Larry Joe Bird Call 1-800-GAMBLER. For one day, Bird got to prove he wasnt just a basketball player icing up in the locker room; he was a star at anything he wanted to try. One basketball coach, however, apparently missed the memo. It is amazing how extreme insecurity can drive a person. 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. May 12, 1997: Hired as Head Coach by the Indiana Pacers. In an effort to stop Bird, Bradley coach Dick Versace installed what was referred to as the "Bird's Nest Defense," where two defenders would guard Bird and the other three defenders would cover the four other Sycamores. 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. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana On February 6, 1988, Larry Bird won his 3rd consecutive 3-point Contest while still wearing his warm-up jacket. Bird always held a chip on his shoulder over that, even decades later. 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? Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. For reference, the 2019 national championship game drew a 22 percent share. Far from it. 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. It's because of Bird. Hes very intense. Talking trash to Larry Bird rarely ever ended well, as former NBA player Rodney Rogers found out the hard way. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Larry Bird Comparisons: ( players sorted by last name ) - A-Larry Bird vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. He was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a nine-time member of the All-NBA First Team. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Bird's three-year career. That may have been to his detriment when he was a senior in high school. Then he left the local junior college, Northwood Institute. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. "By noon, Bird appeared at a press conference, a rarity in his scheme of things. Larry Bird's book is incredible. 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. Couldn't have happened. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. And in the 2000 NBA Finals, the Pacers succumbed in a six-game series to the Lakers, led by Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant, for the Lakers first of three consecutive titles. 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. Indianapolis Star. Larry Bird has helped define the way a generation of basketball fans has come to view and appreciate the NBA, said Commissioner David J. Stern when Bird retired due to a painful back condition in 1992, after capturing a gold medal with the original Dream Team at the Olympics in Barcelona. 0%, great for twelfth throughout MLB between eligible remedies. Martin Fennelly Former Sports columnist. Find out more. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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). Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell teamed up to oust the Rockets in Game 6 of The Finals in 1981. TV stations showed film clips of Bird instead of commercials. 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! Carreira Basquete universitrio. Larry Bird, AKA "Larry Legend," was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. Jobbade sedan i Celtics frn 1992 till 1997 och coachade sedan Indiana Pacers frn 1997 till 2000. Students skipped class to line up for tickets eight hours before tipoff. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers of all time, it . 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. Celtics Wire. Check out 50 great assists by Larry Bird. ", Indiana State teammate Carl Nicks: "It's a tremendous feeling to play with him he brings out the best in everybody. 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. Check out the top highlights and plays from Larry Bird's storied NBA career. 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 redshirted (sat out) his freshman year, and therefore, like Maravich, Robertson, and Hayes, his totals were also achieved in only three . Bird was so self-confident that he was known to waltz up to the opponents bench before tipoff and predict a 40-point performance for himself. 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. In order to finish his college degree, Larry Bird was working at Ballinger's school as a physical education student-teacher just weeks before becoming an . He missed the competition, and with each passing year the urge grew to get back into the NBA in a more active capacity. Wore the number 33 on his basketball jersey in high school, college and with the Boston Celtics. Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game, vividly remembering Birds bizarre, ungainly swing. Benson, of course, was a God in Indiana. When the doubleheader was over, hed finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs while recording nine putouts from first base in the second game. "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. After the 2011-12 season, Bird stepped down as the Pacers president of basketball operations, citing health issues. Larry Bird's journey began in the small rural community of French Lick, Indiana. 0:05. Surgery to remove bone spurs from both heels limited Bird to only six games in 1988-89. "All that shooting off the side of a barn turned into Bird becoming a high school star. The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. When Bird elected to return to Indiana State for one more year, the Celtics dipped to 29-53. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. They thought scoring was more important, but passing is important.". According to a warrant for Morrow's arrest, he's facing charges of assault by strangulation, second-degree kidnapping and communicating threats. With five seconds remaining and the Celtics trailing 107-106, Bird stole an Isiah Thomas inbounds pass and fed Dennis Johnson, whose layup gave Boston the win. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. All rights reserved. 11 in the AP poll that season and finished the year ranked No. That came in spite of Bird playing with a fracture in his left thumb in the Final Four after getting hurt against Arkansas. "'You appear to be enjoying this,' one reporter commented. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9, 220lb (206cm, 99kg) . Three Things: Indiana womens basketball defeats Michigan State 94-85. He's an impressive figure with incredible rivalries, but there are still tons of things that younger NBA fans should know about Larry Legend. 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. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. At different times, Bird has been quoted saying either Dennis Johnson or M.L. not larry bird basketball shorts 9%, the greatest considering that 2019 plus great for 90th percentile amongst certified remedies in most associated with football. Scott Horner. Gambling problem? Three-time NBA champion with Boston Celtics - 1981 . ", 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. The small forward had just led Indiana State to a 33-1 season, with the team's sole loss coming to Magic Johnson . (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana, High School: Bird chose IU because he likes coach Bobby Knight, the players, the fans and the way they have things set up there, according to The Noblesville Ledger. The first inkling to Bobby Knight that things had changed wiht Larry Bird was from a former player who called Knight, and said" he had just seen Bird playing in an outdoor tournment in Lebanon, and he was a "beast" at 6'-9' and around 225#and by that time Bird was al set at Indiana State. He became only the third player (and the first non-center) to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. Everyone knew Bird was destined for greatness in the NBA, but that didnt stop Indiana State baseball coach Bob Warn from roasting him. 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. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU? He initially enrolled at Indiana University in 1974 but dropped out before the season began. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. 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. Bird was 20, 21 and 22 years old when he eventually played college ball for Indiana State. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Larry Bird stats. Home; Tickets; Schedule. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? See our ethics statement. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. 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Bird passed Otis Birdsong to become the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer of all-timewith a free throw early in the championship game. Larry Bird - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . Known as 'Chief', Parish played 21 seasons in the NBA and was one of the mainstays in Boston during the '80s, leading the Celtics to three titles. But his arrogant attitude is hardly a big surprise to those who know about Benson. 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. Larry Bird vs Steven Adams. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Indiana State went 81-13 during the three seasons in which Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. (. Bird played with a total of eight Hall of Fame players, though a couple played only a few games alongside him. And Warn, firm in his belief Bird would look foolish on a baseball field, was willing to give him the chance to embarrass himself. Bobby said at this same time he (Knight) made a very huge mistake with having Bird room with an exceptional sophistcated player, with a very vibrant personalitythe complete opposite of Bird ..it was a very bad match-up..and Bird left school even before pre-season practice had started..He hitchiked home.and stayed! The story was news to me. 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. At one point, Kentucky was the first school to do the heavy recruiting, according to The Heralds Jerry Birge. Do you have a sports website? The Top 11 Ranked. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. No-Trouble Returns upon All orders. Wins over No. The Hick from French Lick. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU. 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. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. He is a graduate of Indiana University. He pulls people together. 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. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. What if Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? Career NBA statistics; Points: Rebounds: Assists: Stats at Basketball-Reference.com: . Bird took just two shots that night and made both, according to the Philadelphia Daily News, while he helped teammates Carl Nicks and Steve Reed score 50 combined. Bird didnt let the team down. 10 Bird Was A Part Of The Most Watched College Game Ever Having grabbed 7,217 defensive rebounds and 1,757 offensive, Bird has accumulated 8,974 total rebounds during his NBA career. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points short of averaging 30 per contest. > Archive 75: Larry Bird| 75 Stories: Larry Bird. Larry Bird's best teammates included Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson. No other player in his era was as good or as consistent a shooter as Bird. Only a few photos exist from the game, but seeing it live would have been legendary. That was excellent. Bird once again led the team in points (21.2 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg), steals (161), and minutes (3,239). Taking a look at the numbers behind Nikola Jokic's historic season for the Nuggets. Here you have the answers. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Hardly a change of clothes each day. What if Sam Wyche didnt leave IU after only 1 season? 13, but spent most of the season outside of the AP poll. Navigation Toggle NBA. 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. Or write about sports? Tiago Splitter solid in NBA playoff debut Beginning with favorable, Pagns TIME is normally 2 . Their coach, Bill Hodges, is in his first year, the first rookie ever to take an undefeated team to the tournament final. NCAA Tournament. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. 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? We talked Hoosiers with our buddy at Hoopla. The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. Gambling problem? But there were plenty more heroics yet to come. Born: Dec 7, 1956 (66 years old) . Larry Bird. But he has said many times over the years that he would have never been able to play for Bob Knight. 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. 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. Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins battled each other during a classic Game 7 in 1988. Bird returned to his role with the Pacers in 2013 before stepping down in 2017 to assume an advisory role for the franchise. Thanks Lincoln- nice post and pretty much confirms what my book about Knight, and how he thought Benson could "do no wrong" while at Indiana. Larry Bird - net worth, private life. Mark Bird's college team, where he became one of the school's best all-time players. 18 Alabama and No. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. (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. I think they may even have been on the floor together. This blog is forever grateful for the meme template that sweet, sweet banner gave us. He was seemingly able to get almost any shot he wanted whether it was 30 seconds after the tip or with as much time left on the clock . Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. What if IU hired Jerry Tarkanian instead of Bob Knight, What if IU had solved Syracuses zone in 2013. How does Larry Bird compare with other great NBA players? and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare, Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game. Here are some of the awards Larry Bird won in college: However, Bird was all business in spite of the awards he won and the fanfare he received. Birds legend was born in the tiny town of French Lick, snuggled in Indianas corn country, where his family led a spartan life. 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. ), 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. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, former coach and former executive. He even plays defense, although that's not what's causing the NBA Boston Celtics to salivate over him.". With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. You wont find much on Larry Birds short-lived baseball career, but those who were there wont soon forget. Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. There is no question about his eligibility.. Larry Bird is recognized as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. I heard this story once and I believe it is true. 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. Body Measurement Of Larry Bird. School: Indiana StatePosition: ForwardHeight: 6-9Weight: 220 poundsYears active: 1976-79NCAA tournament record: 4-1Career averages: 30.3 points per game, 13.3 rebounds per game, 4.6 assists per game, 53.3% shooting. Nearly 30 years ago, then-college basketball star Jamal Mashburn saw Larry Bird in a hotel prior to a week of scrimmages between The Dream Team and some of the country's top college players. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Birth Year: 1956. The Whole Bird thing reminds me of that old country song"I overlooked and orchid while searching for a rose"! By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. Larry Bird. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. But none of those things kept him in Bloomington, as he was gone before homecoming his freshman year. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. So, what will Larry Bird's age, height, and weight be in 2021? Do you have a sports website? Year Event GP MIN PTS FGM FGA FG% 3PM 3PA 3PT% FTM FTA FT% TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF Place; 1992: Olympic Games . I'm going to assume this is legit because he lists about 20 million sources at the end of it. Join our linker program. 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. 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? Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Born in 1956, in the state of Indiana, this player is known as the biggest reason behind why the Boston Celtics were led to the NBA championship in 1981, 1984, and 1986. The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. Bird's status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. Birds 19 points in the 1982 NBA All-Star Game, including 12 of the Easts last 15, earned him the games MVP trophy. In his first season, the Pacers with Reggie Miller as their main weapon were defeated by the defending-champion Chicago Bulls and Jordan in a tough seven-game conference finals series. 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. UCLA beat Montana by just three points in its second tournament game, proving the Bruins were a resilient, but mortal, champion. Finally, Bird enrolled at Indiana State, which had posted 12-14 records in each of the two previous years and where the pressure was not quite the same as at Indiana a perennial Big Ten power and national title contender. So he cut the ties and went home. Complete NBA coaching record for Larry Bird, including regular season and postseason games. Player Season Finder . 1 ranking. Do you have a blog? Find out more. 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. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. But Knight was not impressed. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. He has accounted for 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. A crafty defensive player, Birds most famous steal came in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit. Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. He and owner Herb Simon had discussed his eventual departure for a few years. View Comments. RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. The experience shook Bird. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. He started his college career in the fall of 1979. 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. His career averages were 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 897 regular season games. College: Indiana State (1976-1979) NBA draft: 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall: . Bird recalls in his Book "Drive"--which he wrote late in his playing career-- how he never missed an opportunity to take it to Benson during their NBA days. Bird found the transition to college life difficult. Bird had a double-double in all five NCAA tournament games he played in that year. 5 ranking than their final record that was just one game above .500, having not cracked the AP poll after December 20. That story is largely lost to time and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare. Larry Bird was originally in the recruiting class of 1974. Do you have a sports website? Their 9-9 Big Ten record was bumped to 11-7, making a tough transition year appear a little less harsh in the history books. 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. Then one day, Warn called Bird a wuss for his seemingly endless postgame recovery and threw down the gauntlet when he picked up a baseball. Those would be my first two." When asked if personal statistics matter, he responded: "Yes, it is about numbers. 19 Minnesota showed the teams potential. Following a sophomore season that was shortened by a broken ankle, Bird emerged as a star during his junior year. College Basketball Scores. Springs Valley went 19-2 and young Larry became a local celebrity. Bird was often checked by Magic Johnson in Michigan State's 2-3 matchup zone in theepic clash of two all-time greats. A defensive maven who stifled some of the best stars, Dennis Johnson was an All-Star, a Finals MVP and won three NBA titles. I have all the confidence in the world that Ill be able to handle these guys and do the things that are necessary to win games.. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. He was selected to play in 12 All-Star games. Become an Annual VIP member today and get access to VIP content, ad-free forums & more. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. As many observed, he would see plays not as they were developing, but before they developed. On Aug. 18, 1992 he announced his retirement as a player. I didn't say that Bird was the best college basketball player of all time. Find out more. Larry used BB tThe internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. six players on the first team and . 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. Bird was raised in French Lick, Indiana, and attended Indiana State University, where he helped revive . "He's a great passer and an excellent rebounder. Data Provided By A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar.