Larry Bird is a professional basketball player who was 12 times NBA All-Star. He is considered as one of the best players of all time. Bird along with Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, revolutionized the game during the 1980s. After his retirement in 1992 Bird made to the Basketball Hall of Fame. His jersey # 33 was retired by the Celtics. Bird was also named to the NBA's "50 Greatest Players" list, in 1996. Bird has put in 13 years in the NBA which includes three championships with the Boston Celtics. Larry returned to Indiana Pacers to coach the team in 1997. He stayed with the team for three years and in 2000 stepped down from his post. In these three years he led the team to NBA Finals for first time. He was named NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Pacers to a 58-24 season, the best in franchise history. In 2003 he came back with the team after a gap of three years as team's president.
Bird was born in West Baden, Indiana to Joe and Georgia Bird. Larry Bird is also known as "a hick from French Lick”. He started playing basketball at Springs Valley High School, Bird played guard during his sophomore and junior years but did not truly excel until his senior year. He averaged 31 points, 21 rebounds and four assists as a senior for Springs Valley High School. These rankings earned him a scholarship to Indiana University. In his senior years he averaged 30.6 points and 20 rebounds per game, these rankings were high enough to make him noticed on the college level. He attended a few colleges and played for them, but finally decided to start his playing career with the Sycamores in 1976 and emerged a national collegiate star. For three straight seasons, Bird was voted the league's Most Valuable Player, the only forward to be so honored. He was Finals MVP twice.
Larry was selected as the sixth overall pick in the 1978 draft. Following the draft, Bird returned to the college ranks for his senior season and completed an outstanding career at Indiana State. He has won the Sporting News, Naismith and Wooden awards as national college Player of the Year in 1979, led ISU to an 81-13 three-year record, including a 33-1 mark in 1979, the year Bird's Indiana State team lost to Johnson's Michigan State squad in the national championship game. He posted his scoring in double figures in the 1993-94 games, tallying 40 plus points 15 times and recorded six triple doubles.
