Dinah Mattingly is a 69-year-old American media personality, probably best known for being the second wife of former professional basketball player Larry Bird.
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Early life
Dinah Mattingly was born on 16 November 1954 in Naples, Collier County, Florida State USA; she has a brother named Doug. Dinah is not related to Don Mattingly, former first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB), and Toronto Blue Jays’ bench coach. That misconception comes from his birthplace, Evansville, Indiana, US; Dinah has lived in the state for at least three decades, and some sources reported that she was born in Vigo County, Indiana. Moreover, Don was born on 20 April 1961, so they were close in age.
Early education
Dinah completed her undergraduate studies in the 1970s, at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana,.
Career
Dinah maintains a low profile, and has no known career or social media presence. However, she has occasionally been pictured by paparazzi, primarily when she accompanied Larry to interviews in talk shows, or attended basketball games or events at which invitees were expected to bring their partners.
Mentions in media
Dinah’s name was brought up in the media regarding two unsubstantiated rumors. Thankfully, the websites had a low reputation, so Larry’s fans quickly dismissed them. A website reported in the early 2010s that a woman in a bar in Miami, Florida, US, began bragging to a Miami Celtics basketball player that she was Larry’s illegitimate daughter. Her story lacked evidence, and was deemed a drunken embellishment aimed at impressing the player.
Similarly, some scandal-seeking websites such as Busted Coverage reported in 2014 that Larry was having an affair, and attached a picture showing a young woman’s hand on his knee. However, it quickly became clear that the woman was his adopted daughter.
Larry Bird’s Wife Dinah Mattingly https://t.co/B2zhlIcvv6 pic.twitter.com/KRqwFUokBp
— Player Wives (@playerwives) April 27, 2016
Husband Larry Bird
Dinah met Larry at Indiana State University, which he attended from 1976 to 1979, but it’s unclear when they began dating. However, Larry and Dinah tied the knot on 31 October 1989 at a friend’s house near Terre Haute. It was intimate; only five friends attended, and Dinah and Larry wore stonewashed jeans instead of formal attire. Afterwards, Dinah settled in West Baden Springs, Indiana, where Larry was born.
Who is Larry Bird?,
Larry Joe Bird was born on 7 December 1956 and rose to prominence by playing for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1979 to 1992. During that time, he was nicknamed “Larry Legend” and “the Hick from French Lick.” The former stemmed from his feats on the field, the latter from his humble roots, as he was raised in French Lick, Indiana.
Larry was drafted in 1978 in the first round as the sixth overall pick and played small forward and power forward positions for 13 years. He was selected for the NBA All-Star game 12 times, received the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award for three consecutive years 1984-86, and the NBA Finals MVP Award twice, in ’84 and ‘86. Larry also won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, as part of what was dubbed men’s basketball’s ‘Dream Team.’
After a five-year break, Larry became a coach for the Indiana Pacers, a position that he held until 2000 – despite having no background in coaching, the NBA named him Coach of the Year for the 1997-1998 season. Larry was president of basketball operations from 2003 to 2012 and 2013 to 2017. He started advising the team after that and did so for the next five years. After recovering from health issues, he became the team’s consultant in June 2023.
Stepdaughter
According to ESPN, after they married, Dinah became a stepmother to Larry’s daughter Corrie, born on 14 August 1977. Larry’s first wife was Janet Condra, but they were married for less than a year in 1975, reconciling at some point before they separated again. According to Basketball Network, Larry despised people who divorced due to his religious beliefs. Thus, he felt trapped in his marriage, which intensified when he discovered that Janet was pregnant.
Larry also stated that ‘being broke and marrying Janet were his life’s worst experiences, which scarred him for life.’ It’s uncertain how close Dinah’s relationship with Corrie is. Larry was known to barely contact his daughter in the 2000s, despite Corrie’s alleged attempts to reach out. However, ESPN reported that Larry configured monthly deposits into a bank account created for Corrie, which continued until she turned 18.
Adopted kids
Larry and Dinah have adopted two children: a daughter named Mariah and a son named Connor, born in 1992. Mariah isn’t a public figure, but journalists discovered that she graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, with a tourism and hospitality degree. She then worked as an event manager, real estate agent, and event and projects coordinator at PS&E.
Contrastingly, Connor became notorious on 10 February 2013 after being arrested at Indiana University, according to CBS News for reportedly trying to run over his ex-girlfriend with his car twice following a heated argument. Police officers also reported that he threw his phone towards her and that he was charged with criminal mischief, intimidation with a deadly weapon, battery with injury, and possession of marijuana.
Connor was held at Monroe County Jail in Bloomington before someone, presumably Larry, paid his bond. In 2014, Connor started completing his 12-month-long compliance agreement to resolve his court case. Journalists also discovered that he was convicted in 2011 of a lesser charge, irresponsible alcohol consumption.
Physical characteristics
Dinah has blue eyes and dark brown hair, dyed blonde later in life. She is 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall, weighs about 143lbs (65kgs), and has an average physique. Her distinctive facial features are a hawk nose, thin lips, and a dimpled smile.
Net worth
Dinah’s net worth is estimated to be around $500,000; due to her husband’s financial contribution, she focused on hobbies and working for joy rather than money. Celebrity Net Worth estimates Larry’s net worth to be $75 million, as of early 2024.
