Pacers Pride

Lore & Background

Growing up in French Lick, Indiana, Bird was a local basketball star. He initially signed to play college basketball for Indiana University Bloomington but dropped out after one month. He later attended Indiana State University, playing three years for the Sycamores. Bird was selected by the Boston Celtics as the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft but stayed in college for the 1978–79 season. He led Indiana State to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the national championship, where they faced Michigan State and Magic Johnson. Bird played for the Celtics during his entire 13-season professional career, leading them to five NBA Finals appearances and three NBA championships. After retiring as a player, he served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000, leading them to a berth in the 2000 NBA Finals. He later served as president of basketball operations for the Pacers and returned as a consultant.

Reader's Guide

Bird is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star, won two NBA Finals MVP awards, and received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (1984–1986). He was inducted into the Naismith 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's 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list in 1996, and subsequently the 75th Anniversary Team list in 2021.

Did You Know?

• Bird wore jersey number 33 in high school because his brother Mark had previously had it; he kept that number through his college and professional career.
• Bird grew up as a huge fan of the Indiana Pacers in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and center Mel Daniels, who coincidentally became an assistant coach to Bird at Indiana State University.
• Bird appeared in one game for the Indiana State baseball team, going 1–for–2 with two runs batted in.
• Bird's youngest brother, Eddie, also played basketball at Indiana State.