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22 Jerry Bird

Name
Jerry Bird
Position
Forward
Class
Senior
Hometown (Last School)
Corbin, KY (High)
Ht
6'6"
Wt
200
Seasons
1953-54, 1954-55, 1955-56
Birthday
February 2, 1935

Jerry Bird was born Jerry Lee Bird on February 2, 1935 in Corbin, Kentucky to Ruben Bird and Bonnie Kathleen Jervis.  Bird and his three brothers – Calvin, Rodger and Billy – were all from Corbin, Kentucky, and staples of the town. All three of Bird’s brothers played football at UK, while Calvin and Rodger are both members of the UK Athletics Hall of Fame.

Bird was All-State for two seasons at Corbin High in Kentucky and a star of the annual North-South Cage Classic.  He was named to Chuck Taylor’s High School All-America team in ‘51.

Bird, a Kentucky men’s basketball player from 1954-56, helped Kentucky to two Southeastern Conference titles in 1954 and 1955 and was a member of the 1954 team that went 25-0 and was crowned national champions by the Helms Athletic Foundation.

Bird was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005 as a part of the hall of fame’s charter class. His No. 22 jersey is retired in the Rupp Arena rafters, which is considered to be the ultimate individual honor for a Kentucky Wildcat.

Bird scored 713 career points and grabbed 589 career rebounds under legendary head coach Adolph Rupp. He averaged double figures in both his final two seasons at UK, including 16.2 points and 11.3 rebounds in 1955-56. He was tabbed an All-SEC Second Team member that year.

On March 17, 1956, vs. Iowa, Bird grabbed an NCAA Tournament school record 24 rebounds, a postseason mark that still stands today.

Bird was drafted in 1956 by the Minneapolis Lakers. He played one season with the New York Knicks in 1959.

Following his basketball career at UK and in the NBA, Bird returned to Corbin and worked the majority of his life at American Greeting Card until he retired.

Jerry Bird passed away on July 16, 2017, at the age of 83. He left behind a legacy as one of Kentucky’s finest players of the 1950s, remembered for his toughness, skill, and contributions to Wildcats basketball.

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On This Day In UK Basketball History

On February 18, 1903, State College (Kentucky) records its first win, an 11-10 decision over Lexington YMCA. The Wildcats finished that first season with a 1-2 record.

 

On February 18, 1909, with a 28-23 win over Cincinnati, Kentucky clinched its first winning season in school history. Following a “Senior Day” loss to Central University, the Wildcats ended the year with a 5-4 record.

 

On February 18, 1950, Bill Spivey scored 40 points against Georgia Tech.

 

Wildcats Born on This Date

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