'If you are going back to school, you've got to tell me' - Pacers coach told Larry Bird he won't draft him if he returns to Indiana State

The Indiana Pacers passed on the chance to land Larry Bird in the 1978 NBA Draft, but it turned out to be a big mistake. Bird ended up becoming one of the greatest players to ever play the game and helped the Boston Celtics win three NBA championships during the 80s.

According to the book When The Game Was Ours, Pacers head coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard actually had his sights set on "Larry Legend." However, without the guarantee that Bird would skip his senior season at Indiana State, Leonard decided to pass on Bird.

"Look, I can't wait for a year," "Slick" said during a one-on-one meeting with Bird at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis. "Our franchise can't afford it. So if you're going back to school, you've got to tell me because I'll trade the pick. But if you come out, I'll take you."

The Pacers needed immediate help

That summer, the Pacers lost forward Dan Rounfield in a bidding war with the Atlanta Hawks. Rounfield was Indiana's best-performing power forward from the previous campaign at 13.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, and Leonard felt that Bird would help his team fill that void.

But because Larry promised his mother that he would finish school, he told "Slick" that he was returning to Indiana State. Although he was disappointed, Leonard and Bird ordered a couple more bottles of Heineken beer before going their separate ways.

"I liked Larry," Leonard said in the book. "But c'mon now. Nobody knew he was that good."

Indiana had a second chance at Bird

Indiana ended up trading their No.1 pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Johnny Davis, Clement Johnson, and the No.3 pick of the 1978 NBA Draft. Portland used the pick to draft Mychal Thompson. Leonard had a second chance to pick Bird with the third overall pick, but he insisted on immediate help and chose Kentucky's Rick Robey.

Bird landed on Red Auerbach's lap as the sixth overall pick in the draft. As expected, he played out his final college season and led the Sycamores to the NCAA championship game, where they lost to Magic Johnson's Spartans.

Thompson made the All-Rookie first team but never became a star in the league. He became a serviceable backup for the "Showtime" Lakers and won two titles with them. Robey didn't finish his rookie season in Indiana and was traded to the Celtics where well, he was joined by Bird the following year. Robey was part of Boston's 1981 title team while Bird became "Larry Legend."