larry bird college stats larry bird college stats

(Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope), Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana, High School: What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU? / NBA. Bird was one of the best scorers in the country, a big forward who led the way for the Sycamores from the Missouri Valley Conference to the biggest national stage. I'm going to assume this is legit because he lists about 20 million sources at the end of it. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Larry Bird ranks as one of the all-time top players of the NBA. Larry Bird was such a player. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Birds three-year career. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. Career NBA statistics; Points: Rebounds: Assists: Stats at Basketball-Reference.com: . Surgery to remove bone spurs from both heels limited Bird to only six games in 1988-89. Let me be clear, college basketball would look and feel the same if Bird never transferred from IU to ISU, but the 1979 national championship game Bird vs. Magic is still the highest-rated college basketball game of all-time, with a 24.1 rating for a game in which 38 percent of all TVs in the country that were turned on at the time were tuned into Indiana State vs. Michigan State on NBC. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. He was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1998. 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. It was Bird's first experience with Knight in a gym setting. 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 . Gambling problem? Check out the top highlights and plays from Larry Bird's storied NBA career. "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Larry Bird in 2023. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. He pulls people together. Its also fair to speculate that the south wall of Assembly Hall might be a little more crowded if Larry Bird had never transferred from IU. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. Bird returned home to become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 1997 and led them to the conference finals. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Looking at his stats alone, he is known as one of the greatest pure shooters in . 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. Like many great national championship teams, IU faced a rebuild or a reload or whatever you want to call it the next year. The .500 batting average still exists in Indiana State history books as one of the highest ever recorded by a player for the team. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Everyone knew Bird was destined for greatness in the NBA, but that didnt stop Indiana State baseball coach Bob Warn from roasting him. What if Knute Rockne came to Bloomington in 1914 and changed the trajectory of IU football? He also owns Larry Birds Boston Connection, a hotel/restaurant in Terre Haute that also serves as a museum for many of his trophies and awards. He was unflappable and virtually unstoppable. He's a 3-time NBA Champion, a 12-time all-star, and he was named to countless NBA teams during his roughly 13 years on the Celtics. Bird was too insecure for the atmosphere there and Magic hated how Knight yelled and screamed and bullied players so he went to Mich State. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. 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! Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. Larry Bird's career NBA stats. See our ethics statement. Following a sophomore season that was shortened by a broken ankle, Bird emerged as a star during his junior year. Hodges allowed Bird to sleep in, which annoyed the folks who sponsored the brunch and the award, and some in the media. Larry Bird - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . 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. But Bird finally came to Boston for the 1979-80 campaign and sparked one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NBA history. 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. If I could, I'd like to play with him forever.". Indianapolis Star. 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. 11 in the AP poll that season and finished the year ranked No. 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. Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. 18 Alabama and No. Celtics Jamal Mashburn recalled how Larry Bird responded to trash-talk at a 'Dream Team' practice in 1992 "Hey Larry, you ain't hit a jumper since '84." In a nationally televised game against Portland in March, Bird pulled off one final miracle performance he scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including the Celtics last nine points and a game-tying 3-pointer with two seconds left. But none of those things kept him in Bloomington, as he was gone before homecoming his freshman year. On February 6, 1988, Larry Bird won his 3rd consecutive 3-point Contest while still wearing his warm-up jacket. A disk was removed from his back after the season, but it didnt help all that much. Indiana State went 81-13 during the three seasons in which Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. 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. 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. He definitely had a softball swing, Hayes recalled. In 1977-78 the Celtics had compiled a 32-50 record, their worst since 1949-50. Bird's status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. 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. Loved to watch him play. Couldn't have happened. Not just some guy. Mark Bird's college team, where he became one of the school's best all-time players. You can watch the full replay of the '79 title game below. Celtics Wire. Career Stats Game Log Splits. With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 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. Han slutade spela i NBA 1992. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. A crafty defensive player, Birds most famous steal came in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit. Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. Do you have a sports website? Students skipped class to line up for tickets eight hours before tipoff. Larry Bird's Wife Dinah Mattingly. "Larry Bird finishes things," said Dick Ballinger, the varsity head baseball coach at West Vigo High School in West Terre Haute, Indiana during the spring of 1979. 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. Larry Bird redshirted (sat out) his freshman year, and therefore, like Maravich, Robertson, and Hayes, his totals were also achieved in only three . Larry Bird. The Hoosiers went 14-13 in 1977, later having their record adjusted to 16-11 after Minnesota was forced to forfeit two wins. 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. An undefeated IU team with a healthy Scott May or Larry Bird, let alone both, wouldve made for a compelling matchup with Woodens final UCLA team. In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta, Bird engaged in a memorable fourth-quarter shootout with the Hawks Dominique Wilkins. He's an impressive figure with incredible rivalries, but there are still tons of things that younger NBA fans should know about Larry Legend. 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 Birds release. At different times, Bird has been quoted saying either Dennis Johnson or M.L. With Bird as the focal point of a well-rounded squad, the Celtics won three NBA titles and 10 Atlantic Division crowns. Larry used BB tThe internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. He has accounted for 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. Larry Bird Net Worth. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. 10 Bird Was A Part Of The Most Watched College Game Ever Birds status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. 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. 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. Become an Annual VIP member today and get access to VIP content, ad-free forums & more. And Warn, firm in his belief Bird would look foolish on a baseball field, was willing to give him the chance to embarrass himself. Bird's stats are about as crazy as one would expect one the greatest players of all time to be if they played in a mid-major conference. NCAA Tournament. On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Bird finished runner-up to Moses Malone for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, as he would the following year. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Bird helped rebuild a Celtics franchise that had been suffering from sub-standard play and poor attendance in the late 1970s. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He and owner Herb Simon had discussed his eventual departure for a few years. IU had three . Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Check out the detailed 1977-78 Indiana State Sycamores Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com "'You appear to be enjoying this,' one reporter commented. Bird signed autographs for fans in attendance and Kentucky Wesleyan players before walking off the field that day. He averaged better than 30 points and 10 rebounds for the Sycamores during his first campaign. Two months later, he signed his NBA contract with the Boston Celtics. 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. No other player in his era was as good or as consistent a shooter as Bird. Season-ticket sales tripled. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick) Bats Left, Throws Left; Height 6' 9", Weight 220 lb. In a first-round series that year, Bird badly bruised his face in a second-quarter fall in Game 5 against Indiana. In 1975, John Woodens last season, UCLA won its 10th national championship to cap off an NCAA tournament run in which it needed overtime to beat Michigan in the opening round and Louisville in the Final Four. Benson was an all time great college player, but really just a servicable pro. The following year Bird posted the third-longest free-throw streak in NBA history, hitting 71 consecutive attempts. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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. Fans were filling not only Boston Garden, which sold out the final 541 games of Birds career, but arenas all over the country to witness Birds exploits. Indiana womens basketball Q&A: HooplaWyatt on the Big Ten Tournament. They both finished their college playing careers in the spring of 1979. He has compiled 1,556 steals, in addition to 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. 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. He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. Sucker punch in OVC tournament leads to 3 ejections. He thought he had been playing pretty damn good that day. Despite being 6 feet 9 inches and 206 centimeters tall, he weighs just roughly 220 pounds and 100 kilograms. 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. Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) Two-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) . Looks like Bradley's coach on 2/10/79 tried to give Bird the same treatment . That story is largely lost to time and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare. On the day after his uniform was retired in basketball, Larry Bird took the field for both games of a doubleheader in baseball for the Indiana State Sycamores. Larry Bird's college stats were as incredible as his mustache he averaged more than 30 points and 13 rebounds in his collegiate career. So, what will Larry Bird's age, height, and weight be in 2021? 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. He scored zero points while wearing cream and crimson, however. He initially enrolled at Indiana University in 1974 but dropped out before the season began. That was excellent. And then there is a lesser known Bird, the college baseball . 'Can I stay in bed?' He was there to prove a point. (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. Birth date: December 7, 1956. Learn more and register, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. (. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former American professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. Not at the same time. Knight said.." I first saw him play for Spring Valley HS, about 60 miles south of Bloomington physically he wasn't the Larry Bird everybody remembers..as a HS senior he was about 6-'6" and around 180lbs. Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . 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. One newspaper in Indiana vaguely described the reason as personal dissatisfaction. He then enrolled at Northwood Institute, a two-year school with roughly 200 students in West Baden, Indiana, near his hometown of French Lick. He started out as an Indiana Hoosier but later left the school and team coached by the legendary Bobby Knight. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 83.3 free throw percentage in an NCAA tournament game (min. Fans always seemed to be willing to give a ride to Birds parents, who couldnt afford a car of their own. 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. Larry Bird SF #33. His last-second heroics, ranging from seemingly impossible reverse layups to miraculous 35-foot bombs over multiple defenders, never ceased to amaze those who followed his career. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 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 Store of the Larry Bird Indiana State Jersey for College. The three-time NBA champion played 94 games with the Sycamores. The only thing that wouldve been more painful for some IU fans than briefly landing Bird, only to see him become a folk hero up the road, would have been losing him to Kentucky. 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. Three-time NBA champion with Boston Celtics - 1981 . Birth City: West Baden Springs. Regarding per game stats, Bird is averaging 6.8 dimes and 9.6 rebounds. He started his college career in the fall of 1979. College: Indiana State (1976-1979) NBA draft: 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall: . He was a superstar in college basketball, in essence. He just hammered him for being lackadaisical off of the screen and made him leave the open gym session. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Then, however, a loud voice suddenly halted play. But his arrogant attitude is hardly a big surprise to those who know about Benson. Bird returned to his role with the Pacers in 2013 before stepping down in 2017 to assume an advisory role for the franchise. Hardly a change of clothes each day. The internet said that Bird's mother worked 2 jobs to care for Larry and his 5 siblings. As of 2023, Larry Bird's net worth is around $80 million; he has different income sources . All rights reserved. He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points short of averaging 30 per contest. Only a few photos exist from the game, but seeing it live would have been legendary. What if Sam Wyche didnt leave IU after only 1 season? Knight went on"at 6-'6" and 180 lbs, I could not envision Bird being what he became, but I could see where he could become a "darned" good player for us". Knight signed Bird up to play at Indiana in the spring of his senior year.! He said he was prepared to leave the team after the 2010-11 season with the Pacers headed in the right direction. Larry Bird's book is incredible. 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. Birth State: Indiana. The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. He is a graduate of Indiana University. When I started here, I wanted to see the high school, college and professional basketball worlds come together, and Bird symbolizes that. Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins battled each other during a classic Game 7 in 1988. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. It would have been easy for the story to end here, with a healthy round of shit-talking and little else. > Archive 75: Larry Bird| 75 Stories: Larry Bird. IU went 21-8 that season, finishing second in the Big Ten. Larry Bird stats. An offseason trade with Golden State which that many consider the most lopsided in NBA history brought center Robert Parish and a future first-round pick (which became Kevin McHale) to Boston.