Larry Bird 

Basketball Player, Coach (1956–)

Larry Bird is a retired professional basketball player known for his years with the Boston Celtics and his deceptively nimble skills on the court.

Synopsis

Born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, on December 7, 1956, Larry Bird grew up and attended college in Indiana before heading to the NBA to join the Boston Celtics, the team with which he would spend his entire pro career. Over the course of his 13 seasons with the Celtics, Bird led the team to three championships, was named NBA Most Valuable Player three times, and made the All-Star team 12 times.

Early Years

Larry Bird was born on December 7, 1956, in West Baden Springs, Indiana, and raised in the nearby town of French Lick, where he excelled at basketball at an early age. 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 by the time he graduated in 1974. 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. But Bird felt some trepidation at the size of the Hoosier campus and withdrew from school, enrolling at Indiana State the next year.

In his senior year of college, Bird led the Indiana State Sycamores to the NCAA Championship game against 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. Johnson and the Spartans triumphed, but 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.