Guest: Keith O’Brien, author of HEARTLAND: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and The Miracle of Larry Bird by Keith O’Brien (Atria Books, March 3, 2026) https://amzn.to/47ghvEE

Podcast Release Date: March 7, 2026

Episode Length: 42 minutes

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EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

Larry Bird is one of basketball’s all-time greats, but there’s a chapter of his story that’s rarely told. Between 1974 and 1979, from his brief time at Indiana University through his magical season at Indiana State, Bird nearly walked away from basketball entirely.

In this episode, Brian O’Leary sits down with journalist and New York Times best-selling author Keith O’Brien to discuss his meticulously researched new book HEARTLAND, which fills in this forgotten narrative with unprecedented detail. Through interviews with teammates, coaches, photographers, and dozens of people who were there, O’Brien paints a vivid portrait of a shy kid from rural Indiana who changed sports history—even though he never wanted the spotlight.

We discuss Bird’s poverty-stricken upbringing in French Lick, his time as a garbage collector, his legendary media boycott, the iconic Sports Illustrated photo shoot, and even a softball tournament in which he beat Joe Montana.

This is Larry Bird like you’ve never heard him before.

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TIMESTAMPS:

[0:00] Introduction and Sports Illustrated covers

[7:38] Keith’s journalism career: Salem to Boston Globe

[10:21] Why Bird left Indiana University after just weeks

[12:30] Bird’s $75 arrival at IU and feeling out of place

[14:27] Working as a garbage collector in French Lick

[16:34] How Heartland reads like a novel

[19:01] Writing the book without Larry’s participation

[20:23] Bird’s famous media boycott throughout college

[23:10] The legendary Sports Illustrated photo shoot (October 1977)

[27:30] Lane Stewart’s struggle to photograph Bird

[28:46] The softball tournament: Bird vs. Joe Montana

[30:49] Bird playing baseball AFTER the 1979 championship game

[33:40] The 3-3 release date and Bird’s #33 jersey

[34:25] The lasting impact on Bird’s teammates

[37:07] Where to find Keith’s work and buy the book

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KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Larry Bird’s brief, unhappy time at Indiana University under Bob Knight
• Bird’s return to French Lick and work as a municipal worker
• The industrial league basketball that nearly became his final chapter
• Indiana State’s improbable 1978-79 undefeated season
• The 1979 NCAA Championship: Bird vs. Magic Johnson
• Bird’s lifelong aversion to media attention
• The Sports Illustrated cover that changed everything
• Bird’s love of softball and baseball
• The ripple effects of the Bird-Magic rivalry on the NBA
• How the 1979 Indiana State team still feels the impact today

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GUEST BIO:

Keith O’Brien is a journalist and New York Times best-selling author whose previous books include Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose. He has worked for newspapers, including the Boston Globe, and has contributed to NPR and various magazines. He specializes in narrative nonfiction and long-form storytelling.

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BOOK INFORMATION:

HEARTLAND: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and The Miracle of Larry Bird by Keith O’Brien (Atria Books, March 3, 2026)

Purchase Links: https://amzn.to/47ghvEE

Author Website: https://keithob.com

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CREDITS:

Host: Brian D. O’Leary

Guest: Keith O’Brien

Production: O’Leary Digital

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