A Tribute to the ‘Hick from French Lick’

Larry Bird’s legendary basketball journey started, of course, in Indiana. He was a scruffy standout at French Lick’s Springs Valley High School and then led the Indiana State University Sycamores team that went 33-1 in 1978-79 and was runner-up in the NCAA Tournament.

During Bird’s 13-season run with the Boston Celtics, he captured three MVP awards, three NBA titles, two NBA Finals MVP awards, and an Olympic gold medal.

Bird’s story is shown in vibrant, engaging detail at his namesake museum which is connected to the Terre Haute Convention Center but is its own entity.

Guests are greeted with a video that highlights Bird’s Hall of Fame career and interviews with rival- turned-friend Magic Johnson and teammates such as Kevin McHale and the late Bill Walton.

Memorabilia includes jerseys, including one Bird wore with the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team,” and Celtics championship rings.

Interactive elements take guests through Bird’s career, showing how skill and tireless work created a superstar who was humble but still known to talk trash with Johnson and other on-court adversaries.

Displays recap how Bird first enrolled at Indiana University but quickly returned home to French Lick after feeling overwhelmed by IU’s large campus. He took a job with the French Lick Street Department and played some amateur basketball, where he caught the attention of then-ISU Coach Bill Hodges. The rest is hoops history.

Before leaving the museum, step into the shooting cage and test your free-throw skills after reading some tips from Bird himself — the legend shot 89 percent from the line during his pro career.

The cage “makes it fun,” says Tennille Wanner, general manager of the museum and the Terre Haute Convention Center. “Even if the young folks don’t really know Larry Bird, they can come in and shoot hoops.”