You might think having a superstar brother in the NBA might make things easier for you as a player, but the younger brother ofBoston Celtics legend Larry Bird would not have agreed when he was playing collegiately. Eddie Bird played for Indiana State like his older brother, but things did not get off to a great start. “After the first few games here, Coach told me I was going to have to face up to the pressure, ignore it, go out and play my game,” said Eddie in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
“He told me to concentrate on defense, hit the boards harder, and do my best,” added the younger Bird. “He can`t escape the pressure,” suggested Indiana State head coach Ron Greene. “He has to overcome it or play something else.”
“I keep telling him he`s just a freshman. And I`m sure when Larry was a freshman, he made some mistakes.”
‘I`m trying to get away from Larry, trying to be my own self. They say I act a lot like Larry. Maybe that`s why we don`t get along too good,” shared Eddie.
The younger of the Bird brothers never made the leap to the next level, but had a solid career at Indiana State, averaging 14.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 37.4% from deep.
Larry Bird developed habits from his older brothers
In his book Wish It Lasted Forever: Life With the Larry Bird Celtics, Dan Shaughnessy recounted a pivotal aspect of the three-time MVPs childhood, wherein, despite being the tallest boy in his first-grade class, Bird had to exert considerable effort to outshine his more dominant older brothers.
“Younger brothers often make the best ballplayers. Growing up chasing older siblings helps kids play up, which is advantageous when they start playing with other kids their own age. George Brett, the Hall of Fame third baseman who had three brothers who played baseball, may have had this syndrome. Larry Bird was a classic case,” Shaughnessy wrote. “He played ball because his older brothers played ball. He was tougher and more skilled than most kids his age thanks to Mark and Mike. “.
A young Larry did more than just catch up; he also ingrained particular adaptations. The young Larry Legend developed strange habits from his intense competition, such as wiping his hands on the bottoms of his sneakers to increase floor traction. It’s interesting to note that Larry adopted this natural habit and used it as his signature move in every game until the day he announced his NBA retirement.
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While he was a college player, the younger brother of Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird would not have agreed that having a superstar brother in the NBA would make things easier for you as a player. Like his older brother, Eddie Bird was an Indiana State player, but things did not start well. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Eddie stated, “After the first few games here, Coach told me I was going to have to face up to the pressure, ignore it, and go out and play my game.”
The younger Bird continued, “He told me to focus on defense, hit the boards harder, and do my best.” Ron Greene, the head coach of Indiana State, said, “He can’t escape the pressure.” “He has to overcome it or play something else. ”.
“I keep telling him he`s just a freshman. Additionally, I’m sure Larry made a few errors during his freshman year. ”.
“I’m attempting to distance myself from Larry and find my own identity.” They say I act a lot like Larry. Perhaps that’s the reason we don’t get along too well,” Eddie said.
Despite never being able to reach the next level, the younger Bird brother had a successful career at Indiana State, averaging 14. 0 points, 3. 7 rebounds, and 1. 6 assists per game while shooting 37. 4% from deep.
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