#37: He Once Played in Jeans and Won a Free-Throw Contest

While attending Indiana State, Bird casually entered a campus-wide free-throw competition. Unlike other students who warmed up and dressed for performance, Bird strolled in wearing jeans and boots, shot cold—and won.

With his smooth, repeatable form, Bird knocked down shot after shot like he was brushing his teeth. No sweat. No theatrics. Just precision. The story passed into campus lore, one more piece of evidence that Larry Bird’s talent wasn’t just game-day polish—it was embedded in his bones.