Shocking News Ever: Larry bird and wife confirmed dead in an automobile accident……
As for the outline of Bird’s basketball career before the Celtics, Winning Time generally gets that right, too, although the timeline has been fudged.
Bird was recruited by Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers, and he did drop out of college after only a month due to the culture shock of moving from a town of 2,000 to a college campus of 33,000 (Bob Knight was also difficult).
After spending time in community college and working odd jobs in French Lick, Indiana, Bird was recruited by Indiana State University.
Yes, he did wear blue jeans in a scrimmage against the varsity team.
He played at Indiana State for three years before losing the national championship to Magic Johnson’s Michigan State. That’s where the rivalry between the two began.
It’s also true that Larry Bird declined to play for the Celtics the year after he was drafted, opting to finish his college career. Before the national championship game, he led ISU to an undefeated season.
He also threatened to reenter the draft if he wasn’t compensated appropriately (he received a 5-year, $3.25 million contract — the largest ever for a rookie; compare that to Magic Johnson’s $1 million per year for 25 years after his second year).
The NBA changed the rules because of Larry Bird — afterward, teams were not allowed to sign players until they renounced college or until their college eligibility ran out.
