#3: Discovering Basketball as an Escape

For young Larry Bird, basketball wasn’t just a pastime but a sanctuary. Growing up in a financially struggling household, he often used the game to escape the instability around him. He would spend hours shooting on makeshift hoops, practicing relentlessly.

He wasn’t flashy or outspoken but obsessed with getting better. Bird’s love for the game started to blossom during these formative years, as he honed his skills with an almost monastic focus. It wasn’t about fame or fortune—it was about mastery.