Larry Bird
Posted on Nov 25, 2007 under Sports Stars |Name : Larry Bird
Name : Larry Joe Bird
Profession : Basketball Players
Date of Birth : December 7, 1956
Place of Birth : West Baden, Indiana
High School : Springs Valley High School
College : Indiana State ?9
Height : 6′ 9′
Weight : 220 lbs.
NBA Experience : 13 Years
Biography
College Career: Consensus All-American in 1978 and 1979 and the Sporting News Player of the Year in 1979 … TSN All-America First Team in 1978 and 1979 … graduated as the fifth all-time leading NCAA scorer (30.3 ppg) … ISU compiled a record of 81-13 overall and 50-1 at home in his three years … led ISU to the 1979 NCAA Finals … John Wooden Award winner in 1979 … also attended Indiana University, and Northwood Institute, but did not play. Scored over 40 pts. 15 times, 30+ pts. 49 times, 20+ pts. 87 out of 94 games.
Professional Career: Drafted by Boston on the first-round of the 1978 draft, as a junior eligible, the 6th pick overall … voted the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980 and was a member of the league?s All-Rookie Team … a member of the All-NBA First team his first nine years, and to the Second team in his 11th … named to the all-star team 12 times … named the all-star game MVP in 1982 … All-Defensive Second Team in 1982, 1983, and 1984 … playoff MVP in 1984 and 1986 … regular season MVP in 1984, 1985, and 1986; one of only three players in NBA history to achieve the feat in three consecutive seasons … Player of the week 15 times … Player of the Month 7 times … NBA ft% leader in 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1990 … Boston has never had a r/s losing month with him in the line-up … whenever he plays 3,000 minutes, Boston advances to the NBA Finals; whenever he doesn?t, Boston does not advance … only Celtic to score 2,000+ points in three consecutive seasons … 69 triple-doubles, including 59 in the r/s … 40+ points 52 times, 46 in the r/s … 50+ points 4 times, all in the r/s … was held scoreless on 1/31/81 at Golden State … grabbed 21 rebounds in Game One of the 1981 NBA Finals vs. Houston; his sensational left-handed flying follow-up of his missed 22-footer came in the middle of the 4th quarter (Boston then trailed 87-86, then won 98-95 ,,, Bird-Erving fight, 11/9/84 … set NBA playoff record for most points in one year, 1984 … tallied 34 points in game five win over the Lakers in the 1984 Finals, despite 97 degree temperatures inside Boston Garden … scored 10,000 career point on 1/11/85 vs. Washington … consecutive game-winning buzzer beaters on 1/27/85 … named AP Male Athlete of the Year for 1986 … named The Sporting News Man of the Year for 1986 … won the long distance shootout in the first three years of its existence … triple-double in 1986 title clincher vs. Houston … consecutive 40+ point games on 3/20/87 (Seattle) and 3/22/87 (New Jersey) … achieved a triple-double at halftime on 4/1/87 vs. Washington … on 5/23/87, was ejected with Bill Laimbeer for fighting … made miraculous steal of Isaiah Thomas?inbounds pass with five seconds left to give Boston a win in Game Five of their 1987 playoff series … on 11/7/87 at Washington, game-tying 3-pt. fg. With 4 seconds left in 4th; hit game-winner with no time left in OT … on 11/11/87, he registered Boston?s first 40/20 game (42 points and 20 rebs.) Vs Indiana … on 5/22/88, in 7th game vs. Hawks, scored 34 pts. Including 20 (9-10 fgs) in the 4th … first player in NBA history to register 50% fgs. And 90% fts in the same season, and he is the only player to do it twice … missed all but six games in the 1988-89 season due to surgical removal of bone spurs in both heels … had the second best (Calvin Murphy, 78) free throw streak in NBA annals snapped at 71 on 2/12/90 in Houston … achieved his 5,000 career assist on 11/14/90 vs. Washington; became the 5th NBA player to reach both those numbers (Jabbar, Robertson, West and Havlicek) … in Game Five clincher vs. Indiana on 5/5/91, he made a Superman-like return after a serious fall to the floor earlier in the game; had a game high 32 points and sparked a key 39-25 run.
1991-92 FINAL SEASON: Became the NBA?S twelfth all-time scorer, as he surpassed Walt Bellamy on 11/5 … snatched 36 rebounds in two consecutive games on 12/28 - 12/30 … from March 1 to the rest of the season he played 17 games, 627 (36.9) minutes, 323 (19.0) points (123-267, 21-55, 55-60), 166 (9.8) rebounds, 132 (7.8) assists … moved into the eleventh spot on the NBA?s all-time scoring list, surpassing Hal Greer … played 54 minutes vs. Portland on 3/15, recorded 49 points (19-35, 2-8, 9-10), 14 rebounds, 12 assists and 4 steals; had 16 fourth quarter points and made a 3-point field goal with 2 seconds left in regulation to tie the game … in 9 games from 3/4 - 3/18, he grabbed 79 rebounds of which 78 came off the defensive glass … 10+ points 42 times … 20+ points 24 times … 30+ points 5 times … 40+ points once … 10+ rebounds 22 times … 10+ assists 4 times … 23 double-doubles … 1 triple-double … finished 8th among league leaders in 3-point field goal percentage and ranked second in free throw percentage.
USA COMPETITION: … Played for USA World University Games Gold Medal Team at Sofia, Bulgaria. The USA Team in the World Invitational Tournament and the 1992 Gold Medal Olympic Team ‘The Dream Team’ in Barcelona, Spain. Was co-captain of the Dream Team.
PERSONAL: Larry Joe Bird is married to the former Dinah Mattingly; has two children, a daughter, Corrie and a son Connor … has four brothers and one sister … avid outdoors man … likes Kenny Rogers?music … major fan of the St. Louis Cardinals … returns to Indiana during the summer … owns ‘Larry Bird?s Home Court Hotel’, a hotel/restaurant in Terre Haute … on 8/2/84, a street in French Lick was named in his honor … holds the annual ‘Larry Bird Pro All-Star Scholarship Classic’ during the off-season in Indiana … shoe size is 13 and a half. Announced his retirement from the NBA Boston Celtics from his home in French Lick, Indiana on August 18, 1992.
