The 75 Hoosiers were loaded. Taking a look at the numbers behind Nikola Jokic's historic season for the Nuggets. Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. 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. Bob Knights worst team at IU, by record, was the 1977, post-title team. But even those legendary players didnt fill Boston Garden, wowing fans and dominating games as Bird did. RELATED: The complete results from the best #MarchMadnessMoments bracket. For reference, the 2019 national championship game drew a 22 percent share. Larry Bird Rookie Year Stats. Bird missed 22 games in 1990-91 because of a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that eventually forced his retirement. 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. 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! forty-five, the most effective larry bird [] Boston won, 152-148, in double overtime. 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. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. 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. I could do that. The couple has two adopted children named Conner Mariah.. Family. The experience shook Bird. 2022-23 Season Schedule; Does the most recognized team in Hoosier history double or even, gasp, triple, its national championship haul with Bird in Bloomington in the mid-to-late 70s? 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 was there to prove a point. The next season, 1974-75, is where two of the greatest What ifs in IU basketball collide: What if Bird had stayed and what if Scott May, the teams second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, hadnt broken his arm against Purdue in late February? He averaged a career-high 29.9 points that year, falling just five points short of averaging 30 per contest. So it is a moot point. 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 . 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. As a senior, Bird became the schools all-time scoring champion and about 4,000 people attended his final home game. He pulls people together. ", 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. On Aug. 18, 1992 he announced his retirement as a player. Bird played with a total of eight Hall of Fame players, though a couple played only a few games alongside him. Kent Benson returned for his senior year, as did forward Wayne Radford for his junior season, but gone were May, Abernethy, Quinn Buckner, Bobby Wilkerson and Jim Crews. If I could, I'd like to play with him forever.". Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Complete NBA coaching record for Larry Bird, including regular season and postseason games. In 1987-88, Bird was the first Celtic ever to record a 40-20 game, with a 42-point, 20-rebound effort against Indiana. Jobbade sedan i Celtics frn 1992 till 1997 och coachade sedan Indiana Pacers frn 1997 till 2000. 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). If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. The Boston Celtics selected Larry Bird with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. Hodges said of Bird, "His only personal goal this year was to lead the nation in rebounds. Or write about sports? He did some commercials and appeared in a few films, including Michael JordansSpace Jam. Here you have the answers. Bird would typically start offensive possessions on the right block, where he would utilize the right corner of the floor, the fre-throw line extended and the opposite wing. The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. Larry Bird ranks as one of the all-time top players of the NBA. As many observed, he would see plays not as they were developing, but before they developed. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? 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. He was remarking to one of the players before the game that he just wanted to do well; he didnt want to let the team down.. 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. Wore the number 33 on his basketball jersey in high school, college and with the Boston Celtics. The small forward had just led Indiana State to a 33-1 season, with the team's sole loss coming to Magic Johnson . He also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. The 1979-80 Celtics improved by 32 games to 61-21 and returned to the top of their division. By. Birds legend was born in the tiny town of French Lick, snuggled in Indianas corn country, where his family led a spartan life. But Knight was not impressed. His Mom and Dad divorced while Bird was in HS, His dad shot and killed himself a year later. "All that shooting off the side of a barn turned into Bird becoming a high school star. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 33 retired by the school. 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. No other player in his era was as good or as consistent a shooter as Bird. As it turned out it created one of the greatest rivalries in sports between Magic and Bird. The Sycamores went 81-13 during Bird's three-year career. 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. Birds status as an Indiana sports legend was cemented by the spring of 1979. Only a few photos exist from the game, but seeing it live would have been legendary. Indiana State went 81-13 during the three seasons in which Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. 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.). 5 ranking than their final record that was just one game above .500, having not cracked the AP poll after December 20. "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. Indianapolis Star. Find out more. Everyone remembers Michael Jordans decision to leave the Bulls and pursue a career in baseball, but it was Larry Bird who tried his hand at the game on April 28, 1979, and became a one-day legend in the process. 1 pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, and Woodson. He scored 136 points in five NCAA tournament games, leading the Sycamores to the national championship game, where they fell to the Michigan State Spartans. Check out 50 great assists by Larry Bird. Imagine Thomas, Bird and Magic on the same team. We present them here for purely educational purposes. We talked Hoosiers with our buddy at Hoopla. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. 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. 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. So he cut the ties and went home. But there were plenty more heroics yet to come. 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. The three-time NBA champion played 94 games with the Sycamores. He was the heart and soul of the 1980s Celtics, leading them to three NBA championships while earning a reputation as one of the greatest players in league history. Or write about sports? He was such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced 3-pointers with his eyes closed. Experience: 13 years. Hes very intense. 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." Among Birds contemporaries, perhaps only Earvin Magic Johnson was considered a better passer and was a player who he would inextricably be linked with forever. 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. Under the leadership of Hodges, Bird and Co. went undefeated during the 1978-79 season and advanced to face Magic and his Spartans. Bird had actually nailed the jumper from the corner. RotoWire names five under-the-radar players who could add value to your rosters as we approach fantasy playoffs. Bird did a fine job in his three seasons on the bench. Layed him out cold. He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American in 1978-79, the College Player of the Year in 1979, a two-time MVC Player of the Year in 1978-79, and had his No. Then he left the local junior college, Northwood Institute. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. The end of Birds career was at hand, but not before one last achievement: a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team, which dominated the competition at Barcelona and won millions of fans for the sport with its brilliance. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. But Bird finally came to Boston for the 1979-80 campaign and sparked one of the greatest single-season turnarounds in NBA history. Larry Bird SF #33. 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. It wasnt until 1983-84, however, that the Celtics returned to the NBA Finals. He was a 2x 1st team All American, future #1 overall lottery pick and 1976 NCAA player of the year, leading the 76 IU team to the only undefeated national title of the next 40 years. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. We had guys last year who didn't care about passing. Bird averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 assists, and 4.5 steals in 82 games during his rookie season in 1979-80. Take an inside look at Larry Birds iconic steal from Isiah Thomas during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference finals. 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. Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Not just some guy. Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana us College: Indiana State University High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana Bird's Pacers fell in the East finals in '98 and '99, then came up short in the NBA Finals in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Thanks Jimmie. Not at the same time. 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. Gambling problem? He was named the NL's Freshman of the Year after playing in his first All-Star game. The Cavaliers won in seven games; Boston lost three of the four games couldnt play because of his back. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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. TV stations showed film clips of Bird instead of commercials. In 1975, he enrolled at Indiana State. This type of behavior was par for the course with Knight, but a new experience alltogether for Bird. It was his first season ever as a college head coach. With Bird in the mix, IUs 1978 team wouldve been built around him, Woodson and Radford. 13, but spent most of the season outside of the AP poll. Looks like Bradley's coach on 2/10/79 tried to give Bird the same treatment . '", Indiana State coach Bill Hodges on the notion that man-to-man defenses might slow Bird down: "If we go against a UCLA or a Notre Dame later on and they play man-to-man, that's when you'll see how tough Larry really is.
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