Larry Bird’s wife, Dinah Mattingly is an American charity supporter and philanthropist, who came to the limelight when she got married to her basketball superstar husband in 1989. Dinah and Larry Bird have been blissfully married for the past 54 years, and in all those years she has stood solidly by his side, sharing his many successes and encouraging him through all the times when things were not going his way.
When rumors began spreading via the media that her husband was cheating on her, Dinah faithfully stuck to her man, and they have remained a happy family unit to date. Dinah Mattingly was not Larry Bird’s first wife, but she is the one who has loved and stayed with him for over 3 decades now. Dinah and Larry do not have any biological children of their own, and no reason was given for this by the couple.
However, they did adopt two children, in 1991 and 1992, respectively, and have cared for and nurtured them into grown-up adults – who are leading a good life as of today. She also has a stepdaughter from her husband’s first marriage, who she has helped reunite with her father after they lost contact with each other for several years.
Dinah Mattingly’s Biography Summary
- Full name: Dinah Mattingly
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: November 16, 1954
- Dinah Mattingly’s Age: 69 year old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Marital Status: Married
- Dinah Mattingly’s Husband: Larry J. Bird
- Dinah Mattingly’s Children: Mariah and Conner Bird; stepdaughter – Corrie Bird
- Dinah Mattingly’s Parents: (Father) Don Mattingly
- Siblings: Doug
- Dinah Mattingly’s Net worth: About $ 1 million
- Famous for: being Larry Bird’s wife
Is Dinah Mattingly Larry Bird’s First Wife?
Larry Bird’s wife, Dinah Mattingly, is not his first wife as Larry Bird was previously married to another, but it is evident that she is his first true love and confidant, who has loved and stood solidly beside him for about 4 decades now.
Dinah and Larry Bird got married in 1989 and have been together now for 35 years through their highs and lows and through thick and thin. Their love affair is believed to have begun in the very late 1970s, and she was with him right from his collegiate basketball playing days to when he eventually turned professional and became one of the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T) players in NBA history.
Larry Bird’s first wife was Janet Condra, and they got married in 1975, but the marriage lasted for less than a year due to its tumultuous nature. There was an attempt to reconcile Larry Bird with Janet, and during the period of the brief reconciliation, they had a baby girl named Corrie in 1977 before the marriage broke down finally, and they parted ways.
Due to the strained relationship between Larry Bird and his first wife, his relationship with his daughter suffered tremendously over the years, but through Dinah’s intervention, both father and daughter’s relationship seems to be getting stronger over the last few years.
Dinah Mattingly Has Been Larry Bird’s Wife Since 1989
Larry Bird and Dinah Mattingly have been married since 1989, and they have been married and remained so for about 35 years now. They have never been separated during this time and have remained a solid family unit from then to date. They have moved around quite a bit over the years due to the nature of Larry Bird’s work, but Dinah has remained steadfastly by his side, keeping the home together while her husband goes on to do what he loves best – playing professional basketball and winning several titles, championships and personal honors.
Dinah Mattingly and Larry Bird Met At Indiana State University
Larry Bird’s wife, Dinah Mattingly, met him when they were both students at Indiana State University in the late 1970s. Dinah was not an athlete herself, but it is said that she loves watching and supporting athletic activities, and she must have caught Larry Bird’s eyes while he was doing his business on the basketball court.
Larry had just endured a very bitter and painful divorce a year or so earlier, so Dinah must have made quite an impression on him to make him forget his pain and thrust himself into another relationship.
Their courtship lasted for about a decade, and during this time, Dinah saw her man sign his first contract as a rookie and his first professional contract with the Boston Celtics in 1979. They eventually got married in 1989, at the time when Larry Bird was probably at the peak of his professional basketball career. The marriage ceremony took place at a mutual friend’s house in Terra Haute, Indiana, in the United States of America.
The couple opted to have a very simple and small wedding ceremony despite the fact that they could easily afford to have a very lavish and exquisite ceremony. They got married with only 5 very close friends in attendance and decided to both put on stone-wash jeans for the ceremony itself. The very simple wedding ceremony in their beloved hometown seemed to have fulfilled all their fantasies and made their occasion very joyful.
Larry Bird and Dinah Mattingly Raised Two Adopted Children
Dinah and Larry do not have biological children of their own, but they decided to adopt 2 children in their marriage. They adopted a daughter they named Mariah in 1991, and she went on to graduate from Indiana University with a degree in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management. She was a cheerleader while in college and is currently working as an Events Manager with the Indiana Pacers organization.
They adopted a son in 1992 and named him Conner. He has a degree from Indiana University, just like his sister, though the specificity of the degree and what he does presently is not known. He has had a few run-ins with the law over the years but seems to have simmered down in the last couple of years.
What Does Larry Bird’s Wife, Dinah Mattingly, Do For a Living?
Larry Bird’s wife, Dinah Mattingly, is one individual that guards her life and the events in it so jealously that no one seems to know what she really does for a living. She is not on any Social Media platform, and the only presence and footprint she has online are when she attends public functions with her husband. This has left many people to believe that perhaps she may have decided to be a full-time housewife, caring for her family and husband.
There is also another project that is very close to her and her husband’s hearts. They have several charity works and causes that they are passionate about and have been known to commit substantial resources to. Dinah may probably be the one in charge of their charity work which includes the Larry J and Dinah M Bird Family Foundation Inc. They also support Charitabulls and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – which is very close to Larry Bird’s heart as his father committed suicide a year after divorcing his mother.
The Birds also support causes that have to do with Grief support, Family/Parent Support, and Depression and Suicide support. Larry Bird himself stated that all of the donations that he makes to charitable organizations and causes are made under the table, as he is not looking for the publicity that giving publicly attracts.
Larry Bird and his family did not have much when they were growing up, and they benefited immensely from gifts and donations made by charitable organizations, and now that he is blessed, he believes that he must give back to society, and his wife Dinah is offering him great assistance with that project.
