Larry Bird Success Story
Larry Bird learned an early lesson about patience when he broke his ankle his sophomore year of high school, which cut his basketball season
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
short that year. He didn’t let that stop him from practicing his favorite sport though, and he continued to work on his shooting skills until his ankle was fully healed. Through continued practice of the sport he loved he literally mastered the game in a relatively short period of time.
By the time he was a senior he was averaging more than thirty points and twenty rebounds per game. Colleges all over the United States were trying to recruit him, and he ended up picking Indiana University because it was close to his home of French Lick, Indiana. Bloomington, where IU is located is a booming college town and Bird was not used to that having grown up in a small town and was completely overwhelmed. He dropped out less than a month into his freshman year. He then tried a stint at Northwood Institute, but only lasted two months there before dropping out again. He then moved back home and took a job driving a garbage truck and doing maintenance jobs on the side. When he wasn’t
working, he played basketball in an amateur league.
Luckily, Bob King and Bill Hodges of Indiana State University were able to persuade Bird to attempt college a third time. Since Bird didn’t want to be known as a quitter he accepted their offer, even though he was forced to sit out the first season due to NCAA regulations. In typical Larry Bird fashion, he was quickly averaging thirty points a game and led the team to the NCAA championship games. His senior year he faced off against Earvin “Magic” Johnson for the first time in the final championship game where an intense rivalry began and lasted throughout their professional careers. Bird landed a contract to play for the Boston Celtics where he helped create championship teams in 1981, 1984 and 1986.
A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses those skills to accomplish his goals. – Larry Bird
Estimated Net Worth: $45 million
Charity Involvement: Boys and Girls Club of Terre Haute, IN, Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club in Boston,
