If Larry played the game now it would be EASIER NOT HARDER. He's better than doncic and jokic. He's a better defender than both and faster. On offense Larry Bird is the first player to accomplish the 50-40-90 achievement, and one of three players to achieve the feat in multiple seasons. Not to mention the game is easier on offense because all the rules to free up offense and open the lanes. Larry wasn't a ball hog either and scored all those points and assists. The point guard ran offense back then and you weren't allowed to hold the ball for 24 seconds today like Luka, Lebron, Harden and the rest of the league. DJ ran the offense and Bird still averaged over 6apg. It's actually insane. He was the only ever back then averaging 26ppg 6apg 10rpg. Ever.
Yup. He'd be a mix of Luka and Joker, but mentally strong unlike Luka and a fantastic defender unlike them both. The league is so much less physical now, he probably would have played 20 fucking seasons like LeBron tbh
Yes!!! This is a must, it is sooo good! Insight into basketball of the 80s, both men’s characters, and why they respect each other to this day….unlike Pippen and M.J. Magic and Bird were so so similar in how they treated their team mates, they wanted the whole team to win and to do well, I think that’s why their team mates still respect them too.
You guys talked right over it : Larry came back into that game against the Pacers and dominated - with a fractured right cheek ! (He also had a concussion and was seeing double, had to GUESS “which basket to shoot at”… and still put his team on his back and carried them to victory!) #LarryLegend
You should watch "A Courtship of Rivals" a documentary about Larry and Magic. As b ball fans you should know why Barkley says they are the two most important figures in NBA history.
You want to know how the likes of Bird, Magic and Jordon would do in today's game? They loved the game for the game, they didn't quit when they stubbed a toe, they didn't move from team to team to team. They would wipe the floor with the kids playing today.
Too true. Also off the charts-- his toughness. If y'all think he's tough after watching this, you gotta react to 5 Times Larry Bird Was Injured and REFUSED to Quit. Among other things you'll hear that will floor you is that Bird did not take any pain meds-- no pills, no shots, no nothing.
He ran 5 miles a day for years. He practiced 365 days a year, including after games. He had amazing stamina. He was very strong. He and Magic played together in a world tournament together and then met again in the 79 NCAA finals. Larry went into the HOF in 98 and inducted Magic into the hof in 2002. They’ve had books, movies and broadway plays written about their friendship.
Larry Bird 3 championships 2 Finals MVP 3 consecutive League MVP 3 consecutive 3pt contest winner All-star MVP Sports Illustrated Best All-Around player Rookie of the year. 50/40/90 average 4 years straight 2 All defense teams 2nd All time win percentage Coach of the year Executive of the year. Gold Medal-92 Dream Team
Converse wanted Magic and Larry to do commercials together but Larry didn't want to so they arranged Magic to meet Larry in his home town (French Lick, Indiana) to get to know each other. Larry's mother made them lunch and during this lunch Larry's mother told Magic he was her favorite basketball player. hahahaha
When Magic went to Larry’s home in French Lick, it was TO shoot the first shared commercial. They began really talking and getting to know each other during the breaks between takes, and even more so when Larry’s lovely mama Georgia laid out one heck of a spread for lunch. They shot in French Lick because Larry flat-out refused to film in LA - he said “Nope, if you want this commercial, you have to come to my house !” Fortunately, he’d already had a regulation-sized basketball court installed at the home he had built for his mom (he’d stay with her there during the off-season, and live that country life he knew best) - weather permitting, he usually did all his off-season practicing right there.
@THEHBKSHOW. I'm an old man now. I saw most of these games live on TV. There is something most people don't consider when they talk about Larry Bird being slow. They assume that just because he's not moving the fastest on the court, that he really is slow. First thing. Bird ran all the time. I've never seen a player with more endurance than Bird. Visiting teams would come to Boston and practice on their court before a game, and Bird would be running up in the nose bleeds, in an unairconditioned arena, where the temperature was 90 on the court, and 110-120 where Bird would be running the stairs all the way up top. That endurance meant Bird played both defense and offense. People think Bird didn't play defense. Bullshit. Bird was selected to the All Defensive 3 times. He led the League in defensive win shares four times. Only about five or six players have more, and only Hakeem is tied with him. In most games, halfway through the third quarter Bird was the fastest guy on the court. Which leads me to my next point. Second thing. Bird had a very quick first step, and a third gear he didn't show until late in a game. Bird was much faster than most people realize, and I've watched him chase down players and stop fast breaks. Finally, my third thing. People think that just because Bird wasn't running flat out all the time that he couldn't. It never crosses their mind that the reason Bird knew where everyone was at all times is he played just fast enough to take it all in, understand exactly what everyone was doing on the court, and then implement the precise play that was going to embarrass his opponents the most, including everyone on the opposing roster, just by dominating whoever got in front of him. Larry wasn't slow. No one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, EVER, thought the game quicker than Larry did. That makes Larry the fastest player ever in NBA history.
Adding... He ran marathons DURING the season. That game with the Hawks jumping up?? He RAN a 5k before he boarded the plane to New Orleans. His bench backup, Scott Wedman, ran it too and both were so stiff going into that game...Then he loosened up and well, made Dominque Wilkins, Doc Rivers, Spud Webb look silly and scored his career high of 60 points!! He's often play 38 to 45 minutes of a game, 82 games during the regular season. He had to be forced to sit out games. Not fast, but always running. He had Endurance. I'd bet that Jokic and Luka are endurance athletes.
Facts, today's players are hitting the gym to bulk up, Larry Legend would be running circles around these guys with how slow and how many stops there are in today's NBA.
As a young boy, I spent many an evening in that hot ass Boston Garden arena cheering on my Celtics and, yeah, I don’t know how Larry was able to run laps around the building like he did, because I’m pretty sure I would’ve dehydrated long before the game even began if it’d been me.
I've often thought of those guys too. I'm sure many have passed by now but I wish someone had interviewed them after Larry set fire to the NBA. From what I gather, Bird was extremely private about his life in French Lick, though, and he went there to get away from the media. I'm sure he didn't want any extra attention being brought onto the quiet community because of him.
I’m 62 so I got to see the Bird,Magic,Jordan era. People forget how many future Hall of Fame players (and stars) were the competition back then. Jabbar,Worrhy,Isiah Thomas,Dantley,Gervin,Dr.J,Barkley,Moses Malone,Karl Malone,Stockton,Olajuwon,Ralph Sampson,Drexler,Wilkins,Bernard King the list goes on. Bird was doing this facing those guys nightly with back and heel problems while wearing Converse. His back was so bad he couldn’t sit on the bench and had to lay on the floor when he wasn’t in.
Thank you for posting this video guys! I am 55, I was a 1980's teen, My self living in the Chicago Area got to see MJ and great athletes of all sports also! The NHL's Gretzky had that high IQ Like as these young gentleman say Larry Bird has. I do not know if this is the same as IQ but ANTICIPATION seems to be part of BIRD, Jokic, Doncic, and NHL's Gretzky. It's like they are a second 1/2 ahead of everyone almost "PSYCHIC" The way the see the game. Larry comes from that Indiana High School basketball style "fundamentally sound" packaged with that IQ , VISION, ANTICIPATION or whatever you want to call that....I guess,... we can call that "IT"? Where it makes the game look too easy for these players like they are not trying. It's crazy. The Best video you can watch is that HBO Documentary Called Magic and Bird :Courtship Of Rivals it goes so deep into their Characters.
Those ankle breakers look silly, like how did they fall like that? Easy answer. The defenders never knew what Larry was going to do. They were trying to guard like 20 possibilities. He might fake a shot, pretend to pass, then end up shooting. He might just pass. He might just shoot. He was unpredictable which made his defenders look stupid
Tall as a bitch too 6'10 Steph not a slower KD. Playing smart basketball on top of being an elite scorer. Bird was also an elite team defender too tho that's why he's my #3 all time behind MJ and Wilt.
THANK YOU-- you just saved me having to write exactly that. Some younger fans figure it out right away, because they really know the game, and have played it seriously and have had good coaches. Others just assume great basketball didn't exist until they got themselves born, and dismiss Bird's Hall of Fame NBA opponents as a bunch of clods and idiots (often with the implication that the young reactors would do a way better job of shutting Bird down, which makes me laugh and shake my head in wonder at the same time).
Yes. When you could burn an opponent was many ways as Bird could, his defenders were always off balance to begin with. It didn't take as much to send them tumbling to the floor.
And he placed his feet perfectly in between the defender to make them fall. It's almost like tripping them but it's the defenders fault for being out of position because they're worried about all those possibilities you mentioned.
Couple comments, haven't watched it all yet... Larry dropping guys was in a big part because he was so good at everything he had people so confused defending him that he could just drop guys... Also interesting note in the left handed game he dropped 27 left-handed that forgot to tell you he dropped 20 right-handed and then hit the game winning shot!
The 3 that you named... Bird... Magic... Jordan... they would dominate today's super soft NBA....in the 80's... NBA stood for no boys allowed... Larry Legend 🐐🏀
I love Luka and Jokic, they are two of my favorites in the game today, but Larry Bird is literally just a better slightly different version than both those players. He would terrorize the league today just like he did in the 80s, just like Magic and Mike would.
@@trashcandy. Also, let's not forget that Bird did it first...and if these guys are students of the game like most NBA players are, they learned from watching/studying their players who preceded them, including (and in their case, especially) Bird.
Birds retirement was on a non game night. Some of the highlights include: Three NBA championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) with the Boston Celtics. Two NBA Finals MVP awards. Three NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards (1984, 1985, and 1986). Twelve NBA All-Star selections. Ten All-NBA First Team selections. NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980. NBA Three-Point Shootout champion (1986). Induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
Just to add to your highlights... 1986 was the first year of the Three-Point Shootout contest. Larry participated in it for 3 years and won it in 1986, 1987 & 1988. He was also awarded NBA Coach of the Year and NBA Executive of the Year.
There is so much to know about Bird. This is gonna be a LAP(Long Ass Post) First - Bird started his NBA career injured. After finishing college and before joining the Celtics Bird shattered a knuckle on his shooting hand and never had the same feel for the ball after that. The year before Bird joined the Celtics, the Celtics record was 29-53. In Bird's 1st year without McHale, Parrish, Ainge or DJ, Bird led the Celtics to a record of 61-21. In Birds first 7 years the Celtics won 60 or more games 6 times. Bird and the Celtics won 3 NBA titles. Bird won 3 consecutive MVP titles - the only other players to do that are Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Bird was the founder of the 50/40/90 club. Bird won the first 3 3-pt shooting contests. Bird didn't trash talk - he just told the other team what he was going to do before he did it and then went out and did what he said he would. Bird is the only person to win the MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year. It has been said that Bird was unathletic, slow, couldn't jump and wasn't a great defender. So how did Bird average more defensive rebounds per game than - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Karl Malone and Ralph Sampson - to name just a few. Bird led the NBA in defensive win shares 4 times during his career. If you add the number if times MJ did that and the number of times LeBron did that you get ZERO. Bird always knew where every player on the court was at all times. Bird played hurt all the time - if he could walk then he was playing. There was no load management. Bird gave it all every game. To quote Bird "If you get paid to get to work, you go to work" And we haven't even talked about his back injury that happened in the summer of 1985 while he was building a driveway at his mothers house and how he had to lay on the floor by the bench because sitting was too painful. Bird didn't take crap from anyone and when challenged never backed down. There are too many Bird videos to mention. Just keep watching them and your respect for him will keep growing. One last thing. There is only 1 person in the top 250 players of all time that is in each one of these categories and that is Bird FG% 2Pt FG% 3Pt FG% Foul Shooting % Points per game Assists per game Rebounds per game Blocks per game Steals per game Minutes per game % of games won they played in. Not only is Bird the only player in the top 250 of all time in each category, he is in the top 60 all-time in 6 of the categories.
Watch the Jamal mashburn story about Larry when he came to play them for the dream team practice... Not just a great basketball story but one of the great sport stories of all time IMHO
The game against the Pacers when Bird fractured his cheek bone the night before he spent in the hospital in traction. His teammates said he struggled to get dressed out for that game. He broke his back in 85 and played 7 more years. React to the 5 times Larry Bird was injured but refused to quit. The 4 times Larry Bird was hurt but showed male toughness.
Not only was Bird the third player (and the only forward) to make MVP 3 times in a row but In a 9-year run from 1980 to 1989, Larry Bird got 67% of all MVP votes that were cast. All other players combined only received 33% of the votes. in an era that included the players who eventually made up the dream team and a large list of HOF players.
One of the reasons you always see him kneeling is because his back was so jacked up in the later half of his career that he had trouble sitting down on the bench...and dude still went out and jammed down 50+ point games...
15:27 Fun fact, Magic forgot to bring a tshirt to wear under his warm up here. He borrowed a tshirt, he was wearing a Celtics tshirt underneath right here. There’s another video where Larry pulls open the front of his shirt to expose the Celtics T underneath. They actually became great friends while shooting a shoe a commercial at Larrys home in Indiana. Great story of it all.
Larry was quick and knew where everyone was on the court. The game was easy for him. He was one of only three players to have three back to back MVPs. Check out his passing highlights. Top tier.
That last second inbound pass steal against the Pistons was in the 87 Eastern Conference Finals game 5. Had the Pistons won... they would have gone back to Detroit with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to close it out at home. Instead... the series went to a game 7 at Boston with the Celtics taking the series. It might be the most clutch play I've witnessed in any sport.
Larry’s retirement ceremony was held on a off night, no scheduled game. The Boston Garden was sold out standing room only, respect. When Magic was diagnosed with AIDS his team, friends and the league banished him...the first person to call him and stand by his side was Larry. You much watch Larry trash talk and his passing vid..he was a legend..the GOAT. Larry also played hurt almost his whole career, Deformed broken finger, spinal injury which made him unable to sit on the bench or airplane seats, he had to lay down on the sidelines, he had double Achilles surgery and bone spur removal and came back next season without missing a game. Larry said “ if you got a job, you gotta go to work “
Larry and Magic are hilarious together too. Watch Magic and Larry on Letterman. They went on the Late Show, and you can tell that rivalry is still there and the jabs and jokes are flying! Very funny - I won't spoil any of it, but Larry takes a shot at that signature Magic smile! 🤣
Bird and Magic faced each other 3 times in the finals. Bird won in 1984, Magic in 1985, and Magic in 1987. The Celtics won 1986 against the Rockets after they beat the Lakers in the conference final. The Lakers won in 1988 against the Bad Boy Pistons.
Please note that when Larry came back from that head knock, he was playing with a fracture to his orbital bone. After the game, he blew his nose and his eyeball literally popped out of the socket, to be put back by a physician. There is no quit in Larry Jo Bird.
You have no idea how competitive and the sportsmanship that was displayed back then. It was tough and the players were tough as nails. I love all the Celtics Bird Parish DJ McCale etc. It was so cool to watch such talent..not just Larry but all the Celtics of that era.
@5:23 - great question. Being that this era is known for NOT playing defense, several of those players from the 80s and 90s would've thrived in today's generation due to the rules and the lack of defense played in today's era
What you two don't realize is that 95 percent of the highlights you just saw were from either the playoffs or the Finals. Who else can put together a highlight reel almost exclusively from the playoffs. Bird won three NBA Championships and Bird's Celtics swept the Michael Jordan enabled Bulls in every playoff game they ever played against each other.
Everybody had the Converse Weapons back then. Our school was green and white so we had the Bird shoe, but they had a Magic, Thomas, King, Aguirre, Dr J shoe colors as we.
Step on in boys! Check out Courtship of Rivals to learn about the NBA, then the 1992 Dreamteam. The greatest game I ever played, i should have quit right there. The passing video, Bird is the word, 15 minutes of Larry Legend, and dont think hes slow, or unathletic. Y'all just haven't watched enough. He had a third gear, and played his heart out.
Making the case Best larry bird trash talking stories Legends talking about larry birds trash talking Larry birds best passes redit Best larry bird v jordan story But the best one is a courtship of rivals its the best sports documentary i have seen on probaly the best rivalry ever seen. Its a must watch usually its broken up into 4 parts but well worth watching. Both larry and magic saved the nba without those 2 there is no nba or jordan shaq kobe curry lebron and many more.
Larry bird trash talking videos are the best!! That night that magic came out for Larry's retirement ceremony, magic got a standing ovation!!... that's love and respect!!
Watching bird live was life changing,we had never seen anything like him , him and magic ,put the world on. Notice , The NBA is here to stay , 🐦 bird got a quick first step,he does it all , bird never gives up and he had alot of DOGG in him , bird 6'9 ,but some say 6'10 either way that fade away ,(forget about blocking that shyt) bird 🐦 would give it to you anyway you wanted it , call it and then make it , TY Dad for taking me to bball games ❤❤❤ #LB33 💚💯🐦
Parrish and McHale always knew, when Bird had the ball, no matter where he was or which way he was looking, there was always the possibility the ball was coming their way.
Two quotes about Larry Bird that will tell you all you need to know about him. Pat Riley, If I had to choose a player. to take a shot to save a game, I choose Michael Jordan. If I had to choose a player to take a shot. to save my life, I'd take Larry Bird. Isaiah Thomas said. If you put all of us in a room -- Magic, Jordan, myself and Bird -- Bird would probably be the guy who walks out of the room at the end of the day,"
Larry was the goat in the 1980s decade nobody played the way he did also he finished 4th inMVP rookie year finished 2nd in MVP next 3 years then won MVP the next 3 years 1984 thru 1986 then came in 2nd in1987 ,1988
Bruh people that don’t think he would dominate in today’s game don’t know ball. A 6’9 sniper with eyes in the back of his head would destroy people today. Dude is the founding member of the 50/40/90 club.
Bird and Johnson were aware of each others skills before the NBA. But they became friends shooting a Converse commercial at his mom's house in French Lick, Indiana. Bird's mother was a big fan of Magic Johnson and treated him like family right off the bat. They've been friends ever since. Good reaction. Thanks for sharing.
I was a young teen, in the garden vs. The sixers. I walked down during warm-ups, stood under the basket, and took pics of Larry, McHale, Parrish, etc as they did layups. Then I went to the other side to get Dr J. So cool...and then retired JoJo White's number that night, so I met him, just hanging out by the floor, by himself, pregame. A different time.
Welcome to the Larry Bird Rabbit Hole! If you like passing, I'd recommend, "Larry Bird Greatest Passer (Re-edit)" Larry is one of the best passers EVER. Better than LeBron. Only Magic and maybe (not to me but I acknowledge it) John Stockton are better. His HIGH IQ allowed him to thread the needle. Also, His trash talking stories are legendary! My favourites are: "Larry Bird's most Iconic trash talking Phrase" ruclips.net/video/xoWDf7dqDTk/видео.html "NEVER poke Larry Bird" ruclips.net/video/1b4B-G3MFRk/видео.html "He dropped 60 on us!" ruclips.net/video/geLVr171Agg/видео.html A SMALL, Tiny part of his trash talking. ENJOY!
Hey, hey Fellas. I can tell y'all that growing up watching Bird play his entire career from start to finish, and ESPECIALLY in the early to mid 80's when he was still young and healthy and the entire league were "dogs," I can remember more than a few games; and this didn't happen often when there'd be like 4-5 minutes on the game clock and both refs would pocket their whistles and just let the teams play and "settle" whatever. No fouls called or anything. Now, there weren't always fights when this happened but those few games when they're just hooping like crazy? OMFG! Talk about AWESOME basketball? Holy Hell! It was too good! And YES, Larry has been and will always be MY GOAT! Thank you for showing some love to my Bird! 😃 👍 Take care, Aszneth
i was born in 77....my dad was in the Army....so when we went to see the Celtics on the road....but there was always a ton of Boston fans. We went to see them play Atlanta at the omni and right before the game....the announcer said that Bird wasnt going to play due to injury....the entire arena just let out this "oh shit" type of reaction. Not a Bird story but we went to a Pistons game when Antoine Walker was the Captain....and these guys behind us kept calling him "Fatoine Walker"....my dad and i have a helluva sense of humor so we immediately turned and laughed with them and high fived them. Toine went off i. the 4th with 30 some points total and the guy behind said..."Antoine may be fat but he's whoopin our ass!!". We all lost it laughing. Thats the thing i love about going to the game....you sit near people you dont know and normally not need to talk to but soon...your laughing your ass off and hitting fives like you e been friends for years!
Hey nice video guys! To me, the thing about Bird is that he's just so much fun to watch. There's three basic reactions to anything he does: * "Say, that's some nice, solid basketball" * "What the--" * "No. That did *not* just happen."
Don't know if you saw it, but after he fell and left the court, they said he had fractured a face bone and a slight concussion. He left, but snuck back out, played over a quarter & helped his team come back from behind to win the game. If you think about it, maybe Bird wouldn't have had to have operations on both of his feet for Achilles tendons and bone spurs if the shoes were like they were now. Another video is "Larry Bird's Legendary 1986-87-88 3 Point Contest Champion Highlights (All Final Rounds)" which shows a fair amount of the three 3-point contest that he won back to back. And when Larry was playing, the 3-point was actually frowned upon by some coaches, because they thought it was too iffy. Bird and Magic Johnson competed with and drove each other to improve their games. They both really had the competitive spirit.
I was at the Pacers playoff game and you guys missed a very important point. Larry snuck past the doctor and trainer to go back out and finish the game. He did that with a concussion and a fractured right cheek bone. He returned in the third quarter and put up 32/9/7. No disrespect but today's players take a month off with a hangnail!
Gentlemen, I watched Larry play from his first game until he retired. Larry was the best all round player the league has EVER known. Larry was dangerous from anywhere on the court whether he was shooting or not, even behind to glass made no difference. Bird, if you notice from his passing, knew where everyone was on the court at all times. His game IQ was on another level. He was three moves ahead of everybody. Larry played through injuries that would sideline today's players for the season. Larry did things routinely that other players could only dream of doing or have nightmares about him doing to them. Larry was the reason I became a Celtics fan and I live in Missouri, but it didn't keep me from attending home games and playoff games back in the day. Larry and Magic's rivalry was legendary. But these two great competitors became the greatest lifelong friends. Magic was mad because Larry retired, and he was going to miss playing against him. These two men brought out the best, most competitive side of the other and they both LOVED it. I stopped following the NBA after Magic retired because what was left was not worth watching. I was a diehard Celtics fan but, I loved watching Magic play. Like Larry, Magic was a fierce competitor, but he was also an honorable, soft spoken, gentle man that everyone loved. Larry just doesn't get the credit he is do, for any number of reasons but, most never watched him play, like you guys, opinions would change if they did watch him.
Me and my cousin had season tickets during the LA Lakers Showtime years. We got to see some of the best players to ever play the game. And we would get there early for warmups and we got to stand at court side and just watch these guys shoot around. It was just a glorious time.
I was a young teen when I watched Larry Bird. He was so fast, accurate, and a force of nature. He was quite a trash talker! When Magic Johnson started with LA it gave me so much stress, because it was like the clash of the titans. After Bird retired I started to lose interest because the game got boring, it changed. Now a player gets a scrape he is out of a game for a week. Wimps! Rushing the court was the best feeling ever, and the crowds were so alive and it was as if we were a part of the team. It is not like that now. My favorite Larry Bird trash talk was when he would tell the opposing team not to insult him by having a white man try to cover him. The cameras do not do him justice, he was the GOAT, and the best player I have ever seen. It was so different then, it was so raw, not the same anymore. He and Magic are best friends, they have respect for each other.
Fun fact about that moment against the pacers, when he hit his head and came back later in the game : He had a concussion, double vision and a broken orbital bone. He said later in an interview "at first it was hard to aim, but once i figured the target on the right was the real one, i was fine"
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." A saying that rings through every human endeavor albeit sports, science or what-have-you. Larry Bird is one of those giants.
I grew up in Fort Worth and was 15 years old in 1980 when Dallas got an expansion team. The Mavericks were giving away a lot of tickets to get people used to going to games, so we went to a lotta games. When I was 18 I went to Austin to go to school. The Spurs were 80 miles away and sold $5 tickets at the door. Later, when Mark Cuban bought the Mavericks, he charged $10 for every ticket for the rest of the season. I got to see everybody play. You used to be able to walk down to the court, listen to the coach describing plays during timeouts, ask for autographs if you wanted (I didn’t), and the play was PHYSICAL ….. It was much freer back then.
That "Flagrant Foul" against Kurt Rambis? Almost started a fight, and he got 2 three throws. The game continued. And yes, Larry is the TOUGHEST player EVER!!! He often didn't tell the coaches or the trainers he was hurt until he couldn't play. Then they would fix it and he returned. He played with a messed up back his last 7 years. He couldn't sit on the bench, he had to lay down! But he went to work everyday and played like he was getting a spot on the team.
Larry has a grandson named Jordon Bird who’s a ballplayer for USC, apparently he’s pretty good. Who knows, maybe the Bird is a phoenix and we’ll get to see a Bird fly again. Would be so cool if he’s THAT good.
You’ve gotta watch the history (and present) of Magic and Larry. Larry really supported Magic in a time when others were afraid to. Such a cool dynamic between them.
Dude, you gotta watch Bird's Legends Talk, Greatest Passes, Trash Talk videos and a documentary about him and Magic called "A Courtship of Rivals". Best documentary I ever saw
Larry Bird was the guy who would walk up to the other team's coach and say: "I'mma shoot a 3 on the right side." And before the shot even sinks in, he'll say: "TOLD YOU SO".
In that pacers game he broke hos orbital bone near the eye. He had triple vision. The doctors said he was out for the playoffs. He chugged a beer, snuck back in, & aimed for the middle.
If Larry played now he'd send half the NBA into early retirement.
They would go sit on the bench and cry because he offended them with trash talking!!.. A bunch of crybaby sissies!!!
If Larry played the game now it would be EASIER NOT HARDER. He's better than doncic and jokic. He's a better defender than both and faster. On offense Larry Bird is the first player to accomplish the 50-40-90 achievement, and one of three players to achieve the feat in multiple seasons. Not to mention the game is easier on offense because all the rules to free up offense and open the lanes. Larry wasn't a ball hog either and scored all those points and assists. The point guard ran offense back then and you weren't allowed to hold the ball for 24 seconds today like Luka, Lebron, Harden and the rest of the league. DJ ran the offense and Bird still averaged over 6apg. It's actually insane. He was the only ever back then averaging 26ppg 6apg 10rpg. Ever.
Yup. He'd be a mix of Luka and Joker, but mentally strong unlike Luka and a fantastic defender unlike them both. The league is so much less physical now, he probably would have played 20 fucking seasons like LeBron tbh
FACTS
@@lolh4x wrong!! Luka is mixed from bird!! Bird is the OG gangsta!!!
A Courtship of Rivals about Magic and Bird is the greatest sports documentary ever made, They saved the game
Yes!!! This is a must, it is sooo good! Insight into basketball of the 80s, both men’s characters, and why they respect each other to this day….unlike Pippen and M.J.
Magic and Bird were so so similar in how they treated their team mates, they wanted the whole team to win and to do well, I think that’s why their team mates still respect them too.
Without question, the best basketball documentary ever.
The best sports documentary period. How their lives were intertwined since college.
You guys talked right over it : Larry came back into that game against the Pacers and dominated - with a fractured right cheek ! (He also had a concussion and was seeing double, had to GUESS “which basket to shoot at”… and still put his team on his back and carried them to victory!) #LarryLegend
That always drives me crazy when people miss that!
I came here just to make sure someone had told the story, and the whole story. Lol! Thank you!
@@mariejustme To be fair, the video doesn't really put that clearly.
@@SanxBileyes it does. Marv Albert clearly says that
@chrischar9428 It's easy to miss is all I'm saying. Just one sentence drowned by the music. But it's definitely there!
You have to watch Larry Bird, " greatest passer of all time, with re-edit "... Prepare to be mind blown!
Yea, that is a mind blowing video.
Yes!
There's legit 7 minutes of just rebound and inbound full court passes...
definitely this one...Bird has more full court dimes than most people have regular assists!
You should watch "A Courtship of Rivals" a documentary about Larry and Magic.
As b ball fans you should know why Barkley says they are the two most important figures in NBA history.
You want to know how the likes of Bird, Magic and Jordon would do in today's game? They loved the game for the game, they didn't quit when they stubbed a toe, they didn't move from team to team to team. They would wipe the floor with the kids playing today.
Larry's basketball IQ was off the charts.
Too true. Also off the charts-- his toughness. If y'all think he's tough after watching this, you gotta react to 5 Times Larry Bird Was Injured and REFUSED to Quit.
Among other things you'll hear that will floor you is that Bird did not take any pain meds-- no pills, no shots, no nothing.
Larry Bird Stories That Prove He's the Best Trash Talker is probably the best trash talk compilation IMO.
You gotta watch making the case Larry Bird, Larry is my GOAT
Bird=the best all-around player ever in my opinion. Bird had no weaknesses, and he had all the intangibles.
Brian Scalabrini was better.
@@watchmanonthewall14 Who's that?
@@cygnus62 It's a joke. Look him up. He played in the NBA for several years.
He ran 5 miles a day for years. He practiced 365 days a year, including after games. He had amazing stamina.
He was very strong.
He and Magic played together in a world tournament together and then met again in the 79 NCAA finals.
Larry went into the HOF in 98 and inducted Magic into the hof in 2002.
They’ve had books, movies and broadway plays written about their friendship.
Larry Bird
3 championships
2 Finals MVP
3 consecutive League MVP
3 consecutive 3pt contest winner
All-star MVP
Sports Illustrated Best All-Around player
Rookie of the year.
50/40/90 average 4 years straight
2 All defense teams
2nd All time win percentage
Coach of the year
Executive of the year.
Gold Medal-92 Dream Team
First ever in the 50/40/90 Club
Those three consecutive MVPs... he's the last player to have done that. Not Magic, not Jordan, not LeBron.
Also, he was the first 40/50/90 member
Only player in NBA history to retire with a 20ppg 10rpg 5apg stat line too
Only person inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame as a player, a coach, and an executive...
Converse wanted Magic and Larry to do commercials together but Larry didn't want to so they arranged Magic to meet Larry in his home town (French Lick, Indiana) to get to know each other. Larry's mother made them lunch and during this lunch Larry's mother told Magic he was her favorite basketball player. hahahaha
When Magic went to Larry’s home in French Lick, it was TO shoot the first shared commercial. They began really talking and getting to know each other during the breaks between takes, and even more so when Larry’s lovely mama Georgia laid out one heck of a spread for lunch.
They shot in French Lick because Larry flat-out refused to film in LA - he said “Nope, if you want this commercial, you have to come to my house !” Fortunately, he’d already had a regulation-sized basketball court installed at the home he had built for his mom (he’d stay with her there during the off-season, and live that country life he knew best) - weather permitting, he usually did all his off-season practicing right there.
Great reaction, men! You both MUST watch "Magic & Bird, a courtship of rivals". Best sport documentary EVER, made by HBO...
@THEHBKSHOW.
I'm an old man now. I saw most of these games live on TV. There is something most people don't consider when they talk about Larry Bird being slow. They assume that just because he's not moving the fastest on the court, that he really is slow.
First thing.
Bird ran all the time. I've never seen a player with more endurance than Bird. Visiting teams would come to Boston and practice on their court before a game, and Bird would be running up in the nose bleeds, in an unairconditioned arena, where the temperature was 90 on the court, and 110-120 where Bird would be running the stairs all the way up top. That endurance meant Bird played both defense and offense. People think Bird didn't play defense. Bullshit. Bird was selected to the All Defensive 3 times. He led the League in defensive win shares four times. Only about five or six players have more, and only Hakeem is tied with him. In most games, halfway through the third quarter Bird was the fastest guy on the court. Which leads me to my next point.
Second thing.
Bird had a very quick first step, and a third gear he didn't show until late in a game. Bird was much faster than most people realize, and I've watched him chase down players and stop fast breaks.
Finally, my third thing.
People think that just because Bird wasn't running flat out all the time that he couldn't. It never crosses their mind that the reason Bird knew where everyone was at all times is he played just fast enough to take it all in, understand exactly what everyone was doing on the court, and then implement the precise play that was going to embarrass his opponents the most, including everyone on the opposing roster, just by dominating whoever got in front of him.
Larry wasn't slow. No one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, EVER, thought the game quicker than Larry did.
That makes Larry the fastest player ever in NBA history.
Adding...
He ran marathons DURING the season. That game with the Hawks jumping up?? He RAN a 5k before he boarded the plane to New Orleans. His bench backup, Scott Wedman, ran it too and both were so stiff going into that game...Then he loosened up and well, made Dominque Wilkins, Doc Rivers, Spud Webb look silly and scored his career high of 60 points!! He's often play 38 to 45 minutes of a game, 82 games during the regular season. He had to be forced to sit out games.
Not fast, but always running. He had Endurance. I'd bet that Jokic and Luka are endurance athletes.
Wilt chamberlain had legendary endurance on top of his insane athleticism
Facts, today's players are hitting the gym to bulk up, Larry Legend would be running circles around these guys with how slow and how many stops there are in today's NBA.
As a young boy, I spent many an evening in that hot ass Boston Garden arena cheering on my Celtics and, yeah, I don’t know how Larry was able to run laps around the building like he did, because I’m pretty sure I would’ve dehydrated long before the game even began if it’d been me.
@@thewab1974, I'm so jealous you got to see him in person.
When Larry was young, he used to play with black players who worked at a hotel. I can only imagine how proud they are of him today.
I've often thought of those guys too. I'm sure many have passed by now but I wish someone had interviewed them after Larry set fire to the NBA. From what I gather, Bird was extremely private about his life in French Lick, though, and he went there to get away from the media. I'm sure he didn't want any extra attention being brought onto the quiet community because of him.
I’m 62 so I got to see the Bird,Magic,Jordan era. People forget how many future Hall of Fame players (and stars) were the competition back then. Jabbar,Worrhy,Isiah Thomas,Dantley,Gervin,Dr.J,Barkley,Moses Malone,Karl Malone,Stockton,Olajuwon,Ralph Sampson,Drexler,Wilkins,Bernard King the list goes on. Bird was doing this facing those guys nightly with back and heel problems while wearing Converse. His back was so bad he couldn’t sit on the bench and had to lay on the floor when he wasn’t in.
I'm 60. Spot on!!
Thank you for posting this video guys! I am 55, I was a 1980's teen, My self living in the Chicago Area got to see MJ and great athletes of all sports also! The NHL's Gretzky had that high IQ Like as these young gentleman say Larry Bird has. I do not know if this is the same as IQ but ANTICIPATION seems to be part of BIRD, Jokic, Doncic, and NHL's Gretzky. It's like they are a second 1/2 ahead of everyone almost "PSYCHIC" The way the see the game. Larry comes from that Indiana High School basketball style "fundamentally sound" packaged with that IQ , VISION, ANTICIPATION or whatever you want to call that....I guess,... we can call that "IT"? Where it makes the game look too easy for these players like they are not trying. It's crazy.
The Best video you can watch is that HBO Documentary Called Magic and Bird :Courtship Of Rivals it goes so deep into their Characters.
Those ankle breakers look silly, like how did they fall like that? Easy answer. The defenders never knew what Larry was going to do. They were trying to guard like 20 possibilities. He might fake a shot, pretend to pass, then end up shooting. He might just pass. He might just shoot. He was unpredictable which made his defenders look stupid
Tall as a bitch too 6'10 Steph not a slower KD. Playing smart basketball on top of being an elite scorer. Bird was also an elite team defender too tho that's why he's my #3 all time behind MJ and Wilt.
THANK YOU-- you just saved me having to write exactly that. Some younger fans figure it out right away, because they really know the game, and have played it seriously and have had good coaches. Others just assume great basketball didn't exist until they got themselves born, and dismiss Bird's Hall of Fame NBA opponents as a bunch of clods and idiots (often with the implication that the young reactors would do a way better job of shutting Bird down, which makes me laugh and shake my head in wonder at the same time).
Yes. When you could burn an opponent was many ways as Bird could, his defenders were always off balance to begin with. It didn't take as much to send them tumbling to the floor.
And he placed his feet perfectly in between the defender to make them fall. It's almost like tripping them but it's the defenders fault for being out of position because they're worried about all those possibilities you mentioned.
Plus nobody had seen a stepback before, since Larry invented it. 🤔
Larrys passing was phenomenal. He passed between the legs of more opponents than a rockstar through groupies. 🤭
NBA Legends tell Bird trash talk stories
Couple comments, haven't watched it all yet... Larry dropping guys was in a big part because he was so good at everything he had people so confused defending him that he could just drop guys... Also interesting note in the left handed game he dropped 27 left-handed that forgot to tell you he dropped 20 right-handed and then hit the game winning shot!
The Bird passing videos are crazy as well. I didn’t remember how many full court passes he had that were right on the money. Crazy
the doc Magic x larry A coutship off rivals = masterpiece , please try
THIS!!!
The 3 that you named... Bird... Magic... Jordan... they would dominate today's super soft NBA....in the 80's... NBA stood for no boys allowed... Larry Legend 🐐🏀
I love Luka and Jokic, they are two of my favorites in the game today, but Larry Bird is literally just a better slightly different version than both those players. He would terrorize the league today just like he did in the 80s, just like Magic and Mike would.
this is exactly it. doncic and jokic are both proof that bird would still dominate today.
@@trashcandy. Also, let's not forget that Bird did it first...and if these guys are students of the game like most NBA players are, they learned from watching/studying their players who preceded them, including (and in their case, especially) Bird.
Birds retirement was on a non game night. Some of the highlights include:
Three NBA championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) with the Boston Celtics.
Two NBA Finals MVP awards.
Three NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards (1984, 1985, and 1986).
Twelve NBA All-Star selections.
Ten All-NBA First Team selections.
NBA Rookie of the Year in 1980.
NBA Three-Point Shootout champion (1986).
Induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.
Just to add to your highlights...
1986 was the first year of the Three-Point Shootout contest.
Larry participated in it for 3 years and won it in 1986, 1987 & 1988.
He was also awarded NBA Coach of the Year and NBA Executive of the Year.
Bird was the clutchest shooter and most complete player to play the game of basketball
There is so much to know about Bird.
This is gonna be a LAP(Long Ass Post)
First - Bird started his NBA career injured. After finishing college and before joining the Celtics Bird shattered a knuckle on his shooting hand and never had the same feel for the ball after that.
The year before Bird joined the Celtics, the Celtics record was 29-53. In Bird's 1st year without McHale, Parrish, Ainge or DJ, Bird led the Celtics to a record of 61-21. In Birds first 7 years the Celtics won 60 or more games 6 times.
Bird and the Celtics won 3 NBA titles.
Bird won 3 consecutive MVP titles - the only other players to do that are Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
Bird was the founder of the 50/40/90 club.
Bird won the first 3 3-pt shooting contests.
Bird didn't trash talk - he just told the other team what he was going to do before he did it and then went out and did what he said he would.
Bird is the only person to win the MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year.
It has been said that Bird was unathletic, slow, couldn't jump and wasn't a great defender.
So how did Bird average more defensive rebounds per game than - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, Karl Malone and Ralph Sampson - to name just a few.
Bird led the NBA in defensive win shares 4 times during his career. If you add the number if times MJ did that and the number of times LeBron did that you get ZERO.
Bird always knew where every player on the court was at all times.
Bird played hurt all the time - if he could walk then he was playing.
There was no load management. Bird gave it all every game. To quote Bird "If you get paid to get to work, you go to work"
And we haven't even talked about his back injury that happened in the summer of 1985 while he was building a driveway at his mothers house and how he had to lay on the floor by the bench because sitting was too painful.
Bird didn't take crap from anyone and when challenged never backed down.
There are too many Bird videos to mention. Just keep watching them and your respect for him will keep growing.
One last thing.
There is only 1 person in the top 250 players of all time that is in each one of these categories and that is Bird
FG%
2Pt FG%
3Pt FG%
Foul Shooting %
Points per game
Assists per game
Rebounds per game
Blocks per game
Steals per game
Minutes per game
% of games won they played in.
Not only is Bird the only player in the top 250 of all time in each category, he is in the top 60 all-time in 6 of the categories.
Watch the Jamal mashburn story about Larry when he came to play them for the dream team practice... Not just a great basketball story but one of the great sport stories of all time IMHO
Yup- 'He's a legit 6' 10" '...
I agree, the best trash talking story ever.
The game against the Pacers when Bird fractured his cheek bone the night before he spent in the hospital in traction. His teammates said he struggled to get dressed out for that game. He broke his back in 85 and played 7 more years.
React to the 5 times Larry Bird was injured but refused to quit.
The 4 times Larry Bird was hurt but showed male toughness.
Bird is my GOAT…definitely check out his other videos 🫶🏾🙌🏾
Bird is the greatest small forward to ever play.
Not only was Bird the third player (and the only forward) to make MVP 3 times in a row but In a 9-year run from 1980 to 1989, Larry Bird got 67% of all MVP votes that were cast. All other players combined only received 33% of the votes. in an era that included the players who eventually made up the dream team and a large list of HOF players.
One of the reasons you always see him kneeling is because his back was so jacked up in the later half of his career that he had trouble sitting down on the bench...and dude still went out and jammed down 50+ point games...
I'm subscribed for more Larry Bird content!
15:27 Fun fact, Magic forgot to bring a tshirt to wear under his warm up here. He borrowed a tshirt, he was wearing a Celtics tshirt underneath right here. There’s another video where Larry pulls open the front of his shirt to expose the Celtics T underneath. They actually became great friends while shooting a shoe a commercial at Larrys home in Indiana. Great story of it all.
Larry was quick and knew where everyone was on the court. The game was easy for him. He was one of only three players to have three back to back MVPs. Check out his passing highlights. Top tier.
That last second inbound pass steal against the Pistons was in the 87 Eastern Conference Finals game 5. Had the Pistons won... they would have gone back to Detroit with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to close it out at home. Instead... the series went to a game 7 at Boston with the Celtics taking the series. It might be the most clutch play I've witnessed in any sport.
Larry’s retirement ceremony was held on a off night, no scheduled game. The Boston Garden was sold out standing room only, respect. When Magic was diagnosed with AIDS his team, friends and the league banished him...the first person to call him and stand by his side was Larry. You much watch Larry trash talk and his passing vid..he was a legend..the GOAT. Larry also played hurt almost his whole career, Deformed broken finger, spinal injury which made him unable to sit on the bench or airplane seats, he had to lay down on the sidelines, he had double Achilles surgery and bone spur removal and came back next season without missing a game. Larry said “ if you got a job, you gotta go to work “
Larry and Magic are hilarious together too. Watch Magic and Larry on Letterman. They went on the Late Show, and you can tell that rivalry is still there and the jabs and jokes are flying! Very funny - I won't spoil any of it, but Larry takes a shot at that signature Magic smile! 🤣
Bird and Magic faced each other 3 times in the finals. Bird won in 1984, Magic in 1985, and Magic in 1987. The Celtics won 1986 against the Rockets after they beat the Lakers in the conference final. The Lakers won in 1988 against the Bad Boy Pistons.
That HBO special about Magic and Bird is brilliant. Highly recommended
When you think "killer", you think Jordan, Kobe & Bird.
If im going by the “eye test “ ,
Bird is the “ real “ GOAT 🐐
Please note that when Larry came back from that head knock, he was playing with a fracture to his orbital bone.
After the game, he blew his nose and his eyeball literally popped out of the socket, to be put back by a physician.
There is no quit in Larry Jo Bird.
You have no idea how competitive and the sportsmanship that was displayed back then. It was tough and the players were tough as nails. I love all the Celtics Bird Parish DJ McCale etc. It was so cool to watch such talent..not just Larry but all the Celtics of that era.
@5:23 - great question. Being that this era is known for NOT playing defense, several of those players from the 80s and 90s would've thrived in today's generation due to the rules and the lack of defense played in today's era
Always my GOAT Larry BIRD
What you two don't realize is that 95 percent of the highlights you just saw were from either the playoffs or the Finals. Who else can put together a highlight reel almost exclusively from the playoffs. Bird won three NBA Championships and Bird's Celtics swept the Michael Jordan enabled Bulls in every playoff game they ever played against each other.
Everybody had the Converse Weapons back then. Our school was green and white so we had the Bird shoe, but they had a Magic, Thomas, King, Aguirre, Dr J shoe colors as we.
Remember this was 40 years ago!!!
Step on in boys! Check out Courtship of Rivals to learn about the NBA, then the 1992 Dreamteam. The greatest game I ever played, i should have quit right there. The passing video, Bird is the word, 15 minutes of Larry Legend, and dont think hes slow, or unathletic. Y'all just haven't watched enough. He had a third gear, and played his heart out.
Making the case
Best larry bird trash talking stories
Legends talking about larry birds trash talking
Larry birds best passes redit
Best larry bird v jordan story
But the best one is a courtship of rivals its the best sports documentary i have seen on probaly the best rivalry ever seen. Its a must watch usually its broken up into 4 parts but well worth watching. Both larry and magic saved the nba without those 2 there is no nba or jordan shaq kobe curry lebron and many more.
LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE *TRUE* GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️
Larry bird trash talking videos are the best!! That night that magic came out for Larry's retirement ceremony, magic got a standing ovation!!... that's love and respect!!
Watching bird live was life changing,we had never seen anything like him , him and magic ,put the world on. Notice , The NBA is here to stay , 🐦 bird got a quick first step,he does it all , bird never gives up and he had alot of DOGG in him , bird 6'9 ,but some say 6'10 either way that fade away ,(forget about blocking that shyt) bird 🐦 would give it to you anyway you wanted it , call it and then make it , TY Dad for taking me to bball games ❤❤❤ #LB33 💚💯🐦
Having been fortunate to follow Bird throughout the 80s, I can assure you he was as amazing as you can imagine. Truly Larry Legend. Great reaction.
Subbed.Magic And Bird: A Coutrship Of Rivals will be one of the favorite things you'll ever watch. That's a promise.
Larry Legend
Parrish and McHale always knew, when Bird had the ball, no matter where he was or which way he was looking, there was always the possibility the ball was coming their way.
He also won 3 consecutive 3 point contests.
Two quotes about Larry Bird that will tell you all you need to know about him.
Pat Riley,
If I had to choose a player. to take a shot to save a game, I choose Michael Jordan. If I had to choose a player to take a shot. to save my life, I'd take Larry Bird.
Isaiah Thomas said.
If you put all of us in a room -- Magic, Jordan, myself and Bird -- Bird would probably be the guy who walks out of the room at the end of the day,"
Larry was the goat in the 1980s decade nobody played the way he did also he finished 4th inMVP rookie year finished 2nd in MVP next 3 years then won MVP the next 3 years 1984 thru 1986 then came in 2nd in1987 ,1988
Bruh people that don’t think he would dominate in today’s game don’t know ball. A 6’9 sniper with eyes in the back of his head would destroy people today. Dude is the founding member of the 50/40/90 club.
Bird and Johnson were aware of each others skills before the NBA. But they became friends shooting a Converse commercial at his mom's house in French Lick, Indiana. Bird's mother was a big fan of Magic Johnson and treated him like family right off the bat. They've been friends ever since. Good reaction. Thanks for sharing.
Larry would be the best player in the league now, without question.
Three Championships; 3 MVPs, in a row; a coach of the year award; and an executive of the year award as well.
Thank you for this one. Larry Legend videos never get old! Lol. And there are so many of them. 👀😂 He's even got videos of just his injuries alone.
I was a young teen, in the garden vs. The sixers. I walked down during warm-ups, stood under the basket, and took pics of Larry, McHale, Parrish, etc as they did layups. Then I went to the other side to get Dr J. So cool...and then retired JoJo White's number that night, so I met him, just hanging out by the floor, by himself, pregame. A different time.
Welcome to the Larry Bird Rabbit Hole! If you like passing, I'd recommend, "Larry Bird Greatest Passer (Re-edit)" Larry is one of the best passers EVER. Better than LeBron. Only Magic and maybe (not to me but I acknowledge it) John Stockton are better. His HIGH IQ allowed him to thread the needle.
Also, His trash talking stories are legendary! My favourites are:
"Larry Bird's most Iconic trash talking Phrase" ruclips.net/video/xoWDf7dqDTk/видео.html
"NEVER poke Larry Bird" ruclips.net/video/1b4B-G3MFRk/видео.html
"He dropped 60 on us!" ruclips.net/video/geLVr171Agg/видео.html
A SMALL, Tiny part of his trash talking. ENJOY!
Bird got 67% of ALL the MVP votes of the 80s..... that's insane!
Awesome reaction! Thank you for embracing Larry Legend. He played in my era of the NBA and watching Larry and Magic on the court was so much fun.😊
Hey, hey Fellas. I can tell y'all that growing up watching Bird play his entire career from start to finish, and ESPECIALLY in the early to mid 80's when he was still young and healthy and the entire league were "dogs," I can remember more than a few games; and this didn't happen often when there'd be like 4-5 minutes on the game clock and both refs would pocket their whistles and just let the teams play and "settle" whatever. No fouls called or anything. Now, there weren't always fights when this happened but those few games when they're just hooping like crazy? OMFG! Talk about AWESOME basketball? Holy Hell! It was too good! And YES, Larry has been and will always be MY GOAT!
Thank you for showing some love to my Bird! 😃 👍
Take care,
Aszneth
There’s nobody like Bird! Definitely dive into more of his videos. Thank you for the great reaction.
i was born in 77....my dad was in the Army....so when we went to see the Celtics on the road....but there was always a ton of Boston fans. We went to see them play Atlanta at the omni and right before the game....the announcer said that Bird wasnt going to play due to injury....the entire arena just let out this "oh shit" type of reaction.
Not a Bird story but we went to a Pistons game when Antoine Walker was the Captain....and these guys behind us kept calling him "Fatoine Walker"....my dad and i have a helluva sense of humor so we immediately turned and laughed with them and high fived them. Toine went off i. the 4th with 30 some points total and the guy behind said..."Antoine may be fat but he's whoopin our ass!!". We all lost it laughing. Thats the thing i love about going to the game....you sit near people you dont know and normally not need to talk to but soon...your laughing your ass off and hitting fives like you e been friends for years!
Hey nice video guys! To me, the thing about Bird is that he's just so much fun to watch. There's three basic reactions to anything he does:
* "Say, that's some nice, solid basketball"
* "What the--"
* "No. That did *not* just happen."
I get goosebumps every time I watch videos about Larry Bird.
i think "imagine lary bird in modern shoes" is the nicest thing ive heard someone say to describe him. thats amazing haha
Don't know if you saw it, but after he fell and left the court, they said he had fractured a face bone and a slight concussion. He left, but snuck back out, played over a quarter & helped his team come back from behind to win the game.
If you think about it, maybe Bird wouldn't have had to have operations on both of his feet for Achilles tendons and bone spurs if the shoes were like they were now.
Another video is "Larry Bird's Legendary 1986-87-88 3 Point Contest Champion Highlights (All Final Rounds)" which shows a fair amount of the three 3-point contest that he won back to back.
And when Larry was playing, the 3-point was actually frowned upon by some coaches, because they thought it was too iffy. Bird and Magic Johnson competed with and drove each other to improve their games. They both really had the competitive spirit.
Those sneakers "converse weapons: are to this day the most comfortable sneakers I have ever worn and I'm gonna be 60 this month
I was at the Pacers playoff game and you guys missed a very important point. Larry snuck past the doctor and trainer to go back out and finish the game. He did that with a concussion and a fractured right cheek bone. He returned in the third quarter and put up 32/9/7. No disrespect but today's players take a month off with a hangnail!
Gentlemen, I watched Larry play from his first game until he retired. Larry was the best all round player the league has EVER known. Larry was dangerous from anywhere on the court whether he was shooting or not, even behind to glass made no difference. Bird, if you notice from his passing, knew where everyone was on the court at all times. His game IQ was on another level. He was three moves ahead of everybody. Larry played through injuries that would sideline today's players for the season. Larry did things routinely that other players could only dream of doing or have nightmares about him doing to them. Larry was the reason I became a Celtics fan and I live in Missouri, but it didn't keep me from attending home games and playoff games back in the day. Larry and Magic's rivalry was legendary. But these two great competitors became the greatest lifelong friends. Magic was mad because Larry retired, and he was going to miss playing against him. These two men brought out the best, most competitive side of the other and they both LOVED it. I stopped following the NBA after Magic retired because what was left was not worth watching. I was a diehard Celtics fan but, I loved watching Magic play. Like Larry, Magic was a fierce competitor, but he was also an honorable, soft spoken, gentle man that everyone loved. Larry just doesn't get the credit he is do, for any number of reasons but, most never watched him play, like you guys, opinions would change if they did watch him.
Me and my cousin had season tickets during the LA Lakers Showtime years. We got to see some of the best players to ever play the game. And we would get there early for warmups and we got to stand at court side and just watch these guys shoot around. It was just a glorious time.
I was a young teen when I watched Larry Bird. He was so fast, accurate, and a force of nature. He was quite a trash talker! When Magic Johnson started with LA it gave me so much stress, because it was like the clash of the titans. After Bird retired I started to lose interest because the game got boring, it changed. Now a player gets a scrape he is out of a game for a week. Wimps! Rushing the court was the best feeling ever, and the crowds were so alive and it was as if we were a part of the team. It is not like that now. My favorite Larry Bird trash talk was when he would tell the opposing team not to insult him by having a white man try to cover him. The cameras do not do him justice, he was the GOAT, and the best player I have ever seen. It was so different then, it was so raw, not the same anymore. He and Magic are best friends, they have respect for each other.
Fun fact about that moment against the pacers, when he hit his head and came back later in the game :
He had a concussion, double vision and a broken orbital bone. He said later in an interview "at first it was hard to aim, but once i figured the target on the right was the real one, i was fine"
Larry would dominate this era. He would be a better version of Luca. I saw what he did in the 80s, now, without hard defense he would dominate
I'd say the top 50 could adapt to any era!
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." A saying that rings through every human endeavor albeit sports, science or what-have-you.
Larry Bird is one of those giants.
larry bird the best brain in basketball
I grew up in Fort Worth and was 15 years old in 1980 when Dallas got an expansion team. The Mavericks were giving away a lot of tickets to get people used to going to games, so we went to a lotta games. When I was 18 I went to Austin to go to school. The Spurs were 80 miles away and sold $5 tickets at the door. Later, when Mark Cuban bought the Mavericks, he charged $10 for every ticket for the rest of the season. I got to see everybody play. You used to be able to walk down to the court, listen to the coach describing plays during timeouts, ask for autographs if you wanted (I didn’t), and the play was PHYSICAL ….. It was much freer back then.
That "Flagrant Foul" against Kurt Rambis? Almost started a fight, and he got 2 three throws. The game continued. And yes, Larry is the TOUGHEST player EVER!!! He often didn't tell the coaches or the trainers he was hurt until he couldn't play. Then they would fix it and he returned. He played with a messed up back his last 7 years. He couldn't sit on the bench, he had to lay down! But he went to work everyday and played like he was getting a spot on the team.
Larry Bird still has everyone thinking he isn't athletic
Pure Genius this man
Larry has a grandson named Jordon Bird who’s a ballplayer for USC, apparently he’s pretty good. Who knows, maybe the Bird is a phoenix and we’ll get to see a Bird fly again. Would be so cool if he’s THAT good.
You’ve gotta watch the history (and present) of Magic and Larry. Larry really supported Magic in a time when others were afraid to. Such a cool dynamic between them.
Fun Fact. Larry Bird, the first player to accomplish the 50-40-90 achievement, and one of three players to achieve the feat in multiple seasons.
LARRY BIRD was better than Jokic
Dude, you gotta watch Bird's Legends Talk, Greatest Passes, Trash Talk videos and a documentary about him and Magic called "A Courtship of Rivals". Best documentary I ever saw
very very cool. the part at the end about how larry looked one way, yet accomplished a lot was real; and made this a great reaction!
The best sports documentary of all time ‘A Courtship of Rivals’ is about Bird and Magic. You should react to it.
I attended several Celtics games when Larry Bird was playing. He was unmatched, his basketball IQ was insane. LEGEND!! Also a legendary trash talker.
Larry Bird was the guy who would walk up to the other team's coach and say: "I'mma shoot a 3 on the right side." And before the shot even sinks in, he'll say: "TOLD YOU SO".
In that pacers game he broke hos orbital bone near the eye. He had triple vision. The doctors said he was out for the playoffs. He chugged a beer, snuck back in, & aimed for the middle.