We talked Hoosiers with our buddy at Hoopla. 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. He was a superstar in college basketball, in essence. and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare, Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU. It may have also hurt him in his transition to a big state school, where he lasted a matter of weeks after the start of the school year. Bird was 20, 21 and 22 years old when he eventually played college ball for Indiana State. At one point, Kentucky was the first school to do the heavy recruiting, according to The Heralds Jerry Birge. Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game, vividly remembering Birds bizarre, ungainly swing. Do you have a sports website? Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick) Bats Left, Throws Left; Height 6' 9", Weight 220 lb. 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. Career Stats Game Log Splits. As freshman and junior varsity statistics do not count toward official NCAA records, three playersPete Maravich, Oscar Robertson and Elvin Hayesonly had three seasons to compile their totals. List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders As per reports, Bird made around $24 million over the course of his career. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Larry Bird: College basketball stats, best moments, quotes 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? When Bird maximized his potential at Indiana State in the 1978-79 season, he took a Sycamores team that had a first-year head coach and was picked to finish third or fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference in 1979 and carried it all the way to the national championship game with an undefeated record and the countrys No. 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". An obsessive perfectionist, Bird was idolized by Celtic fans and basketball purists of all allegiances. Birds legend was born in the tiny town of French Lick, snuggled in Indianas corn country, where his family led a spartan life. Mark Bird's college team, where he became one of the school's best all-time players. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. 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). IU would have definitely won 1 or 2 more titles had Bird stuck around and become the player he eventually did. 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). Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Thats what a coach has to do.. 'Coach, I'm dead,' moaned Bird. Not just some guy. Gambling problem? To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. By. 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. 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. Larry Bird - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Body Measurement Of Larry Bird. That was excellent. 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. 1 pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, and Woodson. 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. College: Indiana State. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. Career information head-to-head including championships won, season and playoff stats, honors and awards and more. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. not larry bird basketball shorts 9%, the greatest considering that 2019 plus great for 90th percentile amongst certified remedies in most associated with football. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. Do you have a blog? He was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a nine-time member of the All-NBA First Team. Knight said(to the effect).."I didn't handle that well, I just let him goI had a lot of good players(at the time) who were happy to be where they wereto me, we had a great team shaping up and I didn; envision Bird playing much for us until he was a junior, anyway. 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. Surgery to remove bone spurs from both heels limited Bird to only six games in 1988-89. After the 2011-12 season, Bird stepped down as the Pacers president of basketball operations, citing health issues. He scored 136 points in five NCAA tournament games, leading the Sycamores to the national championship game, where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. A defensive maven who stifled some of the best stars, Dennis Johnson was an All-Star, a Finals MVP and won three NBA titles. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. 2023 NCAA | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Larry Bird goes to the basket against DePaul in the 1979 Final Four. 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. Indiana State coach Bill Hodges, by the way, wasnt just in his first year as Indiana States head coach. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. when they were picking teams! There is the Larry Bird people know, the Boston Celtics legend, the hick from French Lick, the Indiana State University basketball king. 1988 Men's NCAA, 2019 Women's NCAA, 1940 Men's NCAA, 2006 Women's NCAA, 1981 Men's NCAA. Larry Bird SF #33. What if former IU football coach Clyde Smith hadnt resigned after an open and undercover campaign to oust him? Larry Bird - Wikipedia Tiago Splitter solid in NBA playoff debut Beginning with favorable, Pagns TIME is normally 2 . Larry Bird | Basketball Wiki | Fandom 29 years later, Larry Bird's trash talk still resonates Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. He's an impressive figure with incredible rivalries, but there are still tons of things that younger NBA fans should know about Larry Legend. He is a graduate of Indiana University. ", 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. All rights reserved. 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. He was selected to play in 12 All-Star games. Larry Joe Bird He just hammered him for being lackadaisical off of the screen and made him leave the open gym session. We present them here for purely educational purposes. No other player in his era was as good or as consistent a shooter as Bird. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. LeBron James Vs Larry Bird: A Statistical Comparison - Sportskeeda He scored zero points while wearing cream and crimson, however. One basketball coach, however, apparently missed the memo. Larry Bird once played college baseball as a dare, and he was actually 18 Alabama and No. 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. Larry Bird Dominated Rodney Rogers in Dream Team Game After - Insider Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Larry Bird vs Steven Adams. Gambling problem? The Sycamores went 81-13 during Bird's three-year career. This blog is forever grateful for the meme template that sweet, sweet banner gave us. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography 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. After working at municipal jobs for a year Bird enrolled at Indiana State and was accepted into their program. Larry Bird's Wife Keeps a Low Profile - FanBuzz Larry Bird vs Michael Jordan Stats Comparison | Career All Time Stats The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. But he has said many times over the years that he would have never been able to play for Bob Knight. In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta, Bird engaged in a memorable fourth-quarter shootout with the Hawks Dominique Wilkins. I think they may even have been on the floor together. January 19, 2023 3:00 am ET. On February 6, 1988, Larry Bird won his 3rd consecutive 3-point Contest while still wearing his warm-up jacket. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. (If youre looking for a new throwback jersey to wear at darties whenever all this is over, get your hands on a Larry Bird Northwood jersey. Comparison Between Larry Bird and Other NBA Stars - LandOfBasketball.com Couldn't have happened. Larry Bird's college career. His NBA years : from 1980 to 1992 Larry Bird NBA Stats Summary : Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. There is no question about his eligibility.. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell teamed up to oust the Rockets in Game 6 of The Finals in 1981. With Larry Bird, the 77 Hoosiers are probably a 20-win team and closer to their preseason No. Birth City: West Baden Springs. Larry Bird drafted by Red Auerbach | RetroSeasons UNLV 77, Duke 79, Kentucky 103, Duke 104, Notre Dame 91, UConn 89, Texas A&M 63, Stanford 62. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. Name: Larry Bird. 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. Check out the top highlights and plays from Larry Bird's storied NBA career. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 16 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game, Tied for first in semifinal history with 16 made field goals against DePaul, Second-leading scorer in the country in 1978: 30.0 points per game, Second-leading scorer in the country in 1979: 28.6 points per game, Third-leading scorer in the country in 1977: 32.8 points per game, Sixth all-time (since 1973) in rebounds in a season: 505 rebounds (1979), Tied for seventh with a two-game Final Four rebound total of 29 rebounds in 1979, Eighth in Final Four history with an 84.2 shooting percentage against DePaul, Tied for eighth all-time in career rebounding average: 13.3 rebounds per game, Ninth in NCAA tournament history (since 1973) with 67 rebounds in a single NCAA tournament, Tied for 13th all-time in double-doubles in a season: 28 double-doubles (1979), 15th all-time in career scoring average (min. 7 Michigan State, No. Even though he had never coached a game in his life, the Pacers had no qualms about turning over the reins to Bird. He has compiled 1,556 steals, in addition to 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. 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. ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. 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. Started collecting garbage upon his return to French Lick. The Larry Bird Draft Story | SQUAD, LLC On Aug. 18, 1992 he announced his retirement as a player. Larry Bird | Biography & Facts | Britannica forty-five, the most effective larry bird [] 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. Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 assists, and 4.5 steals in 82 games during his rookie season in 1979-80. But Bird finally came to Boston for the 1979-80 campaign and sparked one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NBA history. ", Indiana State teammate Carl Nicks: "It's a tremendous feeling to play with him he brings out the best in everybody. 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. 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. 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. You wont find much on Larry Birds short-lived baseball career, but those who were there wont soon forget. Carr was his best teammate. Larry Bird began his college career at Indiana alongside Bob Knight . Jobbade sedan i Celtics frn 1992 till 1997 och coachade sedan Indiana Pacers frn 1997 till 2000. Imagine Thomas, Bird and Magic on the same team. 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. Odds & lines subject to change. He led the league in free-throw percentage four times. 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 Bird's release. What if Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? 10 Things Younger NBA Fans Should Know About Larry Bird - TheSportster "All that shooting off the side of a barn turned into Bird becoming a high school star. Their top eight scorers eventually played in the NBA and they were a 31-1 juggernaut that ran through the Big Ten gauntlet unscathed and suffered their only loss of the season against Kentucky, 92-90, in the regional final. Larry BIRD Biography, Olympic Medals, Records and Age 13, but spent most of the season outside of the AP poll. He was named the NL's Freshman of the Year after playing in his first All-Star game. His focus was on the court. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Knight said.." I first saw him play for Spring Valley HS, about 60 miles south of Bloomington physically he wasn't the Larry Bird everybody remembers..as a HS senior he was about 6-'6" and around 180lbs. So he cut the ties and went home. Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell speaks out on GOAT, today's NBA, Larry Bird Do you have a blog? 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. Celtics Wire. 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. six players on the first team and . In reality, he spent most of the next five years in Florida, playing golf and taking it easy. "By noon, Bird appeared at a press conference, a rarity in his scheme of things. In his other eight seasons as a DI head coach, he won just 96 games and compiled a .384 winning percentage. The three-time NBA champion played 94 games with the Sycamores. 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. Hardly a change of clothes each day. ", 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. 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. Get to know Larry Bird: Stats, records and more - RSN He even plays defense, although that's not what's causing the NBA Boston Celtics to salivate over him.". The avid outdoorsman who also has a passion for country music, auto racing, golf and the St. Louis Cardinals has many interests. Larry Bird Had 1 Requirement When He Returned to Indiana State for His Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more 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) Thanks Jimmie. Bird was nicknamed Larry Legend and The Hick from French Lick, after his hometown in Indiana. 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. How Much Is A Larry Bird Basketball Card Worth Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Layed him out cold. Get to know more about the C's legend below: Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Bird received a scholarship to play for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974, but he dropped out after only one month at Indiana University. 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. Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins battled each other during a classic Game 7 in 1988. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Experience: 13 years. Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. 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. Larry Bird Career NBA Coaching Record and Bio - ESPN 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. Home; Tickets; Schedule. It wasnt just that Bird played; he stunned everyone watching that day. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. It was merely an escalated version of Warns usual brand of teasing, but Bird had enough and was ready to prove a point. 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. 2 Notre Dame, No. 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). May 16, 2022. Finally, with the Celtics in a decline that hit bottom in 1996-97, Bird decided to take the plunge.