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. Odds & lines subject to change. Three-time NBA champion with Boston Celtics - 1981 . How does Larry Bird compare with other great NBA players? Birds status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. The Sycamores went undefeated and reached No. The Boston Celtics selected Larry Bird with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. Even though he had never coached a game in his life, the Pacers had no qualms about turning over the reins to Bird. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. Player Season Finder . Could you imagine Bob Knights reaction if, just three years after IU became the most recent undefeated national champion, the Hoosiers lost that distinction to an in-state school (and not even Purdue or Notre Dame, but Indiana State) that was led by an outbound IU transfer? Career NBA statistics; Points: Rebounds: Assists: Stats at Basketball-Reference.com: . 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. Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game, vividly remembering Birds bizarre, ungainly swing. The Hick from French Lick. UCLA beat Montana by just three points in its second tournament game, proving the Bruins were a resilient, but mortal, champion. 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. 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. 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. The small forward had just led Indiana State to a 33-1 season, with the team's sole loss coming to Magic Johnson . When Walsh moved on to a similar role with the Knicks before the 2008-09 season, Bird gained complete control of the teams basketball operations and helped the Pacers end a four-year playoff drought in 2010-11. 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. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. 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. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU? Or write about sports? No shit! And Warn, firm in his belief Bird would look foolish on a baseball field, was willing to give him the chance to embarrass himself. He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American in 1978-79, the College Player of the Year in 1979, a two-time MVC Player of the Year in 1978-79, and had his No. We present them here for purely educational purposes. They teamed with Bird and veteran Cedric Maxwell in a frontcourt that carried the Celtics to the championship in 1981. 2022-23 Season Schedule; 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. Boston won, 152-148, in double overtime. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. Springs Valley went 19-2 and young Larry became a local celebrity. 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. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He was also called Kodak by his first NBA coach, Bill Fitch, . Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 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). Dinah likes to keep a low profile, making rare public appearances with her husband at basketball games. 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 was unflappable and virtually unstoppable. Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. No other player in his era was as good or as consistent a shooter as Bird. Larry Bird was a standout in Boston and one of the NBAs most iconic players ever. Carr was his best teammate. Name: Larry Bird. 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. 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. Larry Bird ranks as one of the all-time top players of the NBA. 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). He missed the competition, and with each passing year the urge grew to get back into the NBA in a more active capacity. 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. Thanks Lincoln- nice post and pretty much confirms what my book about Knight, and how he thought Benson could "do no wrong" while at Indiana. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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 . He's an impressive figure with incredible rivalries, but there are still tons of things that younger NBA fans should know about Larry Legend. When I started here, I wanted to see the high school, college and professional basketball worlds come together, and Bird symbolizes that. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. It was merely an escalated version of Warns usual brand of teasing, but Bird had enough and was ready to prove a point. He did some commercials and appeared in a few films, including Michael JordansSpace Jam. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, former coach and former executive. "All that shooting off the side of a barn turned into Bird becoming a high school star. Odds & lines subject to change. Anytime you have Bird on the floor, anything can happen, Portlands Clyde Drexler told theBoston Heraldafter the game. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. On February 6, 1988, Larry Bird won his 3rd consecutive 3-point Contest while still wearing his warm-up jacket. Looks like Bradley's coach on 2/10/79 tried to give Bird the same treatment . Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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) . When he talks, you come into his world. where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. 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. Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP. 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.! 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) . The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. 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. 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! The Hoosiers beat Furman by one in the first round of the NCAA tournament, before losing by one to Villanova. 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. His back was also hurting, but Bird came back in the third period to help lift the Celtics to an emotional 124-121 victory. 'Coach, I'm dead,' moaned Bird. Coming out of Springs Valley, Bird chose IU over Indiana State and Purdue after being pursued by more than 50 schools, according to The Herald (Jasper, Ind.). The hours he had spent working on his shot as a youngster paid big dividends in the NBA. Indiana State went 81-13 during the three seasons in which Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. 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. I could do that. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. Larry Bird Comparisons: ( players sorted by last name ) - A-Larry Bird vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. Benson, of course, was a God in Indiana. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. With five seconds remaining and the Celtics trailing 107-106, Bird stole an Isiah Thomas inbounds pass and fed Dennis Johnson, whose layup gave Boston the win. What if IU hired Jerry Tarkanian instead of Bob Knight, What if IU had solved Syracuses zone in 2013. Their coach, Bill Hodges, is in his first year, the first rookie ever to take an undefeated team to the tournament final. Find out more. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:03AM. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He started his college career in the fall of 1979. games played = 41.4 ppg This is going off of their college career . As it turned out it created one of the greatest rivalries in sports between Magic and Bird. 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. He just hammered him for being lackadaisical off of the screen and made him leave the open gym session. Find out more. His focus was on the court. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Do you have a blog? For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, from 1979-80 through 1991-92, Bird personified hustle, consistency and excellence in all areas of play as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer. It wasnt just that Bird played; he stunned everyone watching that day. 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. I have all the confidence in the world that Ill be able to handle these guys and do the things that are necessary to win games.. Is there room for eight banners on the south wall of Assembly Hall? Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. Looking at his stats alone, he is known as one of the greatest pure shooters in . 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. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. 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. With Larry Bird, the 77 Hoosiers are probably a 20-win team and closer to their preseason No. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Hodges said of Bird, "His only personal goal this year was to lead the nation in rebounds. That was excellent. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 13, but spent most of the season outside of the AP poll. But mostly he was bored. Celtics Wire. He missed 37 games because of the continuing back problems. He pulls people together. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . What if former IU football coach Clyde Smith hadnt resigned after an open and undercover campaign to oust him? The former NBA player met his second wife, Dinah Mattingly, at Indiana State. Everyone knew Bird was destined for greatness in the NBA, but that didnt stop Indiana State baseball coach Bob Warn from roasting him. Bird had a double-double in all five NCAA tournament games he played in that year. Gambling problem? And then there is a lesser known Bird, the college baseball . The experience shook Bird. One basketball coach, however, apparently missed the memo. 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 Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bird did a fine job in his three seasons on the bench. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. So he cut the ties and went home. They both finished their college playing careers in the spring of 1979. Larry Bird Ball was the most popular sport in Terre Haute. From his killer jump shot to his famous trash-talking, Bird could seemingly do it . He scored 136 points in five NCAA tournament games, leading the Sycamores to the national championship game, where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. Fans always seemed to be willing to give a ride to Birds parents, who couldnt afford a car of their own. As per reports, Bird made around $24 million over the course of his career. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. 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. Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. He even plays defense, although that's not what's causing the NBA Boston Celtics to salivate over him.". That may have been to his detriment when he was a senior in high school. Imagine Thomas, Bird and Magic on the same team. 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. Or write about sports? 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. Not at the same time. Larry Bird was originally in the recruiting class of 1974. He was out to embarrass him from the beginning buzzer to the end buzzer of every meeting. Ballinger had proof. Check out the detailed 1977-78 Indiana State Sycamores Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com As a senior, Bird became the schools all-time scoring champion and about 4,000 people attended his final home game. The following year was Birds last. 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. In a nationally televised game against Portland in March, Bird pulled off one final miracle performance he scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including the Celtics last nine points and a game-tying 3-pointer with two seconds left. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. 1988 Men's NCAA, 2019 Women's NCAA, 1940 Men's NCAA, 2006 Women's NCAA, 1981 Men's NCAA. A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. . Thanks Jimmie. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 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. Only a few photos exist from the game, but seeing it live would have been legendary. IU would have definitely won 1 or 2 more titles had Bird stuck around and become the player he eventually did. What if Phil Dickens and IU football hadnt gotten the whole dang department sanctioned? 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. Extremely high basketball IQ, pure heart and hustle. Gambling problem? A defensive maven who stifled some of the best stars, Dennis Johnson was an All-Star, a Finals MVP and won three NBA titles.