Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, to Georgia (nee Kerns) and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War. He was raised in nearby French Lick, where his mother worked two jobs to support Larry and his five siblings. Bird has said that being poor as a child still motivates him "to this day". Georgia and Joe divorced when Larry was in high school, and Joe committed suicide about a year later.

Bird, a wing who played the small forward and power forward positions, was nominated to twelve All-Star teams. He won two NBA Finals MVP and three regular-season MVP awards, all consecutively, a feat only equaled by Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.  Bird possessed an uncanny and unparalleled ability to anticipate and react to the strategies of his opponents. His talent for recognizing the moves of opponents and teammates prompted his first coach with the Celtics, Bill Fitch, to nickname him "Kodak", because he seemed to formulate mental pictures of every play that took place on the court.  Bird scored 24.3 points per game in his career on a .496 field goal average, an .886 free throw average (9th best all-time) and a 37.6 percentage on three-point shots. Bird had an average of 10.0 rebounds per game for his career and 6.3 assists. His multidimensional game made him a consistent triple-double threat; Bird currently ranks seventh all-time in triple-doubles with 59, not including the 10 he recorded in the playoffs. Bird's lifetime player efficiency rating (PER) is 23.5, 18th all-time. Additionally, he is the only 20, 10, 5 player in NBA history (points, rebounds, assists per game) with a lifetime PRA rating (points + rebounds + assists per game) of 40.6, which is 8th all-time. Bird was the first player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better on field goals, 40% on three-pointers, and 90% on free-throws in a single NBA season while achieving the league minimum for makes in each category. Bird accomplished this feat twice and is second only to Steve Nash for seasons in the 50-40-90 club.  Bird is also remembered as an excellent defender. While he was neither fast nor quick-footed, and could not always shut down an individual player one-on-one, he consistently displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, allowing him to intercept passes and create turnovers. His 1,556 career steals ranks 34th all-time. Unspectacular but effective defensive moves, such as jumping into a passing lane to make a steal or allowing his man to step past and drive to the hoop, then blocking the opponent's shot from behind, were staples of Bird's defensive game. In recognition of his defensive abilities, Bird was named to three All-Defensive Second Teams.  Bird's humble roots were the source of his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick from French Lick". Other observers called him "The Great White Hope". He has also acquired the nickname "Larry Legend".

How else is his playing style style rememebered?
Bird was the first player in NBA history to shoot 50% or better on field goals, 40% on three-pointers, and 90% on free-throws