Larry Bird Essay

Ryan Hopkins

March 18, 2015

English II

Mr. Daniher

Life of Larry Bird

Larry Bird was one of the people in the sport of basketball that will not be forgotten. He is one of the greats who fought to get where he was and did not stop fighting once he got there. Larry Bird was one of the greatest legends to ever step foot on the basketball court.

Larry Bird was born on December 7th, 1956 in West Baden, Indiana. Larry grew up in French Lick, Indiana, which was a very sparsely populated region with only a couple hundred people living in the rural area, this is where he started playing basketball at the very late age of thirteen. From then on, he practiced and worked hard every day after school and even went to the gym to practice before school because

he had a deep passion and drive to be the best at his sport.
All the boys in Larry's family played basketball. His older brothers were constantly playing against him, which made him a much better basketball player. "We played lots of baseball, softball, rubber ball—we played ball all the time. When we were growing up, before we got a real basketball hoop, we used a coffee can and tried to shoot one of those small sponge-rubber balls through it" (New Yorker). Larry became committed to basketball in high school when he would practice hard all day. "I played when I was cold and my body was aching and I was so tired," he told (Sports Illustrated). "I don't know why, I just kept playing and playing ... I guess I always wanted to make the most out of it" (Kavanagh).
He started for his High School Varsity team, Springs Valley Blackhawks High School, which combined the 2 small towns of French Lick and West Baden Indiana. Although Larry was destined for greatness in his basketball career, he grew up living a tough a depressing childhood as his dad, Joe Bird, committed suicide while Larry was just 18 years old (Kavanagh). His mom was left with very little money in a small house, where she had to work a daily job and take care of her 4 kids; Mike, Mark, Linda, and Larry. The family had lived in poverty for a while, so sometimes Larry’s Mom would have them go live with their Grandmother until she could straighten things out. He left Springs Valley High School as the All-Time Leading scorer on the Varsity Basketball team which still stands today, a 37 year record. (Larry Bird Bio).
He went on to play college basketball at Indiana State University (Larry Bird Bio).

Larry Bird did not get a scholarship to the school right when he applied, when he first went to college he had to pay but not the whole time he was at Indiana State University. He got a full ride scholarship and in 1979 in his senior season, he played in the NCAA basketball National Championship (only to lose) against his future NBA rival and friend, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans. The Indiana State Sycamores still finished 33-1 that season. (Baughman). After his final year of collegiate basketball, Bird won the AP College Player of the Year Award, Naismith Award, Wooden Award, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Adolph Rupp Trophy, and the NABC Player of the

Year.
Eventually, after 3 seasons at Indiana Sate, leaving as their All-Time leading Scorer, The NCAA’s 5th All Time leading scorer, and averaged 30.3 points a game over 3 seasons, he finally entered the 1979 NBA draft. The Boston Celtics took the 6”9” 220 lb. Forward 6th overall in the first round. After his first season in the NBA, Bird had already improved their team drastically, winning them 40 more games, and a playoff birth. Bird won honors for 1979-1980 Rookie of the Year (Larry Bird Bio).
Larry Bird was one of the best players on the Boston Celtics. He led the team in scoring for the thirteen years that he played for them. Larry Bird was a phenomenal basketball player and he had been playing the sport his entire life. Bird went up against many of basketballs finest players such as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, but he was still able to come up with three NBA championships before he retired (Kavanagh).
While playing for the Boston Celtics he led his team in scoring with 21.3 points per game.

He led in rebounding with 10.4 rebounding. Larry Bird had 24.3 points per game (21,791 points in total), Had 6.3 assists per game (5,695 assists in total), and got at least 10 rebounds per game (8,974 rebounds in total). Larry Bird won the rookie of the year award his first year in 1980. He won the NBA All Star award twelve out of his thirteen years in the NBA and NBA's Most Valuable Player three out of the thirteen years in the NBA. Lastly, he won the NBA finals Most Valuable Player two out of the thirteen years in his NBA career. (Larry Bird

Bio).
From then on, in his 13 year NBA career, little did the world know that they were about to experience one of the greatest legends to ever step foot on a basketball court. Larry bird was one of the greatest people to ever play the sport of basketball. He played in a time where he was not the only super star on the court. There was Michael Jordan and Ervin ¨magic¨ Johnson that were always there to steal the spotlight away from Bird. Larry Bird was one of the few people who will be vastly remembered in NBA history.
Larry Bird played for the Boston Celtics and left an impression in the game of basketball. He helped a lot of people get better at the sport and he helped shape the sport into what it is today. Larry Bird is a basketball legend.

Works Cited

"Bird, Larry 1957- and Johnson, Earvin 'Magic' 1958-." American Decades. Ed. Judith S.
Baughman, et al. Vol. 9: 1980-1989. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
Hoffman, Benjamin. "Player With Sharp Elbows May Merit Slap on the Back." New York
Times 15 Mar. 2015: 3(L). Student Resources in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
Kavanagh, Jack. Larry Bird Basketball Superstar. New Jersey: Enslow Pub Inc. April 2014.
Kram, Mark. "Larry Bird." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 1990. Student Resources in Context.
Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Larry Bird." UXL Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 23
Mar. 2015.