larry bird college stats

Hoosiers survive Big Ten tournament quarterfinal test. Im new at this (coaching) game but I feel I can get the job done, he said. 5 ranking than their final record that was just one game above .500, having not cracked the AP poll after December 20. Far from it. 1 in the country, and they are one win from the title. Nearly 30 years ago, then-college basketball star Jamal Mashburn saw Larry Bird in a hotel prior to a week of scrimmages between The Dream Team and some of the country's top college players. That came in spite of Bird playing with a fracture in his left thumb in the Final Four after getting hurt against Arkansas. Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. Couldn't have happened. He has compiled 1,556 steals, in addition to 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. McHale just destroyed him. Larry Bird's best teammates included Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and Dennis Johnson. Or write about sports? On a grander scale, however, college basketball may have needed Birds run with Indiana State to really make March Madness the spectacle it is today. The highlight of Bird's three-year collegiate career came in 1979, when he led the Sycamores to a 33-0 record and their first NCAA Tournament berth in the program's history. Celtics Wire. Larry Bird Comparisons: ( players sorted by last name ) - A-Larry Bird vs Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 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. As the 1992-93 NBA season approached, Bird decided he could not continue. 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. Larry Bird redshirted (sat out) his freshman year, and therefore, like Maravich, Robertson, and Hayes, his totals were also achieved in only three . Bird was named the 1978-79 College Player of the Year and left Indiana State as the fifth-highest scorer in NCAA history. Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins battled each other during a classic Game 7 in 1988. Bird once again led the team in points (21.2 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg), steals (161), and minutes (3,239). Do you have a sports website? 19 Minnesota showed the teams potential. Published Jan. 28 . What if Larry Bird hadnt transferred from IU. Extremely high basketball IQ, pure heart and hustle. Before the draft, Larry Bird had just finished his junior year at Indiana State. Han slutade spela i NBA 1992. All rights reserved. The story behind the 1978 NBA draft, often known as the Larry Bird draft, is one of the most important in league history. Even if we dont rewrite Mays season-ending injury in this post, could Larry Bird have gone from being snubbed by the 15-player AP All-State Team one spring to a March Madness hero the next? NAISMITH AWARDS: Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year, While Bird was most known for his scoring, he had a well-rounded game that included double-digit rebound totals and unselfish passing. UCLA beat Montana by just three points in its second tournament game, proving the Bruins were a resilient, but mortal, champion. Birth date: December 7, 1956. Bird nearly doubled the Sycamores win total year-over-year from 13 to 25 after sitting out just one year in 1975-76, rather than two, after IU signed papers for Birds release. In the last 7 years, I've been covering everything related to the career and job seeking world. forty-five, the most effective larry bird [] Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. "He's 6-9, was the nation's second leading scorer and that's not all," wrote The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton. Then one day, Warn called Bird a wuss for his seemingly endless postgame recovery and threw down the gauntlet when he picked up a baseball. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Body Measurement Of Larry Bird. Now the Sycamores are 33-0, they are ranked No. Those would be my first two." When asked if personal statistics matter, he responded: "Yes, it is about numbers. Bird had actually nailed the jumper from the corner. But everyone knows why Indiana State is where it is. On February 6, 1988, Larry Bird won his 3rd consecutive 3-point Contest while still wearing his warm-up jacket. Bob Knights worst team at IU, by record, was the 1977, post-title team. 10 attempts), Indiana State-record 16 rebounds in an NCAA tournament game, Tied for first in semifinal history with 16 made field goals against DePaul, Second-leading scorer in the country in 1978: 30.0 points per game, Second-leading scorer in the country in 1979: 28.6 points per game, Third-leading scorer in the country in 1977: 32.8 points per game, Sixth all-time (since 1973) in rebounds in a season: 505 rebounds (1979), Tied for seventh with a two-game Final Four rebound total of 29 rebounds in 1979, Eighth in Final Four history with an 84.2 shooting percentage against DePaul, Tied for eighth all-time in career rebounding average: 13.3 rebounds per game, Ninth in NCAA tournament history (since 1973) with 67 rebounds in a single NCAA tournament, Tied for 13th all-time in double-doubles in a season: 28 double-doubles (1979), 15th all-time in career scoring average (min. May 16, 2022. 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? Dinah likes to keep a low profile, making rare public appearances with her husband at basketball games. Few played tougher than Bird, who would leap into crowds and over press tables for loose balls. The hours he had spent working on his shot as a youngster paid big dividends in the NBA. But mostly he was bored. When Walsh moved on to a similar role with the Knicks before the 2008-09 season, Bird gained complete control of the teams basketball operations and helped the Pacers end a four-year playoff drought in 2010-11. Larry Bird, AKA "Larry Legend," was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. In 1981-82, Bird made the first of his three consecutive appearances on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team even though he was relatively slow and not the greatest one-on-one defender, his anticipation and court sense made him peerless as a team defender. As many observed, he would see plays not as they were developing, but before they developed. As a senior at Springs Valley High School, Bird averaged nearly 31 points and 21 rebounds per game. The experience shook Bird. I could do that. Find out more. For one day, Bird got to prove he wasnt just a basketball player icing up in the locker room; he was a star at anything he wanted to try. Larry Legend dragged a coach to the national championship game who later had a five-win season and a three-win season in something called the Trans America Athletic Conference while coaching Mercer. Bird had a double-double in all five NCAA tournament games he played in that year. What if Phil Dickens and IU football hadnt gotten the whole dang department sanctioned? Theres no guarantee Bird wouldve stuck around for his senior season if he had stayed at IU, but doing so couldve allowed him to be the featured scorer on the Hoosiers if he wanted a larger share of shots after playing alongside Benson, the No. In regard to per game stats, Bird averages 6.8 assists and 9.6 rebounds. The former NBA player met his second wife, Dinah Mattingly, at Indiana State. By. As a senior, Bird became the schools all-time scoring champion and about 4,000 people attended his final home game. Career information head-to-head including championships won, season and playoff stats, honors and awards and more. In the final, they played Michigan State, led by "Magic" Johnson, and together their rivalry would eventually be responsible for the resurgence of the NBA in the 1980s. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Indiana State star Larry Bird makes his way through the crowd of players and fans getting congratulations after his team defeated Arkansas, 73-71, to win the NCAA Midwest Regional tourney crown in . Magic Johnson was in the class of 1977. One newspaper in Indiana vaguely described the reason as personal dissatisfaction. He then enrolled at Northwood Institute, a two-year school with roughly 200 students in West Baden, Indiana, near his hometown of French Lick. Bird was too insecure for the atmosphere there and Magic hated how Knight yelled and screamed and bullied players so he went to Mich State. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Born: December 7, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana High School: Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana College: Indiana State University Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 As Player: 897 G, 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG (Full Record) Knight said.." I first saw him play for Spring Valley HS, about 60 miles south of Bloomington physically he wasn't the Larry Bird everybody remembers..as a HS senior he was about 6-'6" and around 180lbs. 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.. Kent Benson was the bigest name in Indiana basketball back then, but an A1 arrogant asshole as well, at least by most accounts of those who knew him. They got married in 1989 and adopted two children: Connor and Mariah Bird. But none of those things kept him in Bloomington, as he was gone before homecoming his freshman year. Bird did a fine job in his three seasons on the bench. In reality, he spent most of the next five years in Florida, playing golf and taking it easy. It was the only time the Hoosiers had a record that was less than five games over .500 under Knights watch. Birds 19 points in the 1982 NBA All-Star Game, including 12 of the Easts last 15, earned him the games MVP trophy. All rights reserved. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Find out more. He became only the third player (and the first non-center) to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. Known as 'Chief', Parish played 21 seasons in the NBA and was one of the mainstays in Boston during the '80s, leading the Celtics to three titles. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. "All that shooting off the side of a barn turned into Bird becoming a high school star. Data Provided By He won the Rookie of the Year award, 3 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards and 3 NBA championships. Larry Bird Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Boston Celtics Forward Larry Bird. When Bird maximized his potential at Indiana State in the 1978-79 season, he took a Sycamores team that had a first-year head coach and was picked to finish third or fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference in 1979 and carried it all the way to the national championship game with an undefeated record and the countrys No. Bird enjoyed a phenomenal collegiate basketball career at Indiana State (30.3 points per game in a three-year career that included a trip to the national championship game). Bird was nicknamed Larry Legend and The Hick from French Lick, after his hometown in Indiana. Recently crowned national champion N.C. State also joined the pursuit of Bird in mid-April 1974, right before he was slated to sign his National Letter of Intent with the Hoosiers. It was interesting to me a I never knew that Larry Bird had signed to play for Indiana, and the story of how he ended up at Indiana Stateinteresting stuff! Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. All rights reserved. ), We did a great deal of checking before he made his decision and the college allowed him to enroll, Northwoods academic dean Jim McElhiney told The Indianapolis News in September 1974. Their 9-9 Big Ten record was bumped to 11-7, making a tough transition year appear a little less harsh in the history books. You wont find much on Larry Birds short-lived baseball career, but those who were there wont soon forget. Forward Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. 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. He pulls people together. 1988 Men's NCAA, 2019 Women's NCAA, 1940 Men's NCAA, 2006 Women's NCAA, 1981 Men's NCAA. But even though one might expect that he, a superstar, would live a high life of splashing cash every day, that wasn't at all the case with Larry. Having grabbed 7,217 defensive rebounds and 1,757 offensive, Bird has accumulated 8,974 total rebounds during his NBA career. Larry Bird - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more . We had guys last year who didn't care about passing. Bird played with a total of eight Hall of Fame players, though a couple played only a few games alongside him. One basketball coach, however, apparently missed the memo. Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. He also hit nearly 90 percent of his free-throw attempts. Lost to most people in the basketball statistics for the Springs Valley team that year, however, was a short piece in a Bedford newspaper that noted, "The freshman free-throw trophy was presented to Larry Bird. He has tallied 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 dimes. While he wouldve competed for playing time with 6-7 forwards Steve Green (16.6 ppg), May (16.3 ppg) and Tom Abernethy to start the year, Bird grew taller than May at 6-9, 220 pounds, making him a viable replacement once May went down with his injury. and even better, he did it mostly because of a dare, Mike Hayes, a Kentucky Wesleyan player, recounted the game. He's a 3-time NBA Champion, a 12-time all-star, and he was named to countless NBA teams during his roughly 13 years on the Celtics. College: Indiana State (1976-1979) NBA draft: 1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall: . Jobbade sedan i Celtics frn 1992 till 1997 och coachade sedan Indiana Pacers frn 1997 till 2000. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! Bird has four siblings' all brothers named Mike . When the doubleheader was over, hed finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs while recording nine putouts from first base in the second game. At Indiana State here is what Bird did: 1976-77..aveged 32.8 ppg, 1977-78..averaged 30 ppg and 1978-79 ..28.6 ppggiving him a 3 years career average at indiana State of 30.3 ppg. Larry used BB to escape from his family problems! Having collected 7,217 defensive boards and 1,757 on the offensive end of the court, Bird has accounted for 8,974 total boards in his career. Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick) Bats Left, Throws Left; Height 6' 9", Weight 220 lb. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. ", The Evening Sun's Bill Tanton: "At the beginning of the season, Indiana State was picked third or fourth in its own conference. Maybe Bird wouldve spent the summer of 1975 celebrating the first of back-to-back national titles at IU, rather than playing for Hancock Construction, a state-champion AAU team sponsored by the mayor of Mitchell, Indiana, which was the only team capable of knocking off the mighty Indiana All-Stars in an exhibition. After the 2011-12 season, Bird stepped down as the Pacers president of basketball operations, citing health issues. . Their coach, Bill Hodges, is in his first year, the first rookie ever to take an undefeated team to the tournament final. If I could, I'd like to play with him forever.". Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), As Player: 897 G, 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 6.3 APG (Full Record), As Executive: IND franchise, 2003-2017 (Full Record). An undefeated IU team with a healthy Scott May or Larry Bird, let alone both, wouldve made for a compelling matchup with Woodens final UCLA team. Cathie. Thanks Jimmie. College at Indiana State. The Hick from French Lick. Adding Bird to that IU team is almost an embarrassment of riches, giving the sports last undefeated champion a player who was named one of the top 15 players ever in the NCAA tournament during the 75 Years of March Madness Celebration in 2013. Indiana State went 81-13 during the three seasons in which Larry Bird played for the Sycamores. Bird missed 22 games in 1990-91 because of a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that eventually forced his retirement. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? At different times, Bird has been quoted saying either Dennis Johnson or M.L. Bird nearly doubled the Sycamores' win total year-over-year from 13 to 25 after sitting out just one year in 1975-76, rather than two, after IU signed papers for Bird's release. And the rest is history. Check out the detailed 1977-78 Indiana State Sycamores Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Learn more and register, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Mark Bird's college team, where he became one of the school's best all-time players. At Springs Valley High, Bird scored 1,125 career points, averaged 30.6 points and 20.5 rebounds," Dana Hunsinger Benbow recounted in the Indianapolis Star. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Bird passed Otis Birdsong to become the NCAA's fifth-leading scorer of all-timewith a free throw early in the championship game. Taking a look at the numbers behind Nikola Jokic's historic season for the Nuggets. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Could you imagine Bob Knights reaction if, just three years after IU became the most recent undefeated national champion, the Hoosiers lost that distinction to an in-state school (and not even Purdue or Notre Dame, but Indiana State) that was led by an outbound IU transfer? They thought scoring was more important, but passing is important.". French Lick had a population of 2,059, most of whom came out to watch Springs Valley High Schools home games in a state that takes its schoolboy basketball very seriously. Bird soon realized that it was actually HE who was the target of Knight's ridicule--because of the way he had come off of a screen in a pick up game.

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