No, Larry Bird did not attend Indiana University. Larry Bird is a legendary basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics in the NBA from 1979 to 1992. He is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Larry Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana in 1956 and grew up in French Lick, Indiana. After a successful high school basketball career, Larry Bird attended Indiana State University, not Indiana University. He played basketball for Indiana State from 1976 to 1979, leading them to the NCAA Championship game in 1979. After his college career, Larry Bird was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 6th overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. He went on to have an illustrious career with the Celtics, winning 3 NBA titles and 3 MVP awards. But despite being from Indiana, Larry Bird never attended Indiana University.
Larry Bird’s Background
Larry Bird was born on December 7, 1956 in West Baden Springs, Indiana. He grew up in the small town of French Lick, Indiana, where he attended Springs Valley High School. Larry was a standout basketball player in high school, leading Springs Valley to a 33-1 record and a sectional championship in his senior year in 1974. He was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 1974 as the best high school player in the state.
After high school, Larry Bird attended Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana from 1976 to 1979. He chose Indiana State in part because it was close to home and he wanted his mother to be able to attend his college games. Bird led Indiana State to an NCAA record 33-0 start in the 1978-1979 season and guided them all the way to the NCAA Championship game, where they lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Larry Bird averaged 30.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game for his college career at Indiana State.
So while Larry Bird is a basketball legend from the state of Indiana, he did not attend Indiana University. Indiana University is located in Bloomington, Indiana and has a storied basketball history, producing great players like Isiah Thomas, Kent Benson, Walt Bellamy, and Calbert Cheaney. However, Larry Bird chose to stay closer to home and attended Indiana State University just a short drive away in Terre Haute. Nonetheless, Larry Bird is still considered one of the greatest basketball players to ever come out of the state of Indiana.
Larry Bird’s NBA Career with the Boston Celtics
Although Larry Bird never went to Indiana University, he still went on to have an amazing NBA career with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics selected Bird with the 6th overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft after his junior year at Indiana State. Bird did not immediately join the NBA, though, and played one more season at Indiana State before making himself eligible for the draft again in 1979. The Celtics once again selected Bird with the 6th pick.
Larry Bird immediately transformed the Celtics into an NBA powerhouse. In his rookie season, Bird led the Celtics to a 32-game improvement and a 61-21 record after they had gone just 29-53 the season before. For his efforts, Larry Bird was named the Rookie of the Year, an award he won in a landslide.
Over the next 13 seasons with Boston, Larry Bird cemented himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He led the Celtics to three NBA championships in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Larry Bird won the NBA MVP award three consecutive times from 1984 to 1986. He also made the All-NBA First Team nine times in his career and was a 12-time NBA All-Star.
Some key stats and accolades from Larry Bird’s legendary career:
– 3 NBA titles (1981, 1984, 1986)
– 3 NBA MVP awards (1984, 1985, 1986)
– 3 NBA Finals MVP awards (1984, 1986)
– 12x NBA All-Star (1980-1988, 1990-1992)
– Rookie of the Year (1980)
– All-NBA First Team 9x (1980-1988)
– Average of 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists per game
Larry Bird put together one of the most decorated careers in NBA history. He is considered one of the greatest small forwards to ever play the game and helped establish the Boston Celtics as a dynastic franchise in the 1980s. Bird’s rivalry and duels with Magic Johnson were iconic and brought tremendous popularity to the NBA. Although he never attended Indiana University, Larry Bird’s career highlight reels are still sure to be found in every Indiana basketball fan’s home.
Comparison to Other Indiana Basketball Greats
While Larry Bird is arguably the most famous basketball player to ever come from Indiana, he is far from the only Hoosier State legend. Indiana has produced a tremendous amount of basketball talent over the years. Here is a comparison of Larry Bird to some other noteworthy Indiana basketball stars:
Oscar Robertson – Like Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson grew up in Indianapolis and achieved stardom at an Indiana college before the NBA. Robertson attended the University of Cincinnati from 1957-1960 and averaged 33.8 points per game in college, a NCAA record that still stands today. In the NBA, Robertson averaged 25.7 points, 9.5 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game over 14 seasons. He won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971. Oscar Robertson is considered one of the greatest guards in basketball history.
Isiah Thomas – A Chicago native, Isiah Thomas played collegiately at Indiana University from 1979-1981. He helped lead the Hoosiers to a NCAA Championship in 1981. Thomas then entered the NBA and spent his entire career with the Detroit Pistons from 1981 to 1994. He won two NBA titles with the “Bad Boy” Pistons and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.
George McGinnis – George McGinnis was born in Indianapolis and starred at Indiana University from 1969-1971 before leaving early for a professional career. He averaged 29.9 points and 14.7 rebounds per game during his IU career. McGinnis then played 11 seasons in the ABA and NBA. He was a 3-time ABA All-Star and scored over 14,000 career points as a pro.
Zach Randolph – A more modern Indiana prep star, Zach Randolph was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball in 2000 out of Marion High School before jumping straight to the NBA. Randolph has played 18 seasons in the NBA for several teams and has been a consistent double-double threat, averaging 16.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for his career.
Player | Hometown | College | Pro Stats | Accolades |
---|---|---|---|---|
Larry Bird | French Lick, IN | Indiana State | 24.3 ppg, 10 rpg, 6.3 apg | 3x NBA Champion, 3x MVP |
Oscar Robertson | Indianapolis, IN | Cincinnati | 25.7 ppg, 9.5 apg, 7.5 rpg | NBA Champion, MVP |
Isiah Thomas | Chicago, IL | Indiana | 19.2 ppg, 9.3 apg | 2x NBA Champion |
George McGinnis | Indianapolis, IN | Indiana | 17.2 ppg, 11 rpg | 3x ABA All-Star |
Zach Randolph | Marion, IN | NBA | 16.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg | 2x NBA All Star |
As this comparison shows, Larry Bird stands tall among a long list of incredible basketball talents to come from the state of Indiana. His name and career accomplishments are right there among the very best. While Oscar Robertson can claim the title of Indiana’s first basketball superstar and Isiah Thomas led Indiana University to glory, Larry Bird remains the state’s most prolific NBA winner with his 3 championships and 3 MVPs as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Impact on Basketball in Indiana
Although Larry Bird did not attend Indiana University, his phenomenal career and legacy have had an enormous impact on the popularity of basketball within the state of Indiana. Here are some of the key ways that Larry Bird helped grow the game of basketball in his basketball-crazed home state:
– Inspired thousands of young Indiana basketball players with his dreams of making it big from a small town. Bird showed that with talent and hard work, the NBA was a possibility regardless of where you grew up.
– Brought tremendous pride and attention to the state of Indiana with his nationally-televised exploits and rivals with Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, and Michael Jordan. Casual fans across America became familiar with the Indiana town of French Lick thanks to Larry Bird.
– Helped make basketball the undisputed #1 sport in Indiana. High school basketball was already huge in Indiana before Bird, but his success helped take it to another level as a cultural phenomenon. The movie Hoosiers came out in 1986 at the height of Bird’s stardom.
– Laid the foundation for future NBA talent pipelines from Indiana high schools and colleges. After Bird, top Indiana prospects like Glenn Robinson (Purdue), Eric Gordon (Indiana), and Greg Oden (Lawrence North HS) knew there was a path to follow.
– Inspired the next generation of legendary Indiana names like Calbert Cheaney and Damon Bailey who idolized Bird’s game growing up. Cheaney remains Indiana University’s all-time leading scorer.
– Continues to be an ambassador for Indiana basketball, highlighted by his return to coach his alma mater Indiana State for three years from 2000 to 2000.
Simply put, Larry Bird put Indiana basketball on the map and made it synonymous with greatness. No other person is more directly responsible for making basketball woven into the cultural fabric of the state of Indiana. Even without attending Indiana University, Larry Legend’s legacy burns bright in the Hoosier State.
Conclusion
In summary, Larry Bird did not attend Indiana University. The 3-time NBA Champion, 3-time MVP, and Boston Celtics legend was born and raised in Indiana, but chose to attend college at Indiana State University in Terre Haute from 1976-1979. Regardless, Bird is still considered one of the greatest basketball players to ever come from the basketball-rich state of Indiana. His phenomenal career with the Celtics and rivalry with Magic Johnson brought immense prestige and popularity to the sport of basketball in Indiana. Although he took a different college route, Larry Bird’s lasting legacy continues to inspire young basketball players from Indiana to dream big and reach for the stars.