When you think of Larry Bird, you probably remember someone who is uniquely talented. While the forward has been part of some great teams, No. 33 has been more than capable of taking care of business on his own. He can drain long-range jumpers, score with his far hand, and trash talk all the way to the bank. But did you know he could owe some of this skill to his siblings?
Yes, you read correctly. Not only did Larry Legend have some older brothers, but they pushed him to be his best self through something of “George Brett Syndrome.”
Let’s go back to French Lick and explore this reality.
Larry Bird had two older brothers, and that helped him get a head start on the basketball court
No matter which profession you choose, you will be a product of your path to that chosen profession. For Larry Bird, that meant taking on the hardwoods along with some older brothers.
While Larry Legend was among the flock of birds, he had three older siblings: brothers Mike and Mark and sister Linda. As you might expect, the boys have always been eager to hit the hardwood whenever they can.
“Larry grew to be the tallest boy in his class in first grade and was always trying to keep up with his older brothers who had an interest in sports,” Dan Shaughnessy explained in his 2021 book, May It Last Forever: Life With the Celtics Larry Bird. Younger brothers often make better ballplayers. Ask young athletic coaches. Kids who grow up chase older siblings, which is a feature when they start playing against kids their own age. Call it George Brett syndrome (the Hall of Fame third baseman had three brothers). They play ball). Larry Bird was a classic case. He played ball because his older brothers played ball. Mark and Mike made him strong and better than most kids his age.”
Moreover, the future NBA star chose a habit that would carry him through his career.
“[Mark and Mike] They had a ritual of wiping their hands on the soles of their sneakers for better traction on the ground, something Larry did instinctively until his retirement day.”
While having siblings may seem unimportant, Bird’s career has been defined by its solidity
If you’re feeling particularly cynical, you might be thinking that having older siblings wasn’t important to Larry Bird’s success. The attacker, after all, was incredibly talented. This natural ability was not related to his brothers.
This may be true, but it ignores a key part of Larry Legend’s story: toughness.
This was the same player who, as a young man, learned to play basketball and trash ball against the big guys. Bird also bounced back after a disappointing time at Indiana and served as a trashman—it was easy to play safe and stay a job he enjoyed—to become an Indiana star. And at the NBA level, the famous forward has dealt with a variety of challenges, ranging from physical pain to a lack of privacy, without missing a beat.
Could he have learned and absorbed the ability to grit his teeth and his strength later on? Of course, but there is something to be said for starting that as your foundation. It’s also worth remembering that birds weren’t living in the lap of luxury, so Larry and his brothers knew a thing or two about getting ahead despite the challenges.
Without those early lessons, Bird might not have made it to the pros. He might have joined the federation but he would have lacked the confidence to be more than a role player. Or perhaps his back injury would have ended his career even sooner.
At this point in time, though, there is no telling how this schedule would have played out. Fortunately, Larry Bird making it to the NBA stage was very special.
