Larry Legend and a bucket list check off
The whole point of the trip to Terre Haute was to visit the Larry Bird Museum, if you remember. Russ was a huge fan of Larry Legend and I was fully supportive of checking out this museum located in one end of the Convention Center in Terre Haute.
The exhibit is free and we spent over an hour reading all the signage, watching videos, taking quizzes on Bird trivia and trying the interactive exhibits.
This is the center court emblem from Larry Bird’s Springs Valley High School gym. Off to the side is Larry’s tips for making free throws and yes, Russ made 3 out of 3.
Swoosh.
Throughout the various displays, one fact came up repeatedly. Larry was extremely blessed with talents that helped him excel at basketball. He had a photographic memory so was able to remember plays and where players would be, he had height and an ability to pass the ball in insane ways including over his head backwards to a teammate who was in the middle of heavy offensive coverage.
But the thing he did and stressed and was repeated over and over was practice, practice, practice. He would finish the regular practice with his team and then stay and shoot free throws and three pointers when that became a thing in the NBA.
Display cases like this mark the various phases of his career from high school, college, the Boston Celtics, the Olympic Dream Team and his time post retirement for coaching and working in the front office of the Celtics.
There are some fun sections following his rivalry with Magic Johnson and their mutual respect and bond beyond being opponents. This started when they were in college and both #33 for their respective teams. It carried on throughout the NBA and after.
Some interesting things I learned were how he overcame adversity. First his family was not well resourced and his parents worked several jobs and had to move a lot to house their large household of eight. His father was a Korean War vet and committed suicide when Larry was in high school.
His grandmother was a big influence in caring for the family when they would have to move from house to house. She was an encourager for Larry as he went to practices and games.
Another interesting fact was that Larry was recruited out of high school to play for the University of Indiana. However; coming from a poor, small town background he felt out of place at the big university.
He decided to leave before the first practices began. Hitch-hiking back to French Lick, he decided to work for a year and then try another school. He worked for the city collecting garbage, doing road and lawn work and playing for a small company-sponsored basketball team in the area.
This drew the notice of college coaches and Bill Hodges from Indiana State was one who came to talk to him. Larry and his brother said they would come for a visit, which they did. According to the information I read, they scrimmaged the ISU players in jeans and tennis shoes and beat them.
He ended up going to Terre Haute where he found a home. He led the team with great records, plus raising ISU to a new presence in the NCAA ranks. His number was retired when he left. Interestingly, he was 33 for his entire career spanning high school to the NBA. However for the Olympic Dream team the numbers were limited to 1-15 so he wore #7 for that last tournament of play before retiring.
If I sound like I, too, have become a Larry Bird fan, you would be right in thinking so.
The museum was so fun and interesting. Who doesn’t love a good story of someone with a strong work ethic, an overcomer and one who encouraged others to be their best?
So Happy Birthday Larry…
From a couple of Illinois fans.
