Larry Bird’s real name is Larry Joe Bird born on December 7, 1956, in West Baden Springs, Indiana and people love to call him Larry Legend. He was really a good professional basketball player of all time but currently, he has retired from professional basketball and now he is working as a coach for the Indiana Pacers.
Personal Basic Information
| Full Name | Larry Joe Bird |
| Nick Name | Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick |
| Father’s Name | Claude Joseph “Joe” Bird |
| Mother’s Name | Georgia Bird |
| Date of Birth (Born) | December 7, 1956 |
| Birth Place | West Baden Springs, Indiana, USA |
| Current Age | Age: 69 years, 3 months, and 9 days as of today. Time left for next birthday: 8 months and 21 days. |
| Height | 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters) |
| Weight | 220 pounds (100 kg) |
| Net worth | Appro. $75 – $80 million as of 2024 report |
| Marriage Status | Married |
| Wife Name | Dinah Mattingly |
| Kids Name | Corrie Bird, Connor Bird, Mariah Bird |
| High school | Springs Valley High School in French Lick, Indiana. |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Current Team Name | N/A |
| Stats | nba.com |
Larry Bird’s Net Worth
As of January 2025, his net worth is somewhere around $75 million to $80 million dollar. This is the total wealth he earned in his career including everything.
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- NBA Career Earnings: He earned approximately $24 million in salary during his NBA career.
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- Coaching and Executive Roles: After retiring from professional basketball he went for coaching and executive positions and from 1997 to 2000 he served as a head coach of the Indiana Pacers. There are no sources that disclosed the salary details for these roles.
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- Endorsements: Bird has also been involved in various endorsement deals but there are no public sources that disclosed this amount.
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- Investments and Business Ventures: Bird also has some real estate investments and co-owns a hotel and restaurant in Terre Haute. These ventures are also included in his income sources but again there are no public sources that disclose this amount.
Magic Johnson’s Early Life and Childhood
Bird’s childhood was very challenging because his parents were facing financial problems and he has four brothers and one sister. His father Claude Joseph “Joe” Bird worked as a laborer and war veteran but his mother Georgia Marie worked multiple jobs to support Larry and his five siblings.
When Larry was in High school their parents divorced and after some time his father Joe committed suicide. All these incidents deeply affected the life of Larry Bird.
Education and the Beginning of Sports Career
Larry Bird went to Spring Valley High School which is in French Lick, Indiana. In all these life challenges Larry Bird keeps focusing on his basketball game as well as studying in school. Playing basketball becomes his first choice and this changes his and his family’s life.
He was scoring well in each school game and his love for basketball helped him to earn a scholarship at Indiana University in 1974. Now, he was on the way to building his career as a professional basketball player and his coach was Bob Knight. But soon he felt uncomfortable in such type of environment as he comes from a very small town life. So, just after a few days, he left Indiana University and returned back to home.
But next year, he again joined Indiana State University but this time he was very well-planned about his basketball career. And now he was on the right track to succeed.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s first college match
Larry starts gaining popularity after the 1979 NCAA Championship. In this match, Bird led Indiana State team and the match was against Michigan State, which was led by Magic Johnson.
This match has become the most popular in the history of college basketball games. Although Indiana State lost the match but Bird’s performance was amazing and he was selected for the College Player of the Year. This opens the way to his NBA career.
The beginning of NBA Career
First time in 1978, Larry Bird was selected by the Boston Celtics for the NBA Draft but first, he wanted to complete his final year at Indiana State University before joining the NBA league.
Larry Bird’s first NBA season was in 1979-80 and the Bird’s performance was amazing. He was selected for the award of NBA Rookie of the Year. Bird was the new hope for the Celtics and his teammates were Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. This trio was also called the “Big Three” and in NBA history they became the most dominant front liners.
Achievements / Awards / Medals
Larry was one of the best basketball player and his rivalry with Magic Johnson was the most popular in the history of the NBA. But both players respect each other and developed a good friendship over the years. Here is the list of Larry Bird:
International Achievements
Olympic Medals: In 1992, Olympic games were held in Barcelona and Larry Bird was a member of the “Dream Team”. Larry played the role of veteran leader and sharpshooter and the team won a gold medal. This was his first international achievement in his life.
NBA Achievements
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- 1981, 1984, 1986: He was three times NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics.
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- 1984, 1985, 1986: He becomes the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) continuing for three times.
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- 1980–1988 and 1990–1992: He got the NBA All-Star award for twelve times.
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- 1980–1988: He got the title of All-NBA First Team continued for nine times.
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- 1980: this was the year when he became the NBA Rookie of the Year
Married Life and Family
Larry Bird married to Janet Condra in 1975 who was his high school sweetheart but they divorced within a year only and the main reason was incompatibilities to each other. On August 14, 1977, they got a baby girl named Corrie Bird who has a strong emotional bond with her father.
After this unsuccessful marriage, Larry was in a relationship with Dinah Mattingly and they got married in 1989. Unfortunately, the couple didn’t get their personal baby but they adopted two children named Connor Bird (Boy Child) and Mariah Bird (Girl Child). Now all are living as a happy family.