Last week, Otis Birdsong spoke in front of the same community that groomed him for basketball stardom.  He was back in Lakeland, Florida as the keynote speaker at Polk State College's 12th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.

The event was held at lunchtime on the Polk State campus.  It was attended by over 350 people, making it the largest turnout in the 12 years of the celebration.

Birdsong spoke for a half-hour and said work is still needed to realize Dr. King's goals.  He also talked about growing up as the 10th of 12 children in a recently desegregated world.  

During his 12 NBA seasons, Birdsong was one of the league's best players, making four All-Star teams.  In his final campaign with the Kansas City Kings, he averaged 24.6 points and was named to the 1980-81 All-NBA second team. 

Birdsong retired with over 12,000 points.  He was also a prolific scorer in college at the University of Houston and ranks 15th all-time in Division 1 men's basketball in points.  

Birdsong has his number retired at Houston and is a member of the Polk County Hall of Fame and Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.  He is currently a national ambassador for the financial services company GLP & Associates and runs Birdsong Sports.  

To inquire about Otis Birdsong's speaking fee and appearance cost, contact the agents at Athlete Speakers by calling us at 800-916-6008 or by Starting Your Booking Request Now.

Otis Birdsong Talks About Being Elected to the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame: