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. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers of all time, it . January 19, 2023 3:00 am ET. Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. When Bird elected to return to Indiana State for one more year, the Celtics dipped to 29-53. 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. Odds & lines subject to change. He was brilliant against the Razorbacks with a a 31-point, 10-rebound game in the regional finals. 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. In addition to his three championship rings, Bird piled up an awesome collection of personal achievements. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. 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. Along with Magic, Bird was revitalizing the NBA, helping the league live up to its new slogan, NBA Action: Its FAN-tastic. After only two seasons, fans, coaches and players knew exactly what Bird was all about: big numbers and clutch performances. But Los Angeles won the series in six games. '", 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. Larry Bird then married Dinah Mattingly on September 30, 1989, who he met while studying at the Indiana State University. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 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. 1 pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, and Woodson. Do you have a blog? Larry Bird was a standout in Boston and one of the NBAs most iconic players ever. The Hoosiers went 14-13 in 1977, later having their record adjusted to 16-11 after Minnesota was forced to forfeit two wins. His NBA years : from 1980 to 1992 Larry Bird NBA Stats Summary : He led the league in free-throw percentage four times. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. He started out as an Indiana Hoosier but later left the school and team coached by the legendary Bobby Knight. . The Sycamores went 81-13 during Bird's three-year career. The 16th-leading scorer of all-time in NCAA mens basketball history scored 2,850 points in just three seasons an incredible 30.3 career scoring average after enrolling at Indiana University in the fall of 1974. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Despite being 6 feet 9 inches and 206 centimeters tall, he weighs just roughly 220 pounds and 100 kilograms. . The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. 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. Bird played with a total of eight Hall of Fame players, though a couple played only a few games alongside him. . 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. 0:05. 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 Celtics beat the Houston Rockets in '81 with Maxwell and Larry Bird leading the way and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984 when Maxwell confidently told his teammates "to get on my back, boys" in the decisive . NCAA Tournament. 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 . 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. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Birds concentration and composure were unmatched. Larry Bird averages for the NBA season and Playoffs, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and other categories, year by year and career numbers. 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. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana View Comments. The Celtics, however, fell to the Pistons in the conference finals. 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) . Attendance often reached 1,600 and they were all there to watch the blond-haired shooting whiz with a funny smile named Larry Joe Bird. Larry Bird Net Worth. Looking at his stats alone, he is known as one of the greatest pure shooters in . Larry Bird played in the NCAA tournament just once, in 1979, but he made the most of it. 0%, great for twelfth throughout MLB between eligible remedies. He was selected to play in 12 All-Star games. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. At the time, Bird was a junior at Indiana State University and decided he wanted to play his senior year . 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. Imagine Thomas, Bird and Magic on the same team. Birth date: December 7, 1956. 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. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. Bird always held a chip on his shoulder over that, even decades later. It was interesting to me a I never knew that Larry Bird had signed to play for Indiana, and the story of how he ended up at Indiana Stateinteresting stuff! By. Their coach, Bill Hodges, is in his first year, the first rookie ever to take an undefeated team to the tournament final. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Indiana State star Larry Bird makes his way through the crowd of players and fans getting congratulations after his team defeated Arkansas, 73-71, to win the NCAA Midwest Regional tourney crown in . 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. The Whole Bird thing reminds me of that old country song"I overlooked and orchid while searching for a rose"! The hours he had spent working on his shot as a youngster paid big dividends in the NBA. "'You appear to be enjoying this,' one reporter commented. Benson, of course, was a God in Indiana. 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. He was out to embarrass him from the beginning buzzer to the end buzzer of every meeting. With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. We present them here for purely educational purposes. One basketball coach, however, apparently missed the memo. "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. After working at municipal jobs for a year Bird enrolled at Indiana State and was accepted into their program. ", 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 Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick) Bats Left, Throws Left; Height 6' 9", Weight 220 lb. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Play Index. College: Indiana State (1976-1979) NBA draft: 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall: . 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. six players on the first team and . There is the Larry Bird people know, the Boston Celtics legend, the hick from French Lick, the Indiana State University basketball king. 10 Bird Was A Part Of The Most Watched College Game Ever 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. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. That story is largely lost to time and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare. That came in spite of Bird playing with a fracture in his left thumb in the Final Four after getting hurt against Arkansas. Birds status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. No shit! 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. Larry Bird's college stats were as incredible as his mustache he averaged more than 30 points and 13 rebounds in his collegiate career. Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson Stats. 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. The Cavaliers won in seven games; Boston lost three of the four games couldnt play because of his back. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Join our linker program. On Aug. 18, 1992 he announced his retirement as a player. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 83.3 free throw percentage in an NCAA tournament game (min. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. Those would be my first two." When asked if personal statistics matter, he responded: "Yes, it is about numbers. 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) . Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game, vividly remembering Birds bizarre, ungainly swing. The following year was Birds last. 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. Both Dinah and Larry studied at Indiana State University. In 1977-78 the Celtics had compiled a 32-50 record, their worst since 1949-50. 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. 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. Attended Indiana University for only 24 days. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . There may not be a folding chair in the state that would be left un-flung. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. He left campus not long after that and literally hithhiked home. 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. Isiah Thomas was in the high school class of 1979. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Bird found the transition to college life difficult. He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU? The .500 batting average still exists in Indiana State history books as one of the highest ever recorded by a player for the team. Then he left the local junior college, Northwood Institute. The Hoosiers beat Furman by one in the first round of the NCAA tournament, before losing by one to Villanova. Data Provided By As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources . 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 Maybe Bird wouldve spent the summer of 1975 celebrating the first of back-to-back national titles at IU, rather than playing for Hancock Construction, a state-champion AAU team sponsored by the mayor of Mitchell, Indiana, which was the only team capable of knocking off the mighty Indiana All-Stars in an exhibition. 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? Indiana State coach Bill Hodges, by the way, wasnt just in his first year as Indiana States head coach. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. 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. Bird passed Otis Birdsong to become the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer of all-timewith a free throw early in the championship game. Having grabbed 7,217 defensive rebounds and 1,757 offensive, Bird has accumulated 8,974 total rebounds during his NBA career. 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. Larry Bird's best teammates included Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson. On February 6, 1988, Larry Bird won his 3rd consecutive 3-point Contest while still wearing his warm-up jacket. He became only the third player (and the first non-center) to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. 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. I'm going to assume this is legit because he lists about 20 million sources at the end of it. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. 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 also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. He even plays defense, although that's not what's causing the NBA Boston Celtics to salivate over him.". Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! It was Bird's first experience with Knight in a gym setting. When I started here, I wanted to see the high school, college and professional basketball worlds come together, and Bird symbolizes that. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. In his other eight seasons as a DI head coach, he won just 96 games and compiled a .384 winning percentage. A disk was removed from his back after the season, but it didnt help all that much. 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. I just think when a man is open, he should get the ball whether it's 30 feet out on the wing or underneath. So it is a moot point. Larry Bird has helped define the way a generation of basketball fans has come to view and appreciate the NBA, said Commissioner David J. Stern when Bird retired due to a painful back condition in 1992, after capturing a gold medal with the original Dream Team at the Olympics in Barcelona. Birth Year: 1956. Gambling problem? Stephen Curry has racked up 29,674 minutes and has played in 864 . 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. This guy is the epitome of everything Ive tried to do here, then-Pacers president Donnie Walsh said of Bird. 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.. 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 journey began in the small rural community of French Lick, Indiana. Larry Bird stats. Player Season Finder . Larry Bird. Find out more. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Do you have a blog? Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Bird earned an assortment of accolades during his time at Indiana State. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. 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. But he has said many times over the years that he would have never been able to play for Bob Knight. It wasnt just that Bird played; he stunned everyone watching that day. As of today, his net worth is around $75 million. Born in 1956, in the state of Indiana, this player is known as the biggest reason behind why the Boston Celtics were led to the NBA championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Is there room for eight banners on the south wall of Assembly Hall? Do you have a sports website? We talked Hoosiers with our buddy at Hoopla. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. Gambling problem? Or write about sports? It's because of Bird. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. . 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? Born: Dec 7, 1956 (66 years old) . Finally, with the Celtics in a decline that hit bottom in 1996-97, Bird decided to take the plunge. He thought he had been playing pretty damn good that day. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. Larry Bledsoe, the schools basketball coach, remarked how he was extremely pleased to get a player of Birds caliber, according to the Mitchell Tribune. With Larry Bird, the 77 Hoosiers are probably a 20-win team and closer to their preseason No. 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. 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). 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. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. 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. At Springs Valley High, Bird scored 1,125 career points, averaged 30.6 points and 20.5 rebounds," Dana Hunsinger Benbow recounted in the Indianapolis Star. Students skipped class to line up for tickets eight hours before tipoff. Or write about sports? His focus was on the court. Im new at this (coaching) game but I feel I can get the job done, he said. 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) If I could, I'd like to play with him forever.". Bird was nicknamed Larry Legend and The Hick from French Lick, after his hometown in Indiana. Join our linker program. Like many great national championship teams, IU faced a rebuild or a reload or whatever you want to call it the next year. 1,400 points): 30.3 points, 16th all-time on the NCAA career scoring list: 2,850 points, Tied for 23rd all-time in career double-doubles: 68 double-doubles, Tied for 24th all-time in points in a season: 973 points (1979), Tied for 24th all-time in consecutive double-doubles in a season: 16 double-doubles (1979). It is amazing how extreme insecurity can drive a person. Home; Tickets; Schedule. when they were picking teams! According to The New York Times, Hodges once said his primary contribution during Indiana States national runner-up season was not messing up Larry Bird.. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. FIBA Senior Team Events Stats. He starred in college at Indiana State, taking them to the NCAA final game in 1979, virtually as a one-man team. Do you have a sports website? Knight could only shake his head at what he had lost. The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. 19 Minnesota showed the teams potential. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The Celtics' legendary playmaker is the only person in NBA history to win MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year in a career. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. At one time I believe Knight had Bird, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas in for recruiting. 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. 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. 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! UCLA beat Montana by just three points in its second tournament game, proving the Bruins were a resilient, but mortal, champion. Carreira Basquete universitrio. 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. Career Stats Game Log Splits. 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. 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. 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. In a first-round series that year, Bird badly bruised his face in a second-quarter fall in Game 5 against Indiana. Carr was his best teammate. The small forward had just led Indiana State to a 33-1 season, with the teams sole loss coming to Magic Johnson and Michigan State. 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 following year Bird posted the third-longest free-throw streak in NBA history, hitting 71 consecutive attempts. 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. Bird didnt let the team down. He said he was prepared to leave the team after the 2010-11 season with the Pacers headed in the right direction. On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Find out more. Their 9-9 Big Ten record was bumped to 11-7, making a tough transition year appear a little less harsh in the history books. Larry Bird is recognized as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. What if Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. Bird had a double-double in all five NCAA tournament games he played in that year. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. The avid outdoorsman who also has a passion for country music, auto racing, golf and the St. Louis Cardinals has many interests. He just hammered him for being lackadaisical off of the screen and made him leave the open gym session.
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