Childhood and youth Larry Joe Bird was born on December 7, 1956, in the small town of West Baden Springs, USA. He grew up in a large family with four brothers and one sister. Larry's parents struggled to make ends meet, but they made sure their children were well-clothed and well-fed. From an early age, the future champion faced adversity. He was born with a cleft lip, which was repaired when he turned five. Larry's life was also overshadowed by his father's alcoholism, which sought to forget the events of the Korean War. Eventually, his mother decided to divorce him and worked as a waitress while raising the children alone.
Larry learned to work hard at a young age to help the adults around him, and this work ethic translated into his approach to basketball. He would spend hours in the school gym honing his skills and then play on street courts, where he faced opponents who were taller, stronger, and more agile. But Larry Bird did not give up; Instead, he practiced even harder and soon began to win. After high school, Bird received a scholarship to Indiana University in Bloomington. However, he stayed there for less than a month and decided to return to his hometown. He worked for a time in the highway department while attending Northwood Institute, but due to an incompatible program length, he transferred to Indiana University in Terre Haute. https://larry-bird.com/ |