Five teams, including the Pacers who held the third pick, passed on Bird until the Celtics used the sixth pick to draft him. They drafted him even though they knew that they might lose the exclusive rights to him if he didn't sign before the next draft.
How did Larry Bird get on the Celtics?
Joining the Celtics (1978–1979)
Bird was selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft. He did not sign with the Celtics immediately; instead, he played out his final season at Indiana State and led the Sycamores to the NCAA title game.
Why didn't Larry Bird play the year he was drafted?
Larry Bird was the sixth overall draft pick in the first round by the Boston Celtics in the year 1978. However, he didn't enter the NBA straight away and instead decided to stay in college one more season and play for Indiana State University.
Who came first Magic Johnson or Larry Bird?
Magic Johnson was selected 1st overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Who drafted ahead of Larry Bird?
The final player drafted ahead of Larry Bird, Purvis Short. He was drafted fifth overall by the Golden State Warriors and had a solid rookie year, averaging 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest.
41 related questions foundHow did Larry Bird get drafted before Magic?
Bird was drafted by the Celtics after his junior year at Indiana State (1978) but did not play professionally until the 1979–80 season, when he won the Rookie of the Year award after contributing to one of the largest single-season turnarounds in NBA history (a 32-win improvement).
Did Magic and Bird get drafted same year?
1979 NBA Draft
If Larry Bird being taken in 1978 was important, so too was the Los Angeles Lakers' selection of Magic Johnson in 1979.
How did Larry Bird get drafted and still play college?
1978 - Drafting Larry Bird
The Celtics owned two of the top eight picks in the 1978 NBA Draft. Since the Celtics had two draft choices, Auerbach took a risk and selected junior Larry Bird of Indiana State with the 6th pick, knowing that Bird would elect to remain in college for his senior year.
Did Larry Bird get drafted early?
As Powell writes, “(Auerbach) took advantage of a loophole and drafted Bird in 1978, a year before his graduation. According to the rules then, Bird was draft eligible because he'd already spent four years in college.”
Why did Larry Bird transfer from Indiana?
The town was protecting Bird, whose father had died by suicide when Bird was 18. They were protecting this basketball star who had made it to the premier college team at IU but, unexpectedly, quit. Some believed Bird left Bloomington because he was still grieving his dad's death.
Who owned the Lakers when Magic Johnson was drafted?
This article contains spoilers for Episode 1 and Episode 2 of “Winning Time.” HBO's “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” chronicles the Lakers' glorious and glitzy “Showtime” era, beginning in 1979 when Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) bought the Lakers and added Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) to the roster.
How much did Larry Bird make in his career?
Today the net worth of Larry Bird is estimated to be over $75 million. The legendary player was the first player to earn $5 million. Besides that, the basketballer's career earning in the NBA was $24,070,000. He earned the highest salary, $7,070,000, during the 1991-92 season.
What is the Larry Bird rule?
In essence, the Larry Bird exception allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents, at an amount up to the maximum salary. To qualify as a Bird free agent, a player must have played three seasons without being waived or changing teams as a free agent.
Is Kevin McHale in Bratz?
The band also made a guest appearance in the film Bratz: The Movie as an auditioning band. While in the group, McHale, along with Timbaland and his bandmates, co-wrote the song "She Said, I Said (Time We Let Go)".
