Larry Bird

• 1. The Hick From French Lick

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  Larry Joe Bird was born on the 7th of December 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana. His father worked as a veteran of World War II and the Korean War before passing away from suicide in February 1975. Bird grew up poor in nearby French Lick where his mother held two jobs to support him and four brothers plus one sister. He wore jersey number 33 throughout his career because his brother Mark had worn it first. Bird played for Springs Valley High School and averaged thirty-one points per game during his senior year. He became the school's all-time scoring leader while developing a deep love for basketball that would define his life.

• 2. Indiana State And The Championship Game

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  Bird initially signed with coach Bob Knight at Indiana University but dropped out after only one month. He returned to French Lick and attended Northwood Institute before enrolling at Indiana State University in 1975. During his three-year tenure he led the Sycamores to an eighty-one win record including a perfect thirty-three zero season. The team reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history facing Michigan State in the national championship game. Bird scored nineteen points but made only seven of twenty-one shots as Michigan State won seventy-five to sixty-four. Despite losing the title game the matchup against Earvin Magic Johnson drew the highest television rating ever recorded for a college basketball game. Bird graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education.

• 3. Boston Celtics Dynasty Years

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  The Boston Celtics selected Bird sixth overall in the 1978 NBA draft but he chose to return to Indiana State for another season. Bird signed a five-year contract worth $3.25 million on June 8 making him the highest-paid rookie in sports history. His rookie season saw the team improve by thirty-two wins from the previous year ending first in the Eastern Conference. Bird averaged twenty-one point three points ten point four rebounds and four point five assists during that campaign. He won Rookie of the Year honors and made the All-Star Team. The Celtics advanced to the Finals in 1981 defeating the Houston Rockets in six games earning Bird his first championship. He later formed a legendary front court with Kevin McHale and Robert Parish considered one of the greatest units in league history.

• 4. Three Consecutive MVPs And Back Pain

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  Bird became the only forward in league history to win three consecutive Most Valuable Player Awards spanning 1984 through 1986. During the 1985 offseason he injured his back shoveling crushed rock at his mother's house which caused chronic problems for the rest of his career. Despite this injury he led the Celtics to sixty-seven wins in the 1985-86 season after acquiring Bill Walton. Bird recorded a triple-double of twenty-nine points eleven rebounds and twelve assists in Game Six of the Finals against the Houston Rockets. He scored forty-eight points on the 9th of December 1984 and set a franchise record with sixty points against the Atlanta Hawks on the 12th of March 1985. His back issues persisted throughout his career causing him to miss significant time in later seasons.

• 5. The Magic Johnson Rivalry

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  Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson created one of the greatest rivalries in sports history beginning with their college championship game loss. Either the Celtics or Lakers appeared in every NBA Finals series during the 1980s meeting three times total. Their contrasting styles drew enormous television audiences transforming the struggling league into a financial powerhouse. A 1980s Converse commercial depicted them as archenemies yet they became friends off the court. Johnson attended Bird's retirement ceremony on the 4th of February 1993 describing him as a friend forever. The rivalry changed how basketball was marketed making both stars central figures in the league's global expansion. Journalists noted that while they looked different they shared similar talents and team-oriented mindsets that captivated fans.

• 6. Retirement And Coaching Success

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  Bird announced his retirement from the NBA on the 18th of August 1992 after missing thirty-seven games due to recurring back problems. He played only four games in the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring permanently. Following his departure the Celtics promptly retired jersey number 33. Bird accepted the head coaching position for the Indiana Pacers in 1997 leading them to a fifty-eight win record in his first season. He won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 1997-98 campaign pushing the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Bird resigned after three years keeping his initial promise to coach briefly but later returned as president of basketball operations in 2003.