Birth City: West Baden Springs. As a senior at Springs Valley High School, Bird averaged nearly 31 points and 21 rebounds per game. January 19, 2023 3:00 am ET. Published Jan. 28 . What if Sam Wyche didnt leave IU after only 1 season? Not at the same time. 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. 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. When Bird elected to return to Indiana State for one more year, the Celtics dipped to 29-53. Or write about sports? Both Dinah and Larry studied at Indiana State University. 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. He started his college career in the fall of 1979. So, what will Larry Bird's age, height, and weight be in 2021? Gender: Male. Hall of Fame Boston Celtics forward Larry Joe Bird is considered one of the greatest to play the game (never mind for the Celtics) because of how clutch a player he was. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick) Bats Left, Throws Left; Height 6' 9", Weight 220 lb. 1 in Birds senior year that is, until a Michigan State team featuring a 6-foot-9 guard named Earvin Magic Johnson knocked them off in the 1979 NCAA Championship Game, one of the most widely watched showdowns in basketball history. Thanks Jimmie. 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. The Orlando forward played only 11 games this season after missing two years with a torn ACL. 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. 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? The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. 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. Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game, vividly remembering Birds bizarre, ungainly swing. I also really believe he can be a heck of a coach. 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. After 897 games Bird retired with 21,791 points (24.3 ppg), 8,974 rebounds (10.0 rpg) and 5,695 assists (6.3 apg). where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. Bird was the embodiment of Celtics Pride. He was a classy, confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired teammates to excel. Few played tougher than Bird, who would leap into crowds and over press tables for loose balls. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. But he has said many times over the years that he would have never been able to play for Bob Knight. Isiah Thomas was in the high school class of 1979. I could do that. Bird's status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Larry Bird Ball was the most popular sport in Terre Haute. 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. What if former IU football coach Clyde Smith hadnt resigned after an open and undercover campaign to oust him? He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Or does he simply become the most famous figure from the 1976 squad, adding another Indiana-to-NBA success story and making, I dont know, hand-me-down Larry Bird Sacramento Kings jerseys the most popular commodity at Goodwills in Monroe County in the 1990s and early 2000s? 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. Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! Knight said.." I first saw him play for Spring Valley HS, about 60 miles south of Bloomington physically he wasn't the Larry Bird everybody remembers..as a HS senior he was about 6-'6" and around 180lbs. Birds legend was born in the tiny town of French Lick, snuggled in Indianas corn country, where his family led a spartan life. 7 Michigan State, No. It's because of Bird. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. He pulls people together. The hours he had spent working on his shot as a youngster paid big dividends in the NBA. Bird had actually nailed the jumper from the corner. Larry Bird's wife, Dinah Mattingly, is his high school sweetheart who got engaged and married the former NBA legend in 1989. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Would an 18-year-old Bird have been ready to take a complementary, if not starring, role as a freshman in the second or third weekend of the NCAA tournament? He was the heart and soul of the 1980s Celtics, leading them to three NBA championships while earning a reputation as one of the greatest players in league history. Season-ticket sales tripled. 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.! 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, former coach and former executive. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Those would be my first two." When asked if personal statistics matter, he responded: "Yes, it is about numbers. He earned the Rookie of the Year honours and also led a mediocre team . CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 9:21 AM, , User Since 143 months ago, User Post Count: 15682, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 9:44 AM, , User Since 105 months ago, User Post Count: 1757, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 9:46 AM, , User Since 140 months ago, User Post Count: 6281, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 10:23 AM, V I P, User Since 219 months ago, User Post Count: 9143, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 10:42 AM, , User Since 143 months ago, User Post Count: 15682, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 5:40 PM, , User Since 145 months ago, User Post Count: 42940, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 5:44 PM, V I P, User Since 257 months ago, User Post Count: 92590, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 6:42 PM, , User Since 145 months ago, User Post Count: 4686, Posted on Mar 29th, 2016, 11:30 PM, , User Since 118 months ago, User Post Count: 717, Posted on Mar 30th, 2016, 7:09 AM, , User Since 143 months ago, User Post Count: 15682, Locked Topic - No more replies can be posted. On Aug. 18, 1992 he announced his retirement as a player. Tiago Splitter solid in NBA playoff debut Beginning with favorable, Pagns TIME is normally 2 . That story is largely lost to time and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare. 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. 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). 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. It was Bird's first experience with Knight in a gym setting. Birds concentration and composure were unmatched. Despite being 6 feet 9 inches and 206 centimeters tall, he weighs just roughly 220 pounds and 100 kilograms. No-Trouble Returns upon All orders. The following year was Birds last. A disk was removed from his back after the season, but it didnt help all that much. Bird scored a team-high 19 points for the Sycamores in the 1979 national championship game but it wasn't his most efficient performance as he was just 7-of-21 from the field and 5-for-8 from the free-throw line. 33 retired by the school. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. The Hoosiers went 14-13 in 1977, later having their record adjusted to 16-11 after Minnesota was forced to forfeit two wins. Like many great national championship teams, IU faced a rebuild or a reload or whatever you want to call it the next year. 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. In addition to his three championship rings, Bird piled up an awesome collection of personal achievements. (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. Indiana State coach Bill Hodges, by the way, wasnt just in his first year as Indiana States head coach. 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. Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. A defensive maven who stifled some of the best stars, Dennis Johnson was an All-Star, a Finals MVP and won three NBA titles. "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Bird had a double-double in all five NCAA tournament games he played in that year. Among Birds contemporaries, perhaps only Earvin Magic Johnson was considered a better passer and was a player who he would inextricably be linked with forever. Larry Bird was originally in the recruiting class of 1974. The Hick from French Lick. And Warn, firm in his belief Bird would look foolish on a baseball field, was willing to give him the chance to embarrass himself. Bird was 20, 21 and 22 years old when he eventually played college ball for Indiana State. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 83.3 free throw percentage in an NCAA tournament game (min. 0:05. 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. In one of the only noteworthy gaffes of his career, Bird missed a routine layup in overtime that would have tied Game 4 of a playoff series with Cleveland that spring. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. . 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. In the last 7 years, I've been covering everything related to the career and job seeking world. Celtics Wire. Join our linker program. Han slutade spela i NBA 1992. Fans always seemed to be willing to give a ride to Birds parents, who couldnt afford a car of their own. 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. His coaching career was shot out of a Larry Bird-sized cannon with the Sycamores going 33-1 and posting a .971 winning percentage in his rookie campaign. Larry Bird's college stats were as incredible as his mustache he averaged more than 30 points and 13 rebounds in his collegiate career. He was also called Kodak by his first NBA coach, Bill Fitch, . Do you have a blog? Mark Bird's college team, where he became one of the school's best all-time players. . A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. College at Indiana State. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Find out more. Their top eight scorers eventually played in the NBA and they were a 31-1 juggernaut that ran through the Big Ten gauntlet unscathed and suffered their only loss of the season against Kentucky, 92-90, in the regional final. He was a 2x 1st team All American, future #1 overall lottery pick and 1976 NCAA player of the year, leading the 76 IU team to the only undefeated national title of the next 40 years. The former NBA player met his second wife, Dinah Mattingly, at Indiana State. 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. 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. There is no question about his eligibility.. If I could, I'd like to play with him forever.". In a first-round series that year, Bird badly bruised his face in a second-quarter fall in Game 5 against Indiana. College: Indiana State (1976-1979) NBA draft: 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall: . Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. They teamed with Bird and veteran Cedric Maxwell in a frontcourt that carried the Celtics to the championship in 1981. Larry Bird - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . Bird received a scholarship to play for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974, but he dropped out after only one month at Indiana . 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. Larry Bird redshirted (sat out) his freshman year, and therefore, like Maravich, Robertson, and Hayes, his totals were also achieved in only three . Maybe the UCLA dynasty, which featured 10 national titles in 12 years under John Wooden, the last coming in 1975, would have passed the torch to a burgeoning era of IU basketball under Bob Knight. not larry bird basketball shorts 9%, the greatest considering that 2019 plus great for 90th percentile amongst certified remedies in most associated with football. As a senior, Bird became the schools all-time scoring champion and about 4,000 people attended his final home game. 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. One basketball coach, however, apparently missed the memo. Odds & lines subject to change. Data Provided By The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. NAISMITH AWARDS: Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year, While Bird was most known for his scoring, he had a well-rounded game that included double-digit rebound totals and unselfish passing. Bird always held a chip on his shoulder over that, even decades later. Looking at his stats alone, he is known as one of the greatest pure shooters in . He has tallied 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 dimes. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. Larry Bird, in full Larry Joe Bird, (born December 7, 1956, West Baden, Indiana, U.S.), American basketball player who led the Boston Celtics to three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) and is considered one of the greatest pure shooters of all time. Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in . There may not be a folding chair in the state that would be left un-flung. when they were picking teams! 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. This guy is the epitome of everything Ive tried to do here, then-Pacers president Donnie Walsh said of Bird. Note: at Spring Valley HS in his senior year., Bird averaged 31 ppg, 21rebounds per game and 4 assists). Larry used BB tThe internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. He averaged better than 30 points and 10 rebounds for the Sycamores during his first campaign. Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. FIBA Senior Team Events Stats. What if Phil Dickens and IU football hadnt gotten the whole dang department sanctioned? We talked Hoosiers with our buddy at Hoopla. They battled against Earvin "Magic" Johnson -- Bird's rival throughout his professional career -- and Michigan State in the championship game, falling 75-64. I'm going to assume this is legit because he lists about 20 million sources at the end of it. He became only the third player (and the first non-center) to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. Wins over No. 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. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU? Bird was nicknamed Larry Legend and The Hick from French Lick, after his hometown in Indiana. Scott Horner. He also owns Larry Birds Boston Connection, a hotel/restaurant in Terre Haute that also serves as a museum for many of his trophies and awards. Birth State: Indiana. Martin Fennelly Former Sports columnist. 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. Bird helped rebuild a Celtics franchise that had been suffering from sub-standard play and poor attendance in the late 1970s. Larry Bird. For reference, the 2019 national championship game drew a 22 percent share. Bird was named a special assistant in the Celtics front office, with limited duties that included some scouting and player evaluation. 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Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. 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. However, he was eligible to be drafted without applying for "hardship" because his original college class at Indiana University had graduated. (If youre looking for a new throwback jersey to wear at darties whenever all this is over, get your hands on a Larry Bird Northwood jersey. How does Larry Bird compare with other great NBA players? 13, but spent most of the season outside of the AP poll. Player Season Finder . 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. 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. He was remarking to one of the players before the game that he just wanted to do well; he didnt want to let the team down.. He has compiled 1,556 steals, in addition to 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Im new at this (coaching) game but I feel I can get the job done, he said. Wore the number 33 on his basketball jersey in high school, college and with the Boston Celtics. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. 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.. 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 was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Looks like Bradley's coach on 2/10/79 tried to give Bird the same treatment . Home; Tickets; Schedule. Attended Indiana University for only 24 days. The 1977 Hoosiers were led by senior center Benson (19.8 ppg, 10.5 rpg) and freshman guard Mike Woodson (18.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg), while just up the road, Bird was averaging 32.8 points on 54 percent shooting, along with 13.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.8 steals per night in his first season with Indiana State. The following year Bird posted the third-longest free-throw streak in NBA history, hitting 71 consecutive attempts.
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