Today is August 10 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you remind yourself that someone – somewhere – might be practicing more than you?”
Larry Bird reminded himself that his competitors were practicing when he wasn’t so he pushed himself to be one of the best basketball players of his generation.
Bird’s high school coach, Jim Jones, was a key factor to his success. “Jonesie,” as Bird called him, would help Bird and his friends practice any day of the week.
Bird would go to the gym early, shooting between classes, and staying late into the evening. It was during this time that he played with the older students working at a nearby hotel.
Bird noted “I don't know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody - somewhere - was practicing more than me.”
Bird received a scholarship to play college basketball for Bob Knight and the Indiana University Hoosiers in 1974 but dropped out after 24 days.
Bird returned home to French Lick where he enrolled in the nearby Northwood Institute before dropping out.
He had a short marriage that ended in divorce. To support himself and his daughter from that marriage, he took a job driving a garbage truck and maintaining parks and roads in the district.
During this time, he also played AAU basketball for Hancock Construction.
Bird faced personal loss during the same period when his father committed suicide. After that tragic event, he decided to return to college. This time he went to Indiana State in Terre Haute. During his first year on the team the Sycamores earned a 25–3 record—their best in almost 30 years. When he was at Indiana State, Bird became the most talked about college player in the country. The Boston Celtics drafted Bird in 1978. The contract signed on June 8, 1979, gave Bird $650,000 per year for five years, a total of $3.25 million. This sum was a record for a rookie in any sport.
The Boston fans made no secret of their expectations for their new headliner. Bird did not disappoint them and would eventually go on to win several championships with the Celtics.
Bird reminded himself that his competitors were practicing when he wasn’t so he pushed himself to work harder. Do you?