That “someone” was Joe B Hall. It was all his call not to offer Bird.
Dang. That definitely put’s Tubby pissing away Chris Lofton in a whole new light.
Yep. Even Joe B himself once said this when he was asked why he didn’t offer Bird.
What weird logic by Hall. Some of our best players have been shy off the court: MKG, SGA, Turner, Patterson, and even Mashburn early in his UK career.
I've read that Bird was only 6'6' as a high school senior, and Coach Hall thought he was too small and too slow to play in the SEC. Of course, no one could have predicted he will grow to 6'9" over the next couple of years. Remember that Bird was in the same high school class as Rick Robey, Mike Phillips, Jack Givens, and James Lee. Coach Hall thought he already had enough power forwards in the class. Larry Bird was never quick, but his knowledge of the game and instincts were second to none, and these overcame his lack of quickness. Still, if Bird hadn't grown to 6'9" after high school, he likely would not have excelled the way he did at the college and pro level. A 6'9" highly skilled but slow player like Bird can do things a 6'5" or 6'6" can't do. I also think that there would have trouble finding enough playing time to keep Bird, Phillips. Robey, and Lee happy. as they were all power forward type players.
I think Bird would’ve won three titles here in 75, 77 and 78 (when we won it anyways). At least we would’ve been absolutely …by far and away with nobody else even close …the nation’s best team those three years.
Yep. I was in diapers at the time, but I've talked to plenty of people that echoed this about Bird not being close to Larry Legend yet. I've also talked with a couple people that know Larry. One that even played with him. They've said there's no way Bird was gonna go out of state and that far from home. Although Terre Haute isn't a whole lot closer to French Lick than French Lick to Lexington.
I'd bet a dollar that Hall hadn't heard about those guys yet.
100% correct. UK would have been even a bigger fishbowl and he likely would have left quickly. However, Knight regrets not acknowledging Bird's discomfort and not intervening on a personal level. He just had the attitude of stay or go I don't give a sh*t. Who knows, maybe a UK the environment with his teammates and coaches would have made him feel more at home.
No, he left before practice even started, so Knight had nothing to do with it.
I saw a documentary about him that when he was on campus as a student briefly and I believe his first wife mentioned him passing Knight on campus and Bird saying hello to him, but Knight snubbed him and kept walking. I believe he was used to being close with his coaches so that was a bit of a jolt for him and helped contribute to his feelings in Bloomington.
No. Moses Malone was headed to Maryland. He’d already committed and signed his letter of intent before the ABA lured him away.
"During his brief I.U. stage, Bird felt that some of the veteran players on the team, including Benson, hadn't been very nice to him. So when he made the NBA, he went out of his way to embarrass Benson -- a mediocre big man for the Pistons -- at every opportunity."
That's pure Larry Legend there!
