With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. 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. As per reports, Bird made around $24 million over the course of his career. But he has said many times over the years that he would have never been able to play for Bob Knight. The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. An obsessive perfectionist, Bird was idolized by Celtic fans and basketball purists of all allegiances. The small forward had just led Indiana State to a 33-1 season, with the team's sole loss coming to Magic Johnson . That story is largely lost to time and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare. Isiah Thomas was in the high school class of 1979. Having collected 7,217 defensive boards and 1,757 on the offensive end, Bird has accounted for 8,974 rebounds in total in his career. . College: Indiana State (1976-1979) NBA draft: 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall: . It's because of Bird. He started his college career in the fall of 1979. 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. I heard this story once and I believe it is true. College: University of Hoosiers: Religion: Christian: Nationality: American: Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius: Gender: Male: Sexual Orientation: Straight: Marital Status: Married: . Carr was his best teammate. When talking about per game stats, Bird sports an average of 6.8 assists as well as 9.6 boards. My goal is to . No-Trouble Returns upon All orders. Larry used BB tThe internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. Indiana State went 81-13 during the three seasons in which Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Name: Larry Bird. UCLA beat Montana by just three points in its second tournament game, proving the Bruins were a resilient, but mortal, champion. 0%, great for twelfth throughout MLB between eligible remedies. Join our linker program. 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. Larry Bird stats. 11 in the AP poll that season and finished the year ranked No. He was brilliant against the Razorbacks with a a 31-point, 10-rebound game in the regional finals. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Complete NBA coaching record for Larry Bird, including regular season and postseason games. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. As of today, his net worth is around $75 million. Find out more. ---------------------------------------------------- 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. The Hick from French Lick. 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. The Hoosiers beat Furman by one in the first round of the NCAA tournament, before losing by one to Villanova. Benson would do things like figure out which side of the court Bird was warming up on, for instance, then come over and take the ball away from him and order Bird off to the other end of the floor. This type of behavior was par for the course with Knight, but a new experience alltogether for Bird. Warn noted that Bird played baseball with the same energy he brought to the court: He plays the game just as he does basketball, with every ounce he has. 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? 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. That was excellent. Do you have a blog? 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. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. 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. As the NBA celebrates it's 75th Anniversary Season, get to know dozens of star players who helped make the NBA what it is today. Birds status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. Larry Bledsoe, the schools basketball coach, remarked how he was extremely pleased to get a player of Birds caliber, according to the Mitchell Tribune. Career information head-to-head including championships won, season and playoff stats, honors and awards and more. The players looked up to see Coach Knight, just recently returned from an out of state trip, having an absolute cow and cussing up a storm, throwing shit and marching across the floor from the open doorway he had been peeking through. I could do that. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. 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. Twelve of the top 14 picks in that years draft were seniors, with the other two non-seniors being juniors Kenny Carr and Bernard King, so staying all four years of college was still very much the norm then. 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. They battled against Earvin "Magic" Johnson -- Bird's rival throughout his professional career -- and Michigan State in the championship game, falling 75-64. Bird, the Coach of the Year in 1997-98, resigned as Pacers coach after Indianas Finals appearance. 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 . We had guys last year who didn't care about passing. Despite being 6 feet 9 inches and 206 centimeters tall, he weighs just roughly 220 pounds and 100 kilograms. The Celtics won the physical, bitter series in seven games and advanced to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive year, meeting the Lakers for the third time. They thought scoring was more important, but passing is important.". 33 retired by the school. Or write about sports? He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Birth City: West Baden Springs. The Hoosiers went 14-13 in 1977, later having their record adjusted to 16-11 after Minnesota was forced to forfeit two wins. Larry Bird was born on 7 December 1956, making him 64 years old as of today, 2 August 2021. 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. IU had three one-possession losses in the 1976-77 season and three defeats by two possessions. 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. "'You appear to be enjoying this,' one reporter commented. Games. See our ethics statement. Real men play with balls this size, Warn said, glaring at Bird. 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 averages for the NBA season and Playoffs, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and other categories, year by year and career numbers. 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 At one point, Kentucky was the first school to do the heavy recruiting, according to The Heralds Jerry Birge. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Like many great national championship teams, IU faced a rebuild or a reload or whatever you want to call it the next year. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana, High School: His NBA years : from 1980 to 1992 Larry Bird NBA Stats Summary : The former NBA player met his second wife, Dinah Mattingly, at Indiana State. 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.! Bird was one of the best scorers in the country, a big forward who led the way for the Sycamores from the Missouri Valley Conference to the biggest national stage. Following a sophomore season that was shortened by a broken ankle, Bird emerged as a star during his junior year. 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. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. They teamed with Bird and veteran Cedric Maxwell in a frontcourt that carried the Celtics to the championship in 1981. Dinah likes to keep a low profile, making rare public appearances with her husband at basketball games. The Sycamores went undefeated and reached No. In a first-round series that year, Bird badly bruised his face in a second-quarter fall in Game 5 against Indiana. ), We did a great deal of checking before he made his decision and the college allowed him to enroll, Northwoods academic dean Jim McElhiney told The Indianapolis News in September 1974. Boston won, 152-148, in double overtime. In order to finish his college degree, Larry Bird was working at Ballinger's school as a physical education student-teacher just weeks before becoming an . Birds 19 points in the 1982 NBA All-Star Game, including 12 of the Easts last 15, earned him the games MVP trophy. Han slutade spela i NBA 1992. College: Indiana State. The story was news to me. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. Loved to watch him play. Wins over No. OT: Larry Bird College Statistics. 1 ranking. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. Bird returned to his role with the Pacers in 2013 before stepping down in 2017 to assume an advisory role for the franchise. Find out more. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. Bird earned an assortment of accolades during his time at Indiana State. Hodges is credited with recruiting Larry Bird to Indiana State and coached Bird in the famous 1979 NCAA Final against Michigan State. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Couldn't have happened. 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. College at Indiana State. He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. But Los Angeles won the series in six games. At the time, Bird was a junior at Indiana State University and decided he wanted to play his senior year . Does the most recognized team in Hoosier history double or even, gasp, triple, its national championship haul with Bird in Bloomington in the mid-to-late 70s? They both finished their college playing careers in the spring of 1979. 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. 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. Scott Horner. Here are some of the records and historical rankings that Larry Bird achieved at Indiana State: Michigan State coach Jud Heathcote after watching him in the Final Four: "I could not believe The Bird. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. College Basketball Scores. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. All rights reserved. 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. It began as gentle ribbing, poking fun at Birds propensity to spend a majority of his free time getting ice and massages in the ISU training room. 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. Even if we dont rewrite Mays season-ending injury in this post, could Larry Bird have gone from being snubbed by the 15-player AP All-State Team one spring to a March Madness hero the next? Check out the top highlights and plays from Larry Bird's storied NBA career. ", 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. Thanks Jimmie. In his other eight seasons as a DI head coach, he won just 96 games and compiled a .384 winning percentage. Ballinger had proof. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. Join our linker program. 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. What if former IU football coach Clyde Smith hadnt resigned after an open and undercover campaign to oust him? Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Knight could only shake his head at what he had lost. 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. Anytime you have Bird on the floor, anything can happen, Portlands Clyde Drexler told theBoston Heraldafter the game. Bird was raised in French Lick, Indiana, and attended Indiana State University, where he helped revive . 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. As the 1992-93 NBA season approached, Bird decided he could not continue. 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. That may have been to his detriment when he was a senior in high school. Bird's status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. Note: at Spring Valley HS in his senior year., Bird averaged 31 ppg, 21rebounds per game and 4 assists). Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 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.