Larry Bird Biography

Fast Facts

• Won a gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a member of the U․S․ "Dream Team․"
• Was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, and was later inducted again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team․"
• In 1987, he became the first ever player to shoot at least ․500 from the floor and ․900 from the free throw line in a single season
• Played for the Indiana State University Sycamores, making the sport so popular at the school with his successes that students would skip class in order to line up for tickets
• Was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 1978 NBA Draft and joined the team in 1979 after finishing his last year of college
• After retiring as a player, he remained in the world of professional basketball as the coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000
• Former professional basketball player who played small forward and power forward for the Boston Celtics from 1979 to 1992
• A known trash-talker, he would often go to the opponents' bench before the tipoff and tell them he would be making a 40-point performance that game