Larry Bird’s younger brother Eddie also played the sport – but never made the NBA

“After the first few games here, Coach told me I was going to have to face up to the pressure, ignore it, go out and play my game,” said Eddie.

You might think having a superstar brother in the NBA might make things easier for you as a player, but the younger brother of Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird would not have agreed when he was playing collegiately. Eddie Bird played for Indiana State like his older brother, but things did not get off to a great start. “After the first few games here, Coach told me I was going to have to face up to the pressure, ignore it, go out and play my game,” said Eddie in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.

“He told me to concentrate on defense, hit the boards harder, and do my best,” added the younger Bird. “He can`t escape the pressure,” suggested Indiana State head coach Ron Greene. “He has to overcome it or play something else.”

“I keep telling him he`s just a freshman. And I`m sure when Larry was a freshman, he made some mistakes.”

‘I`m trying to get away from Larry, trying to be my own self. They say I act a lot like Larry. Maybe that`s why we don`t get along too good,” shared Eddie.

The younger of the Bird brothers never made the leap to the next level, but had a solid career at Indiana State, averaging 14.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 37.4% from deep.

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What is it like playing sports as the younger brother of Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird?

Eddie Bird started his high school sports career in the long shadow of his older brother Larry, the Boston legend.

What is it like when your brother happens to be the best basketball player on the planet?

For Eddie Bird, following in the footsteps of Boston Celtics Hall of Fame legend Larry Bird was no easy task, and the pressure of being part of his family only upped the ante.

The younger sibling of the Celtics icon started playing high school ball when The Hick From French Lick was at the height of his powers in Boston. The additional attention of being the brother of such a famous player added complications to the sport Eddie played as much as it how well he played it.

To hear the story of the younger Bird brother growing up in the shadow of Larry Legend, check out the clip embedded below put together by the folks at the Kogostumus YouTube channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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