Take A Look At Larry Bird’s Life Off The Court
NBA legend Larry Bird is a three-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and is one of the greatest shooters ever, but he struggled through life along his journey to the NBA.
Read on to take a look at Bird’s life, on and off the court.
“The Hick From French Lick”
For Larry Bird, growing up in West Baden, Indiana, with a population of 2,000 people, called for him to be a fighter.
Bird was born the fourth of six children.
Larry’s Childhood Was Not Hall of Fame-Worthy
Bird grew up with his siblings and parents, Georgia and Joe. The couple stayed married until their divorce while Larry was in high school.
Larry’s father worked in factories before his unfortunate passing.
Larry Struggled With His Parents’ Divorce
The Bird family struggled before their divorce, with Joe often having to repair the home himself.
For example, Larry and his family would have to stand outside while his father attempted to fix their furnace. It was too smokey to stand indoors.
Bird Was About More Than Basketball In High School
In high school, Larry played many sports before choosing basketball.
Bird also enjoyed playing baseball and softball until he grew from 6′ 3″ his junior year to a 6′ 7″ senior.
His High School Career Was Unparalleled
During his time at Springs Valley High School in French Lick, Bird averaged 31 points, 21 rebounds, and 4 assists per game — all in an era when scoring was much lower than it is in the modern day.
When he graduated in 1974, Bird was Springs Valley’s all-time scoring leader. It was in high school that Bird first started wearing his iconic number 33.
His First Wife Was Janet Condra
Janet Condra met Larry, and they married after he left high school.
Condra and Bird had one child, a daughter named Corrie, before the couple’s marriage ended after less than a year.
Larry Bird: The Father
Learning from his parents’ work ethic, Bird did whatever he could to have enough money to raise his daughter Corrie.
Larry worked as a garbageman and helped maintain parks and roads.
Bird’s Struggles Off the Court Carried on to the Court
Losing his father and his own divorce were large contributors to Larry’s struggles at Indiana University.
Bird had issues adjusting to campus life and dropped out after only twenty-four days.
Larry Bird and the Indiana State Sycamores
After Larry grew two more inches to 6’9″ and weighed 222lbs, he returned to college, attending Indiana State.
The basketball team nicknamed “the Sycamores and Bird” went undefeated in 1979.
The Bird and Magic Johnson Rivalry Begins
The Sycamores run lasted until they met Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans for the 1979 N.C.A.A. basketball championship.
Michigan State won 75-64, and Bird scored 19 points, shooting only 7-21.
Larry Vs. Magic Redefined College Basketball
While Bird may not have prevailed in his final college game, the rivalry between him and Magic Johnson helped propel college basketball to new heights.
The championship between Indiana State and Michigan State achieved the highest-ever television rating for a college basketball game, all owing almost entirely to their fierce rivalry.
Bird Almost Held Out Before Draft Day
On June 8th, 1979, the Boston Celtics drafted Larry Bird as the sixth overall pick in the first round.
Celtics’ GM Red Auerbach declared he would not pay Bird more than the average.
Even Before His Hall of Fame Career Began, Bird Was Game
Upon hearing Auerbach’s bold public statement, Larry and his agent decided that he should sit out.
The plan was for Bird to finish his final collegiate year and play ball.
The Boston Celtics’ $3.25 Million-Dollar Man
The danger of Bird re-entering the draft a year later and going number one ultimately convinced Auerbach to sign Larry.
Auerbach signed Bird to a three-year, $3.25 million contract. He was going to play for the Celtics.
Bird Made an Immediate Impact
The Celtics had been a dominant team throughout the ’60s and early ’70s before falling on hard times later in the decade — but the arrival of Larry Bird turned things around quickly.
Bird’s rookie season was a resounding success, as he helped the Celtics improve their win total by 32 games from the previous season.
It Was One of the Most Impressive Rookie Campaigns Ever
At the end of the 1979-80 season, Bird’s rookie year, he had averages of 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, and he helped push the Celtics all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before they were eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers.
For his efforts, Bird was named to the All-Star Team and also won the Rookie of the Year award.
Larry Bird’s Second Wife, Dinah Mattingly
Dinah Mattingly became Larry’s second wife when they were married in 1989.
The couple started dating after the end of his first marriage. The couple’s two children are adopted.
Dinah Mattingly, The “Older” Woman
Dinah is two years older than Larry, and this fact caused drama and controversy early on for the newlyweds.
Mattingly was born in 1954 and raised in Vigo County, Indiana.
Larry vs. Magic Defined ’80s Basketball
After their showdown in the 1979 NCAA Championship, Bird and Johnson would once again face each other in the NBA as part of the long-running Lakers-Celtics rivalry.
In fact, the two teams — led by their respective superstars — were so dominant that every single NBA Finals series of the 1980s featured the Lakers, the Celtics, or both.
They Squared Off In Three NBA Finals
While both men found repeated championship success in the ’80s, Johnson would have the upper hand overall.
Bird’s Celtics beat Magic’s Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals, but the Lakers came back with a vengeance, beating the Celtics in 1985 and 1987.
A Career Cut Short
Bird had a stellar 13-year NBA career which was cut short by nagging injuries.
Larry guided the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships, winning Finals MVP in two of them.
Magic Wasn’t His Only Rival
While the Bird vs. Magic rivalry was largely respectful, pitting the two best players of their era against each other, the rivalry between Larry Bird and Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons was anything but cordial.
In contrast to Johnson’s Lakers, Laimbeer’s Pistons were a scrappy, borderline violent team. Bird squared off with Laimbeer repeatedly, and the two reportedly dislike each other to this day.
Retirement
Injuries to Bird shortened what potentially could have been an even more legendary NBA career.
Larry had surgery on both of his heels, back issues, and other injuries before retiring.
Hall of Famer: Larry Bird
Neither Celtics fans nor GM Red Auerbach truly knew how great Bird would be.
Bird was the NBA MVP for three consecutive seasons from 1984-1986 and a twelve-time All-Star in the league.
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers’ Rivalry
A rivalry that later became a friendship started in college between Bird and Magic, lasting for over twenty years.
Johnson’s Lakers lost to Bird’s Celtics in the 1986 NBA Finals.
Larry Bird and the “Dream Team”
In 1992, Bird and Magic became teammates on arguably the greatest basketball team ever, the “Dream Team.”
Bird, Magic, and Michael Jordan guided Team U.S.A. to an easy gold medal at the Olympic Games.
Bird’s Last Game Was Not in the NBA
Bird played his last game as a member of the “Dream Team” in 1992.
After retiring, Larry joined the Boston Celtics front office as a basketball consultant for the team.
He Went Down as One of the Best Ever
After his retirement, Bird immediately earned plaudits for his remarkable career. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, his first year of eligibility.
Bird was also named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team list in 1996. Years later, he’d receive the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award.
Introducing Head Coach Larry Bird
After leaving his consulting job with the Celtics in 1997, Bird entered the world of coaching.
Bird returned to his home state of Indiana to coach the NBA Indiana Pacers.
Coach of the Year
Bird coached the Pacers for three seasons from 1997-2000 and was named NBA Coach of the Year in his rookie season.
Larry’s Pacers made it to the 2000 NBA Finals.
He’s a Movie Star
While Bird was never a Hollywood leading man, he has appeared as himself in three movies, all released between 1994 and 1996.
The first, Blue Chips, starred Nick Nolte, while the last, Celtic Pride, was a comedy starring Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Stern, and Damon Wayans. The middle film, and easily the best-known, is 1996’s Space Jam.
Mr. President, Larry Bird
In 2003, Bird became the Pacers’ president of basketball operations.
Bird excelled as president and was the 2012 NBA Executive of the Year. Bird retired as president in 2017.
Larry Bird Owns Many Records, But Only One Unique One
Bird owns a unique NBA record.
He was the only NBA Rookie of the Year, MVP, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
He’s Stepped Away From Basketball
After his lengthy playing and executive career, it’s somewhat surprising to see that in recent years, Bird has distanced himself from the game.
While he’s still listed as a consultant for the Indiana Pacers, he no longer occupies a front-facing role and is rarely seen with the team.
Bird Had A Strained Relationship With His First Daughter, Corrie
Larry’s first marriage to Janet ended on bad terms, and his relationship with their daughter Corrie suffered because of it.
Janet raised their daughter after they divorced without Larry’s help.
You Are the Father
Asking for a paternity test did not help Bird ease tensions between Janet and himself.
The paternity test confirmed that Corrie was indeed Larry’s child, but it barely affected him.
Corrie Still Struggles For Larry’s Attention
Larry’s only contribution to Corrie’s life was paying child support as part of the divorce requirements made with Janet.
A bank account was set up for monthly withdrawals until Corrie turned 18.
Corrie Bird: “…I Still Have Hope That He Can Be A Part of My Life”
Corrie has been quite public about her disappointment over Larry’s lack of a relationship with her.
Corrie has moved on but still remains hopeful for a relationship with Bird someday.
