Thank you SO much for playing this and not talking through the whole thing like others do! There are so many cool stories on here by others, and so many others miss them by talking over them.
When Bird was a rookie and played in the NBA for his first couple of weeks, he said to his teammates, “This league is nothing.” He turned a Boston Celtic team that was 29-53 the year BEFORE he arrived into a 61-21 powerhouse, and went into the playoffs. They lost to Dr. J, Moses Malone, and the Philadelphia 76ers (also one of the greatest teams of all time!). The next year, they went 62-20 and faced the 76ers again and got down 3 games to 1. There was an historic fight between Larry and Dr. J because Larry was trash-talking him (saying things like “38 to 6” points he had vs. Dr. J, and “You need to retire.”). Philly was up about 15 points in the 4th quarter on their home court, and the Philadelphia announcer started telling the 76er fans that tickets for the Finals would be going on sale in the next couple of days, so confident that the Celtics were finished. But that announcement infuriated Bird and his teammates. So….they came back and won the game! And, they proceeded to win the next 2 games to take the series. No game in that 7 game series was won by more than 2 points by either team. But, the Celtics came back from being down 3-1 to win it, then moved on to play the Houston Rockets for the NBA Championship series. And WON it all in only Larry’s 2nd yea in the league. Larry Bird WILLED that 1980-81 team to win it all. He IS an assassin. And he played his guts out every single game.
His actual statement was he would shoot left handed, except for long jumpers, which means his dominant hand was his right. He scored 47 points, 22 of them were left handed. He also had a triple double and hit the game winning shot. Pretty good night's work.
A quick educational point I'd like to bring to your attention is in regard to the comment that there wasn't hate or fights back then. You need to do some homework and find the old videos of early 80s NBA competition. Just to name a few, you can find video of Larry Legend fighting Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Laimbeer in bare knuckle brawls. Between his courage, level of play, and trash talking, it is no wonder how many NBA greats tell stories with respect to him. GOAT!
@@johntaylor7029And why did he do that? Have you seen the video? I've seen it 25+ times. Lambeer was the dirtiest player in the NBA back then. I won't even write what I think of him.
The Bird/Dr. J fight makes you wonder that they ever spoke again, let alone are friendly now. The fights were more intense back then but the grudges didn't last.
I think Larry Bird calling his shots is where they got the idea to do the McDonald's commercials with him and Michael matching shot for shot in a competition for the McDonald's food. They would always map out a ridiculously difficult trick shot in those commercials. I think you can still find those McDonald's commercials on the internet
One of my favorite Larry Bird stories was during the playoffs against the Sixers and a fan told him he'd see him back in Philly for game 7. Larry looked at him and said "son, you have a better chance of seeing God."
grew up in the chicagoland area in the late 80s early 90s so yeah jordan was life. All these years later now in hindsight, the stories of Larry legend are way more entertaining. Both dudes were stone cold assassins....... the game was just so much better back then
There was a second reason for that. The Celtics only lost one home game in Boston Garden that year and guess who it was lost to? Yep, Larry felt like he owed that humiliation to them for that blemish on their record.
Larry Bird is Left Handed but he was taught to shoot with the right hand. Watch Larry Bird signing his contract or autograph anything with his Left Hand!!!
Bird writes left handed, but is a right hand dominant player / shooter. Probably not too difficult for him considering his overall dexterity and skill set.
Enjoyed your reactions 😊 For me Larry Bird's trash talking, either broke a player down, or forced an opponent to be a better player, & it was the strength of the player, which way they were affected.......that was just a part of who Bird was 😊
One of the things that made this whole era so great was that Magic made Bird better, and Bird made Magic better. It was the rivalry that caused them both to elevate their game to the level they both eventually attained. I love your reaction. Keep going for sure.
If you go back and watch him play you'll notice he was always at the right place at the right time and knew exactly where ever player was on that court at all times. He really was a basketball genius....
There were more fights back then than now. One of the best Bird/ Magic stories is this. When Magic announced his HIV diagnosis, Bird was the first person to call him and offer his support.
Watch Larry sign an autograph or a contract. He writes with his left hand. What is amazing is that he taught himself to shoot right-handed. It probably started with his first love, baseball. He was left-handed and his older brothers were all right handed so he only had right handed gloves to use. If you watch any Celtics game with Larry playing he makes left-handed passes and shots every game but it looks so natural you don't even notice. I watched him play during his career and never realized he was left-handed until I saw him sign a jersey. Imagine guarding somebody and when you try to block their shot they instantly switch hands. Phil
Larry was right handed, left handed, top handed, under handed, but his best was when he back handed his defenders so much they started yelling "Yall get off me!!"😂
Save this video as a great example of why Bird was such a great player = eyewitness accounts from the players themselves!!! It is one thing to see a guy act tough after a game winning shot is made but Bird told everyone BEFORE he made these game winning shots = truly amazing!!!
Look at photos of Bird when he signed his NBA contract. He is left handed. He writes and eats left handed. But he said when it came to shooting the ball it felt more natural shooting with his right hand.
No hatred.. Watching football today.. I saw a man probably with a career ending injury.. his quarterback crying.. I truly never want to see that.. You have to have hatred in your heart to want to see any player be hurt.. I don't have that in me.
If my choices are LeBron or Larry Bird I'm taking Larry Bird every single day of the week and twice on Sunday. That dude is the epitome of a competitor.
Remember... when he & Magic came to the NBA, there was NO -3-POINT LINE! 😳 (*not H.S. or College) imagine if 2days players didn't have 3pts till their 2nd Year in NBA...
Fun fact Bird writes with his left hand but plays sports right handed. My dad was the same way it’s because my dads family was so poor that all his brothers were right handed so he had to learn to play right handed, I think it’s probably the same with Larry.
Aside from that, if you know that your job depends on it, you will try to learn to play, as well, with your right hand as with your left hand and vice versa. In the end, we have two eyes to see and two hands to, among other tasks, play basket ball. There are videos of Jordan (who is right handed) scoring, running and bouncing with his left hand... A left handed person, unless has been taught and obligued to do everything with his right hand, will always do their tasks with their left hand better than with their right but, that does not mean that can train his weak hand to do the same things that, normally, are done by his strong hand.
Larry said in a interview; "...the black man is the best athlete in the world, and I always wanted to play against the best." So, yes, Larry always felt it was disrespecting his game if the opposing coach would assign a white player to guard him.
James Worthy once said ''I'd much rather guard Michael Jordan than Larry Bird because you have to play the game as a thinker against him, get inside his mind... Jordan made you look slow, but Bird made you look stupid''
The best of the best - the legends of the game - all speak of Bird's greatness. It is only those who did not watch or experience it first-hand that question it. Just go through one of these videos and write down the names of the players that talk about how amazing he was. After a couple videos, you will notice that you have every Hall of Famers from the 70's, 80's, and 90's on your list! The biggest problem with trying to deal with Bird is that he could do everything. If you covered him hard, his passing would kill you. Cover those passing lanes and he would hit the jumper from anywhere or even drive the lane. And even when he missed the shot, he was going after it and getting the rebounds! His head and heart could not be stopped. He was just a different type of player - a team player and one that was willing to put his life on the line for the win.
Heard a stat about Bird the other day that I found a little shocking. As ice cold as he was in the 3-point contest, he averaged only 1.9 3-point shots per game. Had to look that one up.
That's because the 3 point shot didn't even become a thing until his rookie year and coaches discourage them! Wasn't until the mid 80s that players started to try for 3 pointers more often.
The racism that Larry endured as admitted by then black players was amazing. The other players would say this white boy can't play with us. I guess they were wrong. That girl from Iowa is going through the same thing now. When will we recognize talent and not the other crap.
To put this video in context, in order to understand it correctly, I would highlight that the defensive game, in those days, had much more physical impact than today. And even so, Larry Bird, achieved what he achieved, he scored and played against his opponents and with their minds... as well... To play against Larry Bird at his prime, was a not better nightmare than to play against Jordan at his prime...
Is that where he greeted them in the hotel with Are you "the college guys?" When they answered in the affirmative, his next line was , "Well, you all had better get some rest 'cause it's going to be a long week": and went on to this room.
Can you name me any other player than Larry Bird in the goat conversation that was whipping a guy so badly, the guy legitimately thought about killing himself?
If you will pull up an interview where Magic & Larry was on one of the late night talk shows (sorry can't remember which one) but Magic talks about his best friend Larry who stood beside him when others wouldn't when he had HIV... He said Larry called him and asked "what can I do?" To me Larry was a friend, he loves Magic! But they also talk about games too...
Larry Bird writes left-handed, but plays basketball right handed. I believe it has to do with really injuring his finger on his left hand when he was playing baseball. He taught himself to play right handed. My younger son was a really good baseball player. He was right handed but naturally bad at left-handed, same with golf.
Larry was left handed, just didn't play left handed. The way he was coached, I am sure. I am left handed myself, but, when I was being coached at sports, it was right handed. I used to play tennis left handed, but, it was coached out of me, and now I can't. So, Larry, left handed person, yes, left handed player, no.
I got MJ and Bird 1A and 1B and I watched both of thier entire career. I stopped watching after Kobe. He was the last to be cut from that play hurt die to win clutch great
Larry Bird is Left Handed but he was taught to use his right hand to shoot the Basketball 🏀. Look at him signing his contract with his Left Hand. I was the same way back in school back in the old days the teacher would take the pencil out of my left hand and would smack my hand for using the Left Hand. Things are allot different than what it was when we were kids.
Yeah he plays sports right handed. My dad was the first person I’d heard that did that until Larry. My dad said they were really poor growing up and couldn’t afford a left handed glove so he learned to play sports as a righty. I’d bet it’s the Sam Edith Bird they were very poor too.
I enjoy most of the black people on here that takes a lookat Larry Bird. What I, as a white 78 year white man find amazing... they honor Larry over magisJohson and Micheal Jorden.
Thank you SO much for playing this and not talking through the whole thing like others do! There are so many cool stories on here by others, and so many others miss them by talking over them.
When Bird was a rookie and played in the NBA for his first couple of weeks, he said to his teammates, “This league is nothing.” He turned a Boston Celtic team that was 29-53 the year BEFORE he arrived into a 61-21 powerhouse, and went into the playoffs. They lost to Dr. J, Moses Malone, and the Philadelphia 76ers (also one of the greatest teams of all time!). The next year, they went 62-20 and faced the 76ers again and got down 3 games to 1. There was an historic fight between Larry and Dr. J because Larry was trash-talking him (saying things like “38 to 6” points he had vs. Dr. J, and “You need to retire.”). Philly was up about 15 points in the 4th quarter on their home court, and the Philadelphia announcer started telling the 76er fans that tickets for the Finals would be going on sale in the next couple of days, so confident that the Celtics were finished. But that announcement infuriated Bird and his teammates. So….they came back and won the game! And, they proceeded to win the next 2 games to take the series. No game in that 7 game series was won by more than 2 points by either team. But, the Celtics came back from being down 3-1 to win it, then moved on to play the Houston Rockets for the NBA Championship series. And WON it all in only Larry’s 2nd yea in the league. Larry Bird WILLED that 1980-81 team to win it all. He IS an assassin. And he played his guts out every single game.
His actual statement was he would shoot left handed, except for long jumpers, which means his dominant hand was his right. He scored 47 points, 22 of them were left handed. He also had a triple double and hit the game winning shot. Pretty good night's work.
He also said 'when it got close I switched back to my right hand' would make zero sense if he was left-handed.
If you watch that game, he does shoot one mid range left handed jump shot, and its not pretty. Of course, he hit it.
@@georgemccormick4786 He probably thought, "Ler's try it!" and it went down. Larry was just built differently.
A quick educational point I'd like to bring to your attention is in regard to the comment that there wasn't hate or fights back then. You need to do some homework and find the old videos of early 80s NBA competition. Just to name a few, you can find video of Larry Legend fighting Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Laimbeer in bare knuckle brawls. Between his courage, level of play, and trash talking, it is no wonder how many NBA greats tell stories with respect to him. GOAT!
As I recall he pegged Laimbeer in the face with a ball.
@@johntaylor7029And why did he do that? Have you seen the video? I've seen it 25+ times. Lambeer was the dirtiest player in the NBA back then. I won't even write what I think of him.
I believe Isaih Thomas said if you locked Larry Bird in a room with all the tough guys in the league, Larry Bird would be the only one to walk out.
The Bird/Dr. J fight makes you wonder that they ever spoke again, let alone are friendly now. The fights were more intense back then but the grudges didn't last.
Well done sir, great reaction. Man, it was SO much fun watching this guy play.
A winners mentality at its most savage and boy didn't he make it look amazing and effortless a true genius
I think Larry Bird calling his shots is where they got the idea to do the McDonald's commercials with him and Michael matching shot for shot in a competition for the McDonald's food. They would always map out a ridiculously difficult trick shot in those commercials. I think you can still find those McDonald's commercials on the internet
I remember those, good times
Those were great commercials! They got old after a year or so, but at first they were funny 😂
One of my favorite Larry Bird stories was during the playoffs against the Sixers and a fan told him he'd see him back in Philly for game 7. Larry looked at him and said "son, you have a better chance of seeing God."
Young lady when they were on the court the hated each other and fought but off the court they had mad respect. Yep young man you are 100% correct
grew up in the chicagoland area in the late 80s early 90s so yeah jordan was life. All these years later now in hindsight, the stories of Larry legend are way more entertaining. Both dudes were stone cold assassins....... the game was just so much better back then
I like that you let the video play with few interruptions and comment at the end. Nice job
He's right handed, that's why he said "Hey, I am gonna play 2/3 of this game left handed. He was showing off his incredible skills
There was a second reason for that. The Celtics only lost one home game in Boston Garden that year and guess who it was lost to? Yep, Larry felt like he owed that humiliation to them for that blemish on their record.
Funny thing is he's naturally left handed he was just a right handed shooter
He writes with his left hand plays sports right handed
3/4
Larry Bird is Left Handed but he was taught to shoot with the right hand. Watch Larry Bird signing his contract or autograph anything with his Left Hand!!!
The hick from French lick! Sooo good!
Bird writes left handed, but is a right hand dominant player / shooter. Probably not too difficult for him considering his overall dexterity and skill set.
Enjoyed your reactions 😊 For me Larry Bird's trash talking, either broke a player down, or forced an opponent to be a better player, & it was the strength of the player, which way they were affected.......that was just a part of who Bird was 😊
One of the things that made this whole era so great was that Magic made Bird better, and Bird made Magic better. It was the rivalry that caused them both to elevate their game to the level they both eventually attained. I love your reaction. Keep going for sure.
If you go back and watch him play you'll notice he was always at the right place at the right time and knew exactly where ever player was on that court at all times. He really was a basketball genius....
There were more fights back then than now.
One of the best Bird/ Magic stories is this. When Magic announced his HIV diagnosis, Bird was the first person to call him and offer his support.
Those two men at the end, saved basketball.
Watch Larry sign an autograph or a contract. He writes with his left hand. What is amazing is that he taught himself to shoot right-handed. It probably started with his first love, baseball. He was left-handed and his older brothers were all right handed so he only had right handed gloves to use. If you watch any Celtics game with Larry playing he makes left-handed passes and shots every game but it looks so natural you don't even notice. I watched him play during his career and never realized he was left-handed until I saw him sign a jersey. Imagine guarding somebody and when you try to block their shot they instantly switch hands. Phil
Bird is a right handed shooter ....he always was!
he was born right handed and always was right handed
Sounds like my brother in law. He plays tennis, golf, basketball, baseball… everything he does right handed. Except writing… he’s a lefty when writing
Smooth reaction I dig the two of you, I will be back!
I'm from back in his era and watched him play. He is right handed.
Great vibes, great video! 🎉👏 How about some Caitlin highlights? 😃
He’s not normal. Not normal at all. He is on another level. It was another time. Another day . There will be another ❤ another day
Larry was right handed, left handed, top handed, under handed, but his best was when he back handed his defenders so much they started yelling "Yall get off me!!"😂
And he and Magic are still best of friends today
Save this video as a great example of why Bird was such a great player = eyewitness accounts from the players themselves!!! It is one thing to see a guy act tough after a game winning shot is made but Bird told everyone BEFORE he made these game winning shots = truly amazing!!!
I'm from Boston... 8 in 1984... He's definitely right handed
That's what it comes down to RESPECT!
Look at photos of Bird when he signed his NBA contract. He is left handed. He writes and eats left handed. But he said when it came to shooting the ball it felt more natural shooting with his right hand.
Watching him live was crazy. Yes Righi handed
No hatred.. Watching football today.. I saw a man probably with a career ending injury.. his quarterback crying.. I truly never want to see that.. You have to have hatred in your heart to want to see any player be hurt.. I don't have that in me.
i grew up watching Bird. nice video
If my choices are LeBron or Larry Bird I'm taking Larry Bird every single day of the week and twice on Sunday. That dude is the epitome of a competitor.
Thanks appreciate honesty 😊❤ know that you have other great videos
The hatred was real back then but there was always respect ❤ the best era ever
Remember... when he & Magic came to the NBA, there was NO -3-POINT LINE! 😳 (*not H.S. or College) imagine if 2days players didn't have 3pts till their 2nd Year in NBA...
Fun fact Bird writes with his left hand but plays sports right handed. My dad was the same way it’s because my dads family was so poor that all his brothers were right handed so he had to learn to play right handed, I think it’s probably the same with Larry.
Exactly!
Aside from that, if you know that your job depends on it, you will try to learn to play, as well, with your right hand as with your left hand and vice versa.
In the end, we have two eyes to see and two hands to, among other tasks, play basket ball.
There are videos of Jordan (who is right handed) scoring, running and bouncing with his left hand... A left handed person, unless has been taught and obligued to do everything with his right hand, will always do their tasks with their left hand better than with their right but, that does not mean that can train his weak hand to do the same things that, normally, are done by his strong hand.
No, he doesn't.
@@joelspaulding5964 yes he does
Larry said in a interview; "...the black man is the best athlete in the world, and I always wanted to play against the best." So, yes, Larry always felt it was disrespecting his game if the opposing coach would assign a white player to guard him.
James Worthy once said ''I'd much rather guard Michael Jordan than Larry Bird because you have to play the game as a thinker against him, get inside his mind... Jordan made you look slow, but Bird made you look stupid''
Larry was both handed but favored his right.
The best of the best - the legends of the game - all speak of Bird's greatness. It is only those who did not watch or experience it first-hand that question it. Just go through one of these videos and write down the names of the players that talk about how amazing he was. After a couple videos, you will notice that you have every Hall of Famers from the 70's, 80's, and 90's on your list!
The biggest problem with trying to deal with Bird is that he could do everything. If you covered him hard, his passing would kill you. Cover those passing lanes and he would hit the jumper from anywhere or even drive the lane. And even when he missed the shot, he was going after it and getting the rebounds! His head and heart could not be stopped. He was just a different type of player - a team player and one that was willing to put his life on the line for the win.
Heard a stat about Bird the other day that I found a little shocking. As ice cold as he was in the 3-point contest, he averaged only 1.9 3-point shots per game. Had to look that one up.
That's because the 3 point shot didn't even become a thing until his rookie year and coaches discourage them! Wasn't until the mid 80s that players started to try for 3 pointers more often.
Bird era retired, I was out.
Grew up watching Chamberlain, Dr J and Bird era's.
I didn't make it but about a yr or 2 after Bird.
Great show man
When a reporter ask Kevin McHale compare Garnett to Bird. Kevin he couldn’t carry Larry’s jock😂
He don't you got anyone on that bench can guard me?? No one out here can...!
The racism that Larry endured as admitted by then black players was amazing. The other players would say this white boy can't play with us. I guess they were wrong. That girl from Iowa is going through the same thing now. When will we recognize talent and not the other crap.
Right handed, and Portland trailblazers was the team. And a really good team at that time. Jerome Jersey was a pretty good player as well.
Bird could play both left and right handed he was great with both
Larry was different
Nice video and reaction.
Forget the trash talk.
Bird is the GOAT !!!
To put this video in context, in order to understand it correctly, I would highlight that the defensive game, in those days, had much more physical impact than today.
And even so, Larry Bird, achieved what he achieved, he scored and played against his opponents and with their minds... as well...
To play against Larry Bird at his prime, was a not better nightmare than to play against Jordan at his prime...
Just looked it up. He could play with both hands, but Larry Bird is right handed.
Thanks for the video!
I lived the 80's and my roommate was a basketball freak. I didn't understand then what I know now. I played football
Checkout Jamal Mashburn's story about being one of the college players that scrimmaged against Bird and the Dream Team before the Olympics in '92
Is that where he greeted them in the hotel with Are you "the college guys?" When they answered in the affirmative, his next line was , "Well, you all had better get some rest 'cause it's going to be a long week": and went on to this room.
Much respect. Good luck. All true talk
Can you name me any other player than Larry Bird in the goat conversation that was whipping a guy so badly, the guy legitimately thought about killing himself?
I love it that there is no racism
He plays right handed, but is naturally a lefty.
He’s 100% right handed.
Larry was right handed and he played left handed in 3 games that I can remember. Larry is my goat because even Jordan couldn’t beat him.
Now imagine this Larry said this regarding Micheal jordan, "thats not micheal jordan, thats god disguised as micheal jordan".
You need to watch Making the case for Larry Bird as the GOAT. It's a very convincing story
If you will pull up an interview where Magic & Larry was on one of the late night talk shows (sorry can't remember which one) but Magic talks about his best friend Larry who stood beside him when others wouldn't when he had HIV... He said Larry called him and asked "what can I do?" To me Larry was a friend, he loves Magic! But they also talk about games too...
That’s called a jump shot , I know Lebron fans aren’t used to seeing them actually go through the hoop with regularity 😂😂😂
Magic actually had a Celtics t shirt on underneath his lakers gear. You can see the white collar
Edit: ❤️🇦🇺
Look back at old video signing an autograph for a person he is definitely left-handed
If you search online for the video of Larry Bird signing his original contract with the Celtics, you'll see that he was signing with his left hand.
mirror image
You need to watch Bird n Magic on the Letterman show.
I like your view I’m new merry Christmas
he's right handed
He was left handed but shot the ball right handed
Great history
Could you imagine LeFraud doing something like that? A big fat no.
Well done
Larry Bird writes left-handed, but plays basketball right handed. I believe it has to do with really injuring his finger on his left hand when he was playing baseball. He taught himself to play right handed. My younger son was a really good baseball player. He was right handed but naturally bad at left-handed, same with golf.
Bird and magic went at it in college as well.
lol, in one game
@markbailey3225 the highest rated ncaa championship game to date
@@JohnC-rz7cy i watched it and know it is
What did Bron Bron mean by “There ain’t no party like a Diddy party.”
Yea, he's righthanded, but ambi-dextrous
He writes with his left hand but plays sports right handed glove
@@oldmanballer5088 like he said
@ yeah I heard
Larry was left handed, just didn't play left handed. The way he was coached, I am sure. I am left handed myself, but, when I was being coached at sports, it was right handed. I used to play tennis left handed, but, it was coached out of me, and now I can't.
So, Larry, left handed person, yes, left handed player, no.
RIGHT 👋
Right handed
Larry Bird is ambidextrous.
Nope
He writes with his left hand.
Birdman is Left handed. He signs with his Left hand.
that doesn't make him left handed
Just watch every other game he ever played. He's a right handed Basketball player.
Lebron is 11 of all time.
2nd greatest player ever only behind Jordan. If he was as athletic as Jordan or LeBron or others he would have been absolutely unguardable
He is definitely left handed
It was just respect
Draymond thinks he invented trash talk. Bird would put Draymond into retirement
I got MJ and Bird 1A and 1B and I watched both of thier entire career. I stopped watching after Kobe. He was the last to be cut from that play hurt die to win clutch great
Larry Bird is Left Handed but he was taught to use his right hand to shoot the Basketball 🏀. Look at him signing his contract with his Left Hand. I was the same way back in school back in the old days the teacher would take the pencil out of my left hand and would smack my hand for using the Left Hand. Things are allot different than what it was when we were kids.
Yeah he plays sports right handed. My dad was the first person I’d heard that did that until Larry. My dad said they were really poor growing up and couldn’t afford a left handed glove so he learned to play sports as a righty. I’d bet it’s the Sam Edith Bird they were very poor too.
you are so wrong
Well if you watch him signing his rookie con tract he uses his his left hand. So you decide
Love the bird.
Back then you played with merit not color these boys earned their place on the court….there was no social media no nothing just getting along !!
please check these facts about bird
10 Straight Mins Of Larry Bird Facts That Will Change Your Mind On Who's The GOAT
I enjoy most of the black people on here that takes a lookat Larry Bird. What I, as a white 78 year white man find amazing... they honor Larry over
magisJohson and Micheal Jorden.