Bird didn’t last long in Bloomington, as he left for Indiana State a few weeks into his freshman year. Thomas, who played for the Hoosiers from 1979-81, told Bird and Miller that then-Indiana junior guard Quinn Buckner “felt bad” that he wasn’t there to help Bird during those initial few weeks in college. Buckner was playing in a basketball tournament, according to Bird.

Thomas joked that the basketball gods would not have allowed Bird to play for legendary Indiana coach Bob Knight, as the Hoosiers already were stacked with talent. However, according to Bird, he left Indiana and returned home for financial reasons.

“I just couldn’t do it,” Bird said. “I wasn’t homesick or I didn’t like the coach. One thing about me is that the coach coaches and the players play. Whatever they tell you, you have to do. You may not like it but you go to do it. … That’s their expertise. I don’t think Coach Knight and I would have had a problem because I never had a problem with my coach.”