Despite being a superstar of the league throughout the 80s, Larry Bird was as humble and down-to-earth as anyone can be.
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To most NBA fans, Larry Bird might have come off as a rude man who used to humiliate his opponents first with the basketball and then with his array of magical words that very few had answers to.
But the 3x NBA champ was as grounded as any superstar or even a regular NBA player ever was. That is the reason why he was able to build his current net worth of around $75 million, which is more than 3x times the money he made in NBA career earnings.
That’s right. To put that in perspective the $24,070,000, Bird earned in his 13-year NBA career is less than what Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, the 50th best-paid player in the NBA will earn this season. Karl-Anthony Towns would make $62,062,000 in 2027-28 alone. Hysterical!
The way the league and franchises made money out of the players who helped the game reach all around the world and paid them so less for it is mind-bogglingly awful, isn’t it? But Larry legend couldn’t care less for money.
Larry Bird was a content man who never needed the luxuries of life to satisfy his ego
Even during his playing years, when his fellow players were all into buying mansions, supercars, and a wardrobe that would make most Hollywood celebrities look pale, Bird did not have one luxurious obligation that would blow his hard-earned money.
“I really don’t need anyone to build my ego. When I’m home in Boston, I want to go out and eat, pay my bill, and get the hell out. Back in French Lick, I don’t have those problems, and that’s why I go back there. It’s the same with nice cars, Mercedes and all that.” Larry said in one of his interviews while he was still playing.
“I’ll wear pretty much anything if I get it for free” — Larry Bird explains why he never liked throwing money around
(via @ballnetwork)https://t.co/vE6bwhzyYl
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 29, 2022
He continued, “I can’t see putting $50,000 or $60,000 into a car when our house growing up was worth $10,000. I just can’t buy that. And clothes never did catch my eye. I never really enjoyed ‘em. I always wore what I felt comfortable in. I’ll wear pretty much anything if I get it for free.”
The 65-year-old made 12x All-Star appearances, 10x All-NBA teams, 3x All-Defensive Teams, was a 3x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 3x Three-point contest Champ, 2x 50-40-90 club member.
He won almost everything there is to win as a basketball player in the shortest of timespans, and still never forgot his roots. If every star athlete takes a leaf out of his book, maybe they wouldn’t go broke after their career ends, especially NBA players.
