A crafty defensive player, Birds most famous steal came in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit. Birds concentration and composure were unmatched. The Hick from French Lick. Far from it. 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. 0:49. Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game, vividly remembering Birds bizarre, ungainly swing. 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. Games. 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. Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. 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. 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) 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. Bird, now 30 years old and with worsening back condition and foot problems as well, would not win a fourth championship ring. He initially enrolled at Indiana University in 1974 but dropped out before the season began. Here are some of the awards Larry Bird won in college: However, Bird was all business in spite of the awards he won and the fanfare he received. On The Players Tribune's "Knuckleheads" podcast, former NBA All-Star Jamal Mashburn said Rogers had talked trash to Bird after a day of practice between the 1992 College Select Team and the 1992 Dream Team.. After a practice, as a group of players were standing around, Mashburn said . 7 Michigan State, No. On Aug. 18, 1992 he announced his retirement as a player. 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. 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. 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. It's because of Bird. Though Larry Bird never won a scoring or rebounding title, he produced stats comparable to those of the NBA's best and brightest through his well-rounded play, dizzying . By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. What if Sam Wyche didnt leave IU after only 1 season? Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. 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. Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. Career NBA statistics; Points: Rebounds: Assists: Stats at Basketball-Reference.com: . Larry Bird - net worth, private life. 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. 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. As a senior, Bird became the schools all-time scoring champion and about 4,000 people attended his final home game. 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. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. Hardly a change of clothes each day. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana, High School: Hes very intense. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. Thats what a coach has to do.. 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. Han slutade spela i NBA 1992. Larry Bird was born on 7 December 1956, making him 64 years old as of today, 2 August 2021. forty-five, the most effective larry bird [] There are lecture halls in Ballentine Hall that are bigger than Northwoods entire student body at the time, and the school briefly landed one of the 20 greatest scorers in college basketball history. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. 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. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. 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. I didn't say that Bird was the best college basketball player of all time. And then there is a lesser known Bird, the college baseball . Editors note: This is part of a series of stories revisiting the biggest what-ifs in IU history. 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. 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.. OT: Larry Bird College Statistics. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. 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. ", Indiana State teammate Carl Nicks: "It's a tremendous feeling to play with him he brings out the best in everybody. Bird soon realized that it was actually HE who was the target of Knight's ridicule--because of the way he had come off of a screen in a pick up game. Gender: Male. Scott Horner. The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. They battled against Earvin "Magic" Johnson -- Bird's rival throughout his professional career -- and Michigan State in the championship game, falling 75-64. 1 ranking. Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. But none of those things kept him in Bloomington, as he was gone before homecoming his freshman year. He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced 3-pointers with his eyes closed. 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. 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. 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. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. What if former IU football coach Clyde Smith hadnt resigned after an open and undercover campaign to oust him? Real men play with balls this size, Warn said, glaring at Bird. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. He was selected to play in 12 All-Star games. The following comes from The Tampa Bay Times: His best NCAA tournament game came in the Final Four against DePaul, when he scored 35 points with 16 rebounds and nine assists (all were NCAA tournament highs for him) while shooting 16-of-19 from the field. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. There is no question about his eligibility.. The avid outdoorsman who also has a passion for country music, auto racing, golf and the St. Louis Cardinals has many interests. So it is a moot point. 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. . 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). Imagine what he wouldve done with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and future NBA players as teammates! The Top 11 Ranked. Wore the number 33 on his basketball jersey in high school, college and with the Boston Celtics. 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. Birds legend was born in the tiny town of French Lick, snuggled in Indianas corn country, where his family led a spartan life. Do you have a blog? The .500 batting average still exists in Indiana State history books as one of the highest ever recorded by a player for the team. It was Bird's first experience with Knight in a gym setting. There is the Larry Bird people know, the Boston Celtics legend, the hick from French Lick, the Indiana State University basketball king. According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. What if Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? Andy Wittry has written for Stadium, SI.com, Sporting News, the Indianapolis Star, Louisville Courier-Journal and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. As per reports, Bird made around $24 million over the course of his career. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Larry Bird's career NBA stats. He was named the NL's Freshman of the Year after playing in his first All-Star game. Birth State: Indiana. No shit! He said he was prepared to leave the team after the 2010-11 season with the Pacers headed in the right direction. 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. The Sycamores went undefeated and reached No. Despite being 6 feet 9 inches and 206 centimeters tall, he weighs just roughly 220 pounds and 100 kilograms. Larry Bledsoe, the schools basketball coach, remarked how he was extremely pleased to get a player of Birds caliber, according to the Mitchell Tribune. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources . He also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. 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. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. In 1975, he enrolled at Indiana State. Bird earned an assortment of accolades during his time at Indiana State. Kent Benson returned for his senior year, as did forward Wayne Radford for his junior season, but gone were May, Abernethy, Quinn Buckner, Bobby Wilkerson and Jim Crews. He left campus not long after that and literally hithhiked home. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. My goal is to . 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. 5 ranking than their final record that was just one game above .500, having not cracked the AP poll after December 20. On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. 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? Former professional NBA player, coach, and NBA executive Larry Bird is well known globally. 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. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. I could play baseball, Bird responded, taking the coach by surprise. They both finished their college playing careers in the spring of 1979. IU had three . By. Indiana State coach Bill Hodges, by the way, wasnt just in his first year as Indiana States head coach. 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. when they were picking teams! 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. ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. What if IU hired Jerry Tarkanian instead of Bob Knight, What if IU had solved Syracuses zone in 2013. He was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a nine-time member of the All-NBA First Team. I could do that. In the last 7 years, I've been covering everything related to the career and job seeking world. Larry Bird averages for the NBA season and Playoffs, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and other categories, year by year and career numbers. Having collected 7,217 defensive boards and 1,757 on the offensive end of the court, Bird has accounted for 8,974 total boards in his career. 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. 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. Note: at Spring Valley HS in his senior year., Bird averaged 31 ppg, 21rebounds per game and 4 assists). "At 9 o'clock yesterday [Bill] Hodges went to wake up Bird for a brunch at which he was to receive the Player of the Year Award. 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.