Growing up in French Lick, Indiana, Bird was a local basketball star. Highly recruited, he initially signed to play college basketball for coach Bob Knight of the Indiana Hoosiers. However, Bird dropped out after one month and returned to French Lick and attended a local college. The next year, he attended Indiana State University, ultimately playing three years for the Sycamores. Selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft after his second year at Indiana State, Bird elected to stay in college and returned for the 1978–79 season. He then led his team to an undefeated regular season. The season finished with a national championship game match-up of Indiana State against Michigan State and featured a highly anticipated match-up of Bird against Michigan State great Magic Johnson, thus beginning a career-long rivalry that the two shared for over a decade. Michigan State won, ending the Sycamores' undefeated streak.
Growing up in French Lick Indiana Bird was a local basketball star Highly recruited he initially signed to play college basketball for coach Bob Knight of the Indiana Hoosiers However Bird dropped out after one month and returned to French Lick and attended a local college The next year he attended Indiana State University ultimately playing three years for the Sycamores Selected by the Boston Celtics with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft after his second year at Indiana State Bird elected to stay in college and returned for the 1978–79 season He then led his team to an undefeated regular season The season finished with a national championship game match-up of Indiana State against Michigan State and featured a highly anticipated match-up of Bird against Michigan State great Magic Johnson thus beginning a career-long rivalry that the two shared for over a decade Michigan State won ending the Sycamores' undefeated streak