I would say Jordan did both definitely. Though I agree Bird was as crafty as any player, he would make you fall down on a fake allow you to get up & shoot it in your face. That Atlanta Hawks game was bewildering, the opposing Bench was literally falling over in amazement.
Worthy had another occasion where he said he would rather guard Jordan than Bird because you had to get into his head to play against Bird. He was a complete player. Basically, Jordan would torch you, but you knew what you were up against. With Bird, you never knew how he was going to strike - his shooting, his passing, his fakes. I mean, the man played against and guarded both of them, so you have to take him at his word...
I'm from Indiana and Larry and I are close to the same age. I have watched Larry since his College career began. To me he is the GOAT. At the bare minimum he is top 3. Only one if 3 players to win back to back MVP 3 times in a row. This was at a time when some if the greatest players were in the league. Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year with the Pacers. His list if accomplishment is unrivaled. He and the Celtics swept Jordan and the Bulls in the playoffs. His shooting was only part of the story. His passing was amazing.
Great reaction… Bird was a GOAT.. The man ran the NBA for a decade.. MVP voting from rookie year. 4rth, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 2nd… Straight dominant..
I'm a lifelong New Englander and watched Larry Bird as a young kid. One of the greatest players to have played the game. Pat Riley legendary NBA coach just recently quoted saying that if he was trying to win a championship, Michael Jordan would be the player I'd want, but if I needed a player to make a shot to save my life, Larry Bird is the player I'd want making the shot.
It's not recent, but it was "if i need someone to make a shot to win a game, I'll take Jordan. If i need someone to make a shot to save my life, I'll take Larry Bird"
Good choice checking out Larry Bird. A tougher, more clutch winner you will not find. He squeezed every last ounce of potential from his body and his mind and it was a privilege to be able to watch it. I grew up watching 80's basketball and the Lakers v Celtics finals were absolutely epic. I was a Lakers fan so for me, Bird was the enemy, but I had so much respect for him because I knew he could change any game at any moment with a play so brilliant and so devastating that it not only won the game, but crushed the spirit of your team. As you said, he was a bad, bad man. I see people making comments these days saying that he couldn't play in today's game, the players are so athletic now. Pffff Bird would utterly dominate today's game, especially mentally. You don't think they had great athletes back then? Dominique Wilkins, James Worthy, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem, David Robinson to name just a few. Never get it twisted, Bird would make many of today's players retire early from embarrassment.
Bird would destroy these young bucks. They're way to buried in their feelings and clout chasin. It was a pleasure to watch Bird go against Magic, the Bad Boys Pistons, and the Goat.. MJ.
I appreciate it so much when younger people recognize the talent and greatness of the finest stars from the 80s and 90s. Especially Larry Bird. For too long he's been looked down upon from folks who didn't see him play and do his thing live.
A very good documentary on Magic Johnson and Larry Bird is called "Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals." It's a REALLY good documentary that not only shows you the battles, relationship, and friendship between Magic and Larry, but also teaches you a lot about what basketball was like back during their time.
Great comment. I am in my mid 50s. I lived the Majic/Bird Era. I currently watch videos and read comments about Larry being underrated. Back when he played, I never felt he was during his career, and everyone back then knew he was a bad man.... After 30+ years since his retirement, he, like other greats, get forgotten by new generations of fans who over the last 3+ decades don't study the history of things before giving an "OPINION". They just don't know and are ignorant of the history. This happens alot now days in so many facets of life, and Larrry is one of the recipients of that mindset. I believe it was the greatest time ever in the NBA, and remember Larry was 30 years old when Jordan entered the league. Bird didn't lose to Jordan. Boston swept Chicago 2× in the playoffs after Bird and teammates were in physical decline. Bird is not the greatest. I will put Jordan there, but Larry was special, and one of the greatest to ever lace it up on the court!
@@generalkayoss7347 sorry, can you elaborate how it's connected to my comment? It is not clear to me how it is related to my comment how he might me underrated, but not the most underrated
So glad you're checking on videos of Larry Bird. I'm from Kansas but I was a HUGE Celtics & Bird fan. I had family in Massachusetts and we visited them from time to time. It was my aunt, uncle and their 3 kids. Their son was the oldest (3 yrs older than me) and 2 daughters (both younger than I am.) They all watched the Celtics, too. One time, not too long before Bird retired, I actually got to go to Boston, go to a game and I saw Bird play in person! I was so excited that I was pretty much hyper-ventilating when we got there! My cousin, Ann, (she was the one who went to the game with me) took me in on the ground floor before we went WAY UP there to our seats, just so I could see and feel the their famous parquet floor. That was special and my cousin told me she thought that I would be really excited about that. Then we went way up to our seats -- second row from the top -- and watched the Celtics win at the buzzer by 1 point. Wow, was it FUN! Anyhoo, I think I've seen every video on RUclips about Larry Bird so I think you would really like to see some more of those vids. Especially, the ones that are about him being such a trash talker. Other players who played against and with him tell stories about the things he would say to them while they were playing -- they are funny as all get out.⁰ Very much worth your while. IMHO! Oh, and the part of this video where they were talking about opposing players celebrating Bird . . . the reason they were acting like fools 😂 during that game was Bird scored 60 points that night! Yes, I said Bird scored 60 points during that ⁷game against the Atlanta Hawks! He was very determined and they couldn't stop him! Good reaction on this vid; hope you see more Bird. 😅😅😅❤❤
Fellow Hoosier native, share the same hometown as Larry and he was my grandpa's favorite basketball player ever. Proud to call Larry Bird an Indiana Legend.
There are 2 people from the past that are a must to know: Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain. I love what Wilt said to MJ "They changed the rules of the game to help you flourish, but they changed them to make the game more difficult for me"
To see unbelievable plays by Bird, watch The Ultimate Larry Bird Mixtape. You'll see stuff you have to watch a second time just to convince yourself it really happened. The only player I ever saw in my 71 years that could do everything Bird could do was Pete Maravich. He isn't as well- known because his career was so brief, but he was just as remarkable.
Pistol Pete was probably the best college basketball player of all time. He would’ve done the same in the nba but he was plagued with injuries from the get go.
@Cody Adams injuries ended both of them. The fact Birds worst injury was his back paving his mom's driveway is crazy. He really was the hick from French lick
Larry Bird will always be the greatest player to ever grace the court. NBA will NEVER be like it was back in the day. It is truly an Era gone. Thank you LB!
Bird had a stretch from 1983-1988 where he averaged : 27-10-7 and had shooting percentages of 53-38-90 and two seasons of 50-40-90. Hevalso averaged 2 steals and one block per game.3 finals with 2 wins and 2 mvps plus MVP in 84-85-86. Best forward of all time
Bird did a commercial with Magic and they hated each other. The commercial was made in Indiana in Birds hometown. Birds mom asked Magic to lunch and said Magic was her favorite player in front of her son. They became very close after that. meaning Magic and Bird.
At lunch, Bird's mother asked Larry if he'd told Magic yet. Bird said You go ahead and tell him. Then Bird's mom told him he was a favorite. His brothers liked Magic's game. Bird had told them years ago, well before the NCAA match up, how good Magic was. She liked Isiah too.
I’ve not commented much but I’ve never steered you wrong since the beginning of your channel. Watch more Larry. Specifically Making the Case. They broke the mold when they gave him a basketball.
Bird the GOAT! Great reaction but I recommend more Bird until you finally realize just how phenomenal he was. I'd give ya suggestions but I bet you have already gotten lots because Bird fans are very loyal :)
Bird is my favorite player and #2 all time behind Jordan. Should check out Larry Bird greatest passer of all time video re-edit. AMAZING also Larry Bird mixtape or Larry Bird is the word highlights video. Great reaction. Subscribed. Really need to see his highlights to see how incredible he was. Was way more than a shooter. Thank you.
Larry Bird was fun to watch. You should check out Pistol Pete Maravich. With uncanny passing, ball handling, and shooting, he was spectacular. In one game he scored 68 points. He was shooting threes before there was a 3-point line. He was one of the best guards to ever play.
I’m a Showtime fan and my dad was Celtics fan. Bird is THE most clutch player even over MJ. He ripped my heart out time after time. Nothing beats 80’s NBA. Bird/Magic on top but Bad Boys, 76’rs Dr J Moses Malone. Air Jordan going nuts cause he can’t win in playoffs. Let’s not forget Sir Charles & Hakeem the Dream. Omg Playoff’s were just 7 days of war.
Definitely watch Larry Bird mixed tape. There's a lot about the Larry/Magic matchup. I grew up just south of Boston in the 80's. One of my greatest childhood memories is seeing a game at the old Garden for my 12th birthday. The rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers was EVERYTING!!!
Bird got elbowed one time and suffered a broken facial bone, but stayed in the game. Another time he fell and fractured a cheek bone, left the game and continued to watch it from inside. They told him he shouldn't continue to play (also had a concussion), but when their backs were turned, he went back out and helped his team to win when they had been down. He played with bone spurs and after missing a great deal of the season because of Achilles tendon and bone spur surgeries, came back to play. He once had a 2 1/2 inch incision between 2 toes because of an infection and played that night. He wouldn't take pain killers other than Tylenol or aspirin or beer. He eventually left the game because of a back problem he had been dealing with for many years. Had to wear a brace during some of the later games and be put in traction when he wasn't playing. There were a lot of great players then, but have to admit, I love Bird the most.
Love your reaction to Beastie Boys song Watcha watcha want. Hilarious your face was nervous at first then a big smile came and I started smiling with ya. Love seeing younger people discover the legends like Beasties and Bird. The 80’s ruled. So glad I was a teenager
Say Hey JB--It was fun to watch you check out LB. I saw him play many times and, no lie, Larry played every game like it was the playoffs. He was dazzling every time I saw him.
Larry Bird: Greatest Passer Of All Time (Re-edit with new footage), 15 minutes of sublime passing 👌. So you finally catch the Legend then James? Cool 😎.
This video starts off with Larry’s CLUTCH plays…he especially loves putting the dagger in at the very end & sucking the soul outa the other teams. Look at the expression on Mark Aguirre’s face. Larry did that over & over. I echo all the others who suggest you look at Larry’s mixtape.
Great comments - especially on the Bird era where hand checking and much more was allowed. Also - another player that people don't realize how he would also dominate in today's game, is Wilt Chamberlain. His records look like misprints. Still holds something like 60+ of them. An AAU track and field champion - shot put, high jump - and Schwarznegger said he was the naturally strongest person he ever knew (they lifted together.) I saw him in person in the old MSG in NYC against the Knicks in the early 70's, and he was supernatural, even at the end of his career.
The 80s was a golden age for small forwards. With RUclips people are getting to see a lot of the players like Bird, Dr.J, Bernard King...etc. I loved Bird and Magic except when they played Dr.J and the Sixers. Good times :)
Cool story about 92 dream team: Coach Chuck Daly (from Pistons) had to figure a way to make them play ALL OUT and not just coast. He needed them to lose... He got college guys, lead by Chris Webber to scrimmage them with media invited. First he told the media to wait outside. 2nd he told the dream team, "Go easy. Just feel each other out. First practice so relax a bit." 3rd He told the college guys, go all out! Go at these guys like your life depends on it!" ...The college guys won! No big deal. It was a scrimmage at practice. But Daly made sure the final score was still on the scoreboard as they finally invited media in. They asked the dream team players, what's that score from? The TNT was lit. The point got thru. In game 2, with media watching, and every game after in the Olympics, they NEVER took the foot off the gas. Chuck Daly also said he purposely kept Jordan and Bird on bench in that first game, because he knew they were already insane competitors and wouldn't have let them slack off. True story.
I love to watch basketball games. Having three Sons, I learned about many sports and their heroes. I remember them talking about many athletes that they liked. Larry Bird and many others were mentioned. I know my youngest enjoyed watching Michael Jordan play basketball, and he was his favorite. The rules now are ruining the games in all sports actually! The last 5 minutes of a game could take 20 minutes or more now. The refs are calling/not calling all kinds of fouls these days forcing many games into more overtimes. Pro ball has changed a lot, & their salaries are outrageous. I also love watching college basketball. So many players have become coaches now themselves. Watch some of their games too. Very exciting games especially if you are rooting for your college/university. I am partial to the Big East teams especially Seton Hall University--GO PIRATES! Two of my Sons follow all the college teams, but too many for me. They enjoy the NCAA Basketball Tournament. They actually prefer college games vs. the pros. Enjoy discovering these sports legends! Have fun dear James.
Hey nice to see you react on basketball i'm a huge bball fan, you said you're from the Kobe generation so who i would like you to look at would be Wilt Chamberlain, one of my favorite players ever and underrated BC really old, but you'll discovrr he was a freak on the footages
Hard to get the true feel for how special Bird was without knowing that Moses Malone and Xavier McDaniel were stellar players. You can bet no one else was telling them they would be scoring from this spot on this play and will wait for the clock to run down.
A lot of this video is also in the Ultimate Mixtape video, but his passing highlights and trash-talk videos give a broader sense of who he was as a player. So many people think of him as a shooter, but he is the founder (and 3-time member) of the 50/40/90 club so he had solid defensive skills as well. (50/40/90, in case anyone doesn't know, is shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range & 90% from the free throw line.) Also, he was tough as hell. He actually broke his right index finger the summer *before* his rookie year and said his feel for the ball was never the same after that. He came back into a game after a fractured right cheek, and even played after a doctor had cut 2-inches into one of his feet to drain an abscess - all on no pain-killers as he didn't believe in taking them.
Celtics, lakers, pistons, Portland was no joke they all had to run it before the bulls did. Fun watching. You hated but admired who wasn’t on your team.
I never cared for basketball, but I loved Bird, saw him play in Philly and ATL. He was something else. MJ said he learned everything he knew from Bird.
… you just watched the real GOAT of the National Basketball Association ! And , you Just scratched the surface on the LEGEND …… you haven’t seen nothin yet !
There's no player more fun to watch and react to than Larry. You've only seen the tip of the iceberg. Larry's a top 3 ever player. Lebron, KD, et al...not even close.
I was really not interested at basketball at the time, but my future ex was, and him with being a Celtics fan we watched every time. But I have to say, witnessing this was nothing short of amazing, and I'm glad I got to. It was so much fun to watch. You know who would be fun for you to watch is Spud Webb. A slam dunk champ at only 5' 6". Played for Atlanta.
Bernard King when he played for the Knicks was on the same level as Bird and every other player in the NBA. Had he not gotten hurt there's no telling where his place in basketball history would be. Despite that he's still in the Hall of Fame. I suggest you watch his 1984 series against the Detroit Pistons is off the charts amazing. He was playing with dislocated fingers on both hands as well as both ankles were sprained. His greatness was that he was the most unstoppable scorer in the league. When he led the league in scoring the Knicks had the 2nd worst offense in the league.
The age old question who do you want with the ball as time runs out, one for the game the other for your life, Michael for the game and then the other from Larry for my life!!!!
Larry was awesome, so was Fi Slamma Jamma...the Rockets with the U of H players. Love you Clyde. Miss you. Kevin McCale with Boston was great too. Great times. Houston lost the Oilers, and then the Baseball Strike...so Houston depended on Basketball. It was a sad, but magical time in Houston.
8:30 Very few players in history have ever had that effect on an opposing team. Not to deflect away from Larry but this interestingly shows the psychological advantage that Michael Jordan had over the entire league. Those players laughed at Bird out of amazement, they couldn't believe he was doing that. You'd never see them laughing at Jordan because they already knew he could and would do that. I'm a huge Larry Bird fan too BTW.
Larry was tough because you couldn’t let him cook, but then he could morph into the best playmaker on the planet.. And he was always tough on the boards..
I get a kick out of young men who have never seen the greatness of Larry.And then the smile comes on your face that's when you know why he's called Larry Legend.
Very nice to hear someone so young, while acknowledging the game has changed dramatically to some of us it is not necessarily all in a good direction. While understanding the necessity of improving and enforcing new rules for the players through the years to put a stop to purposeful injuries when you go too far you run the risk of stripping too much away. I guess if you are going to pay a player millions of dollars you want to make sure the rules are sufficient to protect the investment. But at what time does the money and sometimes ego strip the pride and that drive to win that we all tune in to see? Are we also looking at a future of a game that just looks like shiny shots which seem to be crowd pleasers? Maybe eventually looking toward zero contact, dribble, shoot three (maybe make a 4 point shot if they make one of those up) and back to the opponent?
The Celtics of the time lent to his success. Those amazing passes were handled by huys like Parrish, Ainge, McHale, ML Carr and Dennis Johnson..... they were all amazing
I really enjoyed your reaction to one of the greatest ever. However, to really understand Bird's brilliance, you need to watch his ultimate mix tape because it shows a lot more of his otherworldly passing skills.
He was so good that even though dudes were wayyyy better athletes they could not check him. I watched that atl game live and us kids were laughing and high fiving watching that.
Atlanta game where the Hawks bench celebrated was because Bird broke the Celtics record for most points scored in a single game. Kevin McHale Scored 54 points prior to Hawks game and Larry said to Kevin: "You should've scored for 60." At the Atlanta game, Larry scored 60 points. There is one clip when Larry was in the 3 point contest and MJ was recorded saying: "He doesn't even have his warm up jacket off and he's scoring!" Needless to say, that night, Bird won the contest walking towards the officials while the ball was in the air holding his finger up as the ball went in. He knew before it went in he got it.
'80's basketball was warfare. Great James Worthy quote: "Jordan made you look slow, but Bird made you look stupid. "
I should've read further thanks!
I would say Jordan did both definitely. Though I agree Bird was as crafty as any player, he would make you fall down on a fake allow you to get up & shoot it in your face. That Atlanta Hawks game was bewildering, the opposing Bench was literally falling over in amazement.
Worthy had another occasion where he said he would rather guard Jordan than Bird because you had to get into his head to play against Bird. He was a complete player. Basically, Jordan would torch you, but you knew what you were up against. With Bird, you never knew how he was going to strike - his shooting, his passing, his fakes. I mean, the man played against and guarded both of them, so you have to take him at his word...
Hadn't heard that but it fits oh so well.
I'm from Indiana and Larry and I are close to the same age. I have watched Larry since his College career began. To me he is the GOAT. At the bare minimum he is top 3. Only one if 3 players to win back to back MVP 3 times in a row. This was at a time when some if the greatest players were in the league. Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year with the Pacers. His list if accomplishment is unrivaled. He and the Celtics swept Jordan and the Bulls in the playoffs. His shooting was only part of the story. His passing was amazing.
Great reaction… Bird was a GOAT.. The man ran the NBA for a decade.. MVP voting from rookie year. 4rth, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 2nd… Straight dominant..
Larry getting the opponents bench cheering and laughing never fails to crack me up!
I'm a lifelong New Englander and watched Larry Bird as a young kid. One of the greatest players to have played the game. Pat Riley legendary NBA coach just recently quoted saying that if he was trying to win a championship, Michael Jordan would be the player I'd want, but if I needed a player to make a shot to save my life, Larry Bird is the player I'd want making the shot.
It's not recent, but it was "if i need someone to make a shot to win a game, I'll take Jordan. If i need someone to make a shot to save my life, I'll take Larry Bird"
Old quote and someone manages to put it under EVERY Bird video.
@fezzik7619 and yet i still had to correct it, because it was misquoted
@@alanela6761 yeah. He didn’t have it exactly right.
@@fezzik7619 rightly so....
You have so much more Larry Bird to watch before you think about moving on to other players. Seriously. You’ve just skimmed the surface.
No doubt!
Good choice checking out Larry Bird. A tougher, more clutch winner you will not find. He squeezed every last ounce of potential from his body and his mind and it was a privilege to be able to watch it. I grew up watching 80's basketball and the Lakers v Celtics finals were absolutely epic. I was a Lakers fan so for me, Bird was the enemy, but I had so much respect for him because I knew he could change any game at any moment with a play so brilliant and so devastating that it not only won the game, but crushed the spirit of your team. As you said, he was a bad, bad man. I see people making comments these days saying that he couldn't play in today's game, the players are so athletic now. Pffff Bird would utterly dominate today's game, especially mentally. You don't think they had great athletes back then? Dominique Wilkins, James Worthy, Clyde Drexler, Hakeem, David Robinson to name just a few. Never get it twisted, Bird would make many of today's players retire early from embarrassment.
Bird would destroy these young bucks. They're way to buried in their feelings and clout chasin. It was a pleasure to watch Bird go against Magic, the Bad Boys Pistons, and the Goat.. MJ.
@@wento5461 So many people forgetting Philly
I appreciate it so much when younger people recognize the talent and greatness of the finest stars from the 80s and 90s. Especially Larry Bird. For too long he's been looked down upon from folks who didn't see him play and do his thing live.
A very good documentary on Magic Johnson and Larry Bird is called "Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals." It's a REALLY good documentary that not only shows you the battles, relationship, and friendship between Magic and Larry, but also teaches you a lot about what basketball was like back during their time.
Very good? How about Great?!?
Might be the best sports doc I’ve seen
The book is excellent, too.
Might be the best doc I've seen ever. It astounds me that it's a real story. It's better than a movie script.
They should have called it “Magic vs Legend”
So proud of you first thing, and thanks THANKS!! for the reaction! Love from Canada!
I’m a Hoosier native and watched Larry Bird since his college days and the great NCAA game with Magic and Bird. (1979). He’s our state’s legend!
I believe you also have Oscar Robertson. I believe he is from Indianapolis
🎶 "Indiana's got a new state bird..." 🎶
Him and Mike Pence lol.
Terre Haute, ISU, and Larry Bird!!!
He shouldn't have been there, screwed over the triets
You really gotta watch his ultimate mixtape to understand overall how great he really is. He is simply the most underrated player in history.
Great comment. I am in my mid 50s. I lived the Majic/Bird Era. I currently watch videos and read comments about Larry being underrated. Back when he played, I never felt he was during his career, and everyone back then knew he was a bad man.... After 30+ years since his retirement, he, like other greats, get forgotten by new generations of fans who over the last 3+ decades don't study the history of things before giving an "OPINION". They just don't know and are ignorant of the history. This happens alot now days in so many facets of life, and Larrry is one of the recipients of that mindset. I believe it was the greatest time ever in the NBA, and remember Larry was 30 years old when Jordan entered the league. Bird didn't lose to Jordan. Boston swept Chicago 2× in the playoffs after Bird and teammates were in physical decline. Bird is not the greatest. I will put Jordan there, but Larry was special, and one of the greatest to ever lace it up on the court!
@@christophertaylor5441 Larry Bird is EASILY a top 5 player all time.
If you said underrated, ok, you might have a point, but MOST underrate ... thats an overstatement. Those that are aware of him, rate him quite high.
@@BouncingCow If he hadn't had a bum back and been able to play a another 5-6 years, we might be calling Larry Legend "GOAT"
@@generalkayoss7347 sorry, can you elaborate how it's connected to my comment? It is not clear to me how it is related to my comment how he might me underrated, but not the most underrated
So glad you're checking on videos of Larry Bird. I'm from Kansas but I was a HUGE Celtics & Bird fan. I had family in Massachusetts and we visited them from time to time. It was my aunt, uncle and their 3 kids. Their son was the oldest (3 yrs older than me) and 2 daughters (both younger than I am.) They all watched the Celtics, too. One time, not too long before Bird retired, I actually got to go to Boston, go to a game and I saw Bird play in person! I was so excited that I was pretty much hyper-ventilating when we got there! My cousin, Ann, (she was the one who went to the game with me) took me in on the ground floor before we went WAY UP there to our seats, just so I could see and feel the their famous parquet floor. That was special and my cousin told me she thought that I would be really excited about that. Then we went way up to our seats -- second row from the top -- and watched the Celtics win at the buzzer by 1 point. Wow, was it FUN!
Anyhoo, I think I've seen every video on RUclips about Larry Bird so I think you would really like to see some more of those vids. Especially, the ones that are about him being such a trash talker. Other players who played against and with him tell stories about the things he would say to them while they were playing -- they are funny as all get out.⁰ Very much worth your while. IMHO! Oh, and the part of this video where they were talking about opposing players celebrating Bird . . . the reason they were acting like fools 😂 during that game was Bird scored 60 points that night! Yes, I said Bird scored 60 points during that ⁷game against the Atlanta Hawks! He was very determined and they couldn't stop him!
Good reaction on this vid; hope you see more Bird. 😅😅😅❤❤
Fellow Hoosier native, share the same hometown as Larry and he was my grandpa's favorite basketball player ever. Proud to call Larry Bird an Indiana Legend.
There are 2 people from the past that are a must to know: Julius Erving and Wilt Chamberlain. I love what Wilt said to MJ "They changed the rules of the game to help you flourish, but they changed them to make the game more difficult for me"
To see unbelievable plays by Bird, watch The Ultimate Larry Bird Mixtape. You'll see stuff you have to watch a second time just to convince yourself it really happened. The only player I ever saw in my 71 years that could do everything Bird could do was Pete Maravich. He isn't as well- known because his career was so brief, but he was just as remarkable.
Pistol Pete
Pistol Pete was probably the best college basketball player of all time. He would’ve done the same in the nba but he was plagued with injuries from the get go.
@Cody Adams injuries ended both of them. The fact Birds worst injury was his back paving his mom's driveway is crazy. He really was the hick from French lick
Larry Bird will always be the greatest player to ever grace the court. NBA will NEVER be like it was back in the day. It is truly an Era gone. Thank you LB!
Bird had a stretch from 1983-1988 where he averaged : 27-10-7 and had shooting percentages of 53-38-90 and two seasons of 50-40-90. Hevalso averaged 2 steals and one block per game.3 finals with 2 wins and 2 mvps plus MVP in 84-85-86. Best forward of all time
And he didn't play probably play most 4th quarters if not a good chunk of them
Larry is the original member of the 50-40- 90 Club
I forgot to add he did all of that while telling the other teams what he was going to do
80’s and 90’s were the golden age of the NBA
Bird is my favorite.
Me too.
Bird did a commercial with Magic and they hated each other. The commercial was made in Indiana in Birds hometown. Birds mom asked Magic to lunch and said Magic was her favorite player in front of her son. They became very close after that. meaning Magic and Bird.
It's Bird, not Byrd.😊
@@brucethrasher8551 Thanks
At lunch, Bird's mother asked Larry if he'd told Magic yet. Bird said You go ahead and tell him. Then Bird's mom told him he was a favorite.
His brothers liked Magic's game. Bird had told them years ago, well before the NCAA match up, how good Magic was.
She liked Isiah too.
I’ve not commented much but I’ve never steered you wrong since the beginning of your channel. Watch more Larry. Specifically Making the Case. They broke the mold when they gave him a basketball.
Yep! this is just scratching the surface.
Basketball in the 80s was as good as it got. Watching these reactions brings back so many memories
Back then, pro basketball was a grown version of the crap you would do on the playground and get away with and the refs would let them do it.
Glad to still see you around. You sort of are my spirit animal. Love you to bits man. May all of God's blessings be with you.
Proper Basketball back in the 80's. An amazing era, when rivalries existed
Bird the GOAT! Great reaction but I recommend more Bird until you finally realize just how phenomenal he was. I'd give ya suggestions but I bet you have already gotten lots because Bird fans are very loyal :)
Bird is my favorite player and #2 all time behind Jordan. Should check out Larry Bird greatest passer of all time video re-edit. AMAZING also Larry Bird mixtape or Larry Bird is the word highlights video. Great reaction. Subscribed. Really need to see his highlights to see how incredible he was. Was way more than a shooter. Thank you.
Bird is the OG unicorn. He started it all!
Great reaction. Thanks!
GOOD MORNING NEVER PAID ATTENTION TO BASKETBALL UNTIL LARRY WAS PLAYING HE MADE IT SO EXCITING THANK YOU LARRY BIRD YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST
I forget who it was that said it... "Jordan made you look slow. Bird made you look stupid."
It was James Worthy
I thought it was Jerry West
Worthy
Larry Bird was fun to watch. You should check out Pistol Pete Maravich. With uncanny passing, ball handling, and shooting, he was spectacular. In one game he scored 68 points. He was shooting threes before there was a 3-point line. He was one of the best guards to ever play.
Agreed.
LARRY LEGEND!
I’m a Showtime fan and my dad was Celtics fan. Bird is THE most clutch player even over MJ. He ripped my heart out time after time. Nothing beats 80’s NBA. Bird/Magic on top but Bad Boys, 76’rs Dr J Moses Malone. Air Jordan going nuts cause he can’t win in playoffs. Let’s not forget Sir Charles & Hakeem the Dream. Omg Playoff’s were just 7 days of war.
I grew up in Boston watching Larry Bird. It was magic
Larry Legend, MJ and Kobe had the killer Instinct 🐐🐐🐐
I subscribed because I liked the look in your face while you watched. There are many more Bird videos.
Definitely watch Larry Bird mixed tape. There's a lot about the Larry/Magic matchup. I grew up just south of Boston in the 80's. One of my greatest childhood memories is seeing a game at the old Garden for my 12th birthday. The rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers was EVERYTING!!!
Big Bird the Goat!
Bird got elbowed one time and suffered a broken facial bone, but stayed in the game. Another time he fell and fractured a cheek bone, left the game and continued to watch it from inside. They told him he shouldn't continue to play (also had a concussion), but when their backs were turned, he went back out and helped his team to win when they had been down. He played with bone spurs and after missing a great deal of the season because of Achilles tendon and bone spur surgeries, came back to play. He once had a 2 1/2 inch incision between 2 toes because of an infection and played that night. He wouldn't take pain killers other than Tylenol or aspirin or beer. He eventually left the game because of a back problem he had been dealing with for many years. Had to wear a brace during some of the later games and be put in traction when he wasn't playing.
There were a lot of great players then, but have to admit, I love Bird the most.
Love your reaction to Beastie Boys song Watcha watcha want. Hilarious your face was nervous at first then a big smile came and I started smiling with ya. Love seeing younger people discover the legends like Beasties and Bird. The 80’s ruled. So glad I was a teenager
Say Hey JB--It was fun to watch you check out LB. I saw him play many times and, no lie, Larry played every game like it was the playoffs. He was dazzling every time I saw him.
Larry Bird: Greatest Passer Of All Time (Re-edit with new footage), 15 minutes of sublime passing 👌.
So you finally catch the Legend then James? Cool 😎.
I am certainly no NBA expert, but if I were building a team from scratch, Bird is the first man on my roster!
The aspect of the Magic-Bird era is that it wasn't soft. Players earned their points.
Larry was all that & more. Definitely worth checking out the Larry Bird Ultimate Mix Tape. Tells a little more of the Larry/Magic rivalry & friendship
"... I lucked out, really" Underrated Larry burn.
This video starts off with Larry’s CLUTCH plays…he especially loves putting the dagger in at the very end & sucking the soul outa the other teams. Look at the expression on Mark Aguirre’s face. Larry did that over & over.
I echo all the others who suggest you look at Larry’s mixtape.
Love hearing Johnny Most call the Celtics games. He was a radio legend
Watch the dream team documentary it’s amazing. It’s got all the stars from that ERA. BIRD AND MAGIC were my favorite
❤..always up for some Larry Legend
Great comments - especially on the Bird era where hand checking and much more was allowed. Also - another player that people don't realize how he would also dominate in today's game, is Wilt Chamberlain. His records look like misprints. Still holds something like 60+ of them. An AAU track and field champion - shot put, high jump - and Schwarznegger said he was the naturally strongest person he ever knew (they lifted together.) I saw him in person in the old MSG in NYC against the Knicks in the early 70's, and he was supernatural, even at the end of his career.
The 80s was a golden age for small forwards. With RUclips people are getting to see a lot of the players like Bird, Dr.J, Bernard King...etc. I loved Bird and Magic except when they played Dr.J and the Sixers. Good times :)
Cool story about 92 dream team:
Coach Chuck Daly (from Pistons) had to figure a way to make them play ALL OUT and not just coast. He needed them to lose... He got college guys, lead by Chris Webber to scrimmage them with media invited.
First he told the media to wait outside. 2nd he told the dream team, "Go easy. Just feel each other out. First practice so relax a bit." 3rd He told the college guys, go all out! Go at these guys like your life depends on it!"
...The college guys won! No big deal. It was a scrimmage at practice. But Daly made sure the final score was still on the scoreboard as they finally invited media in. They asked the dream team players, what's that score from?
The TNT was lit. The point got thru.
In game 2, with media watching, and every game after in the Olympics, they NEVER took the foot off the gas.
Chuck Daly also said he purposely kept Jordan and Bird on bench in that first game, because he knew they were already insane competitors and wouldn't have let them slack off. True story.
I love to watch basketball games. Having three Sons, I learned about many sports and their heroes. I remember them talking about many athletes that they liked. Larry Bird and many others were mentioned. I know my youngest enjoyed watching Michael Jordan play basketball, and he was his favorite. The rules now are ruining the games in all sports actually! The last 5 minutes of a game could take 20 minutes or more now. The refs are calling/not calling all kinds of fouls these days forcing many games into more overtimes. Pro ball has changed a lot, & their salaries are outrageous. I also love watching college basketball. So many players have become coaches now themselves. Watch some of their games too. Very exciting games especially if you are rooting for your college/university. I am partial to the Big East teams especially Seton Hall University--GO PIRATES! Two of my Sons follow all the college teams, but too many for me. They enjoy the NCAA Basketball Tournament. They actually prefer college games vs. the pros. Enjoy discovering these sports legends! Have fun dear James.
Larr and Magic are still the greatist friends today.
Bird more than anything controlled "angles". Whether that was a bounce, a pass or the spin of the ball. He was a basketball physics savant.
Hey nice to see you react on basketball i'm a huge bball fan, you said you're from the Kobe generation so who i would like you to look at would be Wilt Chamberlain, one of my favorite players ever and underrated BC really old, but you'll discovrr he was a freak on the footages
Hard to get the true feel for how special Bird was without knowing that Moses Malone and Xavier McDaniel were stellar players. You can bet no one else was telling them they would be scoring from this spot on this play and will wait for the clock to run down.
A lot of this video is also in the Ultimate Mixtape video, but his passing highlights and trash-talk videos give a broader sense of who he was as a player. So many people think of him as a shooter, but he is the founder (and 3-time member) of the 50/40/90 club so he had solid defensive skills as well. (50/40/90, in case anyone doesn't know, is shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range & 90% from the free throw line.) Also, he was tough as hell. He actually broke his right index finger the summer *before* his rookie year and said his feel for the ball was never the same after that. He came back into a game after a fractured right cheek, and even played after a doctor had cut 2-inches into one of his feet to drain an abscess - all on no pain-killers as he didn't believe in taking them.
Celtics, lakers, pistons, Portland was no joke they all had to run it before the bulls did. Fun watching. You hated but admired who wasn’t on your team.
Tremendous players in the 80’s. Great basketball games. Aren’t the same now and probably never will be again
Need to check out birds passing vid ,its unreal what he does ,never the same way twice 💯
It was sad watching Bird suffer with back pain toward the end of his career. He was a BEAST!
I never cared for basketball, but I loved Bird, saw him play in Philly and ATL. He was something else. MJ said he learned everything he knew from Bird.
… you just watched
the real GOAT of the
National Basketball
Association ! And ,
you Just scratched
the surface on the
LEGEND …… you
haven’t seen nothin
yet !
The Dream Team! Love these sports!
Please check out Larry Bird ultimate mix tape
I graduated from Indiana State in 1985. To me, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson ARE the NBA.
Do more Bird then check out the Harlem Globetrotters. They’ll blow your mind as well.
There's no player more fun to watch and react to than Larry.
You've only seen the tip of the iceberg. Larry's a top 3 ever player.
Lebron, KD, et al...not even close.
You should watch some of his passing videos. He was super clutch and was the best trash talker. Good reaction!😄
A lot of great players in all decades. The Birds and Magics were just different guys that added a personality to the game.
LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE TRUE GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️
He's an icon in NE!
I was really not interested at basketball at the time, but my future ex was, and him with being a Celtics fan we watched every time. But I have to say, witnessing this was nothing short of amazing, and I'm glad I got to. It was so much fun to watch. You know who would be fun for you to watch is Spud Webb. A slam dunk champ at only 5' 6". Played for Atlanta.
React to more Larry Legend!! Subbed!!
Bernard King when he played for the Knicks was on the same level as Bird and every other player in the NBA. Had he not gotten hurt there's no telling where his place in basketball history would be. Despite that he's still in the Hall of Fame. I suggest you watch his 1984 series against the Detroit Pistons is off the charts amazing. He was playing with dislocated fingers on both hands as well as both ankles were sprained. His greatness was that he was the most unstoppable scorer in the league. When he led the league in scoring the Knicks had the 2nd worst offense in the league.
Larry Bird received 67% of the MVP votes in the 80’s against a loaded league. He was a bad man.
The age old question who do you want with the ball as time runs out, one for the game the other for your life, Michael for the game and then the other from Larry for my life!!!!
Larry was awesome, so was Fi Slamma Jamma...the Rockets with the U of H players. Love you Clyde. Miss you. Kevin McCale with Boston was great too. Great times. Houston lost the Oilers, and then the Baseball Strike...so Houston depended on Basketball. It was a sad, but magical time in Houston.
8:30 Very few players in history have ever had that effect on an opposing team. Not to deflect away from Larry but this interestingly shows the psychological advantage that Michael Jordan had over the entire league. Those players laughed at Bird out of amazement, they couldn't believe he was doing that. You'd never see them laughing at Jordan because they already knew he could and would do that. I'm a huge Larry Bird fan too BTW.
Magic and Bird: A courtship of rivals Good documentary
Excellent commentary, JBLETHAL.
Larry was tough because you couldn’t let him cook, but then he could morph into the best playmaker on the planet.. And he was always tough on the boards..
Bird and Magic -- the biggest of rivals, and the best of friends!
More vids like this🔥
I get a kick out of young men who
have never seen the greatness of
Larry.And then the smile comes
on your face that's when you know
why he's called Larry Legend.
Very nice to hear someone so young, while acknowledging the game has changed dramatically to some of us it is not necessarily all in a good direction. While understanding the necessity of improving and enforcing new rules for the players through the years to put a stop to purposeful injuries when you go too far you run the risk of stripping too much away. I guess if you are going to pay a player millions of dollars you want to make sure the rules are sufficient to protect the investment. But at what time does the money and sometimes ego strip the pride and that drive to win that we all tune in to see? Are we also looking at a future of a game that just looks like shiny shots which seem to be crowd pleasers? Maybe eventually looking toward zero contact, dribble, shoot three (maybe make a 4 point shot if they make one of those up) and back to the opponent?
Bird was on a whole different level. He was playing chess when everyone else was playing checkers
Larry Bird trash talking is an epic video too!
Larry is the most skilled player ever! He could do it all!
The Celtics of the time lent to his success. Those amazing passes were handled by huys like Parrish, Ainge, McHale, ML Carr and Dennis Johnson..... they were all amazing
I really enjoyed your reaction to one of the greatest ever. However, to really understand Bird's brilliance, you need to watch his ultimate mix tape because it shows a lot more of his otherworldly passing skills.
He was so good that even though dudes were wayyyy better athletes they could not check him. I watched that atl game live and us kids were laughing and high fiving watching that.
Atlanta game where the Hawks bench celebrated was because Bird broke the Celtics record for most points scored in a single game. Kevin McHale Scored 54 points prior to Hawks game and Larry said to Kevin: "You should've scored for 60." At the Atlanta game, Larry scored 60 points.
There is one clip when Larry was in the 3 point contest and MJ was recorded saying: "He doesn't even have his warm up jacket off and he's scoring!" Needless to say, that night, Bird won the contest walking towards the officials while the ball was in the air holding his finger up as the ball went in. He knew before it went in he got it.
It was nice to be alive to see this... This is why we GEN X Rule!!!
There is a real good vid of Magic & larry. Their rivalry and close friendship
Bird was the greatest clutch shooter of all time.
The Superman theme, tho! 💪🏼