Introduction
Larry Bird is a pretty famous figure if you’re interested in sports, and is commonly regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history. He also served as an executive in the National Basketball Association, and was a basketball coach too. This sport is commonly associated with very tall people, so how does Larry Bird fit into that picture?
Larry Bird is around 6 foot and 9 inches (2.06 meters), which makes him a very tall person. The average American man is about 5 foot 8 inches (1.73 meters), so Larry Bird is over a foot taller than many men in the US. That’s not surprising for a basketball player, but it’s still an impressive height!
Larry Bird is an icon of the basketball sport, and fans are curious about him even now he has retired, so we’re going to find out more about him today.
How Tall Is Larry Bird?
Also known as “Larry Legend” and “the Hick from French Lick,” Larry Bird is an exceptionally tall man, who played for The Boston Celtics. The height of basketball players is often exaggerated, but most people seem to agree that 6 foot 9 inches is about right for this man, and some sources even suggest that they are surprised he’s not taller.
Larry Bird mentioned his height in his book about himself, talking about how he grew a surprising amount when in high school and college. He was around 6 foot 6 inches (1.98 meters), and grew another 3 inches before he had finished college. He remarked that it wasn’t easy being so tall while still in education, but said that his height was a major advantage when playing in his league.
Was Larry Bird An Exceptionally Tall Basketball Player?
To put Larry Bird into context in the basketball world, let’s compare him with a few other players. The tallest basketball player ever was a Libyan player called Suleiman Ali Nashnush, and he was almost 8 foot 4 inches (2.45 meters) at his tallest, and 7 foot 10 inches (2.39 meters) when he was playing basketball.
He was one of only 20 people known to have surpassed 8 feet in height, but that gives you some idea of the very tallest player ever. He would have stood more than a foot taller than Larry Bird when he was at the lower of these two heights.
However, he’s obviously an outlier, so let’s compare Larry Bird with some more standard heights. In the last basketball season, the average player was around 6 foot 6 inches. That’s considerably taller than the average American man, who stands around 5 foot 8 inches (1.73 meters), but shorter than Larry Bird.
Larry Bird would be around 3 inches taller than the average player, and this probably contributed to his fame as one of the greatest basketball players ever – although his skill at the game would have been a more significant asset. He was unquestionably an amazing player, as his long list of accolades and honors demonstrates.
One of Larry Bird’s biggest rivals in the sport was Magic Johnson, who played as a point guard.
Their relationship began in college and they continued to play against each other, with both players winning and losing in various matches. Both of these famous individuals brought basketball to the place it’s in today and helped the sport achieve nationwide and even international fame – but which one was taller?
You might be amused to learn that neither player was taller than the other. Their play styles were often considered comparable, and there’s no question that they both enjoyed amazing fame on the court, and have been lauded for their skill.
How Old Is Larry Bird?
Larry Bird is now 66 years old. He was born in 1956, and his playing dates are listed from 1978 to 1992. He retired due to a compressed nerve root in his back, which led to him missing 22 games in the 1990-1991 season, and 37 games in the 1991-1992 season.
In 1997, he became a coach, and he spent 3 years coaching, before finishing in 2000. He had said he would only coach for 3 years, and he stuck to this promise. He was a successful coach, and continued to play a role in basketball in various advisory and presidential positions until 2022, when he stepped back entirely.
A few other interesting facts about him include the Twitter logo being named Larry to honor him, and the fact that his likeness has been used in several video games. He has also appeared in 3 films, playing himself, and has been referenced in commercials and songs. For fans everywhere, he’s an icon of the sport, and will likely remain so throughout his life.
He got married to Janet Condra in 1975, but divorced in the same year. He then married Dinah Mattingly in 1898.
How Much Does Larry Bird Weigh?
Larry Bird’s listed weight was 220 lb (100 kg), which interestingly is the same as Magic Johnson. It seems an interesting twist that the two players should share exactly the same height and weight, and even had similar career lengths, although Johnson returned to basketball several times before retiring.
Larry Bird’s weight is slightly above average for a basketball player, which is 217 lb (94 kg), but as his height is too, this is not surprising. Indeed, he was probably on the lighter side of the scale, given his additional 3 inches.
There’s no question that Larry Bird was in phenomenal shape when he was playing basketball, and that he will always be remembered as an extraordinarily skillful player.
Conclusion
As you can see, Larry Bird is slightly over the average height for a basketball player, but most of his fame comes from his skill on the court. There’s no doubt that he stands out in the world of basketball, and will likely continue to do so for a long time.
