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Editors note: This is part of a series of stories revisiting the biggest what-ifs in IU history. 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. And then there is a lesser known Bird, the college baseball . Birth State: Indiana. In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta, Bird engaged in a memorable fourth-quarter shootout with the Hawks Dominique Wilkins. 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. 19 Minnesota showed the teams potential. Bird was the embodiment of Celtics Pride. He was a classy, confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired teammates to excel. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. However, he was eligible to be drafted without applying for "hardship" because his original college class at Indiana University had graduated. Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. Or write about sports? He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. But Bird finally came to Boston for the 1979-80 campaign and sparked one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NBA history. 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. He scored zero points while wearing cream and crimson, however. The Cavaliers won in seven games; Boston lost three of the four games couldnt play because of his back. Three Things: Indiana womens basketball defeats Michigan State 94-85. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. 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. Bird once again led the team in points (21.2 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg), steals (161), and minutes (3,239). The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. 1 ranking. Odds & lines subject to change. six players on the first team and . He was a superstar in college basketball, in essence. He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced 3-pointers with his eyes closed. ; School Indiana State University; Born December 7, 1956 in West Baden, IN USA; Biographical Information []. The Boston Celtics selected Larry Bird with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. Larry Bird, in full Larry Joe Bird, (born December 7, 1956, West Baden, Indiana, U.S.), American basketball player who led the Boston Celtics to three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) and is considered one of the greatest pure shooters of all time. Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 assists, and 4.5 steals in 82 games during his rookie season in 1979-80. 5 ranking than their final record that was just one game above .500, having not cracked the AP poll after December 20. 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Do you have a blog? 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. Those would be my first two." When asked if personal statistics matter, he responded: "Yes, it is about numbers. ---------------------------------------------------- Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. 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. Bird, now 30 years old and with worsening back condition and foot problems as well, would not win a fourth championship ring. Hoosiers survive Big Ten tournament quarterfinal test. He was also called Kodak by his first NBA coach, Bill Fitch, . I could do that. 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 What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU. Bird found the transition to college life difficult. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. Larry Bird's book is incredible. 'Coach, I'm dead,' moaned Bird. The pair made an agreement: A non-conference doubleheader was looming against Kentucky Wesleyan, a perfect low-risk opportunity to put Bird in a baseball uniform. 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. 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. ), 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. Bird passed Otis Birdsong to become the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer of all-timewith a free throw early in the championship game. Find out more. So, what will Larry Bird's age, height, and weight be in 2021? In his other eight seasons as a DI head coach, he won just 96 games and compiled a .384 winning percentage. Larry Bird's accomplishments and stats make him one of the greatest pure shooters of all time. The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. 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. That may have been to his detriment when he was a senior in high school. Data Provided By As many observed, he would see plays not as they were developing, but before they developed. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 'Can I stay in bed?' 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. He is a graduate of Indiana University. 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". Three-time NBA champion with Boston Celtics - 1981 . 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. 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. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The guy had absolutely nothing. He also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. 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. Then he left the local junior college, Northwood Institute. But Bird, ever the competitor, wanted to prove a point. Do you have a sports website? He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. Not just some guy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. 10 Bird Was A Part Of The Most Watched College Game Ever Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. What if Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, former coach and former executive. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers of all time, it . Larry Bird is an Indiana basketball legend, starting at Springs Valley High School and running through his playing days 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.! 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). Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 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.