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. Hodges said of Bird, "His only personal goal this year was to lead the nation in rebounds. But Knight was not impressed. 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. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Data Provided By 29 years later, Larry Bird's trash talk still resonates Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more Larry Bird Facts for Kids - Kiddle 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. Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. 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. where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. 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. Career information head-to-head including championships won, season and playoff stats, honors and awards and more. So he cut the ties and went home. . He initially enrolled at Indiana University in 1974 but dropped out before the season began. 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 . His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. Learn more and register, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Bobby would have won another NC with Bird. 5 ranking than their final record that was just one game above .500, having not cracked the AP poll after December 20. He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced 3-pointers with his eyes closed. His coaching career was shot out of a Larry Bird-sized cannon with the Sycamores going 33-1 and posting a .971 winning percentage in his rookie campaign. 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. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. OT: Larry Bird College Statistics. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. During his career he shot .496 from the floor and .886 from the free-throw line, retiring as the fifth all-time free-throw shooter behind Mark Price, Rick Barry, Calvin Murphy and Scott Skiles. The College Jersey Store consists of a significant selection of Indiana State Larry Bird Jerseys, such as Mens, Womens and Kids, swingman, limited, Authentic and throwback jerseys for all, Away Larry Bird Indiana State Jersey at Out Online Retail Outlet 24-7. It was merely an escalated version of Warns usual brand of teasing, but Bird had enough and was ready to prove a point. He was unflappable and virtually unstoppable. He thought he had been playing pretty damn good that day. 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). The Boston Celtics had selected him in the 1978 NBA Draft, hoping that Bird, who had become eligible for the NBA after his junior year, might forgo his senior season-but knowing he was worth the wait even if he didnt. He also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. 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. The Hoosiers went 14-13 in 1977, later having their record adjusted to 16-11 after Minnesota was forced to forfeit two wins. List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders Larry Bird: The Greatest Basketball Player Of All Time 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. 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". Larry Bird is recognized as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He has tallied 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 dimes. He was particularly hard on freshmen players, such as a young Larry Bird. All rights reserved. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Han slutade spela i NBA 1992. With Bird as the focal point of a well-rounded squad, the Celtics won three NBA titles and 10 Atlantic Division crowns. Other notable performances by Bird include his career-high 49 points against Wichita State in February 1979, scoring 29 points in the first half against Butler in December 1978, just 10 months after he dropped 47 on the Bulldogs on the road. Odds & lines subject to change. And Warn, firm in his belief Bird would look foolish on a baseball field, was willing to give him the chance to embarrass himself. In 1977-78 the Celtics had compiled a 32-50 record, their worst since 1949-50. not larry bird basketball shorts 9%, the greatest considering that 2019 plus great for 90th percentile amongst certified remedies in most associated with football. Experience: 13 years. 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. At the time, Bird was a junior at Indiana State University and decided he wanted to play his senior year . Name: Larry Bird. He was there to prove a point. 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. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Twelve of the top 14 picks in that years draft were seniors, with the other two non-seniors being juniors Kenny Carr and Bernard King, so staying all four years of college was still very much the norm then. The .500 batting average still exists in Indiana State history books as one of the highest ever recorded by a player for the team. Larry Bird's baseball career: A lofty .500 batting average UCLA beat Montana by just three points in its second tournament game, proving the Bruins were a resilient, but mortal, champion. It was his first season ever as a college head coach. Larry Bird once played college baseball as a dare, and he was actually good, The Clippers Russell Westbrook experiment is off to a terrible start. Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. One basketball coach, however, apparently missed the memo. Bird, the Coach of the Year in 1997-98, resigned as Pacers coach after Indianas Finals appearance. RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Friday's 10-game slate. Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson Stats. The avid outdoorsman who also has a passion for country music, auto racing, golf and the St. Louis Cardinals has many interests. The pair made an agreement: A non-conference doubleheader was looming against Kentucky Wesleyan, a perfect low-risk opportunity to put Bird in a baseball uniform. He starred in college at Indiana State, taking them to the NCAA final game in 1979, virtually as a one-man team. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Larry Bird - Stats, Age & Height - Biography All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. Larry Bird SF #33. You can watch the full replay of the '79 title game below. In a first-round series that year, Bird badly bruised his face in a second-quarter fall in Game 5 against Indiana. The small forward had just led Indiana State to a 33-1 season, with the team's sole loss coming to Magic Johnson . However, he was eligible to be drafted without applying for "hardship" because his original college class at Indiana University had graduated. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 83.3 free throw percentage in an NCAA tournament game (min. Extremely high basketball IQ, pure heart and hustle. In one of the only noteworthy gaffes of his career, Bird missed a routine layup in overtime that would have tied Game 4 of a playoff series with Cleveland that spring. 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! We present them here for purely educational purposes. For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, from 1979-80 through 1991-92, Bird personified hustle, consistency and excellence in all areas of play as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer. Having grabbed 7,217 defensive rebounds and 1,757 offensive, Bird has accumulated 8,974 total rebounds during his NBA career. The Cavaliers won in seven games; Boston lost three of the four games couldnt play because of his back. 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. Bird poured in 20 points in the final period to outdo his counterpart and lead the Celtics to victory even though he had bronchial pneumonia. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 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. 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. 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. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. Bird helped rebuild a Celtics franchise that had been suffering from sub-standard play and poor attendance in the late 1970s. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. What if Larry Bird hadn't transferred from IU? ", 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. Coming out of Springs Valley, Bird chose IU over Indiana State and Purdue after being pursued by more than 50 schools, according to The Herald (Jasper, Ind.). We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. What if Phil Dickens and IU football hadnt gotten the whole dang department sanctioned? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 9:21 AM, , User Since 143 months ago, User Post Count: 15682, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 9:44 AM, , User Since 105 months ago, User Post Count: 1757, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 9:46 AM, , User Since 140 months ago, User Post Count: 6281, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 10:23 AM, V I P, User Since 219 months ago, User Post Count: 9143, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 10:42 AM, , User Since 143 months ago, User Post Count: 15682, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 5:40 PM, , User Since 145 months ago, User Post Count: 42940, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 5:44 PM, V I P, User Since 257 months ago, User Post Count: 92590, Posted on Mar 25th, 2016, 6:42 PM, , User Since 145 months ago, User Post Count: 4686, Posted on Mar 29th, 2016, 11:30 PM, , User Since 118 months ago, User Post Count: 717, Posted on Mar 30th, 2016, 7:09 AM, , User Since 143 months ago, User Post Count: 15682, Locked Topic - No more replies can be posted. The following year was Birds last. 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). The high school senior was drawing interest from top programs across the country, especially after he added six inches and 50 pounds in roughly two years, but he was focused on the in-state schools recruiting him. You wont find much on Larry Birds short-lived baseball career, but those who were there wont soon forget. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. Larry Bird and Cedric Maxwell teamed up to oust the Rockets in Game 6 of The Finals in 1981. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. It would have been easy for the story to end here, with a healthy round of shit-talking and little else. Knight said that when Bird came to campus in the Fall of 1974, and the team would organize pick up games, that Bird would commonly get left out and would not be picked NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points, NBA Fantasy: Under-the-radar additions for playoffs, Magic's Isaac (torn adductor) out for rest of season, Triple-double win streak shows Jokic dominance, NBA DFS Picks: Yahoo plays and strategy for March 3. If I could, I'd like to play with him forever.". Adding Bird to that IU team is almost an embarrassment of riches, giving the sports last undefeated champion a player who was named one of the top 15 players ever in the NCAA tournament during the 75 Years of March Madness Celebration in 2013. The Hoosiers were still very good, winning national titles in 1976 and 1981, and maybe Bird gives the Hoosiers another in 1975 or 1978, making that three chips in a six- or seven-year span. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. He is a graduate of Indiana University. On a grander scale, however, college basketball may have needed Birds run with Indiana State to really make March Madness the spectacle it is today. And then there is a lesser known Bird, the college baseball . The story was news to me. Gender: Male. He was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a nine-time member of the All-NBA First Team. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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. It was interesting to me a I never knew that Larry Bird had signed to play for Indiana, and the story of how he ended up at Indiana Stateinteresting stuff! Larry Bird - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Larry Bird's journey began in the small rural community of French Lick, Indiana. Here you have the answers. 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. Looking at his stats alone, he is known as one of the greatest pure shooters in . Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. 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. Despite joking that he hoped he could get the Xs and Os right in the huddle, and that he didnt draw up any plays with himself in them, Bird approached his new role with typical aww-shucks aplomb. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Do you have a blog? Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Larry Bird was such a player. Bird finished runner-up to Moses Malone for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, as he would the following year. He has accounted for 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. ---------------------------------------------------- Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Durant, a four-time scoring champion, now sets his sights on Hakeem Olajuwon in 12th place. 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. 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). At Springs Valley High, Bird scored 1,125 career points, averaged 30.6 points and 20.5 rebounds," Dana Hunsinger Benbow recounted in the Indianapolis Star. Larry Bird was a co-star of one of the greatest college basketball national championship games ever Bird vs. Magic, when the undefeated Indiana State Sycamores took on the co-Big Ten champion Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 championship. 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. 1988 Men's NCAA, 2019 Women's NCAA, 1940 Men's NCAA, 2006 Women's NCAA, 1981 Men's NCAA. 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 . With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. Anytime you have Bird on the floor, anything can happen, Portlands Clyde Drexler told theBoston Heraldafter the game. What if Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? Thats what a coach has to do.. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. Larry Bird - bhavik blogs Join our linker program. 'Can I stay in bed?' OT: Larry Bird College Statistics - RealGM Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. 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. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Complete NBA coaching record for Larry Bird, including regular season and postseason games. Larry Bird left IU in mid-September of his freshman year, citing too heavy of a course load and his desire to be closer to home. Larry BIRD Biography, Olympic Medals, Records and Age Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. He even plays defense, although that's not what's causing the NBA Boston Celtics to salivate over him.". 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. What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU. It wasnt just that Bird played; he stunned everyone watching that day. 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. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. . 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 was a standout in Boston and one of the NBAs most iconic players ever. 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? Check out 50 great assists by Larry Bird. He wasnt named to the Associated Press six-player All-State first team or nine-player second team, despite averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds, once putting up 55 points in a game for Springs Valley High School and 34 rebounds in another. As of today, his net worth is around $75 million. 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. Neither Birds hometown of French Lick nor West Baden had a daily newspaper at the time, nor was either home to a radio or TV station. Bird and Johnson were already playing their first year in the NBA by then. It's because of Bird. Larry Legend dragged a coach to the national championship game who later had a five-win season and a three-win season in something called the Trans America Athletic Conference while coaching Mercer. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Larry Bird Ball was the most popular sport in Terre Haute. Who Were Larry Bird's Best Teammates? The Top 11 Ranked To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. A pioneering sixth man, Kevin McHale won three titles with the Celtics in the 1980s. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Birds three-year career. Bird was 20, 21 and 22 years old when he eventually played college ball for Indiana State. Real men play with balls this size, Warn said, glaring at Bird.