All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Celtics Jamal Mashburn recalled how Larry Bird responded to trash-talk at a 'Dream Team' practice in 1992 "Hey Larry, you ain't hit a jumper since '84." Name: Larry Bird. 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. 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. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. 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? NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points, NBA Fantasy: Under-the-radar additions for playoffs, Magic's Isaac (torn adductor) out for rest of season, Triple-double win streak shows Jokic dominance, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for March 3. The small forward had just led Indiana State to a 33-1 season, with the team's sole loss coming to Magic Johnson . He was out to embarrass him from the beginning buzzer to the end buzzer of every meeting. 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. "He was named an Indiana All-Star.". Taking a look at the numbers behind Nikola Jokic's historic season for the Nuggets. Jobbade sedan i Celtics frn 1992 till 1997 och coachade sedan Indiana Pacers frn 1997 till 2000. I didn't say that Bird was the best college basketball player of all time. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 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) . Started collecting garbage upon his return to French Lick. where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. Larry Bird was such a player. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. 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! Despite being 6 feet 9 inches and 206 centimeters tall, he weighs just roughly 220 pounds and 100 kilograms. Bird's stats are about as crazy as one would expect one the greatest players of all time to be if they played in a mid-major conference. It 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. He was particularly hard on freshmen players, such as a young Larry Bird. 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. Check out the top highlights and plays from Larry Bird's storied NBA career. Wore the number 33 on his basketball jersey in high school, college and with the Boston Celtics. As per reports, Bird made around $24 million over the course of his career. Larry Bird Net Worth. Bird, the Coach of the Year in 1997-98, resigned as Pacers coach after Indianas Finals appearance. 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. Larry Bird redshirted (sat out) his freshman year, and therefore, like Maravich, Robertson, and Hayes, his totals were also achieved in only three . He missed the competition, and with each passing year the urge grew to get back into the NBA in a more active capacity. In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta, Bird engaged in a memorable fourth-quarter shootout with the Hawks Dominique Wilkins. Complete NBA coaching record for Larry Bird, including regular season and postseason games. 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. NCAA Tournament. ", Indiana State teammate Carl Nicks: "It's a tremendous feeling to play with him he brings out the best in everybody. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 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. Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell teamed up to oust the Rockets in Game 6 of The Finals in 1981. An undefeated IU team with a healthy Scott May or Larry Bird, let alone both, wouldve made for a compelling matchup with Woodens final UCLA team. His focus was on the court. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Check out the detailed 1977-78 Indiana State Sycamores Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. He missed 37 games because of the continuing back problems. . The following year was Birds last. 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. Larry Bird ranks as one of the all-time top players of the NBA. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. 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. Bird missed 22 games in 1990-91 because of a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that eventually forced his retirement. He averaged better than 30 points and 10 rebounds for the Sycamores during his first campaign. All rights reserved. Bird returned home to become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 1997 and led them to the conference finals. 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. Sucker punch in OVC tournament leads to 3 ejections. 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. Wins over No. I heard this story once and I believe it is true. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Those would be my first two." When asked if personal statistics matter, he responded: "Yes, it is about numbers. Bob Knights worst team at IU, by record, was the 1977, post-title team. Gambling problem? 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. ", The New York Times' Dave Anderson: "[Bill] Hodges likes to say that his primary contribution to the Sycamores this season has been 'not messing up Larry Bird. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. There is no question about his eligibility.. This was easy to see when you noticed Bird's basketball stats. He and owner Herb Simon had discussed his eventual departure for a few years. 0%, great for twelfth throughout MLB between eligible remedies. 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. Imagine what he wouldve done with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and future NBA players as teammates! Larry Bird was born on 7 December 1956, making him 64 years old as of today, 2 August 2021. 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.. He was unflappable and virtually unstoppable. Anytime you have Bird on the floor, anything can happen, Portlands Clyde Drexler told theBoston Heraldafter the game. 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. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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. Im new at this (coaching) game but I feel I can get the job done, he said. Larry Bird played in the NCAA tournament just once, in 1979, but he made the most of it. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. IU would have definitely won 1 or 2 more titles had Bird stuck around and become the player he eventually did. The Boston Celtics selected Larry Bird with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. This type of behavior was par for the course with Knight, but a new experience alltogether for Bird. They thought scoring was more important, but passing is important.". And Warn, firm in his belief Bird would look foolish on a baseball field, was willing to give him the chance to embarrass himself. > Archive 75: Larry Bird| 75 Stories: Larry Bird. and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare, Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game. He also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. Looks like Bradley's coach on 2/10/79 tried to give Bird the same treatment . Real men play with balls this size, Warn said, glaring at Bird. 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 was drafted as the 6th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in 1978 before he went back to college for a final year. Birth Country: United States. 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. College at Indiana State. I could do that. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. As the 1992-93 NBA season approached, Bird decided he could not continue. A crafty defensive player, Birds most famous steal came in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Season-ticket sales tripled. Bobby said at this same time he (Knight) made a very huge mistake with having Bird room with an exceptional sophistcated player, with a very vibrant personalitythe complete opposite of Bird ..it was a very bad match-up..and Bird left school even before pre-season practice had started..He hitchiked home.and stayed! He was named the NL's Freshman of the Year after playing in his first All-Star game. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. 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). Larry Bird vs Steven Adams. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 83.3 free throw percentage in an NCAA tournament game (min. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. The hours he had spent working on his shot as a youngster paid big dividends in the NBA. If I could, I'd like to play with him forever.". / NBA. 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. "By noon, Bird appeared at a press conference, a rarity in his scheme of things. 19 Minnesota showed the teams potential. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. Boston won, 152-148, in double overtime. 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. . He starred in college at Indiana State, taking them to the NCAA final game in 1979, virtually as a one-man team. 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. This guy is the epitome of everything Ive tried to do here, then-Pacers president Donnie Walsh said of Bird. His back was also hurting, but Bird came back in the third period to help lift the Celtics to an emotional 124-121 victory. Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. But even those legendary players didnt fill Boston Garden, wowing fans and dominating games as Bird did. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bird once again led the team in points (21.2 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg), steals (161), and minutes (3,239). Not just some guy. The end of Birds career was at hand, but not before one last achievement: a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team, which dominated the competition at Barcelona and won millions of fans for the sport with its brilliance.