Birth State: Indiana. In 1975, he enrolled at Indiana State. With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU. 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. Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), As Player: 897 G, 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG (Full Record), As Executive: IND franchise, 2003-2017 (Full Record). 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. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Birds three-year career. No other player in his era was as good or as consistent a shooter as 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. 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 finished runner-up to Moses Malone for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, as he would the following year. Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP. Larry Bird Rookie Year Stats. 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. The experience shook Bird. He was named the NL's Freshman of the Year after playing in his first All-Star game. Sucker punch in OVC tournament leads to 3 ejections. He was selected to play in 12 All-Star games. He was brilliant against the Razorbacks with a a 31-point, 10-rebound game in the regional finals. 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. 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. 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. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Bird's three-year career. Martin Fennelly Former Sports columnist. Birds 19 points in the 1982 NBA All-Star Game, including 12 of the Easts last 15, earned him the games MVP trophy. But even those legendary players didnt fill Boston Garden, wowing fans and dominating games as Bird did. When the doubleheader was over, hed finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs while recording nine putouts from first base in the second game. His focus was on the court. '", 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 Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana, High School: You wont find much on Larry Birds short-lived baseball career, but those who were there wont soon forget. Bird was so self-confident that he was known to waltz up to the opponents bench before tipoff and predict a 40-point performance for himself. 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. . Do you have a sports website? Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. All rights reserved. But his arrogant attitude is hardly a big surprise to those who know about Benson. Hodges is credited with recruiting Larry Bird to Indiana State and coached Bird in the famous 1979 NCAA Final against Michigan State. 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. He thought he had been playing pretty damn good that day. Check out the detailed 1977-78 Indiana State Sycamores Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com 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. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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. Boston survived a memorable Eastern Conference finals against Philadelphia in which the Celtics bounced back from a 3-1 deficit and posted come-from-behind victories in each of the last three games, then took the title over Moses Malone and the Houston Rockets in a six-game NBA Finals. College: Indiana State. Even though he had never coached a game in his life, the Pacers had no qualms about turning over the reins to 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. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The Orlando forward played only 11 games this season after missing two years with a torn ACL. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. And then there is a lesser known Bird, the college baseball . Larry Bird is recognized as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Boston won, 152-148, in double overtime. But mostly he was bored. . Bird received a scholarship to play for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974, but he dropped out after only one month at Indiana . Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Larry Bird. He is a graduate of Indiana University. 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. He initially enrolled at Indiana University in 1974 but dropped out before the season began. Larry Bledsoe, the schools basketball coach, remarked how he was extremely pleased to get a player of Birds caliber, according to the Mitchell Tribune. Larry Bird stats. 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. Birds legend was born in the tiny town of French Lick, snuggled in Indianas corn country, where his family led a spartan life. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). ), 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. 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. It was the only time the Hoosiers had a record that was less than five games over .500 under Knights watch. As many observed, he would see plays not as they were developing, but before they developed. "He was named an Indiana All-Star.". He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. IU had three one-possession losses in the 1976-77 season and three defeats by two possessions. Larry Bird redshirted (sat out) his freshman year, and therefore, like Maravich, Robertson, and Hayes, his totals were also achieved in only three . 2 Notre Dame, No. Real men play with balls this size, Warn said, glaring at Bird. 1988 Men's NCAA, 2019 Women's NCAA, 1940 Men's NCAA, 2006 Women's NCAA, 1981 Men's NCAA. 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 vs Steven Adams. He has tallied 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 dimes. You can watch the full replay of the '79 title game below. Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. 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. He was remarking to one of the players before the game that he just wanted to do well; he didnt want to let the team down.. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. They teamed with Bird and veteran Cedric Maxwell in a frontcourt that carried the Celtics to the championship in 1981. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. Anytime you have Bird on the floor, anything can happen, Portlands Clyde Drexler told theBoston Heraldafter the game. He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced 3-pointers with his eyes closed. I'm going to assume this is legit because he lists about 20 million sources at the end of it. They both finished their college playing careers in the spring of 1979. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a 2x 1st team All American, future #1 overall lottery pick and 1976 NCAA player of the year, leading the 76 IU team to the only undefeated national title of the next 40 years. What if Phil Dickens and IU football hadnt gotten the whole dang department sanctioned? Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. Larry Bird Ball was the most popular sport in Terre Haute. When I started here, I wanted to see the high school, college and professional basketball worlds come together, and Bird symbolizes that. 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. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. Larry Bird Comparisons: ( players sorted by last name ) - A-Larry Bird vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I also really believe he can be a heck of a coach. 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.! . Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. 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. Indiana womens basketball Q&A: HooplaWyatt on the Big Ten Tournament. The Hoosiers went 14-13 in 1977, later having their record adjusted to 16-11 after Minnesota was forced to forfeit two wins. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. "Larry Bird finishes things," said Dick Ballinger, the varsity head baseball coach at West Vigo High School in West Terre Haute, Indiana during the spring of 1979. Larry Bird Net Worth. Bird was named a special assistant in the Celtics front office, with limited duties that included some scouting and player evaluation. The Whole Bird thing reminds me of that old country song"I overlooked and orchid while searching for a rose"! Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. Larry Bird was such a player. This type of behavior was par for the course with Knight, but a new experience alltogether for Bird. It's because of Bird. 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. I could do that. Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 assists, and 4.5 steals in 82 games during his rookie season in 1979-80. 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. Home; Tickets; Schedule. Bird did a fine job in his three seasons on the bench. He also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. He even plays defense, although that's not what's causing the NBA Boston Celtics to salivate over him.". 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. Bobby would have won another NC with Bird. Bird earned an assortment of accolades during his time at Indiana State. For reference, the 2019 national championship game drew a 22 percent share. Birth date: December 7, 1956. 1 pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, and Woodson. Bird would typically start offensive possessions on the right block, where he would utilize the right corner of the floor, the fre-throw line extended and the opposite wing. The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. OT: Larry Bird College Statistics. . 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.