A number of years ago, a close friend of mine was arriving in Atlanta on a business trip and waiting on his luggage at baggage claim. He happened to notice that Larry Bird was retrieving a soda from a nearby vending machine. When Larry went to open the soda, it spewed and went all over the floor. Larry muttered SOB in just a moderate voice and walked away. Everybody at that point had noticed and just assumed Larry was walking away in frustration. To everyone's surprise, Larry walked into the Men's Room, came back with a bunch of wet paper towels and cleaned up the mess with his own hands. So ... all of you are welcome to your personal opinions, but if you are honest with yourselves, you don't know another athlete celebrity that would do this. Larry is not just a 1-in-a-million athlete. He's an outstanding person raised by a Mother who saw to his character. I will always have an abiding respect for Larry Bird (and his Mother).
My best memory of Larry is this. He showed up for exhibition games in basketball backwaters like Vancouver when almost no other NBA star would deign to put in an appearance. That's class.
For 13 season Bird was a top hustler, had incredible consistency and dominated in all aspects of the game - as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer.
My younger brother played against him when he was in high school. After h we grew up he moved to Indy as a contractor. In a hotel lounge my brother noticed Larry sitting at the bar. He approached him and mentioned where he was from. Larry asked him to sit down. He acted as though he was happy to meet someone from “home”.
Bird could have averaged 40 a game if he wanted to. I have no doubt about that. But he knew that the team would never win any championships with that strategy. So he spread the ball around and made sure that opposing defenses had to worry about the other 4 Celtics on the court at all times. He is by far the best player I've ever seen at making his teammates play better.
I think Larry cared more about the "W" than his individual stat's. He did whatever it took to win. He and Magic fed off of each other and pushed each other from across the country. Greatest NBA era ever.
That is the difference with Bird and Magic. Making already good players even better. LeBron, Durant, Kyrie, even Kobe more about themselves, glorified from an early age. MJ had to be The Man because Bulls would have sucked without him (esp the overrated Pippen). Basketball will always be a team game and Larry knew that better than most.
You ain't lieing! NBA reached its pennacle in the 80's. Those Laker & Celtic teams would mop up today's NBA teams. Detroit back then would have done the same to today's NBA teams
@@lancefloray6930 It would depend on the ruleset they played under. Under old school rules the new teams would get smoked. But the new teams would win if they played with today's rules. I don't think most people realize how different NBA basketball is now compared to the pre 2000s era. I agree though. I don't think modern NBA is as exciting or creative as old school because everything revolves around the 3 now. The main reason the 3 is so much more viable nowadays is because it's so much easier to get a clean shot off on the perimeter. Although players have gotten better at shooting over the years, there were still good 3 points shooters back in the 80s and 90s but it was harder for them to get open shots on the perimeter back then. That's why smaller guards that shoot 3s thrive nowadays because they don't have to deal with the physicality of bigger more athletic players on the perimeter.
I heard an NBA coach say that if a game was on the line down 1 point with seconds remaining he'd pick Jordan. If his life was on the line he'd pick Bird.
I'm a NYer so I have no love for the Celtics, but on this one I would have to agree. My #2 would be His Airness, and #3 would be Magic. No player today is in the same class as those three when it comes to pure competitiveness and ability to WILL his team to victory.
That and a 6'10" frame, long arms, and excellent hand-eye coordination! The really sad part is that Larry also had a great work ethic, and he tried to pour his Mother a new driveway and this hurt his back and shortened his career. Playing hurt is really, really difficult and this lessened his stats and longevity in the NBA unfortunately!!
I am lucky enough to have watched Larry Bird play, all be it on TV and never live, but got to see it none the less. He is the best that has ever played the game.
Grow up in Harlem and honestly the Bird vs Magic thing made him nothing but the enemy fastward to end of Larry Legends career. Omigod I miss him. What a ridiculously great player The balls on that guy
I grew up a Warriors fan.. . but the Celtics and Lakers were mesmerizing TV. The quality of play and drama were on another level! I "hated" both players - but you can't help but respect them. Even as a high school student!
Old school Lakers fan here. I hated Bird. With passion. I still remember that punk taking free throws when someone else was fouled in the Finals. The other person I hated was Michael Jordan. Do you see a trend in who I hate? I only hate the best! But now I just appreciate their games as a basketball fan. I'm just glad the Eastern teams had to win two titles every year to take home the NBA title... The Eastern Conference Title game was absolutely the equivalent of an NBA Finals pretty much every year. And all Laker and Celtics fans need to be happy Andrew Toney was only really healthy and firing on all cylinders one year... the Fo-fo-fo year...
The thing a lot of ppl miss about Bird is that he didn't put fear into the other teams, he put fear into his OWN team and those guys played out of their minds trying to meet the standard he expected of them. On top of what Bird personally did stats wise, he made everyone around him play hard and play every minute like it was the last minute.
He has a lot in common with truly greats in any sport because he was one - his opponents were terrified of him, his teammates were afraid of him and he had a drive to win at all costs.
No question Bird had a killer instinct on the court. His passing , hand and eye coordination was the best in the league. Bird was not only confident he would torture defenders guarding him with his notorious banter. Bird could talk the talk and back it up every time.
Also, his trash talk wasn't hostile or hateful. He might tell a rookie "you can't guard me rookie", or say something like "don't do that", letting them know he would score on them if they did. And they would, and he did. As a youngster he said he got to play with some older black guys and I'm sure he learned a lot of his friendly banter type trash talking from them. I don't know that for a fact, I'm just guessing he learned it from them.
In Larry’s rookie year, the NBA finals (Bird wasn’t playing in that) were televised via tape delay. Magic Johnson cracked that he could play the game and then go home and watch it. He also unabashedly told anyone who interviewed him that he and Bird brought the NBA into prime time. He’s right. The NBA was struggling. Bird and Magic saved it.
No matter what comes, no matter how you look at it, or how you figure it Larry Bird will always be in the top 5 of all time. Not just as a player but as a good person and a real inspiration. The mold was immediately broken after Larry Bird was made.
I love the idiots who say "he only averaged 21 points a game." What these soy boys and girls forget, is that ACTUAL MEN played the game in Bird's era. They played HARD defense. Today's superstars don't even bother with the defensive end of the floor. LayBone floats and James Harden is the WORST defender I have ever seen. Outside of Draymond Green, this unwatchable game has nothing but Matadors on defense.
I don't care if he was the best ever or not. He was spectacular and so much fun to watch. I was never a Celtic fan, but the rivalries in those days were entertaining.
Exactly, I was a Lakers fan and watching those teams play was nerve-wracking, fun, exciting, sad. Would not have been a great Laker team without a great Celtic team. As a Laker fan, Bird was the only one that made me nervous when he was anywhere near the ball late in a close game. He'd break your heart.
Beautiful story. I’m a native Bostonian living in Philadelphia. I was dating an Angelono so I got to see Larry, Magic and Dr J a lot. Also Dave Zinkoff was a close friend! I love Basketball been going to games since Bill Russell and Wilt days!
My dad played against Bird in a pickup game in French lick when Bird was still in high school and my dad was in his early 20s..he said it was one of the most embarrassing things he had to endure.
Bird is the first player I take building any NBA or college dream team. Absolutely the best skilled player.... team leader.... clutch player to ever grace the hardwood
When asked why he drafted Bird (a Junior Eligible due to transfer/sitting out), who wouldn't be able to play for a year, Red replied "Do you know how short a time a year is?"
@@jameslarosa2396 Auerbach pulled off the 2 greatest recruiting coups of all time. Bill Russell, and Larry Bird. Bill's coup wins because Red *ALSO* got Tom Heinsolm and KC Jones in the same year - HALF of the core of the 1960s Celtics Dynasty, and the reasons that the 1956 recruiting class became known as "The Class Of The Rings" - and despite Red having to trade a future Hall of Fame player to get the rights to take Bill in the draft!
Being a Laker fan of the eighties, Larry Bird is half the reason the NBA got its legs and suddenly became so popular, Magic the other half, it was those two who influenced it more then and other players to date. Jordon and Lebraun just happen to come along afterwards and reap the rewards of what Bird and Magic did, two guys who played their whole careers with one team. Team Players.
I was a huge Dr J and Sixer fan…but Bird and Magic brought the NBA to prime time. Before they came to the league…playoff games weren’t even carried live on TV. Cable/ESPN also helped the NBA.
I attended many Celtics games via business season tix in the 80's, and we had great seats behind the basket, courtside. All the trash talking stories are so true, it was entertaining to listen to Larry torturing guys. He was absolutely brutal.
Growing up in MA. Going to the Garden and watching Bird was special . He was so cool and had attitude! You got the best show at the Garden with the insane fans screaming at the opposing team and they must of been intimidated because it’s was loud and probably the closest thing to a gladiator arena !
I was quite happy, living in Boston in the mid-80's, going to college, and watching Larry Bird, Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale kicking arse when the Celtics were on fire. Their games were truly breathtaking and offered an early master class for some of the more high profile NBA legends that came after. Not just consummate experts and professionals in their fields, these guys were all class. At least, that's what us fans thought, not being able to actually hear Bird's so-called "trash talk". Lol
Red Auerbach added rookie Larry Bird to a 29-53 team and magically turned it into a 60 win team overnight and they went two series deep into the playoffs. A 29-win team plus rookie Bird becomes a 60-win playoff team. Add future Hall of Famers Parish and McHale the following year and go 61-21 and make it to the NBA Finals, winning a championship.
@@berndtherrenvolk1951 I think the trade that brought Parrish and McHale to Boston was the best in NBA history. Celts traded the #1 pick to Seattle for Parrish and the #3 pick. With the third pick, took McHale, who I felt at the time, is who Auerbach wanted, even if he was stuck with the first pick. The Celtics needed shot-blockers and talented big men to get by Philly, who had Dawkins and Caldwell Jones. Joe Barry Carroll was the obvious #1 pick that year and Darrell Griffith was going to be the #2. Auerbach got who he wanted with Parrish and McHale and the greatest frontcourt in NBA history was assembled.
Larry was a great, great player. He made everyone around him much better. He took a team that was horrible, and the next year made it a great team. Don't remember the records, but it's shocking how much he improved that team. He is a true winner by any yardstick you can muster.
Celtics won 20 the year before Bird joined them; his rookie year, they won 61, an increase of 41 wins. No one else has ever done it in the NBA, and no one ever will
@@arln1966 Celtics won something like 28 the season before. It was still a 33 game turnaround - at the time THE RECORD and still #3 or #4 on the all-time list.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 year before Bird arrived, they only won 20 games. Won 61 in Bird's rookie year, a 41 game improvement that is still an NBA record. And yes, it is solely because of Larry Bird; he was the only addition to the Celtics roster after their historically bad 20 win season
@@arln1966 29 the season before. LOOK IT UP, YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT THE 20 AS I HAVE NOW TOLD YOU TWICE - AND I HAVE CHECKED MY FIGURE, YOU HAVE NOT. And no, the ACTUAL turnaround, is no longer the NBA record - it's down to a tie for #3 or some such. The turnaround WAS mostly Bird - but injury issues the season before was PART of it. Still impressive, just not to the level YOU keep falsely claiming. BTW - they ALSO added Pete Maravich during the season. Only for his last 26 NBA games before he retired, that was not a large factor. *BUT* Bird WAS NOT in fact the "only addition" to the Celtics roster that season.
Bird, is Top 5 all-time. Minimum. His balance of skills are hard to match. But, what may truly put the man at the Top of the List is his drive and determination to win at all costs. The man sacrificed his body for the game like no one else ever has. Before or since. His clutch shooting with the game on the line was unmatched. A sports reporter asked the Lakers head coach Pat Riley, who he thought was the best clutch player ever. Riley responded like this, "if a game was on the line I'd pick Jordan. But, if my LIFE was on the line it would be Bird. No question. "
Larry Legend is a tough one for the GOAT conversation. First and foremost Larry was a team player. There is no stat for that. There is also no stat for leadership, dedication, never quit, basketball IQ, being a clutch player and many other attributes he had. I recently heard a quote from James Worthy. He said he would rather guard Jordan than Bird. "Jordan would make you look slow, Bird would make you look stupid"
There are 5 positions in basketball, he was the best ever at one of them, pick a player at the other positions he was better than overall while not considering counting stats. Larry Legend is better than at least two, race be damned.
I'm with you Bro.. Always think too, of the incredible pain Mickey Mantle went through in those last years.... super human. Never be another Mantle, or Birdman.
He was the best at the time he was playing and would dominate today’s players. 1/2 of them would be looking for their safe place just from his verbal assault 😂. Definitely top 10 of all time.
There is no denying the greats like Michael, Lebron, and others. As for Magic and Larry, their story/rivalry did indeed save the NBA, but talent wise Magic is not top ten. Having seen Larry play every game I could during his time, it's my opinion that he is the GREATEST OVERALL player in NBA history! Just my opinion.
Agree about Bird (actually for me it's a tie between him and Bill Russell), but I disagree about Magic. Magic doesn't just make my top 10..he's in my top 3. Greatest backcourt man who ever played IMO..even better than Jordan.
@creepshow2617 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard all those excuses before. Larry even said he had a bad night in the National Championship game. And how on Earth was Larry Legend able to beat Magic in '84? By your logic that should've been impossible.
@@radar0412 You're not going to fall for that false yardstick, are you? What do you think would happen if Bird was on the Lakers and Magic on the Celtics? In Magic's 1st year the Lakers went from 47-35 to 60-22, an improvement of 13 games. In Bird's 1st year the Celtics went from 29-53 to 61-21, an improvement of 32 games. I suspect you won't find any NBA player in history that improved a team that much in one year. That should tell you 2 things: 1) Magic had a lot more support around him than Bird, and 2) Bird's impact on a team was significantly more than Magic.
In his position Larry is the Goat. Magic and MJ are better physically, they are faster and stronger but Larry took the skills that he had and maximized them. Magic and MJ would beat you and with their physicals gifts but Larry would beat you with his will and intelligence. Lebron is very good but he has not shown the agility to push his teams to win so I would not put him in the top ten. Overall Larry is easy in the top five all time overall but their are a number of players in their era that made enough of an impact to the game that could make a top five.
And the 80'S Was Jordan's best scoring years. The best of Jordan was seen then. The six championship teams were due to team efforts, not Jordan scoring.
@@olzt100 Don't forget refs, flukishly getting Rodman, and one push off. He still scored 35 plus though nightly in the 90's, let's not go sipping the kool-aid.
I remember our TV "rabbit ears" allowing us to watch a random Indiana State game one night. I'd heard of this Bird guy and wondered if he was really any good. He didn't seem to be the fastest, or jump the highest, but he seemed to be scoring without really pressing to score (he ended with something like 26 that night) and getting most of the rebounds, too (something like 16). And he made one perfect behind the head pass on a break that amazed me--not so much because the pass was so good, but because the guy he threw it to seemed to be expecting it! I figured this guy must be playing like that every night to make it all seem so easy--and to make his decidedly ordinary team look so good. Bird had several superpowers, but one of his best was his insane hand-eye coordination--maybe the best ever. Everything looked so easy when he did it.
There have been a lot of NBA players with +40" vertical leaps and lightning-fast baseline-to-baseline sprinting speed . . . who couldn't do anything of winning value and didn't last long.
@@berndtherrenvolk1951 To be fair, there have also been some that DID have a lasting effect - like Wilt. But it takes more than raw athletic ability to become an all-time GREAT at the game.
Larry said that the first time he had the chance to play with NBA pros (I think at a Celtics training camp or something like that), he was a little nervous. But then he said, "After a few minutes, I knew I wasn't going to have any trouble playing in THIS league".
A true relentless beast on the court. The kind of that every coach dreams about. Bird and Magic with their relentless hard play saved the struggling NBA from collapse as told by authorities in the sport.
Bird is amazing, Jordan played a different game, but this man still compares to the GOAT. Even whilst he was injured! Truly a great man, not just a B'ball player.
What everybody seems to forget is that the NBA changed the rules of defense to benefit Michael Jordan what is Larry Bird or Magic Johnson retired from the game. Michael Jordan couldn't handle the physicality of the NBA defenses that were played when Bird and Magic were the faces of the league (the same defenses that Bird won 3 NBA titles and Magic won 5 NBA titles playing against), so David Stern introduced "The Jordan Rules" where breathing on Jordan was a foul worthy of a trip to the foul line. Imagine Larry Bird going to the line as often as Jordan went; he'd average 45-50 points a night because he'd be shooting 25-30 free throws a game.
Seeing the competitive spirit that Larry Bird brought into every game I've ever seen him play, inspired me as a child to work harder than the next guy. When you realize that this average Joe look'n guy is gonna bust someone's ass every single time he steps on the court. It became stuff of legend. Nobody got the edge on Larry. His baseline jumpers in my mind will always be the greatest.
Could you imagine what Larry would have done in the modern NBA, with more spacing, no hand checking and more volume at the 3 point line? He would have lived at the free throw line and bombed 3s all day. Larry averaged two 3-point attempts per game for his career!
Back then, three pointers were psychological warfare. There was a beautiful ferociousness about taking a three pointer back then, especially when Bird did it. He did it to break your spirit, to let you know that he could shove that dagger into your guts anytime he wanted, and if you were thinking about making a comeback, you could just forget it.
@@joepermenter7228 He LED THE LEAGUE in made 3 pointers for 4 seasons. It was the LEAGUE that didn't like the shot they ended up with and shortened (in Bird's rookie year) from the ABA.
Whatever you have to say about NBA greats depends on when you lived and what you saw. You’ll just have to take it on faith perhaps if you weren’t around to see it, but for several years in the early to mid 80s Larry was the top 1 or 2 player in the league period. He definitely instilled fear in your heart if you were the opponent or opposing team fans. He was a killer. That zone only lasted so long, but while limited in scope of time he was no less great in that time. I’d definitely put him ahead of LeBron if you take Bird at his physical best those five or so seasons.
One thing that Bird never did was give up on his teammates, mail in the 4th quarter, or not hustle. His competitive drive was unequaled. Actually, that's 3 things. My high school English teacher would give me a big old "F" stamp for that. 🤪
that period of dominance lasted longer than you think actually, i’d place it at maybe 7 years. from 1981-1988 larry ranked 22211132 in mvp voting. that’s absolutely bonkers. you can’t find 5 players better than larry bird in the history of the nba imo
@@jubjubhenry5612 If he were playing today he would average 32 to 35 a game with the way the 3 point shot has become so vital. Had he not had a bad back he would have and may still be the best player ever. I don't care if he is white black or orange he's the best. He along with Wilt are so undervalued even though most people put them in the top 10 they are both much higher.
I grew up in LA and saw the Lakers witnessed the Lakers win their first 2 Rings. I moved to Boston as a student and saw the Lakers get ring number 3 on the parquet floor and the Celtics get the championship the next year. The Lakers were, are and will always be my favorite team but the Celtic's with Bird were no joke. I watched game after game in the 85-86 season and the Celtics at that time were as good as any other team that has played the game. I still hate the Celtics but respect Bird, McHale, and the rest of the crew.
I enjoyed Cedric Maxwell's comments because he was a great player himself. I worked in the league back then, so you see these guys up close and they were (and are) incredible athletes. The Celtics were always enjoyable to watch and it was great when they came to town.
Truth I was never much of a BB man, still not, but I have to say the time of Bird/McHale gave me so much excitement watching basketball that it's a legend in my memory.
I was all left feet on the basketball court in junior high...but to see the great ones on the tube was a thrill through the yrs...im 76 now an had the privilege of watching Johnny U...Larry Legion...TB12...& others to numerous to mention..
I am a huge Bird fan. I've been a Celtic fan since the 60's and I think Bird is about as good as it gets, BUT my vote for GOAT is still Wilt. Nobody has ever done the things he's done. He was so dominant in his day that only Russell was close and really, as much as I love Russell, not that close.
please read my comments and to be TOTALLY honest i did do and/or probably will EQUALLY SOMEWHAT like the 76ers warriors and celtics because i did do and/or probably will EQUALLY really LOVE wilt chamberlain and bill russell
Wilt doesn't make my top 10. He could have been the greatest of them all, but it ain't about stats. It's about winning. And Chamberlain blew it more often than not even when he had talented players around him. Russell could have had Chamberlain-esque numbers, but he put his team first. More often than not, Wilt didn't.
@@toddfrank3344 hal greer wasn't as elite as sam jones john havlicek and bob cousy so that's why there's 2 titles for wilt chamberlain and 11 for bill russell
yeah probably, the thing that stinks for me is that we didn't have cable tv back then. i would have loved to see Wilt play so muck, ARG....I'm from BeanTown and still didn't get to as many games as I would have liked
I think Bird and Jordan were really the only two *true* killers in the game. Was there anyone else who was just as totally stone-cold, twist-the-dagger as those two? I can think of a lot of great players, truly great, but there were only two who had it in their veins *like that*.
Let’s understand that Wilt was otherworldly and below him in the world of mortals Bird was as good as anyone. He played team ball and made everyone on his team better. After all it is a team sport not an individual showcase. At any level of the sport a good team will usually come out ahead of a great player on an inferior team.
I graduated high school with Larry's younger brother, Eddie. When Larry was in French Lick, he would attend the high school games to watch Eddie play. My friends from the opposing school always freaked out and I'd tell them, "Yeah, he's here all the time." GO BLACKHAWKS! 🏀
I wish he was still playing. I miss those Bird days. He is top 5. Larry had a head for the game. Like a chess player he was moves ahead of his opponents. He trashed talked you out of your game.
Bird was and is great, and is one of my all-time favorite players--shooting, passing, defense, and just making his teammates better, too. But I saw Maravich play many times, and I can tell you, on his off nights he was very good, and on his best nights he was other worldly, almost certainly unmatched as a shooter. And Red Auerbach once said something to the effect that Maravich could play for him and never take a shot, as great a passer and playmaker as he was. And all that career with a congenital defective heart!
At 47 yrs old..Ive seen alot come and go. Everyone loves an underdog! In my opinion..He was the Greatest for so many reasons! So far..still think he is..I await my opinions to be changed. But I believe it never will be. Thank You Larry Bird! Best memories of Basket Ball ever! Celtcs/Lakers!!! You just had to be present then..to appreciate and have no other experience to present date...to realize this. We all have opinions...this is just mine.
Larry Bird knew how to win, and win he did...so much and so many times he pulled off victories that he became Legendary, thus, the tag Larry Legend. So yes, Larry is one of the greatest Basketball Ballers who ever laced up. He was Legendary.
I first saw Bird play in college playing NMSU. Caught a few pro games in the 80's........he dominated his generation for sure....yes he was a great basketball player.
Hard to rank all-time, cuz there are different eras. His play speaks for itself. And that was the right team for him. I love that he talked trash too...and then backed it up. I enjoyed watching the game then
bird was a deadly outside shooter and he passed like pistol pete plus a brilliant basketball mind -- he was probably top five all time with wilt chamberlain at the head of the class!
I saw the Celtics play the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Hartford Civic Center around 1985... Larry Bird was stellar. I remember "World B. Free" playing that night too.... this was a great time to be alive!!!!
@@natalliaf6387 - sorry Natalia, but anyone who knows anything about the sport understands that no one comes even close to being a better all around player than Larry. Jordan could never do all the things that Bird did. Jordan was a great scorer and could jump high. That's it. Many experts have said that if they would start an NBA team, their first pick would be Bird. Even Red Auerbach , the greatest coach and evaluator of talent of all time has said this many times
@@peterflorino9692 Jordan was Defensive Player of the Year. LOL. Don't argue with me, argue with Larry Bird who said Michael Jordan was better than him.
He ranks among the top. Hoosiers live the round ball. It's like breathing to them. His toughness growing up preped him to becoming among the best to ever play the game.
I grew up watching Larry Bird playing on those days. he was a tough white boy. it was such a joy watching him playing and making those legendary basketball shot. Larry Bird will be in my heart for ever when I was in College watching NBA. Larry Bird, I love you my dear friend. may god bless you !!
When you take in all aspects of his game, he is the best ever. NO ONE was smarter on the court that Larry Bird, right up to today, December 1st, 2022. He made his teammates better and was part of a very cohesive group, no matter what players came and went. In today's NBA, at his prime, he would dominate just for the fact that he was smarter than anyone else on the court. There is no team cohesiveness today, just a bunch of players going for their stats, plain an simple. He would embarrass other players just the same way he did back then. He had no quit in him. If I had to pick a top starting five, it would Chamberlain at center, Larry at small forward, Charles Barkley at power forward and the backcourt would be Michael and Jerry West.
@@johnnythekid4601 Being the smartest player on the court does make a difference. Larry would handle himself just fine. Lebron is all about his stats, Larry would make it a team sitch, but if he had to he could take Lebron.
@@johnnythekid4601 Yep, and with all the talent in Bird's era, they couldn't stop him. Larry said the only one who could contain him was Michael Cooper, who was truly a great defender.
@@mikeat2637 You couldn't be more wrong about Lebron and stats. He (like Magic, Bird and Russell and not like Jordan, Kobe and most of the newer NBA players) gets other players involved and makes their teammates better. I despise players like Jordan and Kobe. Now those are the kind of players who only care about their stats. They were and are Jenks off the court as well.
I liked watching him play. I liked watching Magic play and alot of the other greats. They captured some of my precious time by compelling me to watch their greatness. Time well spent.
The 80's ballers were like supermen. These guys were super-cleancut. They were publicly gentlemen and they could really play some excellent ball. The games were so entertaining as each week they seem to just outdo each other on the court. We had posters of these guys on our walls and they'd make an appearance on our cereal boxes. I think of it as a golden era of sports. Thanks so much for that time.
Red alway created super teams from real prospects, Bird was a stunning signing for the Boston Celtics, but then so was Bill Russell but never forget the one that got away, Wilt Chamberlain, Red wanted him in his team, he understood how unstoppable a great team would be with Wilt chamberlain in it! Wilt was his own man and I think he just didn't like Red's mentality, Red would do absolutely anything to win, he picked players who would play their hearts out for him in Bill & Bird but Wilt wanted to play by the rules and wouldn't unfairly hurt another player by using his massive physical advantages, if Wilt used his elbows on his opponents like many did to him, especially the two or three enforcers on the bench with the celtics half the teams in the nba in his era would have been decimated! Wilt got on well with Bill Russell because he never was a cheap shot player, I'm sure he would have got on well with Bird (and his mouth) who was quick to retaliate against violence, the difference was Wilt could lay-out a 7 footer with a 6 inch punch, so he curbed his anger because he didn't want to kill someone? I'm a big fan of Bill, Bird, Elgin, Jerry but nobody made the game look easy as the gentle Goliath of the game, " the big dipper!"
While there have been better scorers, rebounders, defenders etc, Bird was great at everything, but more than anything else Bird made his teammates play great because no one can win championships alone it takes teammates.
There will never be another Larry Bird or anyone that can match his stile and or his ability to control or shoot the ball. He was the best at the game. Period!!!! MC.
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A number of years ago, a close friend of mine was arriving in Atlanta on a business trip and waiting on his luggage at baggage claim. He happened to notice that Larry Bird was retrieving a soda from a nearby vending machine. When Larry went to open the soda, it spewed and went all over the floor. Larry muttered SOB in just a moderate voice and walked away. Everybody at that point had noticed and just assumed Larry was walking away in frustration. To everyone's surprise, Larry walked into the Men's Room, came back with a bunch of wet paper towels and cleaned up the mess with his own hands. So ... all of you are welcome to your personal opinions, but if you are honest with yourselves, you don't know another athlete celebrity that would do this. Larry is not just a 1-in-a-million athlete. He's an outstanding person raised by a Mother who saw to his character. I will always have an abiding respect for Larry Bird (and his Mother).
That's a great story and very telling, I agree. Many stories about Bob Knight like this, too - both men were very good people at their core.
a reporter from SI wanted to interview Larry and came to French Lick. He found him mowing his mothers grass.
@@mikeoxlong1266 He mowed his own for many years until people just kept stopping for autographs. He "dearly" loved his mother.
Great comment...I have many many reasons to look up to Larry Legend. Guess I shouldn't be so surprised when I heard another one.
No surprise here. This is what I would expect from Larry Bird.
"15 minutes into the first practice I not only knew I could play in this league I knew I would dominate it for the next ten years." - Larry Bird
Can you imagine living a life with that feeling?
My best memory of Larry is this. He showed up for exhibition games in basketball backwaters like Vancouver when almost no other NBA star would deign to put in an appearance. That's class.
For 13 season Bird was a top hustler, had incredible consistency and dominated in all aspects of the game - as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer.
My younger brother played against him when he was in high school. After h we grew up he moved to Indy as a contractor. In a hotel lounge my brother noticed Larry sitting at the bar. He approached him and mentioned where he was from. Larry asked him to sit down. He acted as though he was happy to meet someone from “home”.
He was good people's ..... World would be a better place if we had more like him
@@earlreed6229 Was? ouch
Bird could have averaged 40 a game if he wanted to. I have no doubt about that. But he knew that the team would never win any championships with that strategy. So he spread the ball around and made sure that opposing defenses had to worry about the other 4 Celtics on the court at all times. He is by far the best player I've ever seen at making his teammates play better.
I think Larry cared more about the "W" than his individual stat's. He did whatever it took to win. He and Magic fed off of each other and pushed each other from across the country. Greatest NBA era ever.
Couldn’t agree more. Well said.
And because basketball WAS a team sport.
that is the best analogy ive have ever heard..if not for his bad back..2 more rings to make it 5 or even 6.
That is the difference with Bird and Magic. Making already good players even better. LeBron, Durant, Kyrie, even Kobe more about themselves, glorified from an early age. MJ had to be The Man because Bulls would have sucked without him (esp the overrated Pippen). Basketball will always be a team game and Larry knew that better than most.
As someone who saw birds whole career growing up, he was SPECTACULAR!!!
I remember loving watching Bird on the court. He was an amazing player.
The 80s Celtics and Lakers were the most skills teams ever put together. The amount on-point passing just boggled the mind. What a pleasure to watch.
5 finals appearances by the Celtics and 8 by the Lakers. What a decade for basketball. They left out the part where he was actually a good head coach.
You ain't lieing! NBA reached its pennacle in the 80's. Those Laker & Celtic teams would mop up today's NBA teams. Detroit back then would have done the same to today's NBA teams
@@lancefloray6930
Could you imagine the level of crying and whining Leflop james would do playing against the Bad Boys of Detroit?
@@fxranger326 today's game is Charmin Soft. It's all about the 3 ball now and pretty boring style of basketball now
@@lancefloray6930 It would depend on the ruleset they played under. Under old school rules the new teams would get smoked. But the new teams would win if they played with today's rules. I don't think most people realize how different NBA basketball is now compared to the pre 2000s era.
I agree though. I don't think modern NBA is as exciting or creative as old school because everything revolves around the 3 now. The main reason the 3 is so much more viable nowadays is because it's so much easier to get a clean shot off on the perimeter. Although players have gotten better at shooting over the years, there were still good 3 points shooters back in the 80s and 90s but it was harder for them to get open shots on the perimeter back then. That's why smaller guards that shoot 3s thrive nowadays because they don't have to deal with the physicality of bigger more athletic players on the perimeter.
If the fate of the world is at stake in one basketball game, you want Bird on the court.
Unlike LeBron who passes off the last shot.
I heard an NBA coach say that if a game was on the line down 1 point with seconds remaining he'd pick Jordan. If his life was on the line he'd pick Bird.
@@JackAgainski Pat Riley
@@petergunn3614 That's right!
I'm a NYer so I have no love for the Celtics, but on this one I would have to agree. My #2 would be His Airness, and #3 would be Magic. No player today is in the same class as those three when it comes to pure competitiveness and ability to WILL his team to victory.
Not a huge basketball fan but Larry Bird was a bonafide legend. He showed that the brain is just as important as physical strength.
That and a 6'10" frame, long arms, and excellent hand-eye coordination!
The really sad part is that Larry also had a great work ethic, and he tried to pour his Mother a new driveway and this hurt his back and shortened his career. Playing hurt is really, really difficult and this lessened his stats and longevity in the NBA unfortunately!!
I am lucky enough to have watched Larry Bird play, all be it on TV and never live, but got to see it none the less. He is the best that has ever played the game.
After watching him for years and then the videos of him playing. He was the greatest. There are many who were great but none could do what he did.
Bird is the greatest basketball player I ever watched, what a pure shooter!!
He was more then a shooter great passer and rebounder and he made everyone around him better
When I think of a basketball player, complete all around player, nobody defines all around better than Bird.
Pistol Pete wasn't far behind Larry.
@@bryanbennett972 bird made his teammates better Pete was more selfish
@@thomasandersen2938 I can agree to that.
Grow up in Harlem and honestly the Bird vs Magic thing made him nothing but the enemy fastward to end of Larry Legends career. Omigod I miss him. What a ridiculously great player The balls on that guy
I was born and raised in Houston. You are exactly right.
That's the obvious challenge of the uniform short shorts of that era. You know, having balls of that size.
I grew up a Warriors fan.. . but the Celtics and Lakers were mesmerizing TV. The quality of play and drama were on another level! I "hated" both players - but you can't help but respect them. Even as a high school student!
Old school Lakers fan here. I hated Bird. With passion. I still remember that punk taking free throws when someone else was fouled in the Finals.
The other person I hated was Michael Jordan.
Do you see a trend in who I hate? I only hate the best!
But now I just appreciate their games as a basketball fan. I'm just glad the Eastern teams had to win two titles every year to take home the NBA title... The Eastern Conference Title game was absolutely the equivalent of an NBA Finals pretty much every year. And all Laker and Celtics fans need to be happy Andrew Toney was only really healthy and firing on all cylinders one year... the Fo-fo-fo year...
The thing a lot of ppl miss about Bird is that he didn't put fear into the other teams, he put fear into his OWN team and those guys played out of their minds trying to meet the standard he expected of them. On top of what Bird personally did stats wise, he made everyone around him play hard and play every minute like it was the last minute.
No, he DID put fear into the other teams. His teammates played their hearts out to earn and keep his respect. That isn't fear.
He has a lot in common with truly greats in any sport because he was one - his opponents were terrified of him, his teammates were afraid of him and he had a drive to win at all costs.
No question Bird had a killer instinct on the court. His passing , hand and eye coordination was the best in the league. Bird was not only confident he would torture defenders guarding him with his notorious banter. Bird could talk the talk and back it up every time.
Bird WALKED the talk...
Bird also was well aware that he was on a team and strove to make his team-mates contribute more and become better players!
i just love the fact he was such a shit talker, and that it was not shit
Also, his trash talk wasn't hostile or hateful. He might tell a rookie "you can't guard me rookie", or say something like "don't do that", letting them know he would score on them if they did. And they would, and he did. As a youngster he said he got to play with some older black guys and I'm sure he learned a lot of his friendly banter type trash talking from them. I don't know that for a fact, I'm just guessing he learned it from them.
Bobby knight said Larry possibly had the best hand eye cordination of anyone to ever play the game
In Larry’s rookie year, the NBA finals (Bird wasn’t playing in that) were televised via tape delay. Magic Johnson cracked that he could play the game and then go home and watch it. He also unabashedly told anyone who interviewed him that he and Bird brought the NBA into prime time. He’s right. The NBA was struggling. Bird and Magic saved it.
... and I stopped watching it once they were both gone.
David Stern made sure those two guys ended up on those two teams, THAT saved the league.
@@alsvith
If that's the case, that gamble paid off.
Most people don’t understand the gravity of that comment. The NBA was in trouble and was declining. Without Bird and Magic, who knows how it ends up.
That’s exactly how I remember it.
When you thought you Bird couldn’t do something on the court, he ‘did’ it! 😳🥹😅 Man, he could play! 🏀😃
No matter what comes, no matter how you look at it, or how you figure it Larry Bird will always be in the top 5 of all time. Not just as a player but as a good person and a real inspiration. The mold was immediately broken after Larry Bird was made.
Bird was the best at his time. And those who don't think he would dominate in today's sissy NBA. Two words. You crazy!
I love the idiots who say "he only averaged 21 points a game." What these soy boys and girls forget, is that ACTUAL MEN played the game in Bird's era. They played HARD defense. Today's superstars don't even bother with the defensive end of the floor. LayBone floats and James Harden is the WORST defender I have ever seen. Outside of Draymond Green, this unwatchable game has nothing but Matadors on defense.
Players didn’t shoot volume threes. Object of the game was to get a shot as close to the rim as possible.
@@chrisput1024 exactly like that
@@chrisput1024 they forget about the 10 plus boards and 7 assists . Bird averaged 24/10/6 for a lifetime
*You're
I don't care if he was the best ever or not. He was spectacular and so much fun to watch. I was never a Celtic fan, but the rivalries in those days were entertaining.
You don't like today's no foul 3-point game? Whatzamatterwithyou?
@@raylopez99 I wasn't commenting on today's game, but I think I understand your reply. I just watched more basketball back then.
Exactly, I was a Lakers fan and watching those teams play was nerve-wracking, fun, exciting, sad. Would not have been a great Laker team without a great Celtic team. As a Laker fan, Bird was the only one that made me nervous when he was anywhere near the ball late in a close game. He'd break your heart.
@@winstonsmiths2449 yes, he would, but only after he told you exactly how he was going to do it.
Beautiful story. I’m a native Bostonian living in Philadelphia. I was dating an Angelono so I got to see Larry, Magic and Dr J a lot. Also Dave Zinkoff was a close friend! I love Basketball been going to games since Bill Russell and Wilt days!
My dad played against Bird in a pickup game in French lick when Bird was still in high school and my dad was in his early 20s..he said it was one of the most embarrassing things he had to endure.
I would tell that story to my grave.
Well yeah Joe smo against arguably one of the greatest of all time 🤔
Bird's passing ability was equal to his shooting.
Right on... other worldly.
And you had a great fastball!
Bird is the first player I take building any NBA or college dream team. Absolutely the best skilled player.... team leader.... clutch player to ever grace the hardwood
The Birdman is up there with all the GOATS If u ask me. Truly a champion athlete and a champion human being.
As a young teen I was blown away after watching Bird play..( and I was hooked)...He is still one of the best to ever suit up!
As a chicago bulls fan, I was sold on mj being the goat.I took a deep dive on Bird. Bird hands down is the GOAT!!!
@@meloldiesunchained4246 What mental ward have they got you in?
When asked why he drafted Bird (a Junior Eligible due to transfer/sitting out), who wouldn't be able to play for a year, Red replied "Do you know how short a time a year is?"
Auerbach was a genius.
@@jameslarosa2396 Auerbach pulled off the 2 greatest recruiting coups of all time.
Bill Russell, and Larry Bird.
Bill's coup wins because Red *ALSO* got Tom Heinsolm and KC Jones in the same year - HALF of the core of the 1960s Celtics Dynasty, and the reasons that the 1956 recruiting class became known as "The Class Of The Rings" - and despite Red having to trade a future Hall of Fame player to get the rights to take Bill in the draft!
Larry’s mullet at 3:00 is every bit as epic as his career was.
Bird was all around skilled to be unmatched literally. He just did things surprisingly easy. He was the best at what he did.
Being a Laker fan of the eighties, Larry Bird is half the reason the NBA got its legs and suddenly became so popular, Magic the other half, it was those two who influenced it more then and other players to date. Jordon and Lebraun just happen to come along afterwards and reap the rewards of what Bird and Magic did, two guys who played their whole careers with one team. Team Players.
It was the dream team which included them of course. But you have a good point.
Jordan did an excellent job of taking the handoff . He kept it going and even built a bit.
But he got a huge head start from bird and magic
Magic and Bird saved the NBA but MJ took the NBA to levels that they never could.
I was a huge Dr J and Sixer fan…but Bird and Magic brought the NBA to prime time. Before they came to the league…playoff games weren’t even carried live on TV. Cable/ESPN also helped the NBA.
@@breckisaac5378 Same here. HUGE Sixers fan growing up. The NBA's golden era.
I attended many Celtics games via business season tix in the 80's, and we had great seats behind the basket, courtside. All the trash talking stories are so true, it was entertaining to listen to Larry torturing guys. He was absolutely brutal.
Tell me some???
The old Garden was great...
Growing up in MA. Going to the Garden and watching Bird was special . He was so cool and had attitude! You got the best show at the Garden with the insane fans screaming at the opposing team and they must of been intimidated because it’s was loud and probably the closest thing to a gladiator arena !
I was quite happy, living in Boston in the mid-80's, going to college, and watching Larry Bird, Danny Ainge and Kevin McHale kicking arse when the Celtics were on fire. Their games were truly breathtaking and offered an early master class for some of the more high profile NBA legends that came after. Not just consummate experts and professionals in their fields, these guys were all class. At least, that's what us fans thought, not being able to actually hear Bird's so-called "trash talk". Lol
The Chief? You didn't happen to notice him?
@@lisanadinebaker5179 DJ
Absolutely my number 1. For trash talk and able to back it up! Mr. Bird, you are the man!
Larry is one of the few NBA players who would've won title(s) on any team he played on
Red Auerbach added rookie Larry Bird to a 29-53 team and magically turned it into a 60 win team overnight and they went two series deep into the playoffs. A 29-win team plus rookie Bird becomes a 60-win playoff team.
Add future Hall of Famers Parish and McHale the following year and go 61-21 and make it to the NBA Finals, winning a championship.
@@berndtherrenvolk1951 I think the trade that brought Parrish and McHale to Boston was the best in NBA history. Celts traded the #1 pick to Seattle for Parrish and the #3 pick. With the third pick, took McHale, who I felt at the time, is who Auerbach wanted, even if he was stuck with the first pick. The Celtics needed shot-blockers and talented big men to get by Philly, who had Dawkins and Caldwell Jones. Joe Barry Carroll was the obvious #1 pick that year and Darrell Griffith was going to be the #2. Auerbach got who he wanted with Parrish and McHale and the greatest frontcourt in NBA history was assembled.
Larry was a great, great player. He made everyone around him much better. He took a team that was horrible, and the next year made it a great team. Don't remember the records, but it's shocking how much he improved that team. He is a true winner by any yardstick you can muster.
Celtics won 20 the year before Bird joined them; his rookie year, they won 61, an increase of 41 wins.
No one else has ever done it in the NBA, and no one ever will
@@arln1966 Celtics won something like 28 the season before.
It was still a 33 game turnaround - at the time THE RECORD and still #3 or #4 on the all-time list.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 year before Bird arrived, they only won 20 games. Won 61 in Bird's rookie year, a 41 game improvement that is still an NBA record. And yes, it is solely because of Larry Bird; he was the only addition to the Celtics roster after their historically bad 20 win season
@@arln1966 29 the season before.
LOOK IT UP, YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT THE 20 AS I HAVE NOW TOLD YOU TWICE - AND I HAVE CHECKED MY FIGURE, YOU HAVE NOT.
And no, the ACTUAL turnaround, is no longer the NBA record - it's down to a tie for #3 or some such.
The turnaround WAS mostly Bird - but injury issues the season before was PART of it.
Still impressive, just not to the level YOU keep falsely claiming.
BTW - they ALSO added Pete Maravich during the season.
Only for his last 26 NBA games before he retired, that was not a large factor.
*BUT* Bird WAS NOT in fact the "only addition" to the Celtics roster that season.
Around 40 game turn around, tell me a player that’s ever done that
Bird, is Top 5 all-time. Minimum. His balance of skills are hard to match. But, what may truly put the man at the Top of the List is his drive and determination to win at all costs. The man sacrificed his body for the game like no one else ever has. Before or since. His clutch shooting with the game on the line was unmatched.
A sports reporter asked the Lakers head coach Pat Riley, who he thought was the best clutch player ever. Riley responded like this, "if a game was on the line I'd pick Jordan. But, if my LIFE was on the line it would be Bird. No question. "
Larry Legend is a tough one for the GOAT conversation. First and foremost Larry was a team player. There is no stat for that. There is also no stat for leadership, dedication, never quit, basketball IQ, being a clutch player and many other attributes he had.
I recently heard a quote from James Worthy. He said he would rather guard Jordan than Bird. "Jordan would make you look slow, Bird would make you look stupid"
There are 5 positions in basketball, he was the best ever at one of them, pick a player at the other positions he was better than overall while not considering counting stats. Larry Legend is better than at least two, race be damned.
Top 5 Bird Bird Bird Bird 🐦
But what about lebron he has the most points.....😂🤣😜
@@gdr205 Never count on a guy whose initials are the same as the President who followed Kennedy and preceded Nixon: it ain’t a good look. 😅
I cried a bit - on the Bird retirement night. It was truly over.
He really made the Celtics fun to watch. To cheer. To suffer through 😛🏀
I'm with you Bro.. Always think too, of the incredible pain Mickey Mantle went through in those last years.... super human. Never be another Mantle, or Birdman.
Hey Seagull, did you go to PHS?
Best all around player ever. He made everyone on his team great
He was the best at the time he was playing and would dominate today’s players. 1/2 of them would be looking for their safe place just from his verbal assault 😂. Definitely top 10 of all time.
Ha! I put him in top 5 and I'm from Houston.
@@starkenterprises2371 #1.
Larry would be fined heavily nowadays for hurting the opponents feelings.
There is no denying the greats like Michael, Lebron, and others. As for Magic and Larry, their story/rivalry did indeed save the NBA, but talent wise Magic is not top ten. Having seen Larry play every game I could during his time, it's my opinion that he is the GREATEST OVERALL player in NBA history! Just my opinion.
Agree about Bird (actually for me it's a tie between him and Bill Russell), but I disagree about Magic. Magic doesn't just make my top 10..he's in my top 3. Greatest backcourt man who ever played IMO..even better than Jordan.
Magic bested Bird 3 out of 4 times in finals matchups including College.
@creepshow2617 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard all those excuses before. Larry even said he had a bad night in the National Championship game. And how on Earth was Larry Legend able to beat Magic in '84? By your logic that should've been impossible.
@@radar0412 You're not going to fall for that false yardstick, are you? What do you think would happen if Bird was on the Lakers and Magic on the Celtics? In Magic's 1st year the Lakers went from 47-35 to 60-22, an improvement of 13 games. In Bird's 1st year the Celtics went from 29-53 to 61-21, an improvement of 32 games. I suspect you won't find any NBA player in history that improved a team that much in one year. That should tell you 2 things: 1) Magic had a lot more support around him than Bird, and 2) Bird's impact on a team was significantly more than Magic.
In his position Larry is the Goat. Magic and MJ are better physically, they are faster and stronger but Larry took the skills that he had and maximized them. Magic and MJ would beat you and with their physicals gifts but Larry would beat you with his will and intelligence. Lebron is very good but he has not shown the agility to push his teams to win so I would not put him in the top ten. Overall Larry is easy in the top five all time overall but their are a number of players in their era that made enough of an impact to the game that could make a top five.
THE best player of the 1980s. Easily all-time top 5, arguably top 3.
And the 80'S Was Jordan's best scoring years. The best of Jordan was seen then. The six championship teams were due to team efforts, not Jordan scoring.
@@olzt100 Don't forget refs, flukishly getting Rodman, and one push off. He still scored 35 plus though nightly in the 90's, let's not go sipping the kool-aid.
I remember our TV "rabbit ears" allowing us to watch a random Indiana State game one night. I'd heard of this Bird guy and wondered if he was really any good. He didn't seem to be the fastest, or jump the highest, but he seemed to be scoring without really pressing to score (he ended with something like 26 that night) and getting most of the rebounds, too (something like 16). And he made one perfect behind the head pass on a break that amazed me--not so much because the pass was so good, but because the guy he threw it to seemed to be expecting it! I figured this guy must be playing like that every night to make it all seem so easy--and to make his decidedly ordinary team look so good.
Bird had several superpowers, but one of his best was his insane hand-eye coordination--maybe the best ever. Everything looked so easy when he did it.
There have been a lot of NBA players with +40" vertical leaps and lightning-fast baseline-to-baseline sprinting speed . . . who couldn't do anything of winning value and didn't last long.
@@berndtherrenvolk1951 To be fair, there have also been some that DID have a lasting effect - like Wilt.
But it takes more than raw athletic ability to become an all-time GREAT at the game.
Larry said that the first time he had the chance to play with NBA pros (I think at a Celtics training camp or something like that), he was a little nervous. But then he said, "After a few minutes, I knew I wasn't going to have any trouble playing in THIS league".
And remember, Cedric Maxwell was a shutdown defender, battle-tested by guarding such forwards as Jamaal Wilkes, Adrian Dantley, and Dr. J.!
#1. Bird was an all around player. He could do everything.
A true relentless beast on the court. The kind of that every coach dreams about. Bird and Magic with their relentless hard play saved the struggling NBA from collapse as told by authorities in the sport.
Red A. Drafted him 1yr early.
One of the greatest moves ever
That move and the Parish and McHale for Joe Barry Carrol...LOL!
@@Ken_aka_Ice I remember Parish being on GSW. I don’t remember him doing anything with them. I was young.
I'm not even a basketball fan, but Bird and Maravich were to of the greatest.
Bird is amazing, Jordan played a different game, but this man still compares to the GOAT. Even whilst he was injured! Truly a great man, not just a B'ball player.
What everybody seems to forget is that the NBA changed the rules of defense to benefit Michael Jordan what is Larry Bird or Magic Johnson retired from the game.
Michael Jordan couldn't handle the physicality of the NBA defenses that were played when Bird and Magic were the faces of the league (the same defenses that Bird won 3 NBA titles and Magic won 5 NBA titles playing against), so David Stern introduced "The Jordan Rules" where breathing on Jordan was a foul worthy of a trip to the foul line.
Imagine Larry Bird going to the line as often as Jordan went; he'd average 45-50 points a night because he'd be shooting 25-30 free throws a game.
Seeing the competitive spirit that Larry Bird brought into every game I've ever seen him play, inspired me as a child to work harder than the next guy. When you realize that this average Joe look'n guy is gonna bust someone's ass every single time he steps on the court. It became stuff of legend. Nobody got the edge on Larry. His baseline jumpers in my mind will always be the greatest.
2:44 You know you made a hell of a play when someone from the other opponent's bench jumps out of their seat lol
Could you imagine what Larry would have done in the modern NBA, with more spacing, no hand checking and more volume at the 3 point line? He would have lived at the free throw line and bombed 3s all day. Larry averaged two 3-point attempts per game for his career!
Wow, that is super low for the most clutch 3 point shooter ever.....sorry Big Shot Bobby...Htown loves ya anyway.
Back then, three pointers were psychological warfare. There was a beautiful ferociousness about taking a three pointer back then, especially when Bird did it. He did it to break your spirit, to let you know that he could shove that dagger into your guts anytime he wanted, and if you were thinking about making a comeback, you could just forget it.
And better sports medicine too.
@@joepermenter7228 He LED THE LEAGUE in made 3 pointers for 4 seasons.
It was the LEAGUE that didn't like the shot they ended up with and shortened (in Bird's rookie year) from the ABA.
what is "volume" at the 3 point line?
Whatever you have to say about NBA greats depends on when you lived and what you saw. You’ll just have to take it on faith perhaps if you weren’t around to see it, but for several years in the early to mid 80s Larry was the top 1 or 2 player in the league period. He definitely instilled fear in your heart if you were the opponent or opposing team fans. He was a killer. That zone only lasted so long, but while limited in scope of time he was no less great in that time. I’d definitely put him ahead of LeBron if you take Bird at his physical best those five or so seasons.
One thing that Bird never did was give up on his teammates, mail in the 4th quarter, or not hustle. His competitive drive was unequaled. Actually, that's 3 things. My high school English teacher would give me a big old "F" stamp for that. 🤪
that period of dominance lasted longer than you think actually, i’d place it at maybe 7 years. from 1981-1988 larry ranked 22211132 in mvp voting. that’s absolutely bonkers. you can’t find 5 players better than larry bird in the history of the nba imo
Bird would eat lebron's lunch. Larry would completely take him out of his game if they played each other in their prime.
@@jubjubhenry5612 If he were playing today he would average 32 to 35 a game with the way the 3 point shot has become so vital. Had he not had a bad back he would have and may still be the best player ever. I don't care if he is white black or orange he's the best. He along with Wilt are so undervalued even though most people put them in the top 10 they are both much higher.
I grew up in LA and saw the Lakers witnessed the Lakers win their first 2 Rings. I moved to Boston as a student and saw the Lakers get ring number 3 on the parquet floor and the Celtics get the championship the next year. The Lakers were, are and will always be my favorite team but the Celtic's with Bird were no joke. I watched game after game in the 85-86 season and the Celtics at that time were as good as any other team that has played the game. I still hate the Celtics but respect Bird, McHale, and the rest of the crew.
I enjoyed Cedric Maxwell's comments because he was a great player himself. I worked in the league back then, so you see these guys up close and they were (and are) incredible athletes. The Celtics were always enjoyable to watch and it was great when they came to town.
Max was the best player on the Celtics before Bird got there.
Truth I was never much of a BB man, still not, but I have to say the time of Bird/McHale gave me so much excitement watching basketball that it's a legend in my memory.
A big part of it was driving his teammates to do the absolute best they could do with the talent they had…Magic and he were very alike in that regard…
An absolute joy to watch him play.
I was all left feet on the basketball court in junior high...but to see the great ones on the tube was a thrill through the yrs...im 76 now an had the privilege of watching Johnny U...Larry Legion...TB12...& others to numerous to mention..
I am a huge Bird fan. I've been a Celtic fan since the 60's and I think Bird is about as good as it gets, BUT my vote for GOAT is still Wilt. Nobody has ever done the things he's done. He was so dominant in his day that only Russell was close and really, as much as I love Russell, not that close.
please read my comments and to be TOTALLY honest i did do and/or probably will EQUALLY SOMEWHAT like the 76ers warriors and celtics because i did do and/or probably will EQUALLY really LOVE wilt chamberlain and bill russell
Wilt doesn't make my top 10. He could have been the greatest of them all, but it ain't about stats. It's about winning. And Chamberlain blew it more often than not even when he had talented players around him. Russell could have had Chamberlain-esque numbers, but he put his team first. More often than not, Wilt didn't.
@@toddfrank3344 hal greer wasn't as elite as sam jones john havlicek and bob cousy so that's why there's 2 titles for wilt chamberlain and 11 for bill russell
yeah probably, the thing that stinks for me is that we didn't have cable tv back then. i would have loved to see Wilt play so muck, ARG....I'm from BeanTown and still didn't get to as many games as I would have liked
Same here
Once in a lifetime talent.
Him, McHale, Siesting, Ange Perish, Denis Johnson, ... They sure were fun to watch play in the old Boston Garden. It was Great Basketball.
I think Bird and Jordan were really the only two *true* killers in the game. Was there anyone else who was just as totally stone-cold, twist-the-dagger as those two? I can think of a lot of great players, truly great, but there were only two who had it in their veins *like that*.
That's true. Bird and Jordan had ice in their veins during a game.
Let’s understand that Wilt was otherworldly and below him in the world of mortals Bird was as good as anyone. He played team ball and made everyone on his team better. After all it is a team sport not an individual showcase. At any level of the sport a good team will usually come out ahead of a great player on an inferior team.
' heroes are always remembered, but legends never dies ' Larry Bird is a legend
I graduated high school with Larry's younger brother, Eddie.
When Larry was in French Lick, he would attend the high school games to watch Eddie play.
My friends from the opposing school always freaked out and I'd tell them, "Yeah, he's here all the time."
GO BLACKHAWKS! 🏀
Best I've ever watched play the game anf Magic Johnson
AND .....Magic Johnson is right, he and Larry Bird saved basketball!!!🏀
I wish he was still playing. I miss those Bird days. He is top 5. Larry had a head for the game. Like a chess player he was moves ahead of his opponents. He trashed talked you out of your game.
Bird was and is great, and is one of my all-time favorite players--shooting, passing, defense, and just making his teammates better, too. But I saw Maravich play many times, and I can tell you, on his off nights he was very good, and on his best nights he was other worldly, almost certainly unmatched as a shooter. And Red Auerbach once said something to the effect that Maravich could play for him and never take a shot, as great a passer and playmaker as he was. And all that career with a congenital defective heart!
At 47 yrs old..Ive seen alot come and go. Everyone loves an underdog! In my opinion..He was the Greatest for so many reasons! So far..still think he is..I await my opinions to be changed. But I believe it never will be. Thank You Larry Bird! Best memories of Basket Ball ever! Celtcs/Lakers!!! You just had to be present then..to appreciate and have no other experience to present date...to realize this. We all have opinions...this is just mine.
That behind the backboard shot is the most amazing shot I have ever seen.
Top three watched him play all the way threw lots of greats back then no comparision to today’s players they played defense and offense
Had heard a lot about him. The Sycamores were playing SIU. So I went to watch. Yeah he was that good and he made every one around him better.
Larry Bird knew how to win, and win he did...so much and so many times he pulled off victories that he became Legendary, thus, the tag Larry Legend. So yes, Larry is one of the greatest Basketball Ballers who ever laced up. He was Legendary.
I first saw Bird play in college playing NMSU. Caught a few pro games in the 80's........he dominated his generation for sure....yes he was a great basketball player.
With or without the injuries top 5 at least
He very well might be the best to play the game
In the darkest intercity, basketball court, Larry Bird is a respected name, he crossed the barrier the hard way... surprisingly he earned it !!!!
Hard to rank all-time, cuz there are different eras. His play speaks for itself. And that was the right team for him. I love that he talked trash too...and then backed it up. I enjoyed watching the game then
Red Auerbach was a basketball genius. Larry Bird ranks number 1 on my list and I've been a Knick fan since the fifties.
bird was a deadly outside shooter and he passed like pistol pete plus a brilliant basketball mind -- he was probably top five all time with wilt chamberlain at the head of the class!
Chamberlain Nah...a freak but not smart enough.
I saw the Celtics play the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Hartford Civic Center around 1985... Larry Bird was stellar. I remember "World B. Free" playing that night too.... this was a great time to be alive!!!!
Best baller of all time. Pure team player.
I was blessed to see Larry Bird and Magic Johnson play. Loved them both!!!❤️❤️❤️
Unquestionably the greatest all around player. No one comes close.
Bird admits that Jordan was better than him
@@natalliaf6387 - sorry Natalia, but anyone who knows anything about the sport understands that no one comes even close to being a better all around player than Larry. Jordan could never do all the things that Bird did. Jordan was a great scorer and could jump high. That's it.
Many experts have said that if they would start an NBA team, their first pick would be Bird. Even Red Auerbach , the greatest coach and evaluator of talent of all time has said this many times
@@peterflorino9692 Jordan was Defensive Player of the Year. LOL. Don't argue with me, argue with Larry Bird who said Michael Jordan was better than him.
He ranks among the top. Hoosiers live the round ball. It's like breathing to them. His toughness growing up preped him to becoming among the best to ever play the game.
I grew up watching Larry Bird playing on those days. he was a tough white boy. it was such a joy watching him playing and making those legendary basketball shot. Larry Bird will be in my heart for ever when I was in College watching NBA. Larry Bird, I love you my dear friend. may god bless you !!
Greatest pure baller in the history of the game!!!
Michael, bird, magic. The best three to ever play. There is no debate. Magic and Bird saved the game. Michael changed it forever.
You must be too young to have watched a man by the name Wilt Chamberlain.
Yep for the worse. Basketball is a joke now
Add jasyum tYtum
@@cecildison6788 agreed.
They changed rules to make it easier on mj
When you take in all aspects of his game, he is the best ever. NO ONE was smarter on the court that Larry Bird, right up to today, December 1st, 2022. He made his teammates better and was part of a very cohesive group, no matter what players came and went. In today's NBA, at his prime, he would dominate just for the fact that he was smarter than anyone else on the court. There is no team cohesiveness today, just a bunch of players going for their stats, plain an simple. He would embarrass other players just the same way he did back then. He had no quit in him. If I had to pick a top starting five, it would Chamberlain at center, Larry at small forward, Charles Barkley at power forward and the backcourt would be Michael and Jerry West.
But of course the bronsexuals would say how would bird get a shot off against KD, Lebon or et.c. Players so quick long and athletic
@@johnnythekid4601 Being the smartest player on the court does make a difference. Larry would handle himself just fine. Lebron is all about his stats, Larry would make it a team sitch, but if he had to he could take Lebron.
@@johnnythekid4601 Yep, and with all the talent in Bird's era, they couldn't stop him. Larry said the only one who could contain him was Michael Cooper, who was truly a great defender.
@@mikeat2637 You couldn't be more wrong about Lebron and stats. He (like Magic, Bird and Russell and not like Jordan, Kobe and most of the newer NBA players) gets other players involved and makes their teammates better. I despise players like Jordan and Kobe. Now those are the kind of players who only care about their stats. They were and are Jenks off the court as well.
no back court better than Michele and Magic, no 6'9 has ever so far can handle the ball better tan Magic.
I liked watching him play. I liked watching Magic play and alot of the other greats. They captured some of my precious time by compelling me to watch their greatness. Time well spent.
The 80's ballers were like supermen. These guys were super-cleancut. They were publicly gentlemen and they could really play some excellent ball. The games were so entertaining as each week they seem to just outdo each other on the court. We had posters of these guys on our walls and they'd make an appearance on our cereal boxes. I think of it as a golden era of sports. Thanks so much for that time.
Red alway created super teams from real prospects, Bird was a stunning signing for the Boston Celtics, but then so was Bill Russell but never forget the one that got away, Wilt Chamberlain, Red wanted him in his team, he understood how unstoppable a great team would be with Wilt chamberlain in it!
Wilt was his own man and I think he just didn't like Red's mentality, Red would do absolutely anything to win, he picked players who would play their hearts out for him in Bill & Bird but Wilt wanted to play by the rules and wouldn't unfairly hurt another player by using his massive physical advantages, if Wilt used his elbows on his opponents like many did to him, especially the two or three enforcers on the bench with the celtics half the teams in the nba in his era would have been decimated!
Wilt got on well with Bill Russell because he never was a cheap shot player, I'm sure he would have got on well with Bird (and his mouth) who was quick to retaliate against violence, the difference was Wilt could lay-out a 7 footer with a 6 inch punch, so he curbed his anger because he didn't want to kill someone?
I'm a big fan of Bill, Bird, Elgin, Jerry but nobody made the game look easy as the gentle Goliath of the game, " the big dipper!"
While there have been better scorers, rebounders, defenders etc, Bird was great at everything, but more than anything else Bird made his teammates play great because no one can win championships alone it takes teammates.
I was at Indiana State when Larry was there. Saw every home game. He was like a fish through water.
I have been following the NBA since the mid 1960’s and Larry Bird is one of the all time greatest players
Wilt bird magic
Wilt, Jordan, Magic, Bird and Hakeem.
There will never be another Larry Bird or anyone that can match his stile and or his ability to control or shoot the ball. He was the best at the game. Period!!!! MC.
still to this day... no other player has done the crazy passes, steals or shots bird has.