#36: Drafted by the NBA and ABA at the Same Time

Before the NBA and ABA merged, Larry Bird was a hot commodity. Though the Boston Celtics selected him sixth overall in the 1978 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers tried to lure him into the ABA. Bird, an Indiana native, turned down a large offer from the Pacers, choosing instead to finish his college career and bet on his NBA future.

That decision shaped basketball history. Had he gone ABA, the league’s future could’ve looked very different. Bird’s quiet confidence and long-view thinking paid off—he remained loyal to his course and became a Celtics icon rather than a local novelty.