Today in Boston Celtics history, the team debuted their sensational new rookie drafted the summer before from Indiana State, the Hick from French Lick, Indiana — a man you likely know better as Larry Bird. Larry Legend’s first tilt in the league came vs. the Houston Rockets, and happened to also be the evening of the first-ever 3-point field goal in NBA history, as Celtics wing Chris Ford connected from deep in Bird’s debut.
Bird was a native of West Baden Springs, Indiana, and grew up in nearby French Lick (thus the nickname above), and played at the college level briefly with Indiana University before transferring over to Indiana State. This aspect made him draft-eligible in what was his junior season at Indiana State. In turn, this prompted Celtics team president Red Auerbach to exploit the loophole to take Bird with the sixth overall pick of the 1978 NBA draft.
Bird would play his senior season with Indiana State, going all the way to the NCAA title game he would lose to career-long rival and friend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, then join Boston that October.
Bird would win three titles (1981, 1984, and 1986), three Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards between 1984 and 1986, two Finals MVPs (1984 and 1986), a dozen NBA All-Star elections, and an All-Star MVP, 10 All-NBA nods, and three All-NBA Defensive Second Team selections among many other honors.
He would retire as a Celtic in 1992 after 13 seasons with the team, his jersey number was retired by Boston immediately after his retirement. He averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game with the team.
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