The story of Indiana State icon Larry Bird from dropout to trash man to college basketball superstar.
Larry Bird is regarded as one of the all-time great NBA basketball players today.
Throughout his fortunate career, the 12-time All-Star and Hall of Famer collected three championship rings. However, as “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” on HBO has shown, things may have easily gone differently for him.
Before becoming a household name at Indiana State and the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, Bird struggled mightily to pursue a career in basketball.
Reasons for Larry Bird’s withdrawal from Indiana University
Bird was born in French Lick, Indiana, a little hamlet with just 1,807 residents according to Wikipedia. Being from French Lick, he got the finest NBA moniker ever, “The Hick from French Lick.”
Sports Illustrated’s Larry Schwartz claimed that at the time, French Lick was among the poorest towns in Indiana. According to Schwartz, Bird’s mother supported him, his four brothers, and his sister by working two jobs as a waitress.
Bird left Indiana University after just 24 days on campus, partly due to the ongoing stress caused by his poverty. He had set aside money for a year to play for a great coach in college.
Moving from such a small hamlet to the much larger university at Bloomington, Indiana, also presented a cultural shock for Bird.
Larry Bird’s financial hardships and familial tragedy
After moving back to French Lick, Bird encountered even more challenges in his quest to play collegiate hoops. When Bird was eighteen, his father, an alcoholic who battled despair following his horrific experience during the Korean War, took his own life.
In order to support his mother, Bird took a job with the town of French Lick. He mowed the lawn, painted curbs, cleaned parks, and went home to gather trash. Even though it wasn’t glamorous, Bird later told Sports Illustrated that he “loved that job.”
You were with your pals and it was outside. sweeping up and picking up the brush. I thought I was making a significant progress. How often do you think to yourself, “Why don’t they fix that?” when riding about your town? Why do they not sweep the streets? And now I had the opportunity to do just that. I got the chance to improve the appearance of my community.”
Bird considered going into construction if his dreams of attending college were never realized.
It requires a lot of labor. It’s demanding labor. However, I like that “Bird informed Rubino.
Larry Bird’s Indiana State University enrollment process
After leaving Indiana to play professionally, Bird attempted to rejoin the collegiate ranks by working out for the neighboring Northwood Institute squad. That was only good for six weeks until he left once more.
Given her fairly precarious personal and financial situation, Bird had no interest in going back to school. Even yet, he managed to make time to play hoops with restaurant kitchen staff while providing for his family. That’s where Indiana State assistant Bill Hodges discovered him, according to a 2021 piece published in The Indy Star.
Hodges waited in the bushes behind the basketball hoop until Bird got tired of college recruiters attempting to talk him into enrolling. Hodges spoke with Bird, sharing anecdotal evidence of a friend who was the best player he had ever seen. Unfortunately, no one knew who he was because he never attended college. Hodges turned to leave, warning Bird that he might suffer the same fate.
Hodges returned to French Lick two days later. He discovered that Bird was willing to commit to Indiana State after having a change of heart. As they say, the rest is history.
Was Larry Bird truly seen at an Indiana State practice wearing jeans?
The HBO series “Winning Time,” which is based on Jeff Pearlman’s book “Winning Time,” makes no mention of Bird wearing pants to a session. But it’s conceivable—during his life, Bird gained some notoriety for dressing strangely in jeans.
Bird was once seen wearing a mesh helmet, work boots, and jeans while playing golf. And according to Sportscasting, he shocked people by choosing to wear jeans and a short-sleeved shirt to the 1984 MVP Award ceremony that included designer suits.
Even though Bird has attained the pinnacles of celebrity and notoriety, he has never deviated too much from his identity as the French Lick boy from a tiny town.
