When he talks, you come into his world. 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. Do you have a sports website? Finally, Bird enrolled at Indiana State, which had posted 12-14 records in each of the two previous years and where the pressure was not quite the same as at Indiana a perennial Big Ten power and national title contender. 0:05. 10 Things Younger NBA Fans Should Know About Larry Bird - TheSportster He thought he had been playing pretty damn good that day. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. 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. Cathie. Bird also won his third consecutive 3-point shootout title, a feat later matched by Chicago Bulls Craig Hodges from 1990-92. 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 was a superstar in college basketball, in essence. Larry Bird is recognized as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. View Comments. 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. And Warn, firm in his belief Bird would look foolish on a baseball field, was willing to give him the chance to embarrass himself. Hodges is credited with recruiting Larry Bird to Indiana State and coached Bird in the famous 1979 NCAA Final against Michigan State. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.Growing up in French Lick, Indiana, he was a local basketball star. Larry Bird began his college career at Indiana alongside Bob Knight Larry Bird's career filled with amazing accomplishments Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. Larry Bird is an Indiana basketball legend, starting at Springs Valley High School and running through his playing days at Indiana State . 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 . . 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. As if by Magic: The Story of Young Larry Bird's Explosion onto the 0%, great for twelfth throughout MLB between eligible remedies. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He starred in college at Indiana State, taking them to the NCAA final game in 1979, virtually as a one-man team. Bird enjoyed a phenomenal collegiate basketball career at Indiana State (30.3 points per game in a three-year career that included a trip to the national championship game). Larry Bird Career NBA Coaching Record and Bio - ESPN With Larry Bird, the 77 Hoosiers are probably a 20-win team and closer to their preseason No. Regarding per game stats, Bird is averaging 6.8 dimes and 9.6 rebounds. On Aug. 18, 1992 he announced his retirement as a player. 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. Indiana vs. Michigan State: Womens basketball game notes, how to watch, more, Everything you need to know about the Champs Big Ten tournament quarterfinal matchup, Three Things: Indiana mens basketball loses to Iowa 90-68, Indiana mens basketball collapses against Iowa 90-68, Indiana womens basketball: Big Ten awards announced. He started out as an Indiana Hoosier but later left the school and team coached by the legendary Bobby Knight. He has accounted for 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. Wore the number 33 on his basketball jersey in high school, college and with the Boston Celtics. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers of all time, it . Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! Larry Bird National and High School Stats, Boston Celtics - RealGM Larry Bird | Bio-married, divorce, affair, children - Playerswiki Larry Bird: The Greatest Basketball Player Of All Time 13, but spent most of the season outside of the AP poll. Loved to watch him play. Bird had a double-double in all five NCAA tournament games he played in that year. Maybe in ways that we cant totally appreciate, measure or describe, the NCAA tournament might just be five percent less today if Bird never winds up in Terre Haute. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. They thought scoring was more important, but passing is important.". In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta, Bird engaged in a memorable fourth-quarter shootout with the Hawks Dominique Wilkins. 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 It's because of Bird. During his career he shot .496 from the floor and .886 from the free-throw line, retiring as the fifth all-time free-throw shooter behind Mark Price, Rick Barry, Calvin Murphy and Scott Skiles. Bird literally despised him for the way he treated him at Indiana, and he has never been shy to remind people of the opposite trajectories of their respective careers. Indiana State coach Bill Hodges, by the way, wasnt just in his first year as Indiana States head coach. 18 Alabama and No. Name: Larry Bird. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. College: Indiana State. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. His back was also hurting, but Bird came back in the third period to help lift the Celtics to an emotional 124-121 victory. Larry Bird - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 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 . He started his college career in the fall of 1979. College: University of Hoosiers: Religion: Christian: Nationality: American: Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius: Gender: Male: Sexual Orientation: Straight: Marital Status: Married: . six players on the first team and . Or write about sports? Larry Bird was born on 7 December 1956, making him 64 years old as of today, 2 August 2021. The following year Bird posted the third-longest free-throw streak in NBA history, hitting 71 consecutive attempts. 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. He was brilliant against the Razorbacks with a a 31-point, 10-rebound game in the regional finals. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. If Larry Bird hasnt transferred from IU because of whatever propelled him from Bloomington the school being too big, homesickness, his courseload, Jim Wismans wardrobe, whatever he potentially provides IU an insurance policy to Mays crippling arm injury in 1975, leading to another Final Four berth if not another title; another headliner to IUs best team ever in 1976; enough singular talent to avoid a post-championship drop-off and Bob Knights worst season at IU in 1977; and, likely, turns IU into another national title favorite in 1978. His NBA years : from 1980 to 1992 Larry Bird NBA Stats Summary : All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Bird missed 22 games in 1990-91 because of a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that eventually forced his retirement. Larry Bird - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . Surgery to remove bone spurs from both heels limited Bird to only six games in 1988-89. Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Larry Bird - Wikipedia My goal is to . Bird was often checked by Magic Johnson in Michigan State's 2-3 matchup zone in theepic clash of two all-time greats. Larry Bird Biography: Career, Net Worth, Family, Top Stories for the Larry Bird Thought He Would Be A Construction Worker Instead Of A Home-game attendance hovered around 3,100 when Bird arrived at Indiana State, but as he had done in Springs Valley, Bird single-handedly packed the house and elevated his team to respectability and more. Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell teamed up to oust the Rockets in Game 6 of The Finals in 1981. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Larry Bird was born on as Larry Joe Bird to parents: Georgia and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War.He attended Springs Valley High School. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. French Lick had a population of 2,059, most of whom came out to watch Springs Valley High Schools home games in a state that takes its schoolboy basketball very seriously. A disk was removed from his back after the season, but it didnt help all that much. Larry Bird | Basketball Wiki | Fandom When Bird elected to return to Indiana State for one more year, the Celtics dipped to 29-53. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. Larry used BB tThe internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. UNLV 77, Duke 79, Kentucky 103, Duke 104, Notre Dame 91, UConn 89, Texas A&M 63, Stanford 62. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. ", 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. Check out 50 great assists by Larry Bird. Bird earned an assortment of accolades during his time at Indiana State. Gender: Male. By that time Birds scoring average had reached the mid-20s, and he was averaging upwards of seven assists. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) Two-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) . 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.