While his potential was evident from an early age, he didn't instantly get varsity stardom. "And I'll be darned, I put him in a game, and he helped us win," said Jim Jones, who coached Bird in high ...

The best rookies in sports history, from "Big Three" to "Big Two," dispatch from Paris, "The Diff," photo finish, and more.

"One school of thought as to why Larry Bird was so beloved was that he represented some type of everyman who doubled as one ...