Larry Bird Might Never Have Played College or Pro Basketball But For Indiana State Coaches’ Intervention

Larry Bird might have spent his early 20s collecting garbage and painting people’s houses but for the intervention of 2 college coaches.

There are few players in NBA history with more of a legacy than Celtics legend Larry Bird. This man redefined his position in a way that very few players since him were capable of doing.

Having made his debut as a combo forward, Bird became the first playmaking small forward to consistently have the ball in his hands. Unlike the likes of Julius Erving and Elgin Baylor, Bird was a pass-first guy.

His guile in picking apart defenses and fashioning assists for his big men and his perimeter guys made him stand out as the best passing talent outside of Magic Johnson during his era.

During his heyday, Bird was about as unstoppable an offensive weapon as any in NBA history. He was the first member of the 50-40-90 club, achieving this feat in the 1986-87 season.

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Larry Legend is also the last player to win a threepeat of MVP trophies. He did so from the 1983-84 season to the 1985-86 season. His Celtics made the Finals in all 3 of those years, winning the championship in ’84 and ’86.

Larry Bird worked as a garbage man after dropping out of college

After a highly successful year as a high school senior in basketball, Larry Bird made the Indiana Hoosiers basketball program under legendary head coach Bobby Knight.

However, he dropped out of school less than a month after enrolling because he faced difficulties adjusting to the bustling life of the Bloomington campus. He enrolled at Northwood Institute closer to his home, but dropped out from there as well.

After the birth of his daughter, Bird began working as a garbage man, carpenter and at a gas station. His idea was to make money to put himself through college after some time. However, Bird enjoyed his life working those jobs, and may never have left that profession.

Indiana State basketball coaches Bill Hodges and Stan Evans endeavored to get him out of that life. They drove up to French Lick and implored Bird to join their program.

“What are you going to do? Hang off the back of a garbage truck for the rest of your life?” Evans asked.

Though initially non-committal and suggesting they recruit his HS teammate Kevin Canes, Bird agreed to their offer. And the rest, as they say, is history as Bird’s time at Indiana State saw him become one of the great college players of all time.

Also Read – Larry Bird sacrificed adding on to his $80 million fortune by building a driveway for his mother