On this day in Boston Celtics history, the storied franchise debuted their highly-regarded new prospect drafted the summer prior out of Indiana State, a Hick from French Lick, Indiana – Larry Bird.

Bird, a native of West Baden Springs, Indiana, grew up in nearby French Lick, and played collegiately briefly at Indiana University before transferring to Indiana State.

This wrinkle made him draft-eligible in what was his junior season at Indiana State.

Bird would play his senior season with Indiana State, going all the way to the NCAA title game he would lose to career-long rival and friend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, then join Boston that October.