Larry Bird is an Indiana basketball legend, starting at Springs Valley High School and running through his playing days at Indiana State and the Boston Celtics. He helped the Indiana Pacers reached great heights as a coach and executive.

Here's more about "Larry Legend," who was born on Dec. 7, 1956, in West Baden, Indiana.

Where did Larry Bird go to high school?

Bird attended Springs Valley High School in French Lick, scoring 1,125 career points and earning an Indiana All-Star berth in 1974. He averaged 30.6 points and 20.5 rebounds as a senior, according to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Where did Larry Bird go to college?

Bird initially committed to Indiana, but left just weeks into his freshman year.

He later committed to Indiana State, where he played from 1976-79. He scored 2,850 points (30.3 per game), grabbed 1,247 rebounds (13.3), passed for 435 assists (4.6) and made 240 steals (2.6) over three seasons.

The Sycamores made the 1979 NCAA Tournament championship game, and they lost 75-64 to Michigan State. Bird had 19 points, 13 rebounds and 5 steals.

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Where was Larry Bird selected in the NBA Draft?

The Boston Celtics selected him No. 6 overall in the 1978 NBA Draft, though he was eligible to return to Indiana State at the time. Bird and the Celtics waited on year, and he entered the league in the 1979-80 season. He earned Rookie of the Year honors.

Larry Bird height

Larry Bird is 6-9.

Larry Bird stats

Bird was a 12-time All-Star in 13 seasons, 10 times All-NBA and three times league MVP. He scored 21,791 regular-season points (24.3 per game) and had 8,974 rebounds (10.0), 5,695 assists (6.3) and 1,556 steals (1.7).

How many rings does Larry Bird have?

Boston won the NBA championship three times during his career (1981, '84 and '86), and Bird won Finals MVP in '84 and '86. The Celtics played in two other Finals series with Bird, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in '85 and '87. He averaged 23.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists over 31 Finals games.

When was Larry Bird inducted into the Hall of Fame?

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1998.

Larry Bird and the Dream Team

Bird's playing career ended playing on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, recognized as the best assemblage of basketball talent on one squad. It was the original "Dream Team," cruising to a gold medal.

Larry Legend

With that kind of resume, it's no wonder Bird is known as "Larry Legend." Before he was a legend, he was known as the "Hick from French Lick."

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson

The first of many meetings between Bird and Johnson came at the 1979 national championship game, when Johnson's Michigan State Spartans beat Indiana State 75-64. Johnson had 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Bird had 19 points, 13 rebounds and 5 steals.

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In 18 NBA regular-season matchups, Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers won 11 games and the Celtics 7. Bird averaged 21.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.2 rebounds in those matchups. Johnson averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 11.5 assists.

In 19 NBA Finals games (1984, '85, '87), the Lakers held an 11-8 edge over the Celtics. Bird averaged 25.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals. Johnson averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 13.5 assists and 2.2 steals.

Larry Bird as Pacers coach, executive

Bird joined the Indiana Pacers as coach on May 12, 1997. He led the team for three seasons (1997-2000), going 147-67 in regular-season play. He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1998.

The Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals in 1998 (losing to the Chicago Bulls in 7 games) and '99 (losing to the New York Knicks in 6 games). Indiana made its first NBA Finals appearance in 2000, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games.

Bird returned to the Pacers as an executive in 2003, making player personnel decisions (except for 2012-13) through 2017. He was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2012. The Pacers made the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and '14.

What disease did Larry Bird have?

The pounding Bird took on the basketball court led to back injuries that hastened his retirement in 1992 after 13 NBA seasons. In 1995, Bird was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

Larry Bird net worth

He made just over $24 million in NBA salary and was a spokesman for McDonalds, Converse, Heinz and Capitol One, among many others, over the years. His net worth is estimated at $75 million.

What made Larry Bird great?

There's a seemingly unending roll of Bird shooting, passing and defensive highlights. Here's a taste.

What is Larry Bird doing now?

Bird advises Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers president of basketball operations.

Where does Larry Bird rank all-time?

The 2021-22 season marked the NBA's 75th, and Bird was named one of the league's 75 best all-time players. There are all kinds of all-time great lists out there. Some recent versions place Bird in the neighborhood of 7th best.

Larry Bird wife

Bird married Dinah Mattingly in 1989. They have a son (Connor) and a daughter (Mariah), and he has a daughter from a previous marriage (Corrie).

Larry Bird stories

Pick an opponent, and they probably have a Larry Bird story. (Another one. And another one. And yet another one.) Perhaps the most famous comes from the 1986 All-Star Game, when he asked his 3-point shooting contest opponents who was going to finish second. Of course, Bird won. He also won the event in '87 and '88.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Larry Bird: Everything you wanted to know about the Indiana legend