Larry Bird Bio: Net Worth, Salary, and Professional Career

The basketball world considers Larry Bird to be among the all-time best NBA players. His extraordinary ballhandling skills as well as court awareness and competitive spirit were what drew the fans in. On December 7th, 1956 Bird was born in West Baden Springs. He wore the iconic jersey number 33 and played as a forward player during his entire career. During the 1980s Larry made a significant impact on the NBA which helped to grow its public appeal.

Bird launched his successful career when he joined the Boston Celtics team in 1979 before becoming the official franchise ambassador. From 1979 to 1992 he spent 13 years with the Celtics and secured three NBA championship victories (1981, 1984, 1986). Bird also clinched the MVP award three times in a row (1984-1986). The NBA selected him 12 times as an All-Star during his professional career and he received fame for excellent shooting form and masterful court passes along with unmatched cognitive abilities on the basketball court. The NBA gained new popularity due to the famous competition between Bird and his college and NBA counterpart Magic Johnson.

Larry Bird Early Life

Larry Bird was born on December 7, 1956, in West Baden Spring. While growing up he lived in the adjacent community of French Lick Indiana. Larry grew up as the fourth child and youngest son among six siblings under the care of his parents Joe and Georgia Bird. The family faced substantial stress because Larry Bird’s father returned from his war service in Korea with an alcohol addiction and economic difficulties. His parents divorced before his father committed suicide when Bird was in his high school years. The problems Bird faced in his early life formed his intense dedication to work.

Through basketball, Bird found freedom from his household problems as he showed outstanding athletic abilities. In his youth, he improved through playing games against older opponents at local basketball competitions thus embracing the sport as an essential outlet and life passion.

Larry Bird Personal Information

With his performance on the court, he has become one of the most well-known players of the Celtics. Before moving on to the life details of Larry Bird, here is a sneak peek into the biography of the iconic player:

Larry Bird Personal Life

Larry didn't have a normal childhood as his father had alcohol addiction, his parents separated, and later his father committed suicide. All this was too much for a child to handle, and Larry chose basketball as his escape. Bird’s development under his high school coach Jim Jones involved both skill improvement and the discovery of his maximum athletic potential. During his time at Indiana University, Bird spent only a short period before moving to Indiana State University under coach Bill Hodges. Hodges provided Larry with an environment where he could excel as a basketball player. Larry achieved an undefeated record and secured a place in the 1979 NCAA Championship against Magic Johnson’s Michigan State team.

Larry Bird Parents

The birthplace of Larry Bird was in West Baden Springs, Indiana, and Larry Bird parents were Joe and Georgia Bird. His hometown became French Lick. The father of Larry Bird served in the Korean War, then worked as a construction laborer, yet persevered through economic troubles alongside his alcohol abuse problem. Georgia maintained several jobs to sustain herself and her children, including Larry, along with their five siblings. The family endured hardships because of their financial problems, and Joe and Georgia divorced each other later.

Larry Bird Wife

Larry Bird wife is Dinah Mattingly since 1989. During his time at Indiana State University, Bird got closer to Mattingly, through which he developed a growing attachment into a lasting relationship. The partnership between Larry Bird and Dinah stands as successful because it has survived longer than his previous marriage to Janet Condra which was brief.

Dinah stood in the background but provided unwavering friendship to Bird from his player career spanning his coaching duties and his time in the front office. The couple became parents to their adopted children Connor and Mariah while keeping all aspects of their family’s personal life private.

Larry Bird Kids

Larry Bird kids are Connor Bird and Mariah Bird; the couple has adopted them. They did not reach professional basketball status, although Connor briefly participated in amateur sports. Through event management and business operations, Mariah chose a career direction different from her father, Larry. The Bird family as a whole lives a very private life away from the media and social media.

Larry Bird Contract

Larry started his NBA career with the Boston Celtics as a small/power forward. Larry Bird contract during his illustrious NBA career, all with the Boston Celtics. His entry into the league in 1979 saw him sign a then-record-breaking five-year, $3.25 million deal, making him the highest-paid rookie in sports history and causing a stir among his peers. This initial contract paid him roughly $650,000 per year.

Later, in 1983, he signed another substantial seven-year contract worth over $15 million, a significant sum for that era. Towards the end of his career, in the 1991-92 season, Bird earned a notable $7,070,000, which made him the highest-paid player in the NBA for that specific season. Famously, upon his retirement in 1992, Bird reportedly declined to manipulate his contract to receive an additional $10 million over two years, stating he didn't earn it, showcasing his integrity.

Larry Bird Salary

During his 13-season tenure with the Boston Celtics, Larry Bird Salary was approximately $24 million. His rookie contract made him the highest-paid rookie at the time. In the table below, we have presented the salary he earned during his NBA times:

Larry Bird Net Worth

As per Celebrity Net Worth Larry Bird net worth is estimated to be $ 75 Million. The financial prosperity of Larry Bird expanded past his NBA earnings as he received substantial endorsement deals while pursuing multiple business positions and executive leadership roles.

In addition to real estate investments, Bird expanded his financial portfolio by working in movies, commercial advertising, and video games.

Larry attracted many big brands with his gameplay, he secured endorsement agreements with Nike, Coca-Cola, General Electric, and Heinz. His endorsements reflected his influence off the court.

• Nike: Larry collaborated with Nike, a leading sneaker brand.
• Coca-Cola: Larry Bird signed an endorsement deal with the beverage company.
• Heinz: Bird has repeatedly signed endorsement deals with Heinz, promoting their products and chains.

These endorsements led to a substantial growth of his income stream.

Larry Bird Career

Larry Bird led a 13-year NBA journey for the Boston Celtics between 1979 and 1992 while he earned three championships in 1981, 1984, and 1986 and the MVP honor in a consecutive run from 1984 through 1986. During his NBA career, he received 12 All-Star selections along with fame for his masterful shooting abilities and crucial game moments combined with his ability to lead others. His bitter competition with Magic Johnson helped drive NBA ratings upward after which he took on coaching responsibilities while becoming part of team management teams to solidify his legacy in basketball history.

Larry Bird High School Career

Larry Bird pursued his high school education at Springs Valley High School in French Lick Indiana before becoming the leading athlete of their team. Senior-year players and college scouts noticed his impressive talent as he became one of the most recognized athletes in his year. The excellent season of his team was partially enabled by his strong playing but they never managed to secure a state title win.

His local roots earned Bird selection to the Indiana All-State team while making him Springs Valley’s highest-scoring player of all time. After an outstanding high school career Bob Knight named him recruit for Indiana University which started his journey towards basketball excellence. Below are his senior year stats:

Larry Bird College Career

Larry Bird initially played collegiate level basketball for the Indiana Hoosier, the men's basketball team of Indiana University, Bloomington in 1974. At Indiana University, Bird was under the tutelage of the legendary coach Bob Knight. However, less than a month later, Bird dropped out of the college as he was finding it hard to fit in with the large college crowd, as compared to his modest background at French Lick, Indiana. He returned back to his home town and enrolled at Northwood University and worked municipal jobs for a year, before enrolling at Indiana State University in 1975.

At Indiana State, Bird had a successful three-year collegiate career, wherein he helped the team reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in its school history. This is where Bird faced off against Magic Johnson from Michigan State, who went on to become one of his arch rivals heading to the NBA. Bird's team lost the NCAA Finals against Michigan State in 1979. He graduated from the University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education.

Larry Bird Professional Career

The Boston Celtics chose Larry as the sixth overall draft pick in 1978 but Bird elected to remain at Indiana State University for his senior year where their team booked a spot in the 1979 NCAA Championship final match. People had extremely optimistic hopes for his performance when he started playing for the Celtics during their 1979-80 season. He restored the failing franchise by winning his first Rookie of the Year followed by a 32-win increase for Boston.

Throughout his 13-year NBA career, Bird dedicated himself to the Celtics basketball team while securing three championship titles in 1981, 1984, and 1986 as well as three consecutive MVP honors from 1984 to 1986. Through his clutch performance and famous Magic Johnson rivalry he played a major role in expanding NBA popularity. The back injuries he faced in his career’s later years did not slow down his dominance as he played until 1992 after establishing himself as a key force.

Below are his NBA career Stats as reported by NBA:

Larry Bird Shoes

For the entirety of his career, Larry Bird wore the Converse Pro and Converse Weapon shoes. The Weapons, in fact, were worn by a number of stars at that time, including Magic Johnson. The Weapons had the slogan, “Choose Your Weapon,” referring to how the shoes are available in a variety of team colors. Bird used to wear the black variant of the Weapons. Larry Bird also signed a pair of Nike Air Jordan Celtics basketball shoes, authenticated by Beckett, available for auction at Pristine Auction. ​

Larry Bird Jersey

Larry Bird jersey number is 33 for the Boston Celtics. The number 33 Boston Celtics jersey is one of the most popular ones amongst Celtics fans and hoop enthusiasts. After Bird departed from the game, the Celtics retired Bird's #33 jersey on February 4, 1993.

Larry Bird Achievements and Awards

Larry Bird boasts an extraordinary list of achievements and awards throughout his legendary career. He is a 3-time NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics (1981, 1984, 1986) and a 2-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986). "Larry Legend" also famously won the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award three consecutive times (1984, 1985, 1986).

A 12-time NBA All-Star, Bird was also the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year and a 9-time All-NBA First Team selection. His incredible shooting prowess led him to 3 NBA Three-Point Contest championships (1986-1988). Beyond playing, he achieved the rare feat of being named NBA Coach of the Year (1998) and NBA Executive of the Year (2012). He's a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (as a player in 1998 and with the "Dream Team" in 2010), and a member of the 1992 Olympic Gold Medal-winning "Dream Team."Basketball fans witnessed an exceptional milestone when Bird won the 1992 Olympic Gold Medal, leading the USA Dream Team in his last professional tournament play. Let us have a closer look at his achievements:

How Many Rings Does Larry Bird Have?

Throughout his career, Larry Bird brought three NBA titles back to the Boston Celtics during the years 1981, 1984, and 1986. During his second NBA season, Larry Bird earned his initial title by enabling the Celtics to triumph over the Houston Rockets in 1981. He conquered his first Finals MVP trophy against Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers to establish their sporting rivalry through seven competitive games in 1984. His victory in the 1986 season was remarkable because he led an all-time great NBA team to defeat the Rockets for his second time while averaging close to triple-double statistics and collecting his second Finals MVP award.

Although he trailed behind Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant with five championship trophies each because of his three titles, Bird established himself as a top basketball figure. He leads decisively through his influential presence and solid clutch play. Basketball fans saw their league transform into its golden era during the 1980s because of Magic’s rivalry with Larry Bird and his undisputed excellence in critical moments.