High school coach first uncovered Larry Bird’s competitive nature.
Larry Bird’s legendary basketball career is often associated with the Boston Celtics and his fierce rivalries in the NBA. However, his competitive fire was first ignited in the small town of French Lick, Indiana, where he played for Springs Valley High School. It was there that Bird’s relentless drive and will to win became evident to everyone around him, especially his high school coach, Jim Jones.
The Early Signs of Greatness
Before becoming the “Hick from French Lick” and an NBA superstar, Bird was just a lanky freshman with raw talent and an insatiable hunger to compete. He didn’t immediately earn a spot on the varsity team but was placed on the B-team, a development squad for younger players. However, it didn’t take long for Bird to prove he belonged at a higher level.
“And I’ll be darned, I put him in a game, and he helped us win,” recalled Jones. “Then our second game, I didn’t put him in, we got beat and he told me that was a reason why. That was his competitiveness. His will to win was ungodly.”
This moment captured the essence of Bird’s mindset—he believed he could make a difference, and he wasn’t afraid to let his coach know. That kind of confidence and competitive edge would become trademarks of his game throughout his career.
A Star in the Making
Bird’s high school years saw him rapidly develop into the best player in Springs Valley history. By the time he graduated in 1974, he was the school’s all-time leading scorer with over 1,100 points. His combination of skill, work ethic, and basketball IQ set him apart from his peers.
His coach, Jim Jones, played a crucial role in Bird’s development. From a young age, Bird was drilled in the fundamentals of the game, which became the backbone of his success. “Larry always gave me a lot of credit for his fundamentals — which I appreciate — because we worked on them every day,” Jones said. “And Larry’s mental capacity for the game was just unreal. I mean, he understood basketball.”
Taking the Next Step
After high school, Bird accepted a scholarship to play for Bob Knight at Indiana University, but the transition to a larger environment proved overwhelming. He left Bloomington after just 24 days and returned home. Eventually, he enrolled at Indiana State University, where he became a college basketball icon, leading the Sycamores to the 1979 NCAA Championship game against Magic Johnson’s Michigan State team.
Bird’s fierce competitiveness, first noticed in high school, never wavered. It drove him to become a three-time NBA champion, a three-time MVP, and one of the greatest players in basketball history. Those who saw him play in Springs Valley knew early on that Bird was destined for greatness—it was simply a matter of time.
