Bird signed autographs for fans in attendance and Kentucky Wesleyan players before walking off the field that day. 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? Surgery to remove bone spurs from both heels limited Bird to only six games in 1988-89. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. Check out the detailed 1977-78 Indiana State Sycamores Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com He was there to prove a point. Everyone knew Bird was destined for greatness in the NBA, but that didnt stop Indiana State baseball coach Bob Warn from roasting him. But Bird finally came to Boston for the 1979-80 campaign and sparked one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NBA history. Body Measurement Of Larry Bird. Former professional NBA player, coach, and NBA executive Larry Bird is well known globally. As per reports, Bird made around $24 million over the course of his career. 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 . > Archive 75: Larry Bird| 75 Stories: Larry Bird. Talking trash to Larry Bird rarely ever ended well, as former NBA player Rodney Rogers found out the hard way. The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. 5 ranking than their final record that was just one game above .500, having not cracked the AP poll after December 20. Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. What if former IU football coach Clyde Smith hadnt resigned after an open and undercover campaign to oust him? 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. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. Larry Bird's accomplishments and stats make him one of the greatest pure shooters of all time. Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 1,400 points): 30.3 points, 16th all-time on the NCAA career scoring list: 2,850 points, Tied for 23rd all-time in career double-doubles: 68 double-doubles, Tied for 24th all-time in points in a season: 973 points (1979), Tied for 24th all-time in consecutive double-doubles in a season: 16 double-doubles (1979). . When he talks, you come into his world. . 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. 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). May 12, 1997: Hired as Head Coach by the Indiana Pacers. He missed 37 games because of the continuing back problems. But Knight was not impressed. . Bird had actually nailed the jumper from the corner. Larry Bird was born on 7 December 1956, making him 64 years old as of today, 2 August 2021. Experience: 13 years. '", 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. It would have been easy for the story to end here, with a healthy round of shit-talking and little else. OT: Larry Bird College Statistics. Two months later, he signed his NBA contract with the Boston Celtics. Looking at his stats alone, he is known as one of the greatest pure shooters in . Larry Bird, AKA "Larry Legend," was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. Bird once again led the team in points (21.2 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg), steals (161), and minutes (3,239). ", In Bird's own words, here's the value he placed on ball movement: "My feeling about passing is that it don't matter who's doing the scoring as long as it's us. Only a few photos exist from the game, but seeing it live would have been legendary. Career information head-to-head including championships won, season and playoff stats, honors and awards and more. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. Hoosiers survive Big Ten tournament quarterfinal test. Is there room for eight banners on the south wall of Assembly Hall? The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The avid outdoorsman who also has a passion for country music, auto racing, golf and the St. Louis Cardinals has many interests. 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. Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Imagine Thomas, Bird and Magic on the same team. But even those legendary players didnt fill Boston Garden, wowing fans and dominating games as Bird did. He started out as an Indiana Hoosier but later left the school and team coached by the legendary Bobby Knight. I just think when a man is open, he should get the ball whether it's 30 feet out on the wing or underneath. Ballinger had proof. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. 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 both finished their college playing careers in the spring of 1979. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. He has compiled 1,556 steals, in addition to 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 83.3 free throw percentage in an NCAA tournament game (min. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers of all time, it . 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 . Dinah likes to keep a low profile, making rare public appearances with her husband at basketball games. They got married in 1989 and adopted two children: Connor and Mariah 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. 0%, great for twelfth throughout MLB between eligible remedies. 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. Hes very intense. Entdecke Spielplan College Basketball jhrliche Vorschau Menge 2 1977-78-1978-79 Vogel Magie in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. His coaching career was shot out of a Larry Bird-sized cannon with the Sycamores going 33-1 and posting a .971 winning percentage in his rookie campaign. Note: at Spring Valley HS in his senior year., Bird averaged 31 ppg, 21rebounds per game and 4 assists). 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. IU had three one-possession losses in the 1976-77 season and three defeats by two possessions. 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. 1 ranking. 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. Navigation Toggle NBA. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. Bird helped rebuild a Celtics franchise that had been suffering from sub-standard play and poor attendance in the late 1970s. Like many great national championship teams, IU faced a rebuild or a reload or whatever you want to call it the next year. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 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.. Birds legend was born in the tiny town of French Lick, snuggled in Indianas corn country, where his family led a spartan life. College Basketball Scores. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Bird's three-year career. Check out the top highlights and plays from Larry Bird's storied NBA career. This blog is forever grateful for the meme template that sweet, sweet banner gave us. Larry Joe Bird, "Larry legend", fdd 7 december 1956 i West Baden Springs i Indiana, r en amerikansk fre detta basketspelare och fre detta baskettrnare.. Draftad av Boston Celtics r 1978, spelade small forward och power forward i tretton ssonger. As it turned out it created one of the greatest rivalries in sports between Magic and Bird. That may have been to his detriment when he was a senior in high school. Then he left the local junior college, Northwood Institute. 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. Player Season Finder . Bird was 20, 21 and 22 years old when he eventually played college ball for Indiana State. He averaged better than 30 points and 10 rebounds for the Sycamores during his first campaign. The hours he had spent working on his shot as a youngster paid big dividends in the NBA. Birth date: December 7, 1956. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. An offseason trade with Golden State which that many consider the most lopsided in NBA history brought center Robert Parish and a future first-round pick (which became Kevin McHale) to Boston. The Celtics, however, fell to the Pistons in the conference finals. 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. But mostly he was bored. 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. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Bird returned to his role with the Pacers in 2013 before stepping down in 2017 to assume an advisory role for the franchise. The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. He left campus not long after that and literally hithhiked home. Bird received a scholarship to play for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974, but he dropped out after only one month at Indiana . "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. His back was also hurting, but Bird came back in the third period to help lift the Celtics to an emotional 124-121 victory. When Bird elected to return to Indiana State for one more year, the Celtics dipped to 29-53. Maybe the UCLA dynasty, which featured 10 national titles in 12 years under John Wooden, the last coming in 1975, would have passed the torch to a burgeoning era of IU basketball under Bob Knight. 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? Games. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. The Hick from French Lick. Martin Fennelly Former Sports columnist. How does Larry Bird compare with other great NBA players? His career averages were 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 897 regular season games. He became only the third player (and the first non-center) to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. Larry used BB tThe internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. 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. 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. Far from it. I also really believe he can be a heck of a coach. Thats what a coach has to do.. I could do that. Bobby would have won another NC with Bird. Bird did a fine job in his three seasons on the bench. The Top 11 Ranked. 0:05. Bird was named a special assistant in the Celtics front office, with limited duties that included some scouting and player evaluation. Find out more. Regarding per game stats, Bird is averaging 6.8 dimes and 9.6 rebounds. In 2003, he joined the Pacers front office as the teams president of basketball operations and worked side-by-side with Walsh to rebuild Indiana into a contender. With Larry Bird, the 77 Hoosiers are probably a 20-win team and closer to their preseason No. Nicknamed "The Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points, NBA Fantasy: Under-the-radar additions for playoffs, Magic's Isaac (torn adductor) out for rest of season, Triple-double win streak shows Jokic dominance, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for March 3. It wasnt just that Bird played; he stunned everyone watching that day. Indiana State nearly became the most recent undefeated national champion, reaching the 1979 national title game with a 33-0 record. He was unflappable and virtually unstoppable. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Bird also won his third consecutive 3-point shootout title, a feat later matched by Chicago Bulls Craig Hodges from 1990-92. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Kent Benson was the bigest name in Indiana basketball back then, but an A1 arrogant asshole as well, at least by most accounts of those who knew him. See our ethics statement. The Official Store of the Larry Bird Indiana State Jersey for College. Larry Bird ranks as one of the all-time top players of the NBA. As the 1992-93 NBA season approached, Bird decided he could not continue. Birth City: West Baden Springs. Bird didnt let the team down. College: Indiana State (1976-1979) NBA draft: 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall: . Odds & lines subject to change. Birth Year: 1956. / NBA. 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? Birds concentration and composure were unmatched. "He was named an Indiana All-Star.". Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Best Known For: Basketball icon . In 1981-82, Bird made the first of his three consecutive appearances on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team even though he was relatively slow and not the greatest one-on-one defender, his anticipation and court sense made him peerless as a team defender. Finally, with the Celtics in a decline that hit bottom in 1996-97, Bird decided to take the plunge. He was the heart and soul of the 1980s Celtics, leading them to three NBA championships while earning a reputation as one of the greatest players in league history. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Larry Bird averages for the NBA season and Playoffs, including points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and other categories, year by year and career numbers. Larry Bird was a standout in Boston and one of the NBAs most iconic players ever. Larry Bird. Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. It looked almost like a straight uppercut. The massive strike zone should have given pitchers a field day, but they soon realized Bird wasnt there to goof around. 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. 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. 1 in Birds senior year that is, until a Michigan State team featuring a 6-foot-9 guard named Earvin Magic Johnson knocked them off in the 1979 NCAA Championship Game, one of the most widely watched showdowns in basketball history. Larry Bird was originally in the recruiting class of 1974. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Birds three-year career. He earned the Rookie of the Year honours and also led a mediocre team . Celtics Wire. Indianapolis Star.

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