{"id":1582612,"date":"2024-05-30T20:38:55","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T00:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1582612"},"modified":"2024-05-30T20:40:48","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T00:40:48","slug":"larry-bird-museum-opens-inside-terre-haute-convention-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/larry-bird-museum-opens-inside-terre-haute-convention-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Larry Bird Museum Opens Inside Terre Haute Convention Center"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Larry Bird Museum officially opened Thursday inside the Terre Haute Convention Center at Indiana State University to honor NBA Hall of Famer and Boston Celtics<\/a> legend Larry Bird.<\/p>\n Bird, 67, was in attendance to address the public ceremony. The 12-time NBA All-Star played for the Sycamores from 1976-79. He was a two-time consensus first-team All-American (1978, 1979) and two-time MVC Player of the Year (1978, 1979).<\/p>\n “It's because of the love and respect I've had for my fans and the love and respect they've shown me back,” Bird said, when he touched on why he never gets tired of interacting with fans.<\/p>\n “I got a little street named after me, I got a statue out there and now a museum here,” Bird said of the city, the home of Indiana State. “Thank you, Terre Haute, but I think that's enough for a while. You have no idea how much I respect the city and the people in it.”<\/p>\n Larry Legend back in Terredise for the opening of the Larry Bird Museum!#MarchOn<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9SfCGV2Ngp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Indiana State Basketball (@IndStBasketball) May 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The ceremony was held a few days after the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals, with their sweep of the Indiana Pacers\u00a0in the Eastern Conference finals. Bird, a former head coach and executive with the Pacers, returned to his home-state team as a consultant in 2023.<\/p>\n “I remember at the All-Star Game, I told one of the Celtics owners that I thought they had the best team in the league,” said Bird, who won three NBA championships (1981, 1984, 1986) with the Celtics.<\/p>\n “I'm very proud of the Indiana Pacers. I think they've got a very good opportunity to keep moving on and doing very well. [Tyrese] Haliburton and other guys play well together.<\/p>\n “When the ball's moving, they win. If they guard a little bit, they win. Sometimes they don't guard. They have a very good team and they'll only grow together and get better.”<\/p>\n The Larry Bird Museum contains memorabilia from Bird's high school, college, and NBA career, along with interactive exhibits and interviews with coaches, teammates, and rivals.<\/p>\n “I think they got enough in there to keep everyone's interest,” said Bird, who helped lead Indiana State to the 1979 NCAA championship game before losing to Magic Johnson-led Michigan State. “I think it's going to be good for the city and a lot of people will come through it.”<\/p>\n The one special perk that Bird insisted on is free admission to the museum, according to Capital Improvement Board Museum Co-Chair Terri Conley.<\/p>\n @WFIUWTIUNews<\/a> Just left the Larry Bird Museum opening event in Terre Haute! Full story coming soon: pic.twitter.com\/KLYw6KWLHj<\/a><\/p>\nLarry Bird played three seasons at Indiana State, 13 years in the NBA with the Boston Celtics<\/h2>\n
\n
The Larry Bird Museum contains memorabilia from his high school, college, and NBA career<\/h2>\n
\n