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Larry Bird - Basketball
Hall of Famer |
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 Larry
Bird was so self-confident that he
was known to waltz up to the
opponents' bench before tipoff and
predict a 40-point performance for
himself. He was such a deadly
shooter that he sometimes practiced
three-pointers with his eyes closed.
Among Bird's contemporaries, perhaps
only Earvin "Magic" Johnson was
considered a better passer. Few
played tougher than Bird, who would
leap into crowds and over press
tables for loose balls...Book
Larry Bird for Your Event
Larry Bird was the embodiment of
"Celtics Pride." He was a classy,
confident, hardworking player who
thrived on pressure and inspired
teammates to excel. Like Bob Cousy,
Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Dave
Cowens, the low-key Bird force the
spotlight upon himself, but rather
one who brought out the best in the
players around him. But even those
legendary players didn't fill Boston
Garden, wowing fans and dominating
games as Bird did.
Larry Bird helped rebuild a Celtics
franchise that had been suffering
from substandard play and poor
attendance in the late 1970s. With
Bird as the focal point of a
well-rounded squad, the Celtics won
three NBA titles and 10 Atlantic
Division crowns. In addition to his
three championship rings, Bird piled
up an awesome collection of personal
achievements. He became only the
third player (and the first
non-center) to win three consecutive
NBA Most Valuable Player Awards. He
was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time
NBA Finals MVP and a nine-time
member of the All-NBA First Team. He
led the league in free-throw
percentage four times.
An obsessive perfectionist, Larry
Bird was idolized by Celtic fans and
basketball purists of all
allegiances. His last-second
heroics, ranging from seemingly
impossible reverse layups to
miraculous 35-foot bombs over
multiple defenders, never ceased to
amaze those who followed his career.
"Larry Bird has helped define the
way a generation of basketball fans
has come to view and appreciate the
NBA," said Commissioner David J.
Stern when Bird retired due to a
painful back condition in 1992,
after capturing a gold medal with
the original Dream Team at the
Olympics in Barcelona.
Bird's legend was born in the tiny
town of French Lick, snuggled in
Indiana's corn country, where his
family led a spartan life. French
Lick had a population of 2,059, most
of whom came out to watch Springs
Valley High School's home games in a
state that takes its schoolboy
basketball very seriously.
Attendance often reached 1,600--and
they were all there to watch the
blond-haired shooting whiz with a
funny smile named Larry Joe Bird.
On May 12, 1997, Bird was named head
coach of the Indiana Pacers. Even
though he had never coached a game
in his life, the Pacers had no
qualms about turning over the reins
to Bird.
"This guy is the epitome of
everything I've tried to do here,"
Pacers President Donnie Walsh said
of Bird. "When I started here, I
wanted to see the high school,
college and professional basketball
worlds come together, and Bird
symbolizes that. I also really
believe he can be a heck of a coach.
"He pulls people together. When he
talks, you come into his world.
That's what a coach has to do."
Bird didn't disappoint. In three
seasons on the sideline, he coached
the Pacers to a record of 147-67
(.687) and was named Coach of the
Year in 1997-98. Indiana made three
trips to the Eastern Confernce
Finals and reached the NBA Finals in
the 1999-2000 season, losing to the
Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Then, despite his success, Bird
stepped down, saying: "Three years
is enough. I'm not cut out to be a
coach. It's time to move on."
Larry Joe Bird and his wife Dinah
have two children: Connor and
Mariah. He has four brothers and one
sister; his mother's name is
Georgia. Bird is an avid outdoorsman
and has a passion for country music,
auto racing, golf and the St. Louis
Cardinals. He also owns "Larry
Bird's Boston Connection," a
hotel/restaurant in Terre Haute that
also serves as a museum for many of
his trophies and awards. A street in
Terre Haute was named in his honor
on Aug. 4, 1984.
>>>Book Larry Bird for Your Event
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