Episode Details

Larry Bird grew up in a town so small that basketball was the only way out, and he took it further than anyone from French Lick, Indiana, had any right to expect. He became the NBA's most complete player — scorer, passer, rebounder, defender, and trash-talker — while moving at a speed that made opponents forget he was the slowest star in the league.

This episode covers Bird from his difficult childhood and his father's suicide through his college years at Indiana State, his rivalry with Magic Johnson, and his transition from player to coach to executive.

• He won three consecutive NBA MVP awards from 1984 to 1986
• His rivalry with Magic Johnson is credited with saving the NBA from declining popularity in the 1980s
• He led Indiana State to the NCAA championship game in the most-watched college basketball game ever
• He successfully transitioned to coaching and front-office work, winning Coach of the Year in 1998