He had to shoulder tragedy alone': How Larry Bird's rise almost ended before it began

"At one point he made an assist while sprawled on the floor: From his end of the court, he made a one-armed throw to a teammate, who streaked coast-to-coast for a quick bucket. That season ended with an epic showdown in the NCAA championship game against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Magic got the better of Bird in that game, but the contest had wider repercussions."

"O'Brien chronicles a troubled early family life in French Lick, Indiana, including the suicide of Bird's father, a veteran of the second world war and Korea. A suicide is a trauma for a family, for a child, for a teenager. We know that now in 2026. In a lot of ways, Larry Bird really had to shoulder this tragedy and this grief alone."

"The rise of Larry Bird is one of the most unlikely American sports stories of the past 50 years. Stretching nearly 400 pages, the book devotes much of that space to examining what stood in Bird's path."

Larry Bird's 1978-79 season at Indiana State showcased extraordinary talent, including a memorable assist made while sprawled on the floor. That season culminated in an NCAA championship game against Magic Johnson's Michigan State, sparking widespread interest in college basketball. Though Magic won that contest, both players would revitalize the NBA after joining the Celtics and Lakers respectively. Bird's journey represents an unlikely American sports story, detailed in Keith O'Brien's biography examining the obstacles Bird faced. Growing up in rural French Lick, Indiana during the 1970s, Bird endured a troubled family life and his father's suicide in 1975 when Bird was eighteen. These traumas profoundly affected his early path, including his departure from Indiana University before playing for coach Bobby Knight.

Read at www.theguardian.com