Larry Legend
Author: Jonathon Hardcastle

Larry Bird is widely regarded as one of the three greatest NBA
players to ever lace up their sneakers on basketball's premiere
stage alongside Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. He led the
Celtics to three NBA championships in the eighties before
retiring from the NBA in 1992. In 1996, he was voted to the
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana and his family
experienced much financial difficulty during his early years.
The Bird family was also embroiled in personal turmoil, which
came to a head when his father, Joe Bird, committed suicide in
1975. Bird admits that being poor motivated a great deal. His
humble beginnings also earned him the "The Hick From French
Lick."

The most famous of Bird's nicknames was "Larry Legend," which
he earned for his exploits on the court and for having a sixth
sense about the game. He possessed an uncanny ability to
anticipate and react to the action on the floor. He could see
the plays before they actually happened. For this reason, his
first NBA coach Bill Fitch nicknamed him "Kodak" because he
form mental snapshots of every play. This ability allowed him
to make passing into an art form. He could often spot open
teammates even before they knew they were open. This gift also
allowed him to snag critical rebounds and make key steals even
though he was not extraordinarily big or quick.

Bird finished his high school career as the all-time scoring
leader of Springs Valley High school. He accepted a scholarship
of Indiana University in 1976, but left after a month. He later
enrolled at Indiana State University and led the Sycamores to a
33-1 record and to the national championship game in 1979 where
his team lost to the Michigan State University, led by Earvin
"Magic" Johnson, who would become Bird's chief rival in the NBA
for over a decade. Off the court, the two were close friends and
together, they rejuvenated first the college game and later the
NBA.

Though Bird's team lost to Johnson in the college championship,
Bird would edge out his nemesis in terms of individual honors as
he was regarded as the best college basketball player at the
time, winning both the Naismith and Wooden Awards.

Once Bird and Johnson entered the NBA with the Boston Celtics
and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively, they became the league's
biggest stars. Together, they won eight NBA championships in a
10 year span, with Bird bagging three titles and Johnson
capturing five.


About The Author: Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for
http://wonderfulworldofsports.net/ - In addition, Jonathon also
writes articles for http://recreationsource.net/ and
http://igamerscorner.com/