Are Larry Bird And Sue Bird Related?

No, Larry Bird and Sue Bird are not related. They are however two of the most famous basketball players in history. Larry is a legend who played for the Boston Celtics while Sue is one of the most polarizing female professional players to play in the WNBA.

Larry’s career spanned from 1979-1992, while Sue‘s began in 2002 and she finished her career just recently, in 2022. Today we will compare Larry’s and Sue’s lives, careers, and achievements in basketball.

The Rumors

The question of whether or not Sue Bird is related to Larry Bird comes up a lot! In an interview with WNBA, Sue Bird addressed this question, quickly ending the rumors.

“Since I’ve been five, people ask me if we’re related,” says Sue. “It is usually the third question in a line of questions. What’s your name? Sue Bird. Oh, what do you do? I play basketball. Are you related to Larry Bird?”

Surely, being linked to Larry Bird isn’t the worst thing in the world for Sue, but she makes it clear that Larry is not her biological father.

childhood of larry And Sue Bird?

Larry Bird’s Childhood

Larry Bird was born in West Baden, Indiana in 1956. Larry’s father was a coal miner and his mother worked for a phone company. He played basketball throughout high school with one scholarship offer to play at the University of Indiana-Bloomington (IU).

Larry joined Indiana University Bloomington, however, stayed there only for a month. He dropped out of school, finding the adjustment between his small hometown and the large student population of Bloomington to be overwhelming. He returned to French Lick, enrolling at Northwood Institute in nearby West Baden, and working municipal jobs for a year before enrolling at Indiana State University in 1975. Bird had successful 3 years at Indiana State, helping them reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history, where they eventually lost to Michigan State and Magic Johnson in the final.

Sue Bird’s Childhood

Sue Bird was born in Syosset, New York in 1980. In Sue’s high school career, she won many awards, including the New York State Player of the Year, and the New York Daily News Player of the Year. She would later lead UConn to win two National Championships under coach Geno Auriemma.

It wasn’t all about basketball though; like Larry, she had diverse interests such as softball and soccer (and of course academics). After graduating college, Sue joined the Seattle Storm in 2002, who drafted her as 1st overall pick in WNBA Draft.

College Career Of Larry And Sue Bird

Larry Bird’s College Career

Larry Bird spent three years playing for Indiana State where he averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game throughout his college career. In his senior year, he led them to a 33-0 record, helping them reach the NCAA tournament for the first team in school history. In the highest-ever rating for a college basketball game, he lost to Michigan State in a championship final, scoring 18 points.

It was the start of the Bird-Johnson rivalry that lasted throughout their professional careers. Even though he lost the final, Bird won numerous year-end awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year.

Sue Bird’s College Career

Sue Bird started her college career at UConn in 1998. After playing just 8 games in her freshman year, she tore her ACL and had to sit out the remainder of the season. She came back for her sophomore year, where she led UConn’s women’s basketball team to a 36-1 record, Big East Championship, and the NCAA Divison I championship. In her junior year, Bird led the Huskies to a 32-3 record, however, ended up losing in the final to Notre Dame. Eventually, the loss to Notre Dame was the last one in her college career since she led UConn in her senior year to a 39-0 record. As a reward, she received numerous individual awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year.

She finished her college career with an impressive record of 114–4 in the games she played! Playing for the Huskies, Sue Bird scored 1,378 points and made 585 assists, and 243 steals.

Professional Career Of Larry And Sue Bird

Larry Bird’s NBA Career

Larry Larry Larry Larry Larry Larry Larry! Need I say more? He’s one of the best players to ever play basketball, male or female, and that speaks for itself! A dominant scorer who averaged 24.3 points per game throughout his NBA career. Drafter as 6th overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, Larry Bird was a 3-time MVP, 2-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, and was selected 9 times in All-NBA First Team!

Additionally, he won three championships with Boston Celtics during his time there from 1979 to 1992. Not only was Larry an amazing all-around player but also brought new aspects into the game such as being able to pass out of triple which helped open up scoring opportunities for other teammates. Larry was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1998. In his honor, the Celtics retired his jersey number 33.

Larry Bird Achievements

• NBA Champion: 3 (1981, 1984, 1986)
• NBA MVP: 3 (1984–1986)
• NBA Finals MVP: 2 (1984, 1986)
• NBA All-Star: 12 (1980–1988, 1990–1992)
• All-NBA First Team: 9 (1980–1988)
• Olympic Gold: 1 (1992)

Sue Bird’s WNBA Career

On the other hand, 12-time WNBA All-Star Sue Bird’s career has just finished in 2022. Sue has won four WNBA Championships with the Seattle Storm in 2004, 2010, 2018, and 2020. Throughout her professional career, she was a 13-time WNBA All-Star, 3-time WNBA assist leader, and was selected 5 times in All-WNBA First Team.

Bird won also won five Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball, winning consecutively in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. Sue ranks first all-time for total career assists (3,234) and most seasons played in WNBA history (20).

Sue Bird Achievements

• WNBA Champion: 4 (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020)
• WNBA All-Star: 13 (2002, 2003, 2005–2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022)
• All-WNBA First Team: 5 (2002–2005, 2016)
• WNBA peak performer: 2 (2009, 2016)
• Olympic gold: 5 (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020)

Conclusion

Sue Bird and Larry are not related. They have distinct childhoods, college careers, and professional lives that reflect their personalities despite both being athletes in basketball.

On the individual level, Larry was more dominant throughout his career, whereas Sue has won several championships with her WNBA team along with gold medals internationally.

Larry also had higher scoring averages than Sue did during their respective careers which shows how they both excelled differently in the game of basketball. Larry through shooting and scoring abilities versus Sue by passing and playmaking abilities.

Sue and Larry Bird are truly exceptional basketball players who have achieved a lot throughout their careers and are true inspirations for future generations. We hope you enjoyed reading our blog post on whether Larry and Sue could be related!