The 1978 NBA Draft gained legendary status primarily due to the unique circumstance involving Larry Bird. Despite being a junior at Indiana State, he was eligible for the draft because he had spent part of his first year at Indiana University.
Five teams either failed to recognize or were hesitant to take a chance on Larry Bird in the 1978 NBA Draft. Red Auerbach, however, boldly selected Bird with the 6th pick, willing to wait and take the risk that Bird might not sign before the 1979 draft, potentially allowing him to be re-drafted. Interestingly, had Bird waited until 1979, he could have been the first or second pick, with a possibility that the Los Angeles Lakers might have chosen him over Magic Johnson as the top pick. This scenario would have resulted in one of them becoming a Laker and the other possibly joining the Chicago Bulls.
