Boston Celtics - NBA Basketbal - Larry Bird - Basketball

This basketball with a black signature in top condition. Signed in black by Larry Bird, including COA. Beautiful luxury case including an alu name tag.

Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, to the marriage of Georgia and Joe Bird. He grew up in West Baden Springs and the nearby town of French Lick, which earned him the nickname The Hick from French Lick. Bird began his basketball career on the Springs Valley High School team, where he is still known as the most productive player ever to have played for Springs Valley High.

In 1974 Bird chose Indiana University, where he landed on the team of the famous basketball coach Bobby Knight. However, Bird felt completely out of place there and decided after a month to leave the university again, only to return at college level later with the Indiana State University (ISU) Sycamores.

In 1978 Bird already entered the NBA draft. He was selected as the 6th player in the draft by the Boston Celtics. Bird, however, decided to stay one more year with the Sycamores. Nevertheless, the Celtics retained the exclusive right to recruit him a year later.

In 1979 Larry Bird led his Sycamores to the NCAA Championship game, where he lost in one of the most legendary college games ever to Michigan State University, led at the time by Earvin Magic Johnson. A game in which Bird scored 19 points to Magic Johnson 24. This game is still claimed to mark the beginning of March Madness, the current craze surrounding the NCAA championships held in March.

At the end of the 1979 basketball year, Bird was named NCAA Player of the Year, averaging 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

After the bitter loss to Michigan State University, Bird moved up to the NBA's big leagues, where he ended up with the Boston Celtics thanks to the 1978 draft.

Bird, through his outstanding leadership qualities, court vision, passing and an incredible jumpshot, immediately made a major impact on the Celtics’ game. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1979, ahead of Magic Johnson, who in the same year had also made the jump to the NBA and had been the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers. Bird primarily played small forward and power forward.

In his rookie year Bird averaged 21.3 points per game, 10.4 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game. In 1979, as a rookie, he was selected for the Eastern Conference All-Star Team, a feat he would repeat in each of the following 12 seasons.

Bird helped, among others with NBA legends like Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, to win the NBA Championship three times. Along with Magic Johnson, he helped elevate the popularity of NBA basketball, which at the time had slumped, to new heights. They did this primarily by reviving the longtime rivalry between Bird Celtics and Magic Johnson Lakers.

Throughout his NBA career Larry Bird achieved the very impressive averages of 24.3 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game and 6.3 assists per game.

At the 1992 Games, he won the gold medal with the first and most legendary Dream Team.

Bird is still regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. Bird was named one of the 50 greatest NBA players ever in 1996.

This item is shipped insured as standard, but you are also welcome to pick it up. If desired, an invoice can be added.