Truth About Connor Bird, Larry Bird’s Son With Dinah Mattingly

Connor Bird is the adopted son of former Boston Celtics player, Larry Bird, and his wife, Dinah Mattingly. 

Children of celebrities are constantly making headlines for several reasons; whether it’s for one reason or otherwise, their parent’s fame puts their lives in the spotlight. Well, some of them thrive and become just as famous as their parents for all the right reasons, some lead quiet and relatively normal lives, and others feeding off of their parents’ fame, take a different direction, making headlines for all the wrong reasons. A typical case of the latter would be the son of former NBA player Larry Bird, Connor Bird.

Connor Bird Is The Adoptive Son of NBA Great Larry Bird

Connor Bird is known popularly as the son of Larry Bird, a former NBA player who spent his entire career as a small forward and power forward for the Boston Celtics from 1979 to 1992. Following his retirement from a very successful career in the NBA (with three NBA championships to his name), he coached the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. He is currently employed as an executive in the National Basketball Association.

What many may not know about Connor’s parentage is that Larry Bird is not his biological but adoptive father. Precise information regarding Connor’s birth or birthparents is not yet common knowledge. However, it is known that this celebrity kid was born sometime in 1992. Bird senior’s otherwise worldwide popularity as NBA royalty makes his kids semi-famous by extension since they were born. Connor Bird might not have had a relationship with his biological dad, but Larry Bird committed himself to fill that gap as he was very much involved in Connor’s life.

He influenced Connor Bird so much so that he even attended the former NBA star’s alma mater, Indiana State University, Bloomington. However, Connor’s is not the same story, given his various run-ins with the law during what we assume were his college days. Larry also influenced his son to pick up an interest in basketball which he played in high school.

Connor Bird’s adoptive mother is Dinah Mattingly. Larry Bird had met her while studying at Indiana State University, and the two became friends. Subsequently, Larry married Janet Chondra, whom he had known since high school in 1975, but their union lasted for barely a year. It was after this union failed that Larry married Dinah Mattingly in 1989.

Not much information can be found about Connor Bird’s adoptive mother, Dinah Mattingly, before meeting Larry Bird. What is on record is that she was born on the 16th of November 1954 in Terre Haute, Indiana, where she attended high school, after which she attended Indiana State University.

The timeline of Larry Bird’s and Mattingly’s romantic relationship is not quite clear, but the two were married in 1989 at a friend’s house just outside Terre Haute and have been together since. Information regarding what Dinah does for a living has also not been revealed, but she seems to be fully immersed in the role of a wife and mother, supporting and taking an interest in the lives of her husband and children.

Connor Is Not The Oldest of Larry Bird’s Kids

Connor Bird is not the oldest child of Larry Bird; that title belongs to Corrie Bird, Larry’s daughter with his first wife, Janet Condra. Corrie Bird was born in 1977. Connor is not also the second oldest. Connor Bird was adopted at the same time, with Mariah Bird (no information has been provided about her birth parents either), who would become his adoptive sister. She is older, as records show that she was born in 1991, making her a year older than Connor.

This would mean that out of Larry Bird’s three children, Connor Bird is the youngest one. Mariah Bird finished from a local high school and then went on to Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from Boston with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Science. Following in the family tradition, she later attended Indiana University Bloomington as well.

As of 2021, Mariah Bird is employed by Pacers Sports & Entertainment as an event manager. Given that she was also a cheerleader at some point, she assists in the coordination of cheering, dancing, and shouting in support of the team during games.

On the other hand, the oldest Bird child, Corrie Bird, is a graduate of Indiana State University, from where she bagged a degree in Elementary Education. According to her LinkedIn profile, she went back to Indiana in 2007 to pursue a degree in Business Administration, after which she went on to pursue a master’s degree in Health Management. Until May 2021, Corrie Bird worked as a registration supervisor for Putnam County Hospital in Indiana. She is married to a certain Trent Theopolis Batson and a proud mother of four.

Connor Bird Was Sentenced To One-Year Jail Time in 2014

Going by TMZ reports, in 2011, when Connor was only 19 years old, he was arrested for underage drinking and disorderly conduct. In 2014, he was arrested and jailed this time on charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a vehicle, possession of fewer than 30 grams of marijuana (which was illegal at the time), and battery for allegedly hitting his 20-year-old then-girlfriend on the wrist with a cell phone back in 2013.

It was reported that Bird junior was spotted on the Indiana University campus driving his car in pursuit of his now ex-girlfriend in an attempt to run her over. Connor pled guilty to some of the charges, which resulted in a reduced sentence and the dismissal of others; both parents, Mattingly and Bird, declined to make any comments on the matter at the time.

He was charged with a Class A misdemeanor which carries a potential sentence of one year in prison and a $5,000 fine. Connor Bird took a plea deal to avoid jail time which entailed that sentencing would be postponed for a year if he met the terms of his plea agreement. These terms included; no criminal offenses will be committed; he must be in a mentoring program regularly; must attend counseling and provide proof of counseling completion or discharge; will abstain from the use of any illicit or mind-altering substances, including but not limited to alcohol and have no access to firearms or ammunition.

What Connor Does for a Living is Currently Unknown

Connor has kept a pretty low profile following the incident and court case in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Barely anything can be found on this celebrity kid. With several Connor Birds on social media, it is hard to determine who the real Connor Bird is online, but given how relatively quiet he had been over the years, it is safe to assume he is staying out of trouble. We can’t say for sure if he’s married or had children, seeing as he hasn’t been linked to anyone since the incident with his unidentified now ex-girlfriend.

Quick Facts About Connor Bird

1. Q: Who is Connor Bird? Connor Bird is the adopted son of Larry Bird, a former NBA executive, coach, and professional basketball player, and his wife Dinah Mattingly.

2. Q: Who are Connor Bird’s parents? Connor Bird’s adoptive parents are Larry Bird and Dinah Mattingly. The identity of his biological parents is unknown.

3. Q: Does Connor Bird have siblings? Yes, Connor Bird has two stepsisters, Corrie Bird and Mariah Bird. Corrie Bird is Larry Bird’s daughter from his first marriage, while Mariah Bird is also an adopted child of Larry Bird and Dinah Mattingly.

4. Q: When was Connor Bird born? Connor Bird’s exact birth date is unknown. However, based on his adoption date and appearance, he is believed to be born around 1992 and will be approximately 31 years old in 2024.

5. Q: Is Connor Bird married? The details about Connor Bird’s marital status are unknown as he has kept his personal life private. However, there’s no public information or evidence about his marriage, suggesting that he is likely single.

6. Q: What is known about Connor Bird’s career? The details about Connor Bird’s professional career are not publicly available. His fame primarily comes from being the adopted son of Larry Bird.

7. Q: What was Connor Bird’s legal trouble? In 2013, Connor Bird was arrested on charges of attempting to hit his girlfriend with a car, battery resulting in injury, criminal mischief, intimidation with a deadly weapon, and possession of prohibited drugs. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of criminal recklessness in 2014.

8. Q: What is Connor Bird’s net worth? Connor Bird’s net worth is not publicly known. His adoptive father, Larry Bird, however, has an estimated net worth of $75 million.

9. Q: Does Connor Bird have a relationship with his stepsisters? The details about Connor Bird’s relationship with his stepsisters, Corrie Bird and Mariah Bird, are not publicly available.

10. Q: Who is Larry Bird, Connor Bird’s adoptive father? Larry Bird is a former professional basketball player, coach, and executive who is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He played his entire NBA career for the Boston Celtics and later served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers and as the team’s President of Basketball Operations.