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Larry Bird Was born
He was raised in West Baden Springs, Indiana, and raised in the nearby town of French Lick, where he excelled at basketball at an early age. -
High School in French Lick
Bird attended Springs Valley High School in French Lick and was a key component of the school’s basketball team, becoming its leading all-time scorer -
Bird Graduates High School
Bird’s high school basketball stats earned him an athletic scholarship to the University of Indiana, where he was to play for legendary coach Bob Knight. -
Indiana State
Bird felt some trepidation at the size of the Hoosier campus and withdrew from school, enrolling at Indiana State the next year. -
1st NCAA Championship
In his senior year of college, Bird led the Indiana State Sycamores to the NCAA Championship game against the Michigan State Spartans -
Bird VS Johnson
the Michigan State Spartans, a team led by another future NBA superstar, Ervin “Magic” Johnson. It was the first time the two star players would face each other in a head-to-head battle, and it began a friendship and rivalry that would span both players’ careers -
Player of the Year
Larry Bird left Indiana State that year with the USBWA College Player of the Year Award, the Naismith Award, and the Wooden Award. He was also the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history, even though he only played for three years. -
No. 1 Draft Pick
In 1978, Larry Bird was the Boston Celtics' No. 1 draft pick, signing a contract for a then-record $650,000 a year (he played his final year at Indiana State, however, joining the Celtics in 1979). -
Rookie of the Year
averaging 21.3 points per game and taking NBA Rookie of the Year honors. Bird also led the Celtics in rebounding, averaging 10.4 rebounds per game; as well as steals and minutes played, with an average of 143 steals and 2,955 minutes played each game. -
1st NBA Championship
That season, the Celtics posted a 61–21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA Championship of Bird’s career. -
Birds a Beast
Larry Bird led the Celtics into the NBA playoffs 12 of his 13 seasons and with the team captured the championship three times, in 1981, 1984 and 1986. Bird made the All-Star Team 12 times and was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player in 1992. For three consecutive years, from 1984 to 1986, Bird was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player, and in 1990, he hit a scoring milestone—20,000 points over the course of his career. When Bird retired in 1992 -
The ''Dream Team''
In the summer of 1992 was the firrst time the US sent professional athletes to the olympic games. NBA stars including Bird, Johnson, Jordan, and other formd the first US basketball team. They easily won the gold medal. -
Post Retirement
After retirement Bird began the next chapter of his life as a front-office special assistant for the Celtics, a post he held for five years. In 1997, Bird accepted the head coach position with the Indiana Pacers, in a move that returned him to his home state