Short answers, pulled from the story.
Larry Joe Bird was born on the 7th of December 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana. He grew up poor in nearby French Lick while his mother held two jobs to support him and four brothers plus one sister.
Bird led the Indiana State Sycamores to a perfect thirty-three zero season during his three-year tenure at Indiana State University. The team reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history facing Michigan State in the national championship game.
Bird signed a five-year contract worth $3.25 million on June 8 making him the highest-paid rookie in sports history. This deal came after the Boston Celtics selected him sixth overall in the 1978 NBA draft but he chose to return to Indiana State for another season.
Bird announced his retirement from the NBA on the 18th of August 1992 after missing thirty-seven games due to recurring back problems. His chronic back issues began when he injured himself shoveling crushed rock at his mother's house during the 1985 offseason.
Larry Bird became the only forward in league history to win three consecutive Most Valuable Player Awards spanning 1984 through 1986. He recorded a triple-double of twenty-nine points eleven rebounds and twelve assists in Game Six of the Finals against the Houston Rockets during this dominant period.