Larry Bird’s Wife Dinah Mattingly: Everything You All Need To Know About
Larry Bird is largely recognized as one of the best Boston Celtics players of all time. Bird spent his entire career in Boston, where he won three NBA titles after being picked sixth overall by the Celtics in 1978. Bird was a three-time NBA MVP and a 12-time All-Star throughout his career.
Larry Bird is without a doubt one of the most distinguished and respected Celtics players in franchise history. From college through the end of their illustrious careers, his rivalry with Magic Johnson has been one of the most intriguing rivalries in sports. Furthermore, since his retirement, Bird has become somewhat of a legend. Bird’s former teammates and opponents remember his strong competitiveness and enjoyment of trash talk. In one of his most memorable anecdotes, before entering his third 3-point battle, Bird asked his opponents, “Who’s coming in second?”
The incident, and his eventual victory, completely define Larry Bird, the deadly shooter and courageous competitor. With his on-court accomplishments widely known, we thought we’d spice things up and look at Larry Bird’s personal life. His lifelong wife Dinah Mattingly, in particular.
Interesting Dinah Mattingly facts
Larry Bird has done an excellent job of keeping his personal life and family out of the public eye. While some players seek to maintain a public image, Bird and his wife have done the opposite. The two were supposedly high school sweethearts who attended Indiana State University together. Despite having previously been married, Bird and Mattingly began dating in the 1980s, soon after Bird began his career as a Boston Celtic. The couple has been married since 1989 and has two children, Conner and Mariah. Although Bird has managed to keep his personal life discreet, the couple’s lives have not always been simple.
| Personal Life with Dinah Mattingly |
|---|
| – Supposed high school sweethearts. |
| – Met at Indiana State University. |
| – Began dating in the 1980s. |
| – Married since 1989. |
| – Two children: Conner and Mariah. |
| – Larry Bird’s effort to keep his personal life private. |
| Support from Dinah Mattingly |
|---|
| – Supported Larry Bird despite challenges with his daughter Corrie. |
| – Corrie’s limited contact with Larry during his career. |
| – Dinah gave Corrie tickets to a game, sparking discussions. |
| – Larry and Corrie reconnected after his retirement. |
| – Larry commended Corrie’s growth and promised to be there for her. |
How Dinah Mattingly Supported Larry Bird in the Face of Adversity
Bird had limited contact with Corrie Bird, his daughter from his previous marriage, during his career. The matter came to light in the early 1990s, when a young Corrie allegedly penned a letter to her father, requesting that she attend his retirement celebration in Boston. Bird, according to sources, disregarded the letter.
Corrie came on the Oprah Winfrey Show some years later and claimed that her father was not a part of her life. Fortunately, once Larry Bird retired from playing, he accepted a coaching position with the Indiana Pacers, and he and Corrie seemed to reconnect considerably. His wife Dinah is said to have given Corrie tickets to a game, causing a discussion with her father afterward.
She recalls Bird speaking with her before hugging her farewell and walking her to her vehicle. Although the Celtics great has kept silent in the media about the problem, he attributes his lack of involvement to his rocky relationship with his ex-wife. Despite this, he commended his daughter for becoming the lady she had become and promised to be there for her in the future. Given the fairly public issue with his estranged daughter, Bird’s longstanding wife’s support throughout the years tells a lot about her.
