Growing up inFrench Lick, Indiana, Bird was a local basketball star. Highlyrecruited, he initially signed to playcollege basketball for coachBob Knight of theIndiana Hoosiers. However, Bird dropped out after one month and returned to French Lick and attended a local college. The next year, he attendedIndiana State University, ultimately playing three years for theSycamores. Selected by theBoston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the1978 NBA draft after his second year at Indiana State, Bird elected to stay in college and returned for the 1978–79 season. He then led his team to an undefeated regular season. The season finished with a national championship game match-up of Indiana State againstMichigan State and featured a highly anticipated match-up of Bird against Michigan State greatMagic Johnson, thus beginning a career-long rivalry that the two shared for over a decade. Michigan State won, ending the Sycamores' undefeated streak.
Bird entered the NBA for the 1979–80 season, where he made an immediate impact, starting at power forward and leading the Celtics to a 32-win improvement over the previous season before being eliminated from the playoffs in the conference finals. Bird played for the Celtics during his entire professional career (13 seasons), leading them to fiveNBA Finals appearances and threeNBA championships. Bird played most of his career with forwardKevin McHale and centerRobert Parish, considered by some to be the greatest front court in NBA history.[4] Bird was a 12-timeNBA All-Star, won twoNBA Finals MVP awards and received theNBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (1984–1986), making him the only forward in league history to do so. Bird was also a member of the gold medal-winning1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team, known as the "Dream Team". He was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice as a player—first in 1998 as an individual, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team." Bird was voted onto the NBA's50 Greatest Players in NBA History list in 1996, and subsequently the75th Anniversary Team list in 2021.[3] A versatile player at both forward positions, Bird could play both inside and outside, being one of the first players in the league to take advantage of the newly adoptedthree-point line. He was rated the greatest NBAsmall forward of all time by Fox Sports in 2016.[5]
After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of theIndiana Pacers from1997 to2000. He was namedNBA Coach of the Year for the1997–98 season and later led the Pacers to a berth in the2000 NBA Finals. In 2003, Bird was named president of basketball operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012.[6] He was namedNBA Executive of the Year for the 2012 season. Bird returned to thePacers as president of basketball operations in 2013,[7] and remained in that role until 2017.[8] Bird continued with the Pacers as an advisor until July 2022, then after nearly a year's break returned to the organization in the role of consultant.[9]
Bird was raised in nearbyFrench Lick, where his mother worked two jobs to support Larry and his five siblings.[14] Bird has said that being poor as a child still motivates him "to this day."[15] Georgia and Joe divorced when Larry was in high school, and Joe committedsuicide in February 1975.[16]
Bird used basketball as an escape from his family troubles, starring forSprings Valley High School (Class of 1974)[17] and averaging 31 points, 21 rebounds, and 4.0 assists as a senior on his way to becoming the school's all-time scoring leader.[11][18] Bird wore the jersey number 33 in high school because his brother Mark had previously had it; he kept that number through his college and professional career.[19] According to Bird, he grew up as a huge fan of theIndiana Pacers in theAmerican Basketball Association (ABA) and the 6'9 centerMel Daniels, who represented his first exposure to professional basketball.[20] Bird's youngest brother,Eddie, also played basketball at Indiana State University, where Daniels would coincidentally become an assistant coach to the young Larry once he played there.[13]
The game achieved the highest-ever television rating for a college basketball game, in large part because of the matchup between Bird and Spartans'point guardEarvin "Magic" Johnson,[14] a rivalry that lasted throughout their professional careers. Despite failing to win the championship, Bird earned numerous year-end awards and honors for his outstanding play, including theNaismith College Player of the Year Award.[26] For his college career, Bird averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game,[27] leading the Sycamores to an 81–13 record during his tenure.[26] Bird also appeared in one game for thebaseball team, going 1–for–2 with tworuns batted in.[28] He graduated in 1979 with aBachelor of Science degree inphysical education.[29]
Professional career
Boston Celtics (1979–1992)
Joining the Celtics (1978–1979)
Bird was selected by theBoston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the1978 NBA draft.[27] He did not sign with the Celtics immediately; instead, Bird played out his final season at Indiana State and led the Sycamores to the NCAA title game. Celtics general managerRed Auerbach publicly stated that he would not pay Bird more than any Celtic on the current roster, but Bird's agentBob Woolf told Auerbach that Bird would reject any sub-market offers and simply enter the1979 draft instead, where Boston's rights would expire when the draft began on June 25, and Bird would have been the likely top pick. After protracted negotiations, he signed a five-year, $3.25 million contract with the team on June 8, making Bird the highest-paid rookie in sports history.[30][18][31] Shortly afterwards, NBA draft eligibility rules were changed to prevent teams from drafting players before they were ready to sign, a rule known as the Bird Collegiate Rule.[31]
Early success (1979–1983)
Bird recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in his NBA debut against the Houston Rockets on October 12, 1979.
In his rookie season (1979–80), Bird immediately transformed the Celtics into a title contender. The team improved its win total by 32 games from theyear before he was drafted and finished first in theEastern Conference.[32][33] In his career debut, Bird recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a 114–106 victory over the Houston Rockets.[34] On November 14, 1979, he recorded his first career triple-double with 23 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in a 115–111 victory over the Detroit Pistons.[35] Nine days later, Bird recorded his first 30-point scoring game (along with 11 rebounds and 3 assists) in a 118–103 victory over the Indiana Pacers.[36] With averages of 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for theseason, he was selected to theAll-Star Team and namedRookie of the Year.[27] In theEastern Conference Finals, Boston was eliminated by thePhiladelphia 76ers.[33]
Before the1980–81 season, the Celtics selected forwardKevin McHale in thedraft and acquired centerRobert Parish from theGolden State Warriors,[37][38] forming a Hall of Fame trio for years to come; the front-court of Bird, McHale, and Parish is regarded as one of the greatest front-courts in NBA history.[39][40][41] Behind Bird's leadership and Boston's upgraded roster, the Celtics again advanced to theConference Finals for a rematch with the 76ers.[42] Boston fell behind 3–1 to start the series but won the next three games to advance to the Finals against theHouston Rockets,[43] winning in six games and earning Bird his firstchampionship.[42] Bird averaged 21.9 points, 14 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game for the postseason and 15.3 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 7 assists per game for the Finals.[27][44]
Bird was slated to become afree agent after the 1983–84 season. In 1983, as part of a collective bargaining agreement, the NBA initially implemented a "hard"salary cap (meaning total player salaries could not exceed a certain limit) which would not go into effect until the 1984–85 season. The NBA quickly modified this to a "soft cap", meaning the cap could be exceeded in order for a team re-sign its own free agents. This came to be erroneously known as the "Larry Bird Rule"; the Celtics didn't actually invoke the exception to specifically re-sign Bird, as the cap wasn't in effect. Bird signed his seven-year, $12.6 million extension in 1983, before the cap came into effect and the Celtics were actually over the cap in total player salaries (including Bird's extension) at the time the cap was implemented.[48]
Bird was named MVP of the1983–84 season with averages of 24.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.[27] In theplayoffs, the Celtics avenged their loss from the year before to the Bucks, winning in five games in the Conference Finals to advance to the Finals against theLos Angeles Lakers.[49] In Game 4, the Lakers—led by Bird's college rival Magic Johnson—were on the verge of taking a commanding 3–1 series lead before a flagrant foul was committed onKurt Rambis that resulted in a brawl and caused the Lakers to lose their composure.[50] Boston came back to win that game and eventually won the series in seven games.[49] Bird was namedFinals MVP behind 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.[49]
Bird in 1983
On December 9, 1984, Bird recorded 48 points to go along with 14 rebounds and 5 assists in a narrow 128–127 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.[51] On March 12 of the1984–85 season, Bird scored a career-high and franchise record 60 points in a game against theAtlanta Hawks.[52] The performance came just nine days after Kevin McHale set the previous Celtics record for points in a game with 56.[53] At the end of the year, Bird was named MVP for the second consecutive season, behind averages of 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game.[27] Boston advanced through theplayoffs to earn a rematch with the Lakers, this time losing in six games.[54]
During the 1985 offseason, Bird injured his back shoveling crushed rock to create a driveway at his mother's house. At least partially as a result of this, Bird experienced back problems for the rest of his career.[55]
Before the start of the1985–86 season, the Celtics made a daring trade forBill Walton, an All-Star center with a history of injury.[56] The risk paid off; Walton's acquisition helped Boston win a league best 67 games.[57] One of Bird's career highlights occurred at the1986 NBA All-Star Weekend when he walked into the locker room at the inauguralThree-Point Shootout and asked who was going to finish second before winning the shootout.[58][59]
On November 27, 1985, Bird recorded 47 points to go along with 12 rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a 132–124 victory over the Detroit Pistons.[60] On March 10, 1986, he scored 50 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists in a narrow 116–115 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.[61]
With averages of 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, Bird became just the third player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP Awards.[62] In theplayoffs, the Celtics lost only one game through the first three rounds en route to a match-up against theRockets in the Finals.[56] In Game 6 of the Finals against the Rockets, Bird recorded a triple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Celtics won the Finals in six games.[63] He averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round.[64]
In 1987, theCeltics made their last Finals appearance of Bird's career, fighting through difficult series against theMilwaukee Bucks andDetroit Pistons. In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons, with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Boston trailing the Pistons 107–106, Bird stole an inbound pass. Falling out of bounds, Bird turned and passed the ball to teammateDennis Johnson, who converted a game-winning layup with less than a second left. The dramatic play saved the series for the Celtics. When they reached the NBA Finals, the Celtics lost to a dominant Lakers team that had won 65 games during the season. The Celtics ended up losing to the Lakers in six games, with Bird averaging 24.2 points on .445 shooting, 10 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.[66] The Celtics fell short in 1988 losing to theDetroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference finals as the Pistons made up from the heartbreak the previous season. Between them, Bird and Johnson captured eight NBA championships during the 1980s, with Magic getting five and Bird three. During the 1980s, either Boston or Los Angeles appeared in every NBA Finals.[67]
Late career (1988–1992)
The 1987–88 season was the highest-scoring season of Bird's career. In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals against theAtlanta Hawks, Bird shot 9-of-10 from the floor in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points in that quarter and lifting the Celtics to a series-clinching victory.[68][69][70] Bird finished with 34 points. His effort helped to overcome a 47-point performance by Atlanta'sDominique Wilkins.[71] Wilkins remarked, "The basket was like a well. I couldn't miss. He couldn't miss. And it went down to the last shot of the game. Who was going to make the last shot? That's the greatest game I've ever played in or seen played." The Celtics failed to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in five years, losing to the Pistons in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bird's1988–89 season ended after six games when he had bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels.[72] Bird returned to the Celtics in 1989, but debilitating back problems and an aging Celtic roster prevented him from regaining his prime form. Nonetheless, during the final years of his career, Bird maintained his status as one of the premier players in the game. In his final three seasons with the Celtics, Bird averaged over 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists per game, shot better than 45% from the field, and led the Celtics to playoff appearances.
After leading the Celtics to a 29–5 start to the1990–91 season, Bird missed 22 games due to a compressed nerve root in his back, a condition that eventually led to his retirement. Bird had off-season surgery to remove a disc from his back, but his back problems continued and Bird missed 37 games during the1991–92 season. During the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals against theCleveland Cavaliers, Bird missed four of the seven games due to recurring back problems.
During Bird's final two seasons when he had serious back problems, the Celtics went 71–28 when he played. Without Bird, they had a 30–29 record, further demonstrating his importance and game-changing ability while on the court.[73][74][75][76]
On August 18, 1992, Bird announced his retirement from the NBA.[77] Following Bird's departure, the Celtics promptly retired his jersey number 33.
Bird's rivalry withMagic Johnson(pictured) is often credited with popularizing the NBA.
Larry Bird andMagic Johnson are known to be "one of the greatest rivalries in sports."[78] Their rivalry began in college, when Bird and Indiana State lost to Johnson and Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game. Their rivalry continued on in the revivedCeltics–Lakers rivalry in the NBA. Either the Celtics, led by Bird, or the Lakers, led by Magic, were present in every NBA Finals series in the '80s, with Bird and Magic meeting thrice. Magic got the upper hand against Bird, beating him in 1985 and 1987, while Bird beat Magic in 1984.[79]
Throughout the 1980s, contests between the Celtics and the Lakers—both during the regular season and in the Finals—attracted enormous television audiences. The first regular-season game between the Celtics and the Lakers in the 1987–88 season proved to be a classic withMagic Johnson banking in an off-balance shot from near the three-point line at the buzzer for a narrow 115–114 Lakers victory atBoston Garden.[80] The historical rift between the teams, which faced each other several times in championship series of the 1960s, fueled fan interest in the rivalry. Bird and Magic's presence on the court was only a small part of their contribution to basketball, as their rivalry changed the landscape of the NBA, transforming it from a "struggling, barely profitable league into a highly visible, financial and marketing dream for teams and players alike."[78] Many people realized that the emergence of these two stars was linked with the rise in popularity of the NBA, as the NBA started to market towards these two stars.[78]
The apparent contrast between the two players and their respective teams seemed scripted for television, as they were polar opposites in nearly every way conceivable. Bird was White, Johnson was Black; Bird was an introvert from a small town playing in blue-collar Boston, while Johnson was the gregarious personification of the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles; Bird's Celtics played gritty, physical, defence-first basketball, whereas Johnson ran the Lakers' fast-pacedShowtime offense. A 1980sConverse commercial for its "Weapon" line of basketball shoes (endorsed by both Bird and Johnson) reflected the perceived dichotomy between the two players. In the commercial, Bird is practicing alone on a rural basketball court (in reality the court was one Bird had made on the property in French Lick that he had purchased for his mother), when Johnson pulls up in a sleeklimousine and challenges him to a one-on-one match.[81]
Journalists speculated that Bird and Magic represented different contrasts, such as clashes between Celtics and Lakers, between East and West, and between Blacks and Whites. But, as one journalist would say, "They looked different, perhaps, but take a chainsaw to their souls and they were fraternal, if not identical, friends."[82] Watching Bird play was like watching Magic play, as they both shared this talent that the league had never seen before. They each had charisma, deft shooting touch, extraordinary passing skills, and team-oriented mindset that ignited their team and the crowd.[83] This style of play was starting to influence a new horde of fans as they would sit and "marvel at what they [Bird and Magic] can do" while giving younger kids "a different perspective of the game."[84]
Despite the intensity of their rivalry, Bird and Johnson became friends off the court. Their friendship blossomed when the two players worked together to film the Converse commercial, which depicted them as archenemies. Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony on February 4, 1993, and emotionally described Bird as a "friend forever."[85]
Bird has been described as one of the greatest basketball players and greatest shooters of all time.[89][90][91] He was selected to 12 NBA All-Star teams.[92] Bird won three NBA championships (in 1981, 1984, and 1986) with the Celtics[93] and won two NBA Finals MVP Awards.[94] He won three consecutive regular season MVP awards; as of 2020, the only other players to accomplish this feat areBill Russell andWilt Chamberlain.[95] Bird was also a four-time regular season MVP runner-up in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1988.[96]
Bird scored 24.3 points per game in his career on a .496 field goal percentage, an .886 free throw percentage, and a .376 percentage on three-point shots. Bird had an average of 10.0 rebounds per game for his career and 6.3 assists.[97] Bird was the first player in NBA history to shoot50% or better on field goals, 40% on three-pointers, and 90% on free-throws in a single NBA season while achieving the league minimum for makes in each category.[98] He accomplished this feat twice.[99] Bird won NBA three-point-shooting contests in three consecutive years.[100] He sometimes practiced shooting three-point shots with his eyes closed.[97]
Bird is remembered as one of the foremostclutch performers in the history of theNBA; Bird was known for his excellent play in high-stakes, high-pressure situations.[101][102][103]Pat Riley (who had coached the LA Lakers featuring Magic Johnson against Bird's Celtics in three NBA Finals), when asked about his opinion of the best clutch performer, said "If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game, I'd chooseMichael Jordan. If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life, I'd take Larry Bird."[104]
Bird is also remembered as an excellent passer[105] and defender.[93] While he was relatively slow, Bird displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, making Bird a strong team defender.[89] He had 1,556 career steals.[106] In recognition of his defensive abilities, Bird was named to three All-Defensive Second Teams.[89]
Bird was known for histrash-talking on the court and is remembered as one of the most notable trash-talkers of his era.[107][108] Bird was known for telling his opponents how and where in the court he would score against them;Xavier McDaniel recounted that Bird predicted a game-winning shot against him, then "shot a shot right in my face and was like 'Damn, I didn't mean to leave two seconds on theclock.'"[109] When playing againstDennis Rodman, a player known for his defensive abilities, in the 1987 Eastern Conference finals, Bird continually belittled Rodman's ability, at one point askingChuck Daly, Detroit's head coach, to send in someone up to the task of guarding him.[110] Knowing that Bird used such chirping to raise his own game,Chicago Bulls superstarMichael Jordan discouraged his rookie teammateB.J. Armstrong not to respond to Bird, saying "Not a single person. Not one word. No one talk to Larry Bird". Jordan has since dubbed "Larry Bird is the greatest trash-talker and mind-game player of all time. He taught me everything I know about getting in folks' heads".[111]
Bird was widely considered one of Red Auerbach's favorite players as he considered Bird to be the greatest basketball player of all time.[112] Bird's humble roots were the source of his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick from French Lick."[113] Bird was also referred to as "Larry Legend."[114]Michael Jordan himself considers the description 'God disguised as Michael Jordan' as his favorite complement since it came from Bird (after Game 2 of the Celtics' first-round series against the Bulls during the 1986 playoffs when Jordan scored 63 points in a 135-131 Celtics win). Jordan has since said "Larry Bird's comments gave me credibility. Up to that point I was still perceived as a hotshot rookie, not a real player. When Bird acknowledged my performance, I became a player. I still wasn't up to his level, but I was now a player who was marked as a star, a potential Hall of Famer depending upon how I took those comments. Off the court, Larry Bird intimidated me because of who he was, what he had accomplished. And the fact that he was Larry Legend".[115] In another example of how Bird was respected as one of the NBA's all-time greats, Jordan deferred to Bird and Magic Johnson for co-captainship of the1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team.
In 2011, Bird was honored with a lifetime achievement award atThe Sports Museum's 10th annual The Tradition event (celebratingNew England athletes) held at TD Garden.[123]
There is a street named in Bird's honor on the campus ofIndiana State University. In 2013, the university unveiled a bronze statue of Bird (wearing his Sycamores jersey, in mid-jump-shot pose) in front of theHulman Center. In addition, Bird's former teammateBob Heaton, then serving in the Indiana House of Representatives, read a proclamation from Indiana Gov.Mike Pence proclaiming Nov. 9th as Larry Bird Day in the state of Indiana.[124]
Larry, you only told me one lie. You said there will be another Larry Bird. Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird.
-Magic Johnson, as quoted at Bird's retirement party[125]
In October 2021, as part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary, Bird was honored as one of the 75 greatest players of all time, by being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.[3] To commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary,The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Bird as the seventh greatest player in NBA history.[128]
In May 2024, the Larry Bird Museum was opened inTerre Haute, Indiana. The museum contains memorabilia from Bird's high school, college and NBA career along with interactive exhibits and interviews with coaches, teammates and rivals.[129]
The Celtics employed Bird as a special assistant in the team's front office from 1992 until 1997.[130]
In 1997, Bird accepted the position of head coach of theIndiana Pacers.[131] Bird said that he would be on the job for no more than three years.[132] Despite having no previous coaching experience, Bird led the Pacers to a 58–24 record—the franchise's best as an NBA team at the time—in the1997–98 season,[133] and pushed the eventual champions Chicago Bulls (led by superstarMichael Jordan and head coachPhil Jackson) to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals.[133] The 1997–98 team is considered one of the best in Pacers' franchise history, and Bird was named theNBA Coach of the Year for his efforts.[134] Bird then led the Pacers to consecutive Central Division titles in1999 and2000, and a berth in the2000 NBA Finals where they lost to theLos Angeles Lakers (coached by Phil Jackson) in six games.[133] Bird resigned his head coaching position shortly after the end of the 1999–2000 season, following through on his initial promise to coach for only three years. He was succeeded in that capacity byIsiah Thomas.[135]
In 2003, Bird was hired as theIndiana Pacers' president of basketball operations.[136] One of Bird's first acts as Pacers president was to replace Isiah Thomas withRick Carlisle as head coach, due to the team's underachievement under Thomas. From 2006 onwards, Bird overhauled the roster by trading away veterans while making savvy draft picks, since the Pacers were a small-market team that could not chase expensive free agents.[137] After the2011–2012 NBA season, when the Pacers secured the No. 3 seed in the East and had the fifth-best record (42–24) in the league, Bird was namedNBA Executive of the Year, becoming the only man in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.[138] On the day before the2012 NBA draft, Bird and the Pacers announced that they would be parting ways; he said that health issues were among the reasons for his departure.[139] Bird returned to the Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013.[7] He stepped down again in 2017, but stayed with the team in an advisory capacity.[140] Bird continued to serve as an advisor until July 2022, when he "stepped back from maintaining an active role with the Indiana Pacers."[141] Nearly a year later in June 2023, it was announced that the Pacers re-hired Bird to serve as a consultant.[9] As of 2025, Larry Bird still holds his position as a consultant for the Indiana Pacers. Larry has recently been noted as "disappearing" from the sport. One reason according to him, is not being in a front-facing role such as a head coach, means that he doesn't have to face public scrutiny,[142] something he has noted before. He stated in 2016, "Sometimes my job really sucks."[143]
In aMcDonald's commercial from 1991 (first aired during theSuper Bowl), Bird andMichael Jordan have a trick shot contest, in which the winner got Jordan's lunch and the loser had to watch the winner eat. In a commercial duringSuper Bowl XLIV,Dwight Howard andLeBron James challenge each other at trick shots for aMcDonald's lunch. After they finish, clapping is heard, then the camera pans to the crowd, and Bird says "Great show, guys. Thanks for lunch." Howard and James share a confused look. Howard asks, "Who was that?" James replies, "I have no idea."[164]
In 2013 Bird voiced himself in an episode ofFuturama titled "Saturday Morning Fun Pit"; however, Bird did not want anything to do with the role so his only line is a voicemail of him telling the showrunners that he wanted no part in the episode.[165]
Bird has been referenced and parodied in the animated seriesFamily Guy multiple times. In the 2016 episodePeter, Chris, & Brian wherePeter Griffin sets up a cutaway when he claims he never did anything important expect beating Larry Bird. In a parody of commercials Bird has done over making outrageous shots in the wager for a McDonald's Big Mac.[166] He physically appears in the 2017 episode "Peter's Def Jam" where Peter and friends observe one of Birds interviews.[167][168]
In 1975, Bird married Janet Condra. They remained married for less than a year. Following an attempted reconciliation, Bird and Condra had a daughter, Corrie, in 1977.[173]
Bird married Dinah Mattingly in 1989. They have two adopted children: Conner and Mariah.[173] That same year, Bird released his autobiographyDrive: The Story of My Life, which he co-wrote alongsideBob Ryan. The book recounts his life up until that point, touching upon his childhood, his father's alcoholism and suicide, his first marriage along with his triumphs on the court, and stories about teammates.[174]
Bird is an active philanthropist, especially through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America along with health-related charitable efforts. However, Bird has kept most of his efforts out of the press, seeking no publicity for his efforts. Bird once stated "All of my donations are sort of made under the table," "I don't need the publicity. I'm not doing it for the publicity. But I do care. And that's what matters most."[176]
Bird is known to live a low-key lifestyle, in his spare time his enjoys engaging in hands-on activities. He is an avid fisherman and enjoys playing golf.[177][178]
^"Pacers' Bird named NBA's top exec".Sports Illustrated. May 16, 2012. Archived fromthe original on May 19, 2012.Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird was voted the NBA's Executive of the Year on Wednesday, becoming the first person to win that award, plus the MVP and Coach of the Year honors.
^Papanek, John (November 9, 1981)."Gifts That God Didn't Give".Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. RetrievedJuly 29, 2013.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^"Mel Daniels". September 7, 2012.Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. RetrievedOctober 30, 2023.
^Davis, Seth (March 4, 2009)."When March Went Mad".Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. RetrievedMay 17, 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Bird, Larry (1989), Drive: The Story of My Life. Doubleday, pp. 39–40.ISBN0-385-24921-7
^Braude, Dick (June 8, 1979)."For $3.25 million, Celtics land Bird".The Day. New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. p. 33.Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. RetrievedNovember 14, 2020.
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