Copyright 2023. landofbasketball.com - All rights reserved. That season ended with a loss to Michigan State University in the NCAA championship game (1979), which was the first meeting of Bird and Magic Johnson, a rivalry that would become the centrepiece of the NBAs popularization during the 1980s. The percentage of shots in the air is 49.6%. Larry Birds current position as coach and executive in the National Basketball Association is worth great, thanks to his professional career with Boston Celtics. Hodges remembers one moment as the one that clinched Birds enrollment at Indiana State. A cut out of Bird dribbling the ball is placed over a heavily edited background, not unlike the school photo backdrops of the time. Coming back after surgery, Larry just wasnt the powerhouse that he once was. He averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game over the course of his career, and his 21,791 total points scored was the 11th highest in NBA history at the time of his retirement. His first experience at college left him so disillusioned that he was willing to quit basketball then and there and get a normal job. View 3 Comments While 89 wasnt so great for Bird health wise, it was a great year on a personal level. Sadly, the account was suspended some time ago. This article was last updated by Krishna Gurung on January 9, 2023. My concern 15 years ago was everybodys going to be 6-(foot)-9 like Magic Johnson at the point guard, and the little guys are going to get squeezed out. Suggestions? Copyright 2023. landofbasketball.com - All rights reserved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Bird transformed the Indiana State Sycamores into a successful college program, leading them to a 48-12 record in his first 2 seasons. However, due to some circumstances, Larry was not able to continue his study in Indiana. In 13 games played in March last season he averaged (32.8) points on (.538) percent from the field and (.447) from deep. As a result, Larrys family went through an economic struggle. NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers are now part owners of MLS franchise Nashville SC, Bucks emerge as frontrunners to sign veteran guard Goran Dragic, Will Bartons Potential Impact on Toronto, 3 things we learned from Kevin Durants debut with the Phoenix Suns, LeBron James out at least three weeks due to right foot tendon injury. Bird again stepped down in May 2017, having constructed teams that qualified for the play-offs in 8 of his 13 seasons in that position, and then took a role in the Pacers organization as a scout and consultant. Rating: True About this rating On June 29, 2021, Atlanta Hawks player Clint Capela hit a shot from. Corrections? They also gave a nod to the Dream Team with the USA Basketball logo in the bottom right. Here is a list of his top cards that you should consider for your collection. The latter inspired his team members, along with millions of basketball fans. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Bird retired in 1992 and moved to a front-office position with the Celtics. In a time of overused graphics, Hoops got it right with a clean design over a sharp action photo. The card features a somewhat bland photo of Bird wearing a Celtics jacket warming up pre-game. Always a man of his word, Bird promised to fulfill the remainder of his contract in the team front office. This is the detail of NBA games in which Larry Bird and Magic Johnson played against each other, including head-to-head record, stats average, game highs and game-by-game data both in the Regular Season and Playoffs. Bill looked Larry in the eyes, said Patrick Wood, writer and director of an upcoming film based on Birds recruitment to Indiana State, to the Indy Star. Zach Wolpin is an NBA expert and has been betting on the league for over three years now. Head-to-Head: Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan. Larry looks fit and has an athletic body, but he had to go through back fusion surgery, leading him to end his playing career. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. That's the most in a season by a Celtics player since Larry Bird in 1987-88. pic.twitter.com/vThxsyA2Ye, ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 2, 2023. The Celtics have a rich history of winning championships and being a contender almost every season. A large pink beam lays behind the star. The 63-year olds career had always been a handful of achievements and earned it with his consistent and hardworking performance, classy and energetic determination. Land Of Basketball.com Teams, players profiles, awards, stats, records and championships. Larry Bird began 45 games and played 1,662 minutes during his NBA career. In his book, the thrill of the games is here but the choice for chapters and the lack of statistics make it very difficult to follow his seasons. In these comments, it appears that Curry is a better player than Jordan. Weve brought together some of the best Larry Bird basketball cards out there with this list. The Hick from the French Lick has got yellow-toned tan skin. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 13 . A crowd of fans joined him for the induction, chanting his name as he joined the ranks of the everlasting basketball greats. After a year away from the sport, he returned to his position as the Pacers president of basketball operations in June 2013. He was one of the players chosen to be on the very first Olympic basketball team from the United States that featured pro NBA playersthe infamous Dream Team. Attending Springs Valley High School, Bird dominated the local basketball scene. He would win the NBAs Most Valuable Player Award for the third year in a row in the 86 season. Comments? Larry Bird is a true basketball legendfrom the golden age of the sport. Since his retirement as a player, Bird has served as a coach and then as the president of basketball operations for his home state team, The Indiana Pacers. However, they harmonized for a while and had a daughter Corrie; in1977, they separated permanently. During his prime, Bird was one of the best players in the NBA and he achieved a lot of success in it. Rachel Hunter Bio: Early Life, Net Worth, Children & West Baden Springs, Indiana, United States of America, The Hick from French Lick and Larry Legend, High school from Springs Valley (French Lick, Indiana), Playing career (1979-1992): Boston Celtics, Coaching career(1997-2000): Indiana Pacers. Aside from that, several documentaries upon Birds legacy and career has been released. Home; Tickets; Schedule. It's one thing to know Bird's numbers. They faced each other a total of 37 times in NBA games. His regular-season record against Jordan was 35-11, and he averaged 27.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 8.1 boards per game. But it seems like Bird himself is not fond of using social media as there are no personal accounts though we can find numbers of his fan pages over Twitter, Darius Days Bio: Family, Contracts And Net Worth, Gus Johnson Bio: Family, Documentary & Net Worth, Mike Conley Net Worth: Charity & Endorsements, Shaun Livingston Bio: Injuries, NBA Championships, Net Worth & Kids. Amazon.com: Larry Bird Basketball Cards 1-48 of 688 results for "larry bird basketball cards" RESULTS Larry Bird Basketball Cards Assorted (5) Bundle - Boston Celtics Trading Card Gift Pack 4.6 (78) $1699 FREE delivery Mar 7 - 8 1989-90 Hoops Basketball #150 Larry Bird Boston Celtics Official NBA Trading Card 4.8 (18) $495 FREE delivery Mar 6 - 9 There might be times when Bird was accused of being overrated at times. Thats exactly what people are going to say about you. Bill said at that moment, as Larry looked at him, he thought, Thats when I knew I had him.'. By using this website you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Some of them are Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies, Larry Bird: A Basketball Legend, etc. In June 2012 he resigned from the Pacers front office, just weeks after winning the previous seasons Executive of the Year award. The Hick from the French Lick has got yellow-toned tan skin. They were very protective of Bird, who was still recovering from the death of his father. Without the assistance of a little-known coach at Indiana State, his Hall of Fame career would never have happened. The space behind Larrys name looks like a painted basketball, which was kind of an interesting touch to the design, although it does make it harder to read the lettering. The Indiana-born was the highest-paid rookie of the year, with $3.25 million an average of $650,000 a year in a 5-year contract with the Celtics. The card is extremely difficult to find in decent condition as copies are riddled with print defects. The greats came home sporting gold medals around their necks. In 1975, Hodges was just a guy who had spent a decade as an assistant coach at Marian, Tennessee Tech, and Armstrong State in Savannah, Georgia, before joining Indiana State. These cards commemorate the 13 seasons of glory he had playing for the Boston Celtics. In 1998, Larry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He earned the highest salary, $7,070,000, during the 1991-92 season. During his career, Bird was considered one of the best players in the history of basketball. See production, box office & company info. And, lest you think that Birds comments were a one-off, there are some other quotes from the former star about the state of modern basketball. Standing at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he played the small forward and power forward positions. And while Larry Bird can certainly be set in his ways, he had no problem with the NBA becoming more and more reliant on outside shooting. He finished his career, averaging 24.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. Comments? In addition to the size of the school, Bird also voted the heavy course load as a factor. Larry Bird had given up on basketball, but one person still believed he had a future in the game: Bill Hodges. Hoops used an action shot of Bird driving hard to the basket. There are a total of 591,591 baskets. Larry Bird was such a player. Recently, he stepped down as the president of the Indiana Pacers and said, Im 60 years old, and I want to do other things away from basketball. The Celtics retired Birds number 33 shortly after he retired as a player. He also would take the Celtics to win the championship for a third time, and be named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player for his contributions to the victory. He went on to have a disc in his back surgically removed, however his deteriorating spine would push him to retire in the years to come. There is no clear answer when comparing the stats of Larry Bird and LeBron James. Larry Legend was just that: a basketball legend. The frame around the shot is a carryover from their 1989 design, but the gradient gray background behind it and position of player name and team info mixed things up. The design of this card has Fleer written all over it with its blocky gray borders and overall color scheme. A black and white gradient is set behind the framing of the picture. Bird was a 12-time All Star and won three consecutive league Most Valuable Player awards (198486), the first noncentre to do so. The Fleer card features Bird mid game, coming down with a hard-earned rebound. Hes even managed to win awards in this role, taking home the 2012 NBA Executive of the Year title. Larry Bird was born in 1956 and he celebrates his birthday on December 7 every year. Still, he had always been loved. Avery practices in the barn. Larry Bird: A Basketball Legend: With Daniel Stern, Larry Bird. The American greatest basketball still worked as a coach and executive in the NBA, which had indeed led him to get over the low economic lifestyle of his early age, which he had discussed in his several interviews. In the last 7 years, Ive been covering everything related to the career and job seeking world. Debilitating injuries plagued Larry for much of 1989. As far as stats go, Larry was the first ever player to shoot 50% or higher on field goals. The legendary basketballers wife is Dinah Mattingly. Michael Jordan is unquestionably the greatest basketball player of all time. He is undeniably one of the greatest basketball players of all time, which has earned him the Hick from French Lick and Larry Legend nicknames.