Dinah Mattingly is an American celebrity spouse who grabbed the limelight as the wife of Larry Bird, a renowned former professional basketball player, an NBA executive, and a Hall of Famer. Dinah has been married to Larry Bird for over three decades now, and the pair are great parents to two children, Mariah and Connor.
While Dinah Mattingly has remained tight-lipped about her career path, she remains an important figure in the basketball world for the instrumental role she played in her husband’s career. Her husband is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players to ever grace the basketball scene. Throughout his career as a basketball player and coach, he has bagged several awards and has cemented his name in the hearts of basketball enthusiasts.
Profile Summary of Dinah Mattingly
- Full Name: Dinah Mattingly
- Gender: Female
- Date of Birth: November 16, 1943
- Age: 79 years
- Place of Birth: Indiana, United States of America
- Ethnicity: White
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
- Education: Indiana State University
- Profession: Housewife
- Net Worth: $1 million
- Height: 5 feet 5 inches (165.1cm)
- Weight: 56 kg (123 lbs)
- Marital Status: Married
- Dinah Mattingly’s Husband: Larry Bird
- Dinah Mattingly’s Children: Connor Bird, Mariah Bird, and Corrie Bird (stepdaughter)
Who is Dinah Mattingly?
Dinah Mattingly took birth on November 16, 1954, in Virgo County, Indiana, the United States of America. She holds an American nationality and is of white ethnicity, born under the Scorpio birth sign. Dinah, as you may have guessed, is a bit of an enigma. Despite her celebrity status, she has never let the spotlight shine on her personal and professional life.
Most of her background information, including her parents, the existence of any sibling, employment, and much more, remains a mystery to the public and media.
Although most details about her early life are unknown, she reportedly spent most of her life in Terre Haute, an administrative city in Vigo County, Indiana, where she completed her high school education and later graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University. Regarding her professional life, it is believed that Dinah is a homemaker and housewife dedicated to supporting her husband and children.
Dinah Mattingly Has Been Married to Larry Bird for Over Three Decades
Dinah initially met Bird while they were students at Indiana State University. Although the relationship started as a platonic one, it later developed into a romantic affair shortly after Bird ended his marital relationship with his high school sweetheart, Janet Condra. At the time Dinah met her husband, he was going through a tough phase, as he had lost his father, who had earlier committed suicide. As a good friend, Dinah stood by him and helped him overcome the tragedy of losing his father.
After dating for about 12 years, Bird finally proposed marriage to Dinah while they were driving in his Ford Bronco. With a diamond ring in his hand, he said, ‘’you can wear this if you want to,” and Dinah did wear the ring. A few years later, the couple tied the knot on October 31, 1989, in Indiana, United States of America. The wedding ceremony was a private affair held at the then-home of Terre Haute businessman Max Gibson with only five of their family and friends in attendance. Both the bride and the groom reportedly wore stonewashed jeans to celebrate their union.
Despite the two years age difference between the couple, they have maintained a happy marital life supporting and cheering each other. Dinah has played a very important role in the life of Larry Bird, even during the beginning stage of their relationship. Bird acknowledged Dinah’s pivotal role in his life in the book ‘’When the Game Was Ours’’ where he stated that Dinah talked him out of making rash decisions off the court as he then was notorious for being impetuous and hot-headed.
She also played a very instrumental role during his transition from professional league to coaching, which is often hard for most NBA players. Their marital life has stood the test of time, and now they have been together for more than three decades.
Dinah Mattingly is a Great Step-mother to Larry Bird’s Daughter
Prior to Bird’s relationship with Dinah, he was in a marital relationship with his high school sweetheart, Janet Condra, whom he married in 1975. The pair first met each other at Spring Valley High School, where they were classmates. Their relationship quickly blossomed from friendship to romance, but unfortunately for the pair, the marriage did not stand the test of time as it ended shortly after it began.
The pair divorced on October 31, 1976, but during a brief and ultimately unsuccessful reconciliation, they welcomed a daughter Corrie Bird, on August 14, 1977. At the time of divorce, the pair failed to reveal the reason behind the separation, but whatever the reason was, it was pretty significant because the couple did not stay on good terms afterward.
This, in turn, affected Larry’s relationship with his daughter as he initially denied that Corrie was his child and rejected Janet’s request for child support. However, after a blood test confirmed his paternity, he set up an account from which Corrie could draw monthly support checks until she was 18. In 1998, Bird’s ex-wife appeared on the Oprah Winfrey and called him out for not being ‘’much of a dad’’ to their daughter. Corrie also appeared alongside her mother on the Oprah Winfrey show and discussed her non-existent relationship with her father.
It was Dinah who urged Bird to contact Corrie and try to forge a relationship with her. Corrie later met her father after her step-mother, Dinah, invited her to a pacers game.
Corrie Bird inherited the athletic genes from her father as she went on to play basketball during her high school days. Upon completion of her high school education, she enrolled at Indiana University, where she continued to play basketball and eventually graduated with a degree in elementary education and business administration. Reports state that Corrie is a talented and skillful basketball player, but unfortunately, she did not pursue the sport professionally.
Corrie is currently living a happy marital life with her husband, Trent Theopolis Batson, whom she got married to at White Chapel on May 17th, 2008. The couple share four children, two of which are Batson’s children from his previous marriage. Corrie’s first child, Violet Marie, was born on June 8, 2012, while her son, Sébastien Gray, was birthed on April 20, 2017.
Furthermore, Corrie has an MBA in health management which she obtained from Wesleyan University in Indiana, and as a qualified health officer, she has worked in several hospitals. She is currently working as a manager of the Family Medicine Department at AP&S Clinic.
Dinah and Larry Share Two Children
Over the course of their marital life, Dinah Mattingly and Larry Bird has not welcomed any biological children together, but they are known to be parents to their two adopted children. Both of the couple’s adopted children have maintained a private life away from public scrutiny, and as such little information is available about them.
Mariah Bird is the adopted daughter of the couple. Though her exact birth date is unknown, it is believed she was born in 1991 in Indianapolis, United States of America. She holds an American nationality and is of Caucasian ethnicity. Regarding her educational background, she attended Boston University, after which she enrolled at Indiana University, Bloomington, where she graduated with a degree in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management.
Reports have it that Mariah was very much involved in cheerleading while she was in high school. She also served as a cheerleader for a local basketball team and usually organized cheerleaders’ chants and presentations. After she graduated from college, she began her professional career as an event trainee with Pacers Sports and Entertainment. Having garnered some experience as a trainee, she later joined the team as an Event Manager and Special Projects. Besides being an event manager, Mariah has also obtained her real estate license.
Conner Bird is the adopted son of the Bird couple. Though his exact birth date remains unknown, he was born in 1992. Connor spent some part of his childhood in Naples, Florida, when his father left the Celtics. While growing up, Conner showed interest in his father’s profession as he is said to have spent most evenings watching Miami Heat games with his father, Larry Bird. However, he did not later pursue a career in basketball, and as of now, there are no reports as to his line of profession. Regarding his educational background, some reports claim that he studied at the University of Indiana.
Conor Bird was Charged with Attempted Murder
While the whereabouts of Connor Bird and what he has been up to recently are unknown, he is widely known for his involvement in criminal activities. Back in 2013, at the age of 22, Connor made headlines when he was apprehended by Indiana University authorities after attempting to run over one of his ex-girlfriends.
According to Indiana University authorities, the victim claimed that Connor threw a telephone at her during an argument and a witness also claimed that Connor began to chase the girl trying to run her over.
Connor was thereafter charged with several other offenses like possession of marijuana, excessive drinking, intimidation with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief, and possession of paraphernalia. He pleaded guilty to several charges while others were dropped. Prior to the run-over incident, Connor had been arrested by the police in 2011 as a minor for underage drinking and misconduct.
What is Dinah Mattingly’s Net worth?
Dinah, as stated earlier, is a very private individual, and she has kept most details about her life away from public scrutiny as such information regarding her professional life as well as her net worth is currently unavailable. Although most reports claim that she has an estimated net worth of about $1 million, it is yet to be confirmed.
However, she does share her husband’s net worth of over $75 million, which he earned from his career as a basketball player and coach, including his earnings from endorsements and the Pacers presidency. Her husband, Bird, reportedly made over $26 million in NBA salary and was a spokesman for McDonald’s, Converse, Heinz, and Capitol One, among many others.
