For Hammer, Larry Bird was his idol ... Then he saw the photo of Bird's childhood basketball hoop. "It was nothing more than a rusty rim and wood backboard," he said, "hanging on a dilapidated ...

"In the future, great players will be judged against the standards he has set, but there will never be another Larry Bird." ...

Larry emerged from a modest upbringing. Growing up in a small, humble home, his childhood was shaped by hard work and perseverance. Bird's mother dedicated herself tirelessly to support the family ...

"Professional mushroom hunter. [Laughs]," another French Lick resident replied when asked what Bird would've been if he hadn't been a professional basketball player. "'Cause he co ...