Larry Bird's Real Name: Larry Bird

Quick answer: Larry Bird's professional and public name is Larry Bird. He was born on December 7, 1956, in West Baden Springs, Indiana, and raised in nearby French Lick. Longer forms of the name appear in some fan and database listings, but Biography.com and the Library of Congress heading use Larry Bird. He led the Boston Celtics to three NBA championships and won three league MVP awards (Biography.com).

Real name and early life

Biography.com says he was born on December 7, 1956, in West Baden Springs and raised in French Lick, where he starred in basketball from an early age. He played at Springs Valley High School and was the school's all-time leading scorer when he graduated in 1974. The Library of Congress files him as "Bird, Larry, 1956-," citing a book title page and a CIP galley with that birth date.

He accepted a scholarship to Indiana University to play for coach Bob Knight, then withdrew, unsettled by the size of the campus, and enrolled at Indiana State the next year.

Career highlights

After his junior year the Boston Celtics selected him sixth overall in the NBA draft. He returned to Indiana State for one more season and led the Sycamores to the NCAA championship game against Michigan State, led by Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Michigan State won; Bird left college with major player-of-the-year honors, including the Naismith and Wooden awards.

He joined the Celtics for the 1979–80 season, averaged 21.3 points and 10.4 rebounds a game, and was named Rookie of the Year. With teammates Robert Parish and Kevin McHale he won NBA titles in 1981, 1984, and 1986. He was league MVP in 1984, 1985, and 1986, an All-Star 12 times, and All-Star Game MVP in 1982. In 1990 he reached 20,000 career points. Biography.com notes that the Celtics reached the playoffs in each of his 13 seasons, though he missed most of 1988–89 because of injury.

In 1992 he was part of the U.S. Olympic "Dream Team" that won gold. He retired as a player shortly afterward, later coached the Indiana Pacers, and was named NBA Coach of the Year after the 1997–98 season. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998. Biography.com also notes that he was named one of the NBA's Top 50 players in 1996.

Name notes for searchers

Larry Bird is the name used in official records and publicity. Nicknames such as "Larry Legend" and "the Hick from French Lick" are informal and are not a legal name change. He should not be confused with other athletes named Bird.