Born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, Larry Joe Bird was raised in the nearby community of French Lick. Even as a youth it was apparent that Bird had an incredible talent of the game of basketball, being the all-time scoring leader at Springs Valley High School. His record in high school won him a basketball scholarship to the University of Indiana.

Bird felt intimidated by the size of the campus and dropped out immediately. After taking a year off, he returned to college at Indiana State and became part of their Sycamore team. As a senior in 1979, he led Indiana to the NCAA Championship, where they faced off against the Magic Johnson-led Michigan State Spartans. Indiana State finished this season with a 33-1 record; while at Indiana State, Bird was the 5th highest scorer in NCAA history with a 30.3 points per game average.

The number one choice of the Boston Celtics in 1979, Bird was paid a record salary of $650,000 per year. Making an average of 21.3 points per game, Bird won the Rookie of the Year award in a season which saw a 61-21 record for the team and Bird gaining a lot of popularity with fans.

The following year, the Celtics relocated to the Robert Parrish Center and took on Kevin McHale. Bird and McHale are considered by many to have been the best frontline in NBA history. In the 1980-1981 season, the Celtics made it to the NBA finals, where they defeated the Houston Rockets six times to take the championship. In the 1980′s, the Celtics made it to nearly every NBA final, often facing off against the Lakers.

Now at master playmaker, Celtic’s coach Bill Fitch gave Larry the nickname “Kodak.” Of this nickname, Fitch explained, “it’s for his ability to picture how a play would unfold. He can turn a play into points.” Bird’s defense was also recognized and one season saw 59 triple-doubles in the regular season and ten more in the playoffs-his tallies for the 1981-82 year would reach the double digits. In the 1982-83 season the Celtics would revamp their team again when KC Jones was announced as coach and guard Dennis Johnson was acquired-this would set the stage for a winning team that would last for several years.

The Celtics took the NBA championship in the 1983-1984 season in a seven game series against the Lakers, with an 111-102 score in the final game. In this series, Bird averaged 14 rebounds and 27 points per game, also taking the MVP awards for the series and for the season. Bird also won the MVP award the next season, even after a loss to the Lakers. Bird and Magic Johnson had a friendly rivalry which fans still talk about.

The Celtics returned to finals once again in the 1985-1986 season; they defeated the Houston Rockets in six games and finished with a 76-15 record for the year. Bird again won the series MVP in this, his third NBA championship victory with an average of 24 points per game, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. This year also saw him winning the league MVP award, the third player to do so. Bird’s Celtics would also come out on top in the finals the next year, beating the Lakers in six games. Bird, like his rival Magic Johnson was becoming synonymous with the game of basketball.

However, it was his performance in the 1987-1988 season which would make the name Larry Bird a synonym for basketball. This season saw him earning a 29.9 point per game average with a field goal percentage of .527 and a free throw average of .916. Due to surgery for a bone spur, Bird was sidelined in the following season. He returned for the 1989-1990 season, but Bird knew that it would soon be time to retire. This basket ball legend was part of the 1992 US Olympic basketball “Dream Team”, along with Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Bird holds a career average of 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists per game, his 49.6% field goal average and an incredible 88.6% free throw average, a 37.6% three-pointer average and has played in no less than twelve All-Star games. Larry Bird’s name is truly legendary and the man is a living synonym for basketball, holding a special place in the hearts of basketball fans everywhere.