Larry Bird Bio And Facts
Larry Bird
Larry Bird is one of the greatest names in the history of basketball. Not only was Larry a standout player in the National Basketball League, but he was also a great coach. Larry is considered one of the best shooters in the history of the NBA and he is known for leading the Boston Celtics basketball team to three NBA Championships in the years 1981, 1984, and 1986. Bird played for the Boston Celtics for thirteen consecutive seasons.
- Birthday: December 7th, 1956 (07-12-1956)
- Education: Indiana State University
- Net Worth: $55 Million
- Occupation: NBA Basketball player, NBA Coach
- Height: 6’9” (2.06 m)
- Weight: 220 lb (100 kg)
- Position: Forward
- Years Active: 13
- Career Wins: 147
- Career Losses: 67
- Nicknames: Kodak, The Hick From French Lick, Larry Legend, The Great White Hope
- Teams: Celtics
Basketball Career
Larry Bird’s basketball career officially began when he was drafted into the NBA in 1979. Larry Bird was drafted into the National Basketball League by the Boston Celtics for a record $650,000 annual contract. After returning to play for Indiana State University for one more year to wrap up his college career, he then began playing in the NBA in 1980. Although the amount of money Bird was making at the time seemed quite outrageous, he was about to prove it reasonable when he started averaging over twenty points a game. Just one year later Bird and his fellow frontline players, McHale and Parrish, led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Championship where they took home the win against the Houston Rockets.
Titles and Awards
Larry Bird has earned some of the greatest titles and awards in the profession of basketball. To begin, in 1980, Bird was awarded the title of the National Basketball League’s Rookie of the year. Larry Bird proved the fact that he earned that award in the following year when his team, the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship. After that he continued to excel on the court when he led the Celtics to win two more championship titles in 1984 and 1986. In 1984, after his second championship win, Bird was named the most valuable player for that year's NBA playoffs.
The following year Bird was named the National Basketball League’s player of the year for the 1985-1986 season. As if all of these titles were not enough, a few years later in 1992, Bird won Olympic gold while representing the United States Men’s Basketball team. In 1998, Bird retired and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Larry Bird was born on December 7th, 1956. He was born in the small town of West Baden in Indiana, and he was the fourth child of his parents Joe and Georgia Bird. His parents later had two more children. Larry is known for living close to the town of French Lick, which is why he is called his famous nickname; The Hick from French Lick. He didn't stand out much to college scouts until his senior year of high school when he grew four inches to get to six feet and seven inches. It didn’t seem as if college was for Bird, and after dropping out twice he became a garbage collector to support his young daughter. After his father committed suicide tragically, Larry decided to return to college, and only four years later, he got drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics.
Fun Facts
- Larry Bird’s famous rivalry with Magic Johnson was actually turned into a documentary and then a Broadway play. The documentary was called Magic and Bird: a Courtship of Rivals and it was released in 2010. The rivalry officially began when Bird lost to Johnson during the NCAA championship in 1979.
- Larry played many of his last games with a misaligned spine. The funny part about this is that he actually hurt his back because of shoveling gravel in order to finish his mother’s driveway.
- Larry Bird was also known on the court for his trash talking.
FAQ
Who is Larry Bird?
Larry Bird is considered one of the most famous professional basketball players in the history of the NBA. He played for the Boston Celtics for 13 consecutive seasons from the years 1979 to 1998. After a record career with three NBA championship titles and an Olympic gold medal, Larry Bird retired from the NBA in 1998. After that he began coaching in the NBA, and is now the president of the Indiana Pacers.
Did Larry Bird only play for the Celtics?
Technically Larry only played professional basketball in the National Basketball League for the Boston Celtics. That being said while he was still playing for them he was also able to participate and play on the United States Men’s basketball team when they won the Olympic Gold medal in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. This team was later known as the dream team, because of how successful they were.
Does Larry Bird have any kids?
Yes, Larry Bird does have kids. Larry Bird has three children total. His first child, a daughter, Corrie, was brought into the world when he was married to his wife at the time, Jent Condra. Later on, Bird re-married, and is still married to Dinah Mattingly currently. The two together adopted a son, Conner, and a daughter Mariah. In total, Larry Bird has one biological daughter, one adopted daughter, and one adopted son.
Does Larry Bird still play basketball?
No, Larry Bird does not still play basketball professionally in the NBA. Larry Bird retired from the National Basketball League in the year 1998, and later that year got inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. After retiring, Bird moved on to work behind the scenes for the Boston Celtics. He had this position for five years before moving on to become an NBA coach for the first time in his life. Larry very successfully coached in the NBA for the Indiana Pacers.