31.8 - HOF Larry Bird - Indiana State - 30.3 . Bird helped rebuild a Celtics franchise that had been suffering from sub-standard play and poor attendance in the late 1970s. 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. But his arrogant attitude is hardly a big surprise to those who know about Benson. Bob Knights worst team at IU, by record, was the 1977, post-title team. Larry Bird was originally in the recruiting class of 1974. At different times, Bird has been quoted saying either Dennis Johnson or M.L. One basketball coach, however, apparently missed the memo. When talking about per game stats, Bird sports an average of 6.8 assists as well as 9.6 boards. If the answer was yes, then theres a chance there would be national championship banners from 1975 and 1976 hanging inside Assembly Hall right now. 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. Dinah likes to keep a low profile, making rare public appearances with her husband at basketball games. games played = 41.4 ppg This is going off of their college career . Larry Bird. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN Everyone remembers Michael Jordans decision to leave the Bulls and pursue a career in baseball, but it was Larry Bird who tried his hand at the game on April 28, 1979, and became a one-day legend in the process. 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. The three-time NBA champion played 94 games with the Sycamores. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Larry Bird's Wife Keeps a Low Profile - FanBuzz He also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. Larry Bird Overview | StatMuse It was Bird's first experience with Knight in a gym setting. Bird signed autographs for fans in attendance and Kentucky Wesleyan players before walking off the field 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. IU went 21-8 that season, finishing second in the Big Ten. I also really believe he can be a heck of a coach. 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 and Cedric Maxwell teamed up to oust the Rockets in Game 6 of The Finals in 1981. 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. 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. 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 Birds release. An obsessive perfectionist, Bird was idolized by Celtic fans and basketball purists of all allegiances. So, what will Larry Bird's age, height, and weight be in 2021? Birds 19 points in the 1982 NBA All-Star Game, including 12 of the Easts last 15, earned him the games MVP trophy. Bird was the embodiment of Celtics Pride. He was a classy, confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired teammates to excel. 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's Wife Dinah Mattingly. This type of behavior was par for the course with Knight, but a new experience alltogether for Bird. Students skipped class to line up for tickets eight hours before tipoff. Hodges said of Bird, "His only personal goal this year was to lead the nation in rebounds. Only a few photos exist from the game, but seeing it live would have been legendary. Larry Bird: College basketball stats, best moments, quotes Larry Bird Had 1 Requirement When He Returned to Indiana State for His In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. . At one time I believe Knight had Bird, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas in for recruiting. Celtics Wire. 0:05. Odds & lines subject to change. Hodges is credited with recruiting Larry Bird to Indiana State and coached Bird in the famous 1979 NCAA Final against Michigan State. 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. The highlight of Bird's three-year collegiate career came in 1979, when he led the Sycamores to a 33-0 record and their first NCAA Tournament berth in the program's history. 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. 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. College: Indiana State (1976-1979) NBA draft: 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall: . Attended Indiana University for only 24 days. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. Bird, now 30 years old and with worsening back condition and foot problems as well, would not win a fourth championship ring. forty-five, the most effective larry bird [] Play Index. FIBA Senior Team Events Stats. He was there to prove a point. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Playing in all 82 contests, Bird led the team in scoring (21.3 ppg), rebounding (10.4 rpg), steals (143), and minutes played (2,955) and was second in assists (4.5 apg) and 3-pointers (58). Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick) Bats Left, Throws Left; Height 6' 9", Weight 220 lb. Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird ", 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. On Aug. 18, 1992 he announced his retirement as a player. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. 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) On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. He's a 3-time NBA Champion, a 12-time all-star, and he was named to countless NBA teams during his roughly 13 years on the Celtics. Gambling problem? 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. 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. But Los Angeles won the series in six games. The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. College Basketball Scores. So he cut the ties and went home. 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. Larry Bird's wife, Dinah Mattingly, is his high school sweetheart who got engaged and married the former NBA legend in 1989. Knight could only shake his head at what he had lost. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. At one point, Kentucky was the first school to do the heavy recruiting, according to The Heralds Jerry Birge. 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. Born: Dec 7, 1956 (66 years old) . He left campus not long after that and literally hithhiked home. Benson, of course, was a God in Indiana. The former NBA player met his second wife, Dinah Mattingly, at Indiana State. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. They battled against Earvin "Magic" Johnson -- Bird's rival throughout his professional career -- and Michigan State in the championship game, falling 75-64. Drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in . Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. 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 . Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. The Sycamores went undefeated and reached No. 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 . The guy had absolutely nothing. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. So it is a moot point. Bird finished with 49 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists and four steals. 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? The Celtics, however, fell to the Pistons in the conference finals. Bird's status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. Three Things: Indiana womens basketball defeats Michigan State 94-85. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. At Indiana State here is what Bird did: 1976-77..aveged 32.8 ppg, 1977-78..averaged 30 ppg and 1978-79 ..28.6 ppggiving him a 3 years career average at indiana State of 30.3 ppg. 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. Bird once again led the team in points (21.2 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg), steals (161), and minutes (3,239). 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. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. Years later Bird admitted.."if i had it to do all over again, I'd have gone back to Bloomington, after he had gone home". The Hoosiers went 14-13 in 1977, later having their record adjusted to 16-11 after Minnesota was forced to forfeit two wins. 10 Bird Was A Part Of The Most Watched College Game Ever Imagine what he wouldve done with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and future NBA players as teammates! Larry Bird Indiana State Jersey - Collegeshopfan Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography Find out more. Bird was nicknamed Larry Legend and The Hick from French Lick, after his hometown in Indiana. 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? He earned the Rookie of the Year honours and also led a mediocre team . All rights reserved. But he has said many times over the years that he would have never been able to play for Bob Knight. May 16, 2022. Larry Bledsoe, the schools basketball coach, remarked how he was extremely pleased to get a player of Birds caliber, according to the Mitchell Tribune. He pulls people together. McHale just destroyed him. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Or write about sports? Larry Bird's career filled with amazing accomplishments Who Were Larry Bird's Best Teammates? The Top 11 Ranked He was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a nine-time member of the All-NBA First Team. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. Michael Jordan has compiled 41,011 minutes and has participated . His focus was on the court. College: Indiana State. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. His NBA years : from 1980 to 1992 Larry Bird NBA Stats Summary : Note: at Spring Valley HS in his senior year., Bird averaged 31 ppg, 21rebounds per game and 4 assists). We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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? Games. On the day after his uniform was retired in basketball, Larry Bird took the field for both games of a doubleheader in baseball for the Indiana State Sycamores. He did some commercials and appeared in a few films, including Michael JordansSpace Jam. 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. Then he left the local junior college, Northwood Institute. Larry Bird, AKA "Larry Legend," was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced 3-pointers with his eyes closed. He was particularly hard on freshmen players, such as a young Larry Bird. Few played tougher than Bird, who would leap into crowds and over press tables for loose balls. He led the league in free-throw percentage four times. Larry Bird age, height, weight, net worth 2023, wife, kids, gay Larry Bird Comparisons: ( players sorted by last name ) - A-Larry Bird vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It would have been easy for the story to end here, with a healthy round of shit-talking and little else. Larry Bird is recognized as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. 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). This was easy to see when you noticed Bird's basketball stats. Larry Bird was a standout in Boston and one of the NBAs most iconic players ever. But Bird finally came to Boston for the 1979-80 campaign and sparked one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NBA history. Extremely high basketball IQ, pure heart and hustle. Bird always held a chip on his shoulder over that, even decades later. Larry Bird stats. when they were picking teams! Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. 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 . Recently crowned national champion N.C. State also joined the pursuit of Bird in mid-April 1974, right before he was slated to sign his National Letter of Intent with the Hoosiers. 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). Indiana State nearly became the most recent undefeated national champion, reaching the 1979 national title game with a 33-0 record. The Orlando forward played only 11 games this season after missing two years with a torn ACL. Imagine Thomas, Bird and Magic on the same team. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. It was merely an escalated version of Warns usual brand of teasing, but Bird had enough and was ready to prove a point. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. He was selected to play in 12 All-Star games. The hours he had spent working on his shot as a youngster paid big dividends in the NBA. Larry Bird - Wikipdia, a enciclopdia livre Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Join our linker program. Larry Bird - BR Bullpen - Baseball-Reference.com What if Larry Bird hadn't transferred from IU? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The following season . 0%, great for twelfth throughout MLB between eligible remedies. Player Season Finder . Legends profile: Larry Bird | NBA.com Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 5 ranking than their final record that was just one game above .500, having not cracked the AP poll after December 20. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. His back was also hurting, but Bird came back in the third period to help lift the Celtics to an emotional 124-121 victory. 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. But there were plenty more heroics yet to come. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. I think they may even have been on the floor together. 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. Surgery to remove bone spurs from both heels limited Bird to only six games in 1988-89. With Larry Bird, the 77 Hoosiers are probably a 20-win team and closer to their preseason No. As of today, his net worth is around $75 million. "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. 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. 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. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . It's because of Bird. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. The Boston Celtics selected Larry Bird with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Larry Joe Bird This blog is forever grateful for the meme template that sweet, sweet banner gave us. List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders 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. Larry Bird's college basketball coach is coaching where? 2 Notre Dame, No. Bird returned home to become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 1997 and led them to the conference finals. Boston won, 152-148, in double overtime. Finally, with the Celtics in a decline that hit bottom in 1996-97, Bird decided to take the plunge. Even the mild mannered Kareem Abdul Jabbar once decked Benson square in the jaw during a pro game, after being delivered one too mant rib shots by him. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Former professional NBA player, coach, and NBA executive Larry Bird is well known globally. The story was news to me. Birds status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. He starred in college at Indiana State, taking them to the NCAA final game in 1979, virtually as a one-man team. Larry Bird Facts for Kids - Kiddle 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 . Bird didnt let the team down. This guy is the epitome of everything Ive tried to do here, then-Pacers president Donnie Walsh said of Bird. 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. 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 Larry Bird National and High School Stats, Boston Celtics - RealGM From his killer jump shot to his famous trash-talking, Bird could seemingly do it . Larry Bird - Wikipedia Larry Bird's college career. He said he was prepared to leave the team after the 2010-11 season with the Pacers headed in the right direction. After the 2011-12 season, Bird stepped down as the Pacers president of basketball operations, citing health issues. 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.. He started out as an Indiana Hoosier but later left the school and team coached by the legendary Bobby Knight. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Birth date: December 7, 1956. Larry Bird vs Steven Adams. Having grabbed 7,217 defensive rebounds and 1,757 offensive, Bird has accumulated 8,974 total rebounds during his NBA career. Or does he simply become the most famous figure from the 1976 squad, adding another Indiana-to-NBA success story and making, I dont know, hand-me-down Larry Bird Sacramento Kings jerseys the most popular commodity at Goodwills in Monroe County in the 1990s and early 2000s? 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. "He was named an Indiana All-Star.". 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. When I started here, I wanted to see the high school, college and professional basketball worlds come together, and Bird symbolizes that. The next season, 1974-75, is where two of the greatest What ifs in IU basketball collide: What if Bird had stayed and what if Scott May, the teams second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, hadnt broken his arm against Purdue in late February? 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 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. Indianapolis Star. Larry Bird vs Stephen Curry Stats - Stats Pros 0:49. A defensive maven who stifled some of the best stars, Dennis Johnson was an All-Star, a Finals MVP and won three NBA titles. Indiana State coach Bill Hodges, by the way, wasnt just in his first year as Indiana States head coach. We had guys last year who didn't care about passing. 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. Its also fair to speculate that the south wall of Assembly Hall might be a little more crowded if Larry Bird had never transferred from IU. IU had three . When the doubleheader was over, hed finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs while recording nine putouts from first base in the second game. 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. Scott Horner. 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. I'm going to assume this is legit because he lists about 20 million sources at the end of it. Career Stats Game Log Splits. Larry Bird left IU in mid-September of his freshman year, citing too heavy of a course load and his desire to be closer to home. Let me be clear, college basketball would look and feel the same if Bird never transferred from IU to ISU, but the 1979 national championship game Bird vs. Magic is still the highest-rated college basketball game of all-time, with a 24.1 rating for a game in which 38 percent of all TVs in the country that were turned on at the time were tuned into Indiana State vs. Michigan State on NBC. "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. 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. Check out the top highlights and plays from Larry Bird's storied NBA career. How does Larry Bird compare with other great NBA players? Editors note: This is part of a series of stories revisiting the biggest what-ifs in IU history. Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more Join our linker program. Bird finished runner-up to Moses Malone for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, as he would the following year. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. With Bird as the focal point of a well-rounded squad, the Celtics won three NBA titles and 10 Atlantic Division crowns. Name: Larry Bird. Along with Magic, Bird was revitalizing the NBA, helping the league live up to its new slogan, NBA Action: Its FAN-tastic. After only two seasons, fans, coaches and players knew exactly what Bird was all about: big numbers and clutch performances.
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