As If by Magic: The Story of Larry Bird's Indiana High School Basketball Days

Before Larry Bird ever wore the royal blue of the Indiana State Sycamores, or the Celtic green of Boston, he wore the black and gold of the Springs Valley High School Blackhawks. Seemingly just a skinny Indiana kid with average basketball skills, Bird was often overlooked. It wasn’t until his senior year that Bird suddenly emerged as a basketball phenomenon in a state already rich in high school basketball culture. What was it like to watch Larry Bird first take flight? As if by Magic takes the reader back to those hot, energy-packed gymnasiums, revealing the yet to be told story of how Larry transformed himself, almost game by game, from a good basketball player to a breathtaking superstar. There is a deep drive too into the mostly forgotten struggles Larry endured at the beginning of his basketball endeavors, and into the key people who stepped in at just the right moments to keep Bird on the tough road to greatness. Heavily researched, with new insights and information coming from once hard to access newspapers and from coaches, teammates, the community, and Bird’s competitors, along with many rare photos of Larry in action, this book conjures the beating heart of a past era. Larry Bird before his magical after. Read more