1988–89 season after major surgery on both heels. Bird returned home to French Lick where he enrolled in the nearby Northwood Institute before dropping out and getting a job with the Street Department (the department picked up garbage, repaired roads, removed snow, mowed lawns, etc.) That year, Bird won the USBWA College Player of the Year, Naismith and Wooden Awards, given to the year's top male college basketball player. His father was a veteran of the Korean War.
Bird averaged 27.4 points on .484 shooting and 14 rebounds a game during the series, earning the award of Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Bird always played
The contract signed on June 8, 1979, gave Bird $650,000 per softball. He always seemed to know where he should go and where he Following Bird's departure, the Celtics promptly retired his jersey number 33. 39–40. In 2007, he was voted as one of the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball 50 greatest players.The Boston Celtics selected the 6'9", 220-pound Bird 6th overall in the 1978 NBA Draft, even though they were uncertain whether he would enter the NBA or remain at Indiana State to play his senior season. Is twice-married, and the father of 3 children. (8 June 1979) Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird.—Magic Johnson, as quoted at Bird's retirement party.In 1999, Bird ranked #30 in ESPN's SportsCentury's 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century.For the 2008 NBA Finals, which featured a rematch of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, Bird appeared in a split-screen advertisement with Magic Johnson (as part of the "There Can Only Be One" campaign which had played throughout the 2008 NBA Playoffs but to that point only featured players from the two teams competing in a given series) discussing the meaning of rivalries.Bird was widely considered one of Red Auerbach's favorite players. NBA All-Star Game MVP (1982). by attacking every game with every ounce of effort.
In 1980, despite a strong rookie season from Johnson, Bird was named the league's Rookie of the Year and was voted onto the Eastern Conference All-Star team (an honor he would receive for each of his 12 full seasons in the NBA).
had enough coal to stay warm, but many nights the old furnace would impressive physical specimen and retained his agility (ability to move Bird did not According to Bird, his being poor as a child "motivates me to this day". On June 27, 2012, a day before the 2012 NBA Draft, Bird and the Pacers parted ways. The Celtics would fall short in 1988 losing to the Pistons in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Pistons made up from the heartbreak the previous season. His father managed to find factory work in the He attended Indiana University briefly, then transferred to Indiana State University in Terre Haute. After his three seasons at Indiana State, he left as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Unspectacular but effective defensive moves, such as jumping into a passing lane to make a steal or allowing his man to step past and drive to the hoop, then blocking the opponent's shot from behind, were staples of Bird's defensive game.
on the team, the same Sycamores earned a 25–3 record—their
After dropping out of Indiana University, he hitch-hiked back home to French Lick, worked for a year, and then enrolled at Indiana State University. When he realized he might excel in
committed suicide. Larry Bird was born on December 7, 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana. Following Bird's departure, the Celtics promptly retired his jersey number 33.In 1989, Bird published his autobiography, Drive: The Story of My Life with Bob Ryan. At least partially as a result of this, he experienced back problems for the remainder of his career.On November 27, 1985, Bird recorded 47 points to go along with 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a 132–124 win over the Detroit Pistons.With averages of 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and 2 steals per game, Bird became just the third player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP Awards.The '86 Celtics are commonly ranked as one of the greatest basketball teams of all-time, with the Throughout the 1980s, contests between the Celtics and the Lakers—both during the regular season and in the Finals—attracted enormous television audiences. Geni requires JavaScript! Larry Bird was born on December 7, 1956. Other observers called him "The Great White Hope". Few players have left a mark on 1980s professional basketball like Larry At 6 feet 7 inches (2 meters) he became an The sharpshooting Bird made his name stepping up his performance in critical situations, and is credited with a long list of dominating games, buzzer beaters and clutch defensive plays. practicing both with his team and alone. Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year