Larry Joe Bird Research Paper

How Larry Bird saved what was a dying Franchise. What makes someone a hero? Is it their talent, success, and accomplishments, or is it the sacrifices they made to become a “hero?” Larry Joe Bird grew up in the small town of French Lick, Indiana. Despite Bird facing many challenges in his childhood, he did not let them stop him from success. He was born on December 7, 1956, in French Lick, Indiana. He would eventually play in the NBA, do great things, and would go on to retire in 1992. He would go down in the history books as one of the greatest players ever to play the game. Former player of the Boston Celtics, Larry Joe Bird is a hero because his and Magic Johnson’s rivalry gave the league some competitiveness, changed the rules of professional

However, the ‘Bird’s Right’ rule states that the teams can exceed the set amount to retain their free agent/player and save them for the upcoming season. The Celtics former head coach, Red Aurback, used this rule to extend Bird’s contract in 1988 so they could have him for the upcoming season. In his rookie season, he signed with the Celtics and was paid $650,000 which was a record for that time (3-BiographyEditors.com). In the following years, he signed a 5-year $3.25 million contract with the Boston Celtics, which made him the highest-paid rookie (6-Sporty Tell Editors). To put that into perspective, Stephen Curry is the highest-paid player in the NBA today and he brings in a yearly salary of $51,915, 615.00 (3-Scott Rafferty). Preserving the NBA After attending college at the University of India State, Bird would enter the NBA draft and was the number sixth pick for the Boston Celtics. Going into the 1979-80 season, Bird quickly became a fan favorite and attracted huge crowds on and off the court. He would make his “nest” in Madison Square Garden. Madison Square Garden was the home court of the Boston Celtics and, in my opinion, the greatest stadium to ever be