'I've never really known how to handle the situation' - Larry Bird on his estranged relationship with his daughter Corrie

Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Larry Bird made up for his lack of athleticism with an incredible basketball mind. Bird's uncanny ability to read the game, anticipate opponent plays, and make split-second decisions set him apart from his rivals.

But if Larry Legend had all right answers on the basketball court all the time, he was a mere human being like you and me off it. And when it came to his estranged biological daughter, Larry was almost always at a loss for how to relate to her.

"I can't honestly say I've had much to do with her life because of my differences with Janet," admitted Larry. "I think about Corrie all the time, but what can I really do now? I can't go back and relive the first five or six years of her life."

Larry's daughter from his first wife

Janet is Larry's high school sweetheart Janet Condra. The two married after Bird enrolled at Indiana State in 1975 and although they divorced a year later on October 31, 1976, she gave birth to their daughter Corrie on August 14, 1977.

Initially, Bird denied being Corrie's biological father. But after tests proved he was, he acknowledged it but never chose to have a relationship with her. After he got drafted in the NBA, Larry set up a bank account for Corrie which she could not withdraw from until she turned 18.

"Corrie is a fine and beautiful young lady," continued Bird. "Her mother has done a great job bringing her up in the best way possible. Corrie is also very athletic. She's good at everything she does and I'm really proud of her. To tell you the truth, I've never really known how to handle the situation, but I love her and anytime Corrie needs anything, I will be there for her."

Bird finally had time for Corrie

Fate would bring father and son closer to each other, at least physically, when Larry accepted an offer to become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. But it wasn't until the Pacers' last home game of the 1997-98 season when Larry's wife Dinah gave Corrie a pair of tickets to the game that the father and daughter finally had the opportunity to talk.

"I was really happy to go to the game," said Corrie. "Dad seemed interested in what I had to say. He walked me to my car, and he hugged me. I hope I can see more of him now."

It's unclear whether Corrie got her wish. She did, however, go on to graduate with a degree in Elementary Education from Indiana State University in 1999 and obtained her MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. In 2008, she married Trent Theopolis Batson and had the complete family she never had as a child.