For the wife of a former NBA superstar, Dinah Mattingly maintains a surprisingly low figure. Dinah is mostly recognized as the wife of the Celtics legend Larry Bird, who is also one of the basketball greats of all time. Nicknamed ‘The Hick from French Lick’ and ‘Larry Legend’, Bird played as a power forward for the Boston Celtics, a position he held down for 13 seasons. But for all of Bird’s fame, little is known about his family and wife Dinah Mattingly. So, for this article, we will take the spotlight away from the NBA legend Larry Bird and shine it on his wife, Dinah Mattingly.
A life of secrecy:
Dinah Mattingly was born on the 16th of November 1943. Not much is known about Dinah’s childhood. Nothing is known about her childhood and details about her professional career are incredibly hard to come by. It is believed that Dina met Larry during their days at Indiana State University. However, the pair remained friends during their early years and went their separate ways post-graduation.
Marriage and other things:
Following his graduation, Larry went on to marry Janet Condra and the pair had a child together. However, the marriage lasted only for less than a year, and the duo called things off the same year they got married. However, the pair reconciled and had a daughter, Corrie, who was born, in 1977. Bird eventually got together with Dinah and the pair tied the knot in 1989. The ceremony was held privately in Indiana and made exclusive only to friends and family. The pair have remained together since 1989, and have adopted two children, Conner and Mariah.
Scandals and Controversies:
In the time they have been married, Larry and Dinah have been surrounded by controversies. The first of which came in 2014, when an online website started reporting that Larry was having an affair with a mysterious woman. The picture on display showed Larry and the woman, who had one hand on Larry’s knee. And while the image circulated around popular media houses, it was later revealed that the woman in the picture was Larry’s adopted daughter, Mariah Bird.
Dinah and Larry found themselves in hot waters for the second time when their adopted son, Conner, was charged with attempted murder. Conner, who was just 22 at the time, was seen running over his ex-girlfriend on the Indiana University Campus. He pleaded guilty to some of the charges which resulted in a shorter sentence. Both Dinah and Larry refused to comment on the issue and the whereabouts of Conner have not been revealed to the media. And while this was the biggest scandal for Larry and Dinah, it is not the early scandal they have found themselves in. In the early 2010s, rumors began circulating that Larry has an illegitimate daughter from his playing days. The rumor arose after a woman in a Miami bar told the Celtics player drinking there that she was the illegitimate child of Larry Bird. However, the rumor was soon pushed aside due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
While Larry is an instantly recognized figure around the world, Dinah has maintained a quiet presence. She is not a huge fan of social media and has maintained her distance from them.
Net Worth:
Dina shares an astonishing net worth with her husband Larry Bird. Larry has a net worth of USD 75 Million which he accumulated as a professional basketball player and a coach.
A quick bio on her husband, Larry Bird:
Larry Bird is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. He was born on December 7, 1956, in West Baden Springs, Indiana. Bird is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, known for his outstanding shooting ability, court vision, and competitiveness.
Bird played college basketball at Indiana State University, where he led the team to an undefeated regular season in 1978 and was named the National College Player of the Year. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1978 and played his entire 13-year NBA career with the team, winning three NBA championships and numerous individual awards.
Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star, three-time NBA MVP, and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He was also a member of the gold medal-winning 1992 United States Olympic basketball “Dream Team.” After retiring as a player, Bird went on to become a successful coach, leading the Indiana Pacers to the Central Division titles in 1999 and 2000.
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