In 1974 Larry Bird was my P.E assistant when I was in the 8th grade and he was a senior at Springs Valley High School. At the beginning of each P.E. class we always ran 10 warmup laps around the gym. One day, a trampoline was set up on the basketball court and there was Larry Bird bouncing on it. As the whistle blew and we reluctantly lined up to run our laps, our teacher (who was also Larry's basketball coach) blew his whistle, and said "Larry is going to take 10 shots while jumping on the trampoline. If Larry makes any shots, each one made will delete a lap that you must run." Coach threw the ball to Larry and right there in front of me and the entire boys Jr. High P.E. class, Larry proceeded to hit 7 out of 10 shots while bouncing up and down on the trampoline, 35 feet away from the goal. Larry set an incredible example for me as a young boy in French Lick, Indiana that helped me through my entire adult career. If you are willing to work very hard and never give up, your dreams can and will come true. Thank you Larry.
Yeah, here's the deal. When Kareem says without flinching "Larry Bird was the best player I played against in my career", And Magic says "I only feared one man on the basketball court in my life, Larry Bird".... I think you can just drop the mic, and walk away....
@@chocolatecityoutlaw6258 Yeah, and I'm not some casual spewing garbage. The players I referenced said every bit of that about Bird verbatim. I could quote Birds peers for 2 hours who have said the exact same thing.
@@Jbf-76 Bird can play in any era, actually with these rules now Larry would score 60 a night, easily! And whoever said that has it backwards, it's the creampuffs that play now that couldn't make it back then. No traveling, no palming, hard fouls, no moving out of your way so you can dunk, lol, lol, these guys are way too soft for the game back then!
These older players from the late 80s and late 90s really respected each other. You can tell by how they talk about each other. It doesn't look or sound fake. They arent to proud or their egos to big to give another man his credit. Love watching these old games
True. Fans nowadays can misconstrue the idea that no player in this era is feared but I think it's just a generational thing where it's cooler to not show respect to a great player bc it makes you look inferior. There's also some clout on social media if you posture and taunt your opponent after a crossover, dunk, etc. whereas you would never get any notice in the 80s and 90s if you were just a role player doing that move.
They went at each other. They stayed with the teams that drafted them and tried to win a Championship on their own. Now, it's everybody wants to team up with their friends and get a Championship. Like they the Super Friends or Avengers or something
It’s hard not to have an ego when everyone you’ve encountered since you were 12 has kissed your ass. And when you’ve earned more money playing half a season in the NBA than the entire nba made in 1980
@@beethovenlovedmozart Well if you put it that way, then you know the circumstances of how Bird was drafted. Wild west stuff with NBA draft before structure was stabilized the way we know it now. Shout outs to the OG legend Red Aurbach too who was a maverick for his time.
And he's still alive... people usually like to do that after people die and stories get embellished because they know it's all for them to tell now! So they can say what ever they want... That's how you know they are real!
"If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan; If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life...I'd take Larry Bird." - Pat Riley
I just went on a binge of bird and others. Especially this series. It reminds me of a line I actually liked basketball. I often say "I'd rather play it than watch it." There are good people playing now, but the current league is a shadow of its former self.
@@larryrider6603 I like those guys specially Luka's feistiness(not sure if that's a word) but for some reason, whenever I watch their games, they lose lmao.
Same. Didn't like the Celtics (or Lakers) at all, but it's impossible to deny what Bird (and Magic, the others) brought to the sport during those years. Amazing.
I was a pistons fan then but looking back now i see how much talent this team had and how great Larry Bird was. The pistons played more of a “cave man” ball that roughed up their opponents. Celtics were clearly a more skilled team
@@CornPopWazABadDude first off, this was in the 80's (craig ehlo, the guy who's mom bird was referring to) was drafted in1983, secondly, what? nowadays you'll get a technical for having bad breath
The NBA was never the same after Larry Bird hurt his back and retired. It was extremely exciting to watch Boston, Chicago, and LA playing each other in the NBA final when Bird, Jordan, and Magic were still playing.
Remember now,... Jordan was in the league all three years in a row that Bird won the MVP in 84, 85, and 86. There was nobody, and I mean nobody better at that time in the NBA than Larry Bird and everyone knew it.
@Richard Afflitto yeah + reggie miller came only as high as 13th in 99/00 not facing legends like oscar robertson kareem abdul-jabbar wilt chamberlain and bill russell
@@youtuber3328 wilt and Bill also played in a different era. To be honest, it’s called the non black 12 team nba back then. Bird ruled half of the golden era. Big difference.
@@nybirdman Wilt would DOMINATE every Era. He would be the best player playing in any decade. Bird is great but wilt wasn't from this planet. He's the only one that has a higher athletic tier than LeBron and Shaq in my opinion. A tier of his own.
His hard work allowed him to call his shots. Loved watching him as a kid. That entire era of NBA hoops was epic. His career should have been longer but what a career he had.
Can you imagine what he could have done without all the injuries, when he was on the dream team he couldn't even sit down half the time bc of his back. I think he would have approached the scoring title for sure and if Bias wouldn't have sadly passed him and Bird might have got a few more titles
I don't think people realize how great Bird really was. His peak, in my opinion was better than anyone else's. If he had come around a little bit later and got as much tv exposure and marketing as guys in the 90s, I doubt anyone would have him any lower than 2 or 3 all time.
Bird is the best ever. Better than jordan even. Jordan was in the league when bird was league mvp three times. Bad boy pistons made jordan who he became.
@@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo Thankfully videos from guys like Thinking Basketball should help gather more support from knowledgeable basketball heads than the casual/ignorant crowd whose never really given Bird the eye test. People talk about Bird's shooting but other parts of his game is just as elite. His fade away jumper was money before Jordan fully weaponized his. His ability to pass while moving is the stuff of legends and his touch passing is one that only very few guys in his size/caliber have made it look EZ (check out Jokic tho). His defense is VERY underrated and people think Bird would get sliced up in the modern ball. When Bird's on ball defense was good enough as he can keep in front of his man AND his BBIQ let him disrupt plays CONSTANTLY on defense like these big cat forwards now playing like a ball hawking safety. 'Team' defense is what the modern ball has been about and Bird played that game at such an elite level with legendary teammates resulting in multiple finals trips and a few chips. Imagine what he'd do now where teams are looking for that ONE important piece who can pass, shoot and read offenses and defenses.
It's like Larry found the game so easy that he would add obstacles like telling his opponents what he's gonna do and shooting left handed, just to make it more interesting for him. Amazing.
@@joemarshall4226 He score 47 points in total. I haven't found any article especially stated how much points he made playing like that, but they did state that 10/21 of his FGM was from the left, the score is between 20-23 pts.
Am from Europe and all I used to care about was football, I didn't watch any other sport, maybe F1 if there was no good game on Sunday. Like 5 years ago my colleague at work kept talking about this guy named Larry Bird who is apparently the equivalent of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a cocky, badass player who could always back up his talk. So I was like, you know what amma look him up when I get home, and I realized he was wrong. Larry Bird has no equal, and he is the sole reason why I started watching basketball. I've seen a lot of videos about him and his endeavours and I think there will never be a man like Larry Bird in any sport, ever. One of the best with the ball, the most confident and among the most intelligent players out there with wicked aura, scary presence that is out to get you, and you know there is nothing you can do about it. What a mad lad, I am so grateful I looked him up all those years back, he's most definitely my most favorite athlete of all times.
What makes these vids so great is that the creator lets the clips speak for themselves and/or puts in the description from the participants themselves. He has the discipline to keep his own mic turned off. Great work.
People believe videos are composed of atoms and molecules. This is a concept of the mind. The truth is videos are composed of CONSCIOUSNESS. Videos are dream imagined by consciousness just like reality.
That's bc he takes other peoples' already created content and just puts them in a different order and calls it his own lmao. There are 5000 "Larry Bird trash talk" videos on RUclips that do the exact same shit he's doing.
He was 100% all in all the time. He was playing the game with a look or comment before the game even started. He not only was the most determined athlete to be the best he could be but he challenged his teammates to be better by being the first man to get to practice and the last man to go home. He mastery of the mental game may never be matched.
It's difficult to argue..who the best all around player is..other than Larry Bird..one of a kind..not the most athletic..not the biggest highlight film..just the best. Made basketball so fun to watch. And he played with all his heart.
If Larry hadn't screwed up his back shoveling tons gravel in maintaining his mother's long driveway he would have had an additional incredible 5 or 6 years . . . so sad to see him go before his time.
I would have loved to if Larry would have been able to play longer but to be honest, Larry wrecking his back just added to his legend. His legend is untouchable on and off the court.
somehow, millennials and gen z take that against him and accuse him of being a cheapskate, that's people who grew up poor and worked hard to get to where they are for you
Alot of people don't realize how much damage her did to his career. He must have been trying to pick up the entire truck.(Just kidding). The man had won 2 consecutive MVPs and was in his prime. He won his last MVP after hurting his back. I don't think people realize how great he was.. You have 2 of the top 10 players that have ever been in the league telling you that he Was the best player they ever played against. Magic JohnsonStill thinks hes the best player that he ever played against wait against. Granted, he is not the biggest Michael Jordan fan) I was a Magic fan myself. I didn't like the Celtics and so, didn't like Larry either. Like him or dislike him, you knew you were watching the best player on the court In just a matter of moments. He was slow, goofey and really lacked athleticism. Without these attributes, most players would have found another profession. Larry just pinned his ears back and willed himself to another sphere. If you ever get the chance, look up the speech that Nolan Richardson gave when he was talking about hearing "Bird's" ii name for the first time on the radio. Gary Payton probably said it best. "Don't get it twisted. Larry Bird could give it to you anyway he wanted."
@@jespacey That's because they're stupid, lazy and entitled and don't have a freaking clue about real hard work and what it takes to be the best. They're happy with being mediocre.
Considering he was a midwest farm boy at heart, and in interviews and as a coach he was incredibly calm, it's amazing how much trash he could talk and just how much fire he had when it came to competition!
@@moxmann it’s different though Timmy was playful with it. Bird was a straight up menace, to tell another teams coach that he’s being disrespectful by putting a white player on him in the middle of a game with said player right next to him is some demon shit.
@@kylemaclellan7959 I've heard Larry didn't like being guarded by other white guys because he felt like it was the team's just throwing a random dude on him cause they are both white and disregarded the fact he should have the best defender on him
Of all the great stories about Larry Bird I like the one that Jerry Reynolds of the Sacramento King’s tells. Jerry went home to French Lick, IN and asked his Mom who has been cutting her lawn and she says “I think one of Martha Bird’s boys did, I believe it was Larry”. What a great person he is and a top 5 player of all time!
Defenders & opposing coaches must tell themselves " well i'm big, muscular, black & athletic as F... but LB shows brains over brawn, tallent over rough physical play... makes a fool out of who guards him... & i love it !
@Aaron9 Jordan was great But he had the absolute perfect group around him Some of the best role players, 3 point specialists and lock down defenders in the history of Basketball Armstrong, Kerr, Rodman, Pippen
@@bradsully6620 They played different positions, Bird was a forward, Jordan was a guard Comparing Bird and Jordan is stupid as comparing Lebron and Jordon Compare Bird to Lebron and compare Kobe to Jordan
Humble yet cocky, slow yet quick, quiet yet trash talker, rich yet frugal, there's a hundred more contradictions. He was a different man on the court. In life he's humble and quiet. Does his own work at home. Playing basketball he's intelligent, cocky, legendary 🎉
Larry was by far the greatest forward ever! I am a Knick fan I’m 52 years old and I hated Larry because he was the very best! He couldn’t jump, he was slow, his back was always in pain, but like my dad who was born in 1920 in Oklahoma said someone can be smarter than you someone can be stronger than you but the great equalizer is hard work out work him son!!!
I watched that Celtics/Hawks game live and I never laughed to so hard in my life as when I saw the reaction of the Atlanta bench when Larry was putting on his show. Let me tell you, the guys on the Hawks bench weren't the only ones who were falling over and shaking their heads in disbelief! Larry was hitting shots from behind the backboard, with players just about hanging on him, and just about every which way you could see a NBA player make a basket! It was like something out of "The Twilight Zone!"
I remember watching that game with my grand dad and he was laughing so hard. He said look at them fools on that bench that coach is going to burn their a##.... Great memory for me, for many reasons...
A Bird story I heard on a sports talk radio driving across country from a player. I wish I could remember who. He said that this was when Bird was an exec with the Pacers and they were practicing and Bird was standing on the side talking with other team leadership in a suit and tie. He walked onto the court in his suit to a rack of balls and ripped off a bunch of threes.
My two favorite moments were Bird saying "Dont take this butt whipping personally..." and Jordan watching the 3 point contest and murmuring "He aint even took off his top yet! what would he do if he took off his top?"
@Bella Bailey Was it urban legend. But that ask Bird once why he didn't practice shooting more. He said, "Why I never miss." Then showed them and made shots from everywhere for over 20 minutes. "Practices making shots? Why?"
Bird practiced shooting from all over the court every day. When everybody else was going home he'd stay and practice. When the season was over and players going on vacation he'd stay and practice. He lived and breathed basketball. He was truly amazing.
@@jaylenbrownfan2112 no kidding. That never ending will to win, led to all that diving for loose balls on the floor or into the crowd. Which definitely didn’t help his back. But that is what made him great too. I just wish that Magic vs Bird rivalry could have lasted a couple more years.
This was probably one of the best made videos I've ever seen. The suspense of jumping back and forth but only for a short duration, it was very intriguing, educational and fun to watch. Thank you
Having lost almost any/all interest in the NBA over the last several years, I appreciate your time and effort in putting together this really, really, really solid video. Thanks and I look forward to checking out your other work.
The last time the NBA was interesting to me was when Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Steph and Klay Warriors (after another great series against the KD/Westbrook Thunder), that was actually a great matchup. Then KD went to the Warriors, then LeBron went to LA, and I don’t really care anymore
Can you believe some guys tried to say Larry was overrated because he was white? Numbers don’t lie. Championships don’t lie. Clutch shooting doesn’t lie. MJ’s approval doesn’t lie. He is truly one of the absolute best basketball players to ever play. If he was at the top of his game today, he’d still be at the top of the League. He’s an absolute beauty.
@Donald Martin Who are these blacks you speak of? I've yet to see any black NBA player say that Bird was overrated. That little dust up about Dennis Rodman and Isiah Thomas was pretty much nothing but competition. Look at what both of those players have said about Bird since that time. Both of them hold Bird in high regards. If you want to hear someone who has never said anything positive about Bird then that would be Bill Laimbeer.
Championships really shouldn't be used to prove a player's greatness. Championships are won by teams not individuals. Many great players were stuck on the wrong teams, Elgin Baylor and Karl Malone to name a few, by the luck of the draft.
I'd like to just take moment to acknowledge how Bird went up to block that Wilkins monster dunk. Even though Dominic put it on his head and posterized him?? The fact that Larry had the competitive nature to contest that dunk,.... truly speaks volumes to how legendary he is. Just an incredible basketball player.
MJ,BIRD, DOMINIQUE, KOBE, AND RUSSELL are my 5. Not only because they're awesome. But because they were loyal and team players. No super teams or flopping. Hard work, pride, confidence, and never giving up..
I remember years ago hearing about a Celtics practice near a holiday. The players were bitching and KC said if one of them could make a shot from half court he would cancel practice. Bird didn't say a word. He casually picked up a loose ball, lobbed it up and headed to the locker room without even watching it ripple the net as it dropped through. That's the kind of story people tell about a true legend!
My Dad went to many, many open practices back then. He told me a few times Bird said to coach, 'We want to drink a few beers today instead of practice. If I hit this halfcourt shot, we gone'. Coach nods. Bird. Swish. Practice canceled.
As a Chicago native, I never appreciated nor really knew LB. Watching this series was enlightening, and it gave me a huge appreciation for LB and for the team that caused the Bulls so much grief early on. Great work. Subscribed. And I'm not a huge sports fan, but I appreciate your effort. Thank you.
@@ryancallsinSpoken like someone who isn’t old enough to remember the 80’s NBA. The league was stacked with great teams and great athletes. The lack of any meaningful defense today and the wide open court means Bird would be killing it if he were playing now.
@@ryancallsin Every time he stepped on the court Bird was to slow and couldn't jump. Seemed to work out fine. Bird would be fine. That fade away shot was unblockable then. It would be unblockable now.
This is why 80/90's NBA was so great. When I started watching Bird was already retired, but boy I'm still digging some games from the 80's especially against the Lakers. The competitive level and will to win was so intense and pure as the finesse and style of some of the players. After MJ and then with the 3-Point ruling most players do not have a particular personal style anymore.
As great as Larry Bird was, I still feel he doesn't get the credit he deserved for his dominance in the league. Bird represented death for opposing teams.
Bird was a master on the court. He could do it all, score like a machine, rebound, and insanely good passer. But the psychological warfare is what truly made him one of the greatest of all time. He had ice water in his veins.
The Bird-MAN = The REAL "Mr. Clutch". I watched his entire career, including college -- during that time, and at his spot, there was no one better. NO ONE!!!
I have been there when an opposing player was so good that you celebrated when they made a great shot, move, or hit. That's what makes sports so great. I coached too and I always wanted the other teams best players on the field. So when we won it was completely legitimate, no excuses. That gave our team a lot of confidence knowing we could beat their best. On the other hand when we lost, it showed our team what we needed to do. It raised the bar for us.
Maybe they should have said "Perhaps you, since you can still be defeated." Maybe Larry asked that question because he wanted them to beat him, and maybe he figured that was a way to motive them to do it.
You gotta back it up or it gets old real quick. You cant talk shit like Larry Bird if you're basically just shitting all over the court stinking the place up and being merely good won't cut it either.
I got to this country in 91 , right before the bulls beat the Lakers at the final , I miss the bird vs magic era , but shortly I knew that Larry bird was out of this world
And the fact that Bird, Magic, Kareem, Wilt etc played this awesome wearing the least supportive shoes possible compared to the 90s and beyond is nothing to scoff at.
@@youtuber3328 no one cares about wilt or russel. they was around 7ft playing vs unathletic white guys who were 6ft. im 6ft4,put me in a pick up game with a bunch of unathletic white guys who are 5ft4 and ill get 40 rebounds too. basketball wasnt competitive till the 80s which is why anyone begore larry bird,MJ or magic johnson arent credible.
Larry was a champion through and through I can watch his highlights from morning to evening and be happy with his style of trash talking with backing it up with playing
You're doing amazing work bro!!! Keep this up man you literally making historic and very important videos! These young kids need to learn and I can never get enough of these!!
After watching all the time videos from the 70’s till the late 90’s, last dance and winning time included, all I can say is…the NBA died after these guys
It was like this .. 1st you went to get Your Celtics jersey with 33 on the back Then u went to the local bookie And bet the celtics game you Knew they were gonna smoke Hoping vegas didn't take it Off the board .... Then you collect your cash And thank God for bird ... I was a big basketball guy.. I was just out of high school And I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do with my life When bird came on the scene I called my buddies and we sat down . We've been friends since 1st grade I'd do anything for you guys I'm gonna throw a idea at ya So tell me what you think And I said .. this bird fella is beyond His years he's gonna win some titles No doubt in my mind .. if we pool our cash And bet key games we can make some money .. My buds went big on basketball But I knew this guy was gold So we agreed it was a good idea Our 1st 3 time betting the.celtics All 4 of us walked away with 10 grand each .. and it went up Over the years .. he was a cash cow As they say.. But even better than $$ I got to see him play There are no words
It was…..pretty damn amazing to be perfectly honest, seriously, if it wasn’t for the Celtics (and especially Bird) in the 80s, you’d have seen a lot of mass suicides of Boston sports fans, he carried all of us through most of that decade. Players like him don’t exist anymore.
Loved Larry Bird. Only got to see him LIVE (at the game) once. Badass👍 Loved that Celtics team Parrish/Chief, Mchale, Johnson, Ainge. EDIT: This video was one of the BEST I’ve seen in a long time! Timing was perfect! Thank you!
u should read ‘Drive’ by Larry w/ Bob Ryan. not the most in depth analysis on him, but it’s his story in his own words and it’s pretty cool. definitely need a definitive biography done on Legend though.
A 500 word essay is not difficult to do. To stress how impressive Larry Bird was he needs his own memoir. This man has is an incredible basketball player. 🏀 🐐
I've seen every one of these clips s dozen times and I still laugh when I hear Bird's comments. He and McHale must have really been fun to be around - if you were a Celtic.
Loved when Ehlo told the the story of Larry asking if his mother was watching. She was just down the street from me. Played all sports with Ehlo growing up. Until high school he was so clumsy. In High School that all changed.
Big fan of Larry & Magic, these two saved the NBA, NOT Jordan. Before them NBA games were prerecorded. After college, Magic in the west, Larry in the east. They scheduled the season around them, that’s how extremely good they were.
I Agree. I GREW UP outside the US until I was 10z BIRD N MAGIC was NBA. The NBA was absolutely saved by this 2. MICHAEL JORDAN as great as he was and this is no knock on MJ but he was PUSHED heavily by DAVID STERN to be the product and so was NIKE. The JORDAN RULES started when DAVID STERN decided MICHAEL JORDAN will carry the torch. Though I have to say Jordan was more than worthy and even excelled. It also reflects JORDANS dominance… during Jordans era… there was absolutely no team that we can say was in par with their talent. THE CELTICS LAKERS PISTONS and even the SIXERS went on some war. Even the KOBE LAKERS went against dynastic teams like the SPURS and the SUPER TEAM CELTICS. JORDANs BULLS in the 90s where against low seeded KNICKS and non champions thought good teams like the JAZZ SONICS and SUNS.
When Byron Scott was telling that story about Bird saying he was going to shoot the 3 from the corner, let's look at the play again and notice that James Worthy is holding Larry's jersey with his left hand, Bird breaks away and hits the 3 over Kareem, one of the greatest players and shot bloxkers of all time...... best clutch player ever.... even more clutch than Jordan. Coach Pat Riley said it best..... "If I want a shot to save the game I'll choose Michael Jordan. If I want a shot to save my life I'll take Larry Bird."
I've lived outside of Boston my entire 61 years of life. I've never been a big fan of basketball (in order I loved hockey then baseball then football) but even I was glued to the tv every game in the Larry Bird years. I even got to see him play in the old Garden. Those were the years.
In 1974 Larry Bird was my P.E assistant when I was in the 8th grade and he was a senior at Springs Valley High School. At the beginning of each P.E. class we always ran 10 warmup laps around the gym. One day, a trampoline was set up on the basketball court and there was Larry Bird bouncing on it. As the whistle blew and we reluctantly lined up to run our laps, our teacher (who was also Larry's basketball coach) blew his whistle, and said "Larry is going to take 10 shots while jumping on the trampoline. If Larry makes any shots, each one made will delete a lap that you must run." Coach threw the ball to Larry and right there in front of me and the entire boys Jr. High P.E. class, Larry proceeded to hit 7 out of 10 shots while bouncing up and down on the trampoline, 35 feet away from the goal. Larry set an incredible example for me as a young boy in French Lick, Indiana that helped me through my entire adult career. If you are willing to work very hard and never give up, your dreams can and will come true. Thank you Larry.
This is one of the best basketball stories ever! It needs more exposure because I'm sure more people would love to hear it..
@@markhildebrand2417 Thank you Mark!
@NykaitchaCoach was and still is, sharp.
Awesome 👍 that's definitely a cool story!! I know you never will forget..
@@billyshupe5239 Thank you Billy. I have a few but this is in the top 3 for sure!
Yeah, here's the deal. When Kareem says without flinching "Larry Bird was the best player I played against in my career", And Magic says "I only feared one man on the basketball court in my life, Larry Bird".... I think you can just drop the mic, and walk away....
Nuff Said!
@@chocolatecityoutlaw6258 Yeah, and I'm not some casual spewing garbage. The players I referenced said every bit of that about Bird verbatim. I could quote Birds peers for 2 hours who have said the exact same thing.
@@chocolatecityoutlaw6258 Yeah, I think I'll take 2 of the top 6-7 players opinion over moronic casuals who say Bird couldn't play in today's league.
@@Jbf-76 Bird can play in any era, actually with these rules now Larry would score 60 a night, easily! And whoever said that has it backwards, it's the creampuffs that play now that couldn't make it back then. No traveling, no palming, hard fouls, no moving out of your way so you can dunk, lol, lol, these guys are way too soft for the game back then!
@@chocolatecityoutlaw6258 With today's rules, Jordan would go for 80. Bird would go for 60 and 20. Magic would go for 40, 20, & 20.
These older players from the late 80s and late 90s really respected each other. You can tell by how they talk about each other. It doesn't look or sound fake. They arent to proud or their egos to big to give another man his credit. Love watching these old games
It’s called true masculinity 👍
True. Fans nowadays can misconstrue the idea that no player in this era is feared but I think it's just a generational thing where it's cooler to not show respect to a great player bc it makes you look inferior. There's also some clout on social media if you posture and taunt your opponent after a crossover, dunk, etc. whereas you would never get any notice in the 80s and 90s if you were just a role player doing that move.
Everyone was happier. They engineered these privileged college kids to be angrier than ppl that were slaves 200 years sgo
They went at each other. They stayed with the teams that drafted them and tried to win a Championship on their own. Now, it's everybody wants to team up with their friends and get a Championship. Like they the Super Friends or Avengers or something
It’s hard not to have an ego when everyone you’ve encountered since you were 12 has kissed your ass. And when you’ve earned more money playing half a season in the NBA than the entire nba made in 1980
"He shot it left handed, and then he asked me if my mother was watching 😞 "
Larry is a savage!!!!
MJ: Who better to pick up trash talking from?
😂😂😂
LOL!!!
Crazy😙😙😙😙
Larry was from the era,, I ain't bragging, that's just facts.
Celtics won 29 games, drafted Larry Bird, and then won 61 games during his rookie year. That's how good he was.
Well yea Larry was great but you don't think they tanked a little to get him? :)
@@beethovenlovedmozart Well if you put it that way, then you know the circumstances of how Bird was drafted. Wild west stuff with NBA draft before structure was stabilized the way we know it now. Shout outs to the OG legend Red Aurbach too who was a maverick for his time.
@@beethovenlovedmozart No, they drafted him two years prior and still owned the rights.
@@beethovenlovedmozart this isn’t Philadelphia. The Celtics don’t tank. That team was just awful.
They also had Pete Maravich that year. Wasn't on the roster in 78 according to google. I wonder how Pete played that year.
I've always loved the fact that, after all these years, it's like a badge of honor to have your own "Larry Bird story."
The best stories and the best experiences of all-time. Period. Larry Bird's got it.
And he's still alive... people usually like to do that after people die and stories get embellished because they know it's all for them to tell now! So they can say what ever they want...
That's how you know they are real!
Stories are one of the few things all cultures have in common. We all pass down stories of great people and various feats.
"If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan; If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life...I'd take Larry Bird."
- Pat Riley
Damn. Never heard it put so well. That says it all..
@Aaron9 wrong.pat is right
@Aaron9 You just don't know what you don't know buddy.
There is a good reason there are no thumb downs on this comment
@Aaron9 you must be a kid
I watch more larry bird stories than actual regular season nba games these past several years.
You and me both.
Me too!
I just went on a binge of bird and others. Especially this series.
It reminds me of a line I actually liked basketball. I often say "I'd rather play it than watch it."
There are good people playing now, but the current league is a shadow of its former self.
i was like you before but you should watch now specially in the playoff Luka Donkic and Nikola Jokic have the bird mindset and great IQ basketball
@@larryrider6603 I like those guys specially Luka's feistiness(not sure if that's a word) but for some reason, whenever I watch their games, they lose lmao.
Is sad that this generation didn't get to see this man play, I hated him because of the whooping he put on my team, but greatness can't be denied.
Same. Didn't like the Celtics (or Lakers) at all, but it's impossible to deny what Bird (and Magic, the others) brought to the sport during those years. Amazing.
I couldn't care less about basketball to be honest, but Bird was such a legend I probably would have watched the sport just for him.
I was a pistons fan then but looking back now i see how much talent this team had and how great Larry Bird was. The pistons played more of a “cave man” ball that roughed up their opponents. Celtics were clearly a more skilled team
"Is your mother watching" is the most cold blooded sh*t I ever heard in my entire life.
Sounds to me that cut him deeper than he is showing.
I nearly died hearing that. Imagine being the fockin guy playing him lmao time to take off the shoes
@@N_metab 😂 and this was in the 70s when talking sh*t wasn't nearly to the level it's at now.
@@CornPopWazABadDude first off, this was in the 80's (craig ehlo, the guy who's mom bird was referring to) was drafted in1983, secondly, what? nowadays you'll get a technical for having bad breath
@@ermannosorricchiodivalfort4905 yeah I realized that I think right after I wrote it lol...
The NBA was never the same after Larry Bird hurt his back and retired. It was extremely exciting to watch Boston, Chicago, and LA playing each other in the NBA final when Bird, Jordan, and Magic were still playing.
Oh hell yes
He hurt his back very early in his career, it just got worse as time went on.
Reggie still calling Larry "coach" is next level of respect.
Mark Jackson does that to Jeff van Gundy too.
Once a coach, always a coach.
I'm 53 and still refer to my High School football coach the same way. It would seem so strange to call him anything else.
Calls him Larry Legend too. You love to see it.
Nope just plain ole common respect that is so foreign today it seems next level.
Watching the Atlanta Hawks bench crumble in laughter is PRICELESS !!! Thank You Larry Bird !! It was a honor to watch your Hall of Fame career !!
Yeah, and they were given a fine for that. Guess the owner didn't have a sense of humor
That was the best and the fact that they were watching it for the next days game footage was priceless
Now I get to watch a bunch of cry babies flopping and begging for fouls. Wtf
They were losing it watching this man disrespect them like that.
Charged Barkley's "You guys are disrespecting me" story is a killer too. Always liked him.
Remember now,... Jordan was in the league all three years in a row that Bird won the MVP in 84, 85, and 86. There was nobody, and I mean nobody better at that time in the NBA than Larry Bird and everyone knew it.
Actually Jordan wasn’t in 83-84 the first year Bird won MVP.
the goats tied literally always have + will be both wilt chamberlain and bill russell
@Richard Afflitto yeah + reggie miller came only as high as 13th in 99/00 not facing legends like oscar robertson kareem abdul-jabbar wilt chamberlain and bill russell
@@youtuber3328 wilt and Bill also played in a different era. To be honest, it’s called the non black 12 team nba back then. Bird ruled half of the golden era. Big difference.
@@nybirdman Wilt would DOMINATE every Era. He would be the best player playing in any decade. Bird is great but wilt wasn't from this planet. He's the only one that has a higher athletic tier than LeBron and Shaq in my opinion. A tier of his own.
His hard work allowed him to call his shots. Loved watching him as a kid. That entire era of NBA hoops was epic. His career should have been longer but what a career he had.
Can you imagine what he could have done without all the injuries, when he was on the dream team he couldn't even sit down half the time bc of his back. I think he would have approached the scoring title for sure and if Bias wouldn't have sadly passed him and Bird might have got a few more titles
I don't think people realize how great Bird really was. His peak, in my opinion was better than anyone else's. If he had come around a little bit later and got as much tv exposure and marketing as guys in the 90s, I doubt anyone would have him any lower than 2 or 3 all time.
Bird is becoming underrated. The fact he isn't in the GOAT conversation is a travesty to the history of the NBA.
Bird is the best ever. Better than jordan even. Jordan was in the league when bird was league mvp three times. Bad boy pistons made jordan who he became.
His jump shot was absolutely ridiculous. When he got hot he didn’t miss. As a Knicks fan it was frustrating.
I think a lot of people realize it
@@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo Thankfully videos from guys like Thinking Basketball should help gather more support from knowledgeable basketball heads than the casual/ignorant crowd whose never really given Bird the eye test. People talk about Bird's shooting but other parts of his game is just as elite. His fade away jumper was money before Jordan fully weaponized his. His ability to pass while moving is the stuff of legends and his touch passing is one that only very few guys in his size/caliber have made it look EZ (check out Jokic tho). His defense is VERY underrated and people think Bird would get sliced up in the modern ball. When Bird's on ball defense was good enough as he can keep in front of his man AND his BBIQ let him disrupt plays CONSTANTLY on defense like these big cat forwards now playing like a ball hawking safety. 'Team' defense is what the modern ball has been about and Bird played that game at such an elite level with legendary teammates resulting in multiple finals trips and a few chips. Imagine what he'd do now where teams are looking for that ONE important piece who can pass, shoot and read offenses and defenses.
It's like Larry found the game so easy that he would add obstacles like telling his opponents what he's gonna do and shooting left handed, just to make it more interesting for him. Amazing.
Played a whole game left handed
@@seangelarden8753 Only three quarters of it...but he scored 29 point, I think.
@@joemarshall4226 He score 47 points in total. I haven't found any article especially stated how much points he made playing like that, but they did state that 10/21 of his FGM was from the left, the score is between 20-23 pts.
Am from Europe and all I used to care about was football, I didn't watch any other sport, maybe F1 if there was no good game on Sunday. Like 5 years ago my colleague at work kept talking about this guy named Larry Bird who is apparently the equivalent of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a cocky, badass player who could always back up his talk. So I was like, you know what amma look him up when I get home, and I realized he was wrong. Larry Bird has no equal, and he is the sole reason why I started watching basketball. I've seen a lot of videos about him and his endeavours and I think there will never be a man like Larry Bird in any sport, ever. One of the best with the ball, the most confident and among the most intelligent players out there with wicked aura, scary presence that is out to get you, and you know there is nothing you can do about it. What a mad lad, I am so grateful I looked him up all those years back, he's most definitely my most favorite athlete of all times.
There's not a single thing in common. Larry Is a Legend. Even in trash talkin'.
Always funny and almost never disrespectful.
What makes these vids so great is that the creator lets the clips speak for themselves and/or puts in the description from the participants themselves. He has the discipline to keep his own mic turned off. Great work.
Amen. Fortunately Vitale only does NCAA. He would ruin most great NBA stories....baybeeeee.
This comment is underrated.....lol more people need to let the video talk
People believe videos are composed of atoms and molecules. This is a concept of the mind. The truth is videos are composed of CONSCIOUSNESS. Videos are dream imagined by consciousness just like reality.
That's bc he takes other peoples' already created content and just puts them in a different order and calls it his own lmao. There are 5000 "Larry Bird trash talk" videos on RUclips that do the exact same shit he's doing.
That one minute in the beginning was nearly unbearable, so i appreciated it
He was 100% all in all the time. He was playing the game with a look or comment before the game even started. He not only was the most determined athlete to be the best he could be but he challenged his teammates to be better by being the first man to get to practice and the last man to go home. He mastery of the mental game may never be matched.
Bird and Kobe the 2 most determined players to ever play the game... they gave it everything.
It's difficult to argue..who the best all around player is..other than Larry Bird..one of a kind..not the most athletic..not the biggest highlight film..just the best. Made basketball so fun to watch. And he played with all his heart.
@@donparvex3524 well said
I could listen to Larry Legend stories all night long.
Not only was he the greatest shooter in his era, he was the smartest player in the league!!
Great all-around player too and also the best psychological/trash talker of all-time. Whew.
If Larry hadn't screwed up his back shoveling tons gravel in maintaining his mother's long driveway he would have had an additional incredible 5 or 6 years . . . so sad to see him go before his time.
I would have loved to if Larry would have been able to play longer but to be honest, Larry wrecking his back just added to his legend. His legend is untouchable on and off the court.
somehow, millennials and gen z take that against him and accuse him of being a cheapskate, that's people who grew up poor and worked hard to get to where they are for you
Alot of people don't realize how much damage her did to his career. He must have been trying to pick up the entire truck.(Just kidding). The man had won 2 consecutive MVPs and was in his prime. He won his last MVP after hurting his back. I don't think people realize how great he was.. You have 2 of the top 10 players that have ever been in the league telling you that he Was the best player they ever played against. Magic JohnsonStill thinks hes the best player that he ever played against wait against. Granted, he is not the biggest Michael Jordan fan) I was a Magic fan myself. I didn't like the Celtics and so, didn't like Larry either. Like him or dislike him, you knew you were watching the best player on the court In just a matter of moments. He was slow, goofey and really lacked athleticism. Without these attributes, most players would have found another profession. Larry just pinned his ears back and willed himself to another sphere. If you ever get the chance, look up the speech that Nolan Richardson gave when he was talking about hearing "Bird's" ii name for the first time on the radio. Gary Payton probably said it best. "Don't get it twisted. Larry Bird could give it to you anyway he wanted."
@@jespacey That's because they're stupid, lazy and entitled and don't have a freaking clue about real hard work and what it takes to be the best. They're happy with being mediocre.
@@stjamesmovers1509 he won 3 consecutive mvps 84 85 86.
Considering he was a midwest farm boy at heart, and in interviews and as a coach he was incredibly calm, it's amazing how much trash he could talk and just how much fire he had when it came to competition!
The best players are like that. Look at Tim Duncan trashing talking people politely. Nice try, you almost got that one,
@@moxmann it’s different though Timmy was playful with it. Bird was a straight up menace, to tell another teams coach that he’s being disrespectful by putting a white player on him in the middle of a game with said player right next to him is some demon shit.
Maybe that's where all the people from Boston get their trash talk from. Larry started Boston trash talk culture.
He would have been a great Roman soldier the ultimate stoic stone cold killer.
@@kylemaclellan7959 I've heard Larry didn't like being guarded by other white guys because he felt like it was the team's just throwing a random dude on him cause they are both white and disregarded the fact he should have the best defender on him
The most fun era of the NBA. The players, the coaches, the low post moves, the passing, the game played the way it was meant to be played
They played the game for the love of it and not the money!
Something that seriously lacking in basketball today!
4:20 The reaction of the Hawks bench is one of the funniest things I've ever seen
Of all the great stories about Larry Bird I like the one that Jerry Reynolds of the Sacramento King’s tells. Jerry went home to French Lick, IN and asked his Mom who has been cutting her lawn and she says “I think one of Martha Bird’s boys did, I believe it was Larry”. What a great person he is and a top 5 player of all time!
Character.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson... the best PR combo the game has ever had.
Legit over Jordan ANY day..
@@divix4313 Nah, MJ is the greatest but LB is not far behind.
@@iggyblitz8739 who averaged 50 puts and 25 rebounds for a season? Then the very next season lead the league in assists?
MJ is #6 all time greatest
@@Slowhand871 then you woke up. 1. MJ 2. Kareem 3. Wilt 4. Larry Bird 5. Magic 6. Lebron 7. Kobe 8. Tim Duncan 9. Shaq 10. Hakeem
@@SNIPEonSIGHT that list is pretty fair but cmon man magic had the better career then bird
Honestly, I'm just going to go ahead and thumb's up this video 50 seconds in because Bird stories are amazing.
It amazes me how all these pros remember Bird's greatest moments better then he does.. that is A true Legacy
Larry Bird is the baddest man to ever play basketball
Defenders & opposing coaches must tell themselves " well i'm big, muscular, black & athletic as F... but LB shows brains over brawn, tallent over rough physical play... makes a fool out of who guards him... & i love it !
@Aaron9
Jordan was great
But he had the absolute perfect group around him
Some of the best role players, 3 point specialists and lock down defenders in the history of Basketball
Armstrong, Kerr, Rodman, Pippen
Baddest white dude for sure, you Really think he's better than Jordan??
@@bradsully6620
They played different positions, Bird was a forward, Jordan was a guard
Comparing Bird and Jordan is stupid as comparing Lebron and Jordon
Compare Bird to Lebron and compare Kobe to Jordan
@Aaron9 he was
He was the best. A fierce competitor that didn't back down from any moment. Hustled his ass off, and saw the court better than anybody.
Saw the court better than anybody? Slow down
Humble yet cocky, slow yet quick, quiet yet trash talker, rich yet frugal, there's a hundred more contradictions. He was a different man on the court. In life he's humble and quiet. Does his own work at home. Playing basketball he's intelligent, cocky, legendary 🎉
Larry and Nique matchups are still, to this day, some of my favourite basketball to watch.
Larry was by far the greatest forward ever! I am a Knick fan I’m 52 years old and I hated Larry because he was the very best! He couldn’t jump, he was slow, his back was always in pain, but like my dad who was born in 1920 in Oklahoma said someone can be smarter than you someone can be stronger than you but the great equalizer is hard work out work him son!!!
I watched that Celtics/Hawks game live and I never laughed to so hard in my life as when I saw the reaction of the Atlanta bench when Larry was putting on his show. Let me tell you, the guys on the Hawks bench weren't the only ones who were falling over and shaking their heads in disbelief! Larry was hitting shots from behind the backboard, with players just about hanging on him, and just about every which way you could see a NBA player make a basket! It was like something out of "The Twilight Zone!"
I remember watching that game with my grand dad and he was laughing so hard. He said look at them fools on that bench that coach is going to burn their a##....
Great memory for me, for many reasons...
Each 1 of those players got fined for that too! And 1 of the guys said it was the best $100 seat he ever had in his life! LOL
@@Sunny-jz3dy That's true on both accounts!
A Bird story I heard on a sports talk radio driving across country from a player. I wish I could remember who. He said that this was when Bird was an exec with the Pacers and they were practicing and Bird was standing on the side talking with other team leadership in a suit and tie. He walked onto the court in his suit to a rack of balls and ripped off a bunch of threes.
My two favorite moments were Bird saying "Dont take this butt whipping personally..." and Jordan watching the 3 point contest and murmuring "He aint even took off his top yet! what would he do if he took off his top?"
@Bella Bailey Was it urban legend. But that ask Bird once why he didn't practice shooting more. He said, "Why I never miss." Then showed them and made shots from everywhere for over 20 minutes. "Practices making shots? Why?"
Bird practiced shooting from all over the court every day. When everybody else was going home he'd stay and practice. When the season was over and players going on vacation he'd stay and practice. He lived and breathed basketball. He was truly amazing.
@@tuat.mvpformallybigd.2635 Wish he had slowed down just a bit. Squeeze a few more years out of that bad back.
@@jaylenbrownfan2112 no kidding. That never ending will to win, led to all that diving for loose balls on the floor or into the crowd. Which definitely didn’t help his back. But that is what made him great too. I just wish that Magic vs Bird rivalry could have lasted a couple more years.
7:38 i love that reggie calls him coach. He forever has that respect
I could watch this all day…. It’s amazing to see the level of respect all of these dudes have for Larry….
I just love how the hawks bench is like “Damn we ain’t even mad, he really is just a legend”
His ability to shoot with either hand was simply amazing.
He's actually left handed @dutchtea8354
This was probably one of the best made videos I've ever seen. The suspense of jumping back and forth but only for a short duration, it was very intriguing, educational and fun to watch. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it!
When he came out of the mold it got broken. There will never be another like him.
Having lost almost any/all interest in the NBA over the last several years, I appreciate your time and effort in putting together this really, really, really solid video. Thanks and I look forward to checking out your other work.
Fuck the PC NBA of today. Makes me sick.
ditto
The 90s weren't bad.
The last time the NBA was interesting to me was when Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Steph and Klay Warriors (after another great series against the KD/Westbrook Thunder), that was actually a great matchup. Then KD went to the Warriors, then LeBron went to LA, and I don’t really care anymore
@@badnewskellyleak5974 snowflake
Can you believe some guys tried to say Larry was overrated because he was white? Numbers don’t lie. Championships don’t lie. Clutch shooting doesn’t lie. MJ’s approval doesn’t lie. He is truly one of the absolute best basketball players to ever play. If he was at the top of his game today, he’d still be at the top of the League. He’s an absolute beauty.
Coming from a black man, whoever said that was dumb af.
@@haulistic7569 Isiah Thomas said it. He can be pretty dumb sometimes
@Donald Martin Who are these blacks you speak of? I've yet to see any black NBA player say that Bird was overrated. That little dust up about Dennis Rodman and Isiah Thomas was pretty much nothing but competition. Look at what both of those players have said about Bird since that time. Both of them hold Bird in high regards. If you want to hear someone who has never said anything positive about Bird then that would be Bill Laimbeer.
Championships really shouldn't be used to prove a player's greatness. Championships are won by teams not individuals. Many great players were stuck on the wrong teams, Elgin Baylor and Karl Malone to name a few, by the luck of the draft.
@@tonynoodle5123 IT is just bitter that Bird and Jordan regularly ate his lunch.
I'd like to just take moment to acknowledge how Bird went up to block that Wilkins monster dunk. Even though Dominic put it on his head and posterized him?? The fact that Larry had the competitive nature to contest that dunk,.... truly speaks volumes to how legendary he is. Just an incredible basketball player.
Those were the best days of the NBA.What a great era
These youngins today can't even spell Larry Bird let alone comprehend how great he was. Greater Small Forward EVER
Well, you can't spell "greatest." So...
@@bobthabuilda1525 😂😂
75% of the league plays like a small forward today
@@drizzle452 and he would Kick anyone's butt, after telling them so
Bird is my favorite hooper of all time
So much attitude and swag in that era.
Facts
MJ,BIRD, DOMINIQUE, KOBE, AND RUSSELL are my 5. Not only because they're awesome. But because they were loyal and team players. No super teams or flopping. Hard work, pride, confidence, and never giving up..
I remember years ago hearing about a Celtics practice near a holiday. The players were bitching and KC said if one of them could make a shot from half court he would cancel practice. Bird didn't say a word. He casually picked up a loose ball, lobbed it up and headed to the locker room without even watching it ripple the net as it dropped through. That's the kind of story people tell about a true legend!
My Dad went to many, many open practices back then. He told me a few times Bird said to coach, 'We want to drink a few beers today instead of practice. If I hit this halfcourt shot, we gone'. Coach nods. Bird. Swish. Practice canceled.
As a Chicago native, I never appreciated nor really knew LB. Watching this series was enlightening, and it gave me a huge appreciation for LB and for the team that caused the Bulls so much grief early on. Great work. Subscribed. And I'm not a huge sports fan, but I appreciate your effort. Thank you.
Those legendary stories are ridiculous.. They sound like fables. that’s supreme confidence.. how can one leave a guy like that out of top 10.. ever..
Can’t get enough of Larry Bird stories
Criminally underrated. Dude was a straight up terror.
Underrated??? Naw he got his respect
@@ricocheteraw90sthebestdecade I think he meant today.
who tells a defender what he is doing then does it and cant be stopped? the greatest of all time
Larry Bird !
thats what makes him the goat !
"Steph, you're my son and you know I love you... but it's Larry Bird!"
--Dell Curry
i would love to see larry play today in this soft defense. jordan would be probably a little better, but larry would be a god. mfs averaging 40
@@nogglebeak it used to be more physical but the league is far more athletic now than its ever been before. Guys would lock Larry’s slow ass down.
@@ryancallsinSpoken like someone who isn’t old enough to remember the 80’s NBA. The league was stacked with great teams and great athletes. The lack of any meaningful defense today and the wide open court means Bird would be killing it if he were playing now.
@@ryancallsin Every time he stepped on the court Bird was to slow and couldn't jump. Seemed to work out fine. Bird would be fine. That fade away shot was unblockable then. It would be unblockable now.
@@ryancallsin What they said
Watching Jordan talking about Bird was Epic .
A lot of people are so full of air but can't back it up. Larry ain't one of them.
Remember, Bird and Magic saved this game from extinction. I'll watch Larry videos (and Magic) all day long. And Pistol Pete
Bird and Magic saved it while in college
@@trevorkinchen6124 still the most watched basketball game ever I believe.
Drazen Petrovic... rest his soul was fun to watch too... sadly dying at only 28. 😥
@@trevorkinchen6124 yes 💯
Wilkins n bird had a historic battle in a playoff game, in today's NBA wilkins would join a team who has a chance at the title
This is why 80/90's NBA was so great. When I started watching Bird was already retired, but boy I'm still digging some games from the 80's especially against the Lakers. The competitive level and will to win was so intense and pure as the finesse and style of some of the players. After MJ and then with the 3-Point ruling most players do not have a particular personal style anymore.
As great as Larry Bird was, I still feel he doesn't get the credit he deserved for his dominance in the league. Bird represented death for opposing teams.
Cause he's white.
How do you go from 29 wins to 61 wins in one season? Larry Bird!!!
Bird is the Word...
"wait till he starts shooting with his right hand" ... lmao!! I thought I had heard them all about Bird. this one was new. thanks for sharing. like!
Haha so funny 😂😂
"Why you put that white guy on me" 🤣🤣🤣 Savage
SAVAGE!!
Fullow and subscribe idol 💕💕
Back when respect was respect and you didn’t have to worry about thin skinned political correctness
Bird wasn’t white he was just too light-skinned 🤣🤣
@@2muchtalk173 Larry never said anything that was offensive.
Bird was a master on the court. He could do it all, score like a machine, rebound, and insanely good passer. But the psychological warfare is what truly made him one of the greatest of all time. He had ice water in his veins.
Larry Legend didn’t talk trash, he just told you theTRUTH!
Larry Bird IS the Truth
Facts
The Bird-MAN = The REAL "Mr. Clutch".
I watched his entire career, including college -- during that time, and at his spot, there was no one better. NO ONE!!!
I have been there when an opposing player was so good that you celebrated when they made a great shot, move, or hit. That's what makes sports so great. I coached too and I always wanted the other teams best players on the field. So when we won it was completely legitimate, no excuses. That gave our team a lot of confidence knowing we could beat their best. On the other hand when we lost, it showed our team what we needed to do. It raised the bar for us.
“Is your mom watching” oh shit lol
You can see that hurt the guy 😂
Bahahahah
That's a damn good one.
Where your moms at lls
@@BlackHat-lr7eb you see him fighting back tears like 30 years later n shit. He was probably never the same since.
The most amazing part is that this is roughly 3% of the trash talk stories of Larry the goat Bird wish more of the story's would surface what a legend
Larry: “who’s gonna come in second”
Larry 30 years later: “I had no clue I was gonna win it”
Sure Larry sure 😂
Maybe they should have said "Perhaps you, since you can still be defeated."
Maybe Larry asked that question because he wanted them to beat him, and maybe he figured that was a way to motive them to do it.
Never underestimate the power of confidence
@@Steveman27 or not.
W his confidence ….. oooo boy a man could do some things
You gotta back it up or it gets old real quick. You cant talk shit like Larry Bird if you're basically just shitting all over the court stinking the place up and being merely good won't cut it either.
Had the pleasure of watching his presence in Boston... he truly was Larry Legend...everything thing about him, America needs more Larry’s...
"Off the glass into the trainer" lmao I would have gotten fined to laughing too. Crazy!
Hilarious
Maaaan if you come Down and do what he did im gettin fined too 🤣🤣 sorry coach this dude the real deal
@@kultan2000 to
I got to this country in 91 , right before the bulls beat the Lakers at the final , I miss the bird vs magic era , but shortly I knew that Larry bird was out of this world
And the fact that Bird, Magic, Kareem, Wilt etc played this awesome wearing the least supportive shoes possible compared to the 90s and beyond is nothing to scoff at.
Might as well play with a wooden tennis racquet too !
"off the glass, into the trainer's lap.." i wished they put this in that McDonald's commercial with Mj. Legendary. 👌
Yeah, who knew that the basis for that commercial was the shit Larry did in games on the regular
The mutual respect here, with people at the highest level of their craft, is both motivating and instructive.
The left handed game is literally trash talking without ever saying a word...hahahahhah
That's how awesome Larry Legend was...
Man for real. The man literally said hold this L ima pass it to you with my bad hand.
Said he was bored,that's why he shot left handed against Portland
like the tik tok, tell me you give 0 fks without telling me you give 0 fks
Never be another like him. LARRY LEGEND! MY TRUE GOAT 🐐!!
the goats tied literally always have + will be wilt chamberlain + bill russell
@@youtuber3328 no one cares about wilt or russel. they was around 7ft playing vs unathletic white guys who were 6ft. im 6ft4,put me in a pick up game with a bunch of unathletic white guys who are 5ft4 and ill get 40 rebounds too. basketball wasnt competitive till the 80s which is why anyone begore larry bird,MJ or magic johnson arent credible.
@@xz9z29 in that era if i didn't mention this to you already having fewer teams meant players like danny ainge wouldn't have gone pro
@@xz9z29 shaquille o'neal and hakeem olajuwon didn't equal jerry west
@@xz9z29 that's just ignorant, the avg. height of centers in the 60's were the same as now, by the late 60's about 65% of the league was already black
Larry was a champion through and through I can watch his highlights from morning to evening and be happy with his style of trash talking with backing it up with playing
He'd find a way to win in any era. Right now. This dude would make a team top 2 in the league. Monster competitor
Nba is so soft nowadays. He'd be absolutely untouchable.
@@alecvip7562 he'd score 30 from 3 pts alone
"i walked back to the sidelines like...damn..." is just the perfect ending to a bird story. it really sums everything up.
“Give me the damn ball if you want to win” is the greatest NBA quote of all time!!!
had the privilege to actually see him play in the Boston "Gahden" a couple times
Me too it was a Hype at the Gahden
Awesome
Same. Most notably, I was at the Pacers Game 5 when he slammed his face on the floor and broke his cheekbone.
You're doing amazing work bro!!! Keep this up man you literally making historic and very important videos! These young kids need to learn and I can never get enough of these!!
After watching all the time videos from the 70’s till the late 90’s, last dance and winning time included, all I can say is…the NBA died after these guys
Wish I was alive to witness this and understand what it was like to experience it in the moment. Larry’s highlights are crazy 💪
It was like this .. 1st you went to get
Your Celtics jersey with 33 on the back
Then u went to the local bookie
And bet the celtics game you
Knew they were gonna smoke
Hoping vegas didn't take it
Off the board ....
Then you collect your cash
And thank God for bird ...
I was a big basketball guy..
I was just out of high school
And I didn't have a clue what
I wanted to do with my life
When bird came on the scene
I called my buddies and we sat down .
We've been friends since 1st grade
I'd do anything for you guys
I'm gonna throw a idea at ya
So tell me what you think
And I said .. this bird fella is beyond
His years he's gonna win some titles
No doubt in my mind .. if we pool our cash
And bet key games we can make some money ..
My buds went big on basketball
But I knew this guy was gold
So we agreed it was a good idea
Our 1st 3 time betting the.celtics
All 4 of us walked away with
10 grand each .. and it went up
Over the years .. he was a cash cow
As they say..
But even better than $$
I got to see him play
There are no words
It was…..pretty damn amazing to be perfectly honest, seriously, if it wasn’t for the Celtics (and especially Bird) in the 80s, you’d have seen a lot of mass suicides of Boston sports fans, he carried all of us through most of that decade. Players like him don’t exist anymore.
That man was cold AF man.
Loved Larry Bird. Only got to see him LIVE (at the game) once. Badass👍 Loved that Celtics team Parrish/Chief, Mchale, Johnson, Ainge. EDIT: This video was one of the BEST I’ve seen in a long time! Timing was perfect! Thank you!
you could write a 500 page essay of Larry Birds greatness, and it still wouldn't be long enough
Agreed
u should read ‘Drive’ by Larry w/ Bob Ryan. not the most in depth analysis on him, but it’s his story in his own words and it’s pretty cool. definitely need a definitive biography done on Legend though.
A 500 word essay is not difficult to do. To stress how impressive Larry Bird was he needs his own memoir. This man has is an incredible basketball player. 🏀 🐐
That would be a novel!
Greatest ever. EVER.
I've seen every one of these clips s dozen times and I still laugh when I hear Bird's comments. He and McHale must have really been fun to be around - if you were a Celtic.
The good old days of the NBA... so many greats and Larry was definitely one of them....
3:51 The Hawks bench is reacting like it's their own teammate that was hitting those shots. They knew they were witnessing greatness.
I once heard that Bird used to memorize the names of his opponents girlfriends/wives before some of his games lol. That's savage.
@bobby loblaw it was meant so he could burn his opponents. Nobodys thinking anything creepy. Thats just weird
@Go Fuck Yourself lol. Your idea so you lead the way. Ill be right behind you with the samurai. Haha.
@@bricknmotor Bobby trying to make thst creepy, shows his colors he’s creepy in real life
@bobby loblaw I am a creep. My girlfriend and I go both ways
Bird was a trash talking artist. You don't have to sink that low... You just say, "is your mom watching this"... The damage is irreparable 😆
Loved when Ehlo told the the story of Larry asking if his mother was watching. She was just down the street from me. Played all sports with Ehlo growing up. Until high school he was so clumsy. In High School that all changed.
Big fan of Larry & Magic, these two saved the NBA, NOT Jordan. Before them NBA games were prerecorded. After college, Magic in the west, Larry in the east. They scheduled the season around them, that’s how extremely good they were.
Jordan karried the league GLOBALLY fella when the above legends passed the torch
Magic and Bird are the true Goats not Jordan and Jordan would have no league to come to if it wasn't for Magic and Bird
@@JET1970 he would but he would have been dr j
I Agree. I GREW UP outside the US until I was 10z BIRD N MAGIC was NBA. The NBA was absolutely saved by this 2. MICHAEL JORDAN as great as he was and this is no knock on MJ but he was PUSHED heavily by DAVID STERN to be the product and so was NIKE. The JORDAN RULES started when DAVID STERN decided MICHAEL JORDAN will carry the torch. Though I have to say Jordan was more than worthy and even excelled. It also reflects JORDANS dominance… during Jordans era… there was absolutely no team that we can say was in par with their talent. THE CELTICS LAKERS PISTONS and even the SIXERS went on some war. Even the KOBE LAKERS went against dynastic teams like the SPURS and the SUPER TEAM CELTICS. JORDANs BULLS in the 90s where against low seeded KNICKS and non champions thought good teams like the JAZZ SONICS and SUNS.
Yes. Bird and Magic saved the NBA but Jordan made it worldwide.
When Byron Scott was telling that story about Bird saying he was going to shoot the 3 from the corner, let's look at the play again and notice that James Worthy is holding Larry's jersey with his left hand, Bird breaks away and hits the 3 over Kareem, one of the greatest players and shot bloxkers of all time...... best clutch player ever.... even more clutch than Jordan. Coach Pat Riley said it best..... "If I want a shot to save the game I'll choose Michael Jordan. If I want a shot to save my life I'll take Larry Bird."
Amazing shot with Worthy doing all that to keep you contained. That was rough roundball in that day.
Jamie thomas:. Look again, that was not Kareem. That was Michael Thompson. By the way do you know what year this game was played?
I've lived outside of Boston my entire 61 years of life. I've never been a big fan of basketball (in order I loved hockey then baseball then football) but even I was glued to the tv every game in the Larry Bird years. I even got to see him play in the old Garden. Those were the years.