When Bird came back to play...after that fall......he had a fractured cheekbone... A concussion... & double vision!!! Yet... somehow he played and they won the game! I don't know of any other player ...that would have come back out to play after being hurt that bad! That man had more heart then any other player that I know of that's played basketball!
@FREEZO410 I’m sure you already know that Bird and Magic’s legacies are forever intertwined. Two videos that are definitely worth checking out if you are interested, as a fan of basketball are 1) “The Magic Man”, which is another Magic highlight compilation that is different from his Ultimate Mixtape, and “ 2) “A Courtship of Rivals”, which is a documentary telling Bird’s and Magic’s story. It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve seen and really highlights how important and special these two were to the game of basketball. I’ll leave the links in a separate comment. A reaction video to the shorter one would be cool, but not necessary. Check them out, tho. You’ll be glad you did…
“The Magic Man” ruclips.net/video/q8Qbo0WqvOI/видео.htmlsi=GPQdmKrImK9or-Gj “A Courtship of Rivals” Bird and Magic Documentary ruclips.net/video/axbIoHqFaa8/видео.htmlsi=chnC5JV7uMA8V_qm
I don’t know if you’ve heard the story but you probably have. Larry Bird had in his contract that if he continued into 1994 he would earn $5 million a year. On August 12 I believe, he walked into the general managers office and told him he was retiring. His contract was to renew for $5 million on August 15, the general manager said “ Larry why don’t you take a week and think about it. Larry looked him in the eye and said, I know what day it is, and if I can’t play at 100% I’m not gonna take your money. That says a ton about Larry’s character !
YES. This is true. I remember this. IIRC it was Dave Gavitt, who was CEO of the Celtics at the time. No matter where you rank him, there is no one else like Larry Bird.
@@adamcurley3895 His character was always on display because he was always a team player. He had mad skills, and knew he had mad skills. He put them on display every game, but his ultimate goal was the win. If passing to another player was the best choice, he did it. A true leader lets other shine but also steps up as needed.
The pass behind his back that you called unnecessary was in the game following Magic's announcement that he'd been diagnosed with HIV and was retiring immediately. Bird was crushed by the news. Back then, HIV was a death sentence. That pass, right there in the middle of the court, was for Magic. Bird had a hard time controlling his emotions that night.
Bird didnt just fade away. He won a coach of the year award with the pacers and executive of the year also with them. He recently became a consultant with them. Birds still in the game.
I just saw a video where he hit seven of nine threes against the knicks in 1991, as jacked up as he was. Can you imagine what hed do today in his prime
@@georgemccormick4786 I know it's crazy how underrated he is. His 11 (or 12, I forget) 3s in a row during one of the early three-point contests was crazy also.
Larry Legend had absolute total situational awareness and knew where everyone was on the court at all times. It was an amazing time to be watching the NBA.
The retirement ceremony was a testament to Bird's legacy at Boston. The stadium held 14,890 souls, the Garden had no game or other event scheduled for that night and It sold out to a standing room only crowd. Bird is one of the top tier greats of the game. Anyone who don't get that, don't know basketball from horse shoes.
I think my favorite quotes about Larry Bird was James Worthy "I'd rather guard Jordan then Bird,. Jordan makes you look slow, Bird makes you look stupid"
My dad has been a Lakers fan since forever, I'm born and raised here in LA a lifelong Lakers fan myself, and even though I wasn't old enough to ever see Larry Legend play on TV, I'll always remember my dad shaking his head at any mention of him at the fact that Larry was just way too good and made that 80's Celtics team one of the greatest in the history of the game for ruining a lot of Lakers victories. Magic is my favorite player of all time but goddamn, Larry was something else, and I feel he deserves his nickname, Legend, for being the most unassuming looking dude ever with little athletic gifts who still dominated the game in ever facet ever. The dude talked the most shit in NBA history, backed it up, and toyed with the best players in the world out of pure fun and killer instinct competition because he could. That's why I was hella confused when I was a little kid and my friends who were into basketball like me dismissed Bird like he was just some outlier 3-point shooting white guy and nothing else when Bird did everything while regularly putting up triple-double statistics all the time - even after his back was debilitated and his body breaking down on him. Folks don't know that Bird was the real deal of NBA basketball and now that I'm older, I can appreciate Larry Legend was an absolute monster on the court, and his rivalry with Magic was just way too good and almost perfectly scripted that saved the league when those Finals battles were real wars being battled on television. I apologize for the block of text but I find it tremendously cool that more people are finding out about this man and his legacy from folks like you on RUclips to appreciate NBA basketball when it was its golden era, players earned their pay for staying on the same team to compete and win, nobody was afraid of getting hurt to do it, and the idea of joining your rivals to win rings was the exact opposite philosophy when Bird and Magic were thriving.
Spot on analysis. I think most people seem to only remember Bird's last couple seasons where his bad back limited his mobility and he was stiff and really couldn't run. Yet, as you said, could still play, score, and win. -- BUT THOSE FIRST SIX SEASONS . . .
@stevanvicm this. End of the world, Doomsday Cannon pointed at Earth and I need 1 shot to stop it? Larry Bird. Period. The guys DNA is just clutch genes
One of the best texts i ever read! Bird is in my Top 3 of all time! LeClown is not in my top 75! No winner, no clutch, flopping bumming crying….not great at all. Average to maybe good….but not more. It’s a blame to rank LeClown over legends like Bird, Magic, Wilt, Kareem, Tim, Hakeem….West….the list goes on. Period
Larry fractured his right cheekbone when he hit the floor, doc said he was out but Larry waited till the doc wasnt looking and came back out on the court scored 17 more points and won the game.
Larry was watching the game in the locker room and couldn't just sit there thinking this was how the season was going to end. Waited till the doc left? When did Larry listen to a doc? He usually would ask them for a beer instead of any painkillers.
After JJ Reddick's presumptuous and relatively ignorant comments on Larry Bird, it's nice to see people discover more about him. One of the absolute greats.
Larry broke ankles because his opponents Never knew what the man was going to do. Larry had so many tricks up his sleeve that other players had an almost impossible time trying guess if he was going to fake a shot or a pass, or take the shot, or pass the ball. Sometimes he did a combo of those...lol. Larry was the best at coming up with ways of getting scores, even if he didn't put the ball into the basket himself. He was generous in passing the ball to teammates, even when he could have easily made the baskets...and again, that kept the other teams off balance as they rarely knew what the man was going to do with that ball. (Even, ironically, lol, when he told them every move he was going to make on many of his plays...lol) One of my favorite quotes about Larry -- by Charles Barkley: "Larry being unathletic, is God's way of making it fair."
I saw almost all of Birds games. Some of them live. I can tell you without a doubt that Larry Bird is the smartest most clutch player I have ever seen! He is the purist shooter you will ever see. Unlimited range, could make any shot. The 1986 Celtic team is still the greatest team I have ever seen play. They went 40-1 at home. If you want to see a basketball team play as one, watch some of those games. Bird was unbelievable. Larry won his third straight league MVP in 86. Bird is the most complete player I ever saw. He could do it all. He only played 13 seasons because he broke his back and had surgery on both feet. After the 87 season. I believe if he hadn't got injured and was able to have a full career, he would have put up some numbers that no one would have touched. He was one of a kind, there will never be another Larry Bird!
He broke his shooting hand after college before he actually played with the Celtics playing a game of catch with his brother. Bird says it never healed right. So his whole NBA career his shooting hand was damaged goods.
@@edwardrichard2561actually it was his finger he broke it was bent all the way over sideways during a pickup softball game which his brother was also a part of and he had to have 2 surgeries on it.
I heard it said like this about Magic & Larry's passing; "Magic Made Easy Passes Look Hard & Larry Made Hard Passes Look Easy". No Larry Didn't Really Do Flashy, Larry Was Only Interested In Team Winning. The More You Watch Him You'll See He Has The Best IQ Basketball. He was all about making the TEAM better, He was Very Unselfish.
To be fair, Larry wouldn't have been who he was without Magic and Magic wouldn't have been who he was without Bird! The two made each other better and they eventually learned to love each other for it. All because of a commercial that got them to talk over some of mama Birds homemade meal in which she said you two need to talk!
After that commercial and that meal they became the best of friends. One part I like is when the dream team happened Bird said he wouldn't do it without Magic because people were apprehensive because Magic had Hiv then and Bird said he couldn't imagine doing that with anyone else!
Being a great passer is like being a Grand Chess Master. If you haven't watched Larry's greatest passer mix tape you'll luv it, especially since you seem like passing. Great reaction! 🤩👍👍👍
Congrats on your upcoming bundle if joy💕💕💕 Magic & Larry, resurrected the game of basketball......My dad loved basketball, but stopped watching, until the competition between Johnson & Bird was highlighted......What my Dad used to say, about Larry's game, is that it reminded him of someone, who was not only playing basketball, but also, volleyball, dodgeball, hockey, baseball, football, soccer, & strategic chess, all at the same time, and was what made him so great 😊He certainly was one of the most unique and gifted players, I have ever watched! 🏀🏀🏀
Larry Bird in gaming terms is what you get when you have all the stats that matter maxed out. He got a shooting skill that was insane. Passing that would make even the goat puzzled. Court IQ that made even Pat Riley feel stupid. Trash talk that left rookies scarred for life. Most importantly he didn't need to be a one man show like Jordan. He used team tactics that changed so quickly that it left many teams questioning if there was any strategy to beat the celtics that could work. Some did get lucky but most did not. The scariest thing of all is Bird was to some extent injured his whole career. First it was his hand which was damaged just before he joined the team but even then he played so good it turned a low level team into championship contenders. Then he got injured a lot on the court but still played so hard that people hardly noticed the injuries. Even at the end of his player career with his body badly broken and barely the man he use to be, he was still able to hand out repeat losses to Jordan like it was candy. Even after that he became a coach of the year and later an executive of the year. Not many guys today can boast that.
This was great! There are so many Larry bird videos. You still need to discover, but I highly recommend the next one. You will enjoy a lot: Larry Bird, greatest passer of all time (re-edit with new footage). Seriously. Watch more amazing Larry Bird videos! Subscribed for more Larry Bird. You’re just barely discovering the greatness.
In his 13 seasons in the nba, larry bird made the all star team 12 times. The only time he didn't was because of a reconstructive back surgery, following a season ending injury in 89. Won league mvp 3 times, in a league with Reggie Miller, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley, to name but a few. And between 1981 and 1988, whenever he didn't win he was always 2nd in votes, every single year. Founding member of the 50/40/90 club Over 13 seasons, he averaged 24.6, 10.4, 6.6, and his single game record was 60 points - thats why the hawks were jumping off the bench. They were witnessing history
I laughed out loud when you were doing calculations on the behind the backboard shot!😂 Check out the 60 pts against the Hawks. It will blow your mind! Great reaction! I’m subscribing 👊🏻
Alright first time watching your channel, excellent video. Ok the next video you must watch especially if you like passing is The Greatest Passer Larry a bird the re-edit. It’s 15-17 minutes of nothing but Bird passing the ball. Trust me you gonna love it! I was in high school when Larry and Magic were doing their thing and there’s one thing we used to say about their passing skills. “Magic would take an easy pass and make it look difficult, Larry would take a difficult pass and make it look easy!” Man you want your channel to blow up keep doing the Bird videos. I’ve seen it many times before and there are a ton of them to watch. You got a new sub and I. Looking forward to seeing more vids. Oh and congrats on the new baby, welcome to the club. Oh not just a shooter Birds the only player in his career to avg 24, 10, & 6 Here’s the link for the video I talked about above ruclips.net/video/wwo4vtaZmsY/видео.html
Larry Birds skull and toughness are what make him The GOAT. He came back from DOUBLE Achilles surgery and played 5 years with a BROKEN BACK. Please was he greatest stories ever told part 2
When he took that fall against the Indiana pacers it was the playoffs in his last season at the end of his career, he has pretty much been playing with a broken back for about his last 7 years. We thought that was the end on that play. He came back with a fracture of his right cheek and double vision. If you love bball then you really gotta dig into Bird more. They just really don't make them this way. There's multiple videos about his injuries, his ish talking, his toughness etc etc, Check out Making the Case by Clayton Crowley for Bird, (and the other 7 he says has a substantial claim as the goat)
All the Pistons/Isiah Thomas had to do was inbound the ball and they were going to the NBA Finals. That play sent the Celtics to the Finals. That moment is the epitome of the word Clutch and exemplifies playing the game with everything you have till the very end. Everyone in Boston thought that game was over. Only one person didn’t. LEGEND.
Larry Legend. He was first one at practice everyday.Worked for hours before games. He was a one man wrecking crew. Played great team ball but if he needed to take over he could. Talking trash the whole time.
Bird was a monster player- he had so many weapons in his arsenal, and even when his back went bad he was still torching the best of the best. He had the respect of his peers because they knew damn well if you made any mistake around Larry, you were going to pay for it! Larry Legend.
YOU did a great job, by the way when Larry fell on his face and then came back you didn't hear them say he had a fractured check bone and a concusion and helped them win game 5 in a 5 game series
My man, considering you were hype for the passes in this mixtape you should def jump on that re-edit with new footage because it is full of sauce. You'll love it, guaranteed.
Great reaction. Thanks! Bird was the best small forward ever. I watched him from the beginning all the way until his bad back made him retire. The night before a big game Bird could be found at a local bar drinking everyone under the table and getting into fist fights. Two Pat Riley quotes about Bird: 1) "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." 2) "He's the greatest clutch player I've ever seen. The hell with Jerry West!"
I really like the “the toughest NBA player” video because it highlights what people didn’t see when they watched Larry play. His pain tolerance was off the charts and puts him in a whole new category when you realized that he still played on and still made all those shots and passes. Larry Bird Greatest Passer - Re-edited ruclips.net/video/wwo4vtaZmsY/видео.html 4 Crazy Stories that Prove Larry Bird Is the Toughest NBA Player in History (… and he still played on) ruclips.net/video/L4vsB2Hskv4/видео.html Larry Bird Trash Talking ruclips.net/video/cbshHcWCIVI/видео.html Making the Case: Larry Bird G.O.A.T (Making the Case is another great series on multiple players) ruclips.net/video/Pxf4RzocHN8/видео.html Magic Johnson and Larry Bird: A Courtship of Rivals (really good documentary on the two of them) ruclips.net/video/axbIoHqFaa8/видео.html 50 best Assist Larry Bird ruclips.net/video/baBdnA7cui0/видео.html
This was hands down the best era of basketball. No matter how old I get and how bad my memory, I will never forget these games by Bird and especially the games between the Celtics and Lakers. I just feel there will never be another time in basketball that can top this.
What you didn't see here as Magic was approaching the stage was Magic flashing the Celtics t-shirt he was wearing under his Lakers warm-up. Larry played beyond hurt. hr played about half of career with what was essentially a broken back that would pop[ out of place and lock up. This put him in traction more than a few times to allow him to play the next game. He would also lay on the floor in front of their bench when he wasn't in the game. if he sat on the bench during his bad spells, his back would lock up. The fall during the Pacers game resulted in a broken cheekbone and a concussion that game him double vision for a few games after that one. The only season he wasn't in the All Star game was because he only played something like 6 games that season due to having to have surgery on BOTH Achilles tendons. Yet still he persevered. One more point, this time about the Portland game that he played the first three quarters left handed. That was the season that the Celtics only lost one game at home in the entire season. That loss was to the Portland Trailblazers. Coincidence? Or did they piss Larry Legend off?
I think that was his way of letting them know that their win was a fluke because he could beat them left handed if he wanted to. When reporters asked him after the game why he did it, Bird said "I'm saving my right hand for the Lakers."
As a Knicks fan, it was tough to watch Larry "do it to them" but he was amazing to see in person - there was always something he did that you couldn't believe you actually just saw! lol Have fun discovering how thoroughly good this guy was - his trash talking videos, passing videos, etc. - he was definitely one of the greatest players of all time. He's in my top 3, for sure - Him, Jordan and LeBron for me - and if it comes down to a last shot - Bird every single time!
For those that think Larry Bird was not as good as he really was and never had the chance to see him play this comment is for you. Remember in this comment I am just highlighting Larry's NBA accomplishments. Little know thing about Larry to those that never saw him play , he could effect the outcome of a game and never take a shot thats how devastating his passing skills were. Here is one thing that most fans (people) either don't know or try to ignore, prior to Larry joining the NBA there was no such thing as a three point line, that came in when Bird was starting his first year of his NBA career. Just think about it, what would todays game be without the three point line or if the line was one foot farther out like it was when it was first introduced. Food for thought. At that time it was not about the individuals stats it was about the win. But if you need some stats here you go: Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986); Two-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986); Three-time NBA MVP (1984-86); 12-time NBA All-Star (1980-88, 1990-92); Nine-time All-NBA First Team (1980-88); All-NBA Second Team (1990); Three-time All-NBA Defensive Second Team (1982-84); NBA Rookie of the Year (1980); NBA All-Rookie Team (1980); Three-time NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1986-88); Career-high in points: 60 (March 12, 1985) -- tied for franchise record with Jayson Tatum; Named NBA Coach of the Year (1998); and Named NBA Executive of the Year (2012). Larry Bird, was the first player to accomplish the 50-40-90 achievement, and one of two players to achieve the feat in multiple seasons. Career averages: 24.3 points per game 10.0 rebounds per game 6.3 assists per game 88.6% free throw percentage 49.6% field goal percentage 37.6% 3-point percentage Now we can't forget that Bird famously played with two injured ankles and a notoriously cranky back that forced him to lay down on the floor during practice breaks. After season-ending foot surgery just six games into the 1988-89 season
Subbed just for the old school basketball reactions. Bird was a straight killer just like the billy goat jordan who learned a lot about mind games from playing against larry. Magic and jordans bulls mixtape are a must. If you want to see the greatest rivalry in sport try reacting to a courtship of rivals magic and bird both saved the nba in the 1980s when it was on its knees they are both in my top 5 all time great players but are easily the most important players in nba history. Slainte from ireland.
Larry Legend, the real GOAT...great video guy, your reactions say it all, he did this night after night vs. the likes of Magic, Dr. J, Kareem, the Bad Boys, Moses Malone, The Human Highlight Reel Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, on and on- he killed them all lol and so clutch and he could make any play at any time with either hand- that is what made him so hard to defend- no one knew what he was gonna do next...Larry Legend Forever!
Comparing old players vs new players is always interesting. Newer players have more well rounded skill sets, partly thanks for players like Bird and Magic, who were bigs who could play any position. They also have much better training and health care. Older players were cut from a different cloth, though, and were generally tougher and more competitive-minded. Some of them, like Bird, did not care what the media thought of him and even told them so, and he hated the stupid controversial stuff they like to create. I'm a big fan of some of today's players, like Kyrie Irving, Jokic, Giannis, Steph Curry, and others. But if I was going to start a championship dynasty, the very first player I'd draft is Larry Bird. Then I'd get Jordan, and go from there. Bird was not only an elite level individual player but he was a great team player. He had unshakeable confidence and could not be intimidated, and he was tough as nails. And every player and coach knew he was going to be a problem. He was just a menace until he retired.
If you take anyone over Duncan as #1 when building a franchise, you are a complete moron. Bird is up there, but mj and bird are no Duncan. He was leagues above anyone in the history of the game, it isn’t even close honestly
Dude, Michael Jordan never beat Larry Bird, and Lebron, when asked who his favorite players were, said Larry bird, Michael Jordan and Kareem. He wasn't really a trash talker, because he backed up everything he said, so he was really just talking. He was one of the only players to call their shots coming up the floor. Plus he was ambidextrous too, and played the last 7 years of his career with a back injury, often spending the night in traction so he could play the next day. If you want to see how magnificently this game can be played, watch Larry Bird.
In the part of the video where Larry goes out of the game after breaking his eyesocket the Indiana Pacers made a big comeback and we’re on the verge of winning this game. Larry sees what’s happening on the monitor tells the trainer to give him two beers, he downs two beers throws water on his face to try and clear his head and ran back out and scored the points to win the game. And that’s in a time. When you had muggings on the floor you had guys that they did everything but pull a gun and take your lunch money. In the words of the immortal Magic, Johnson “that is one bad ass, white boy“.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are in my top five because they pushed each other into greatness. Larry looked at Magic's box scores each morning and Magic looked at Larry's the same way during the seasons. Magic's team was deeper then Larry's and as time went on the Boston starting five would get tired and injury prone. Boston's coaches did not substitute well. Neither Magic or Bird can be mentioned by themselves as they were intertwined even as opponents. After the tennis shoe commercial they became friends and realized that they were more alike than different and became fast friends. They saved the NBA and were the greatest players of their generation. They started together and retired together.
You missed at the @15:20 mark in the Indiana Pacers game - he played the rest of the game with a fracture in his face. MOST players today wouldn't even come out of the locker room for the rest of the game. He rallied his team and led them to a blowout.
Favorite quote about Bird came from Pat Riley. (Paraphrased) Game on the line he'd want Jordan to take the shot. His life on the line he'd want Bird to take the shot.
Bird played his whole professional career hurt from day 1. Between the end of his college career and the start of his pro career Bird shattered the knuckle on the index finger of his shooting hand. Bird said he never had the same feel for the basketball after that. Then in the summer of 1985 he hurt his back while shoveling gravel building a driveway at his mother's house. Bird played until his body couldn't take it anymore. He didn't manage is workload because he said if you get paid to go to work, you go to work. As for the difference between today's era and Birds era - the 3pt shot is way over used today. Let's look at some stats from the 1980-1989 era and the 2020-2023 era Bird era Today fg attempts per team per game 88.85 88.375 fg's made per team per game 43.11 41.125 3pt fg attempts per team per game 3.45 34.53 3pt fg made per team per game .99 12.4 rebounds per team per game 43.78 44.25 offensive rebs per team per game 14.47 10.15 ft attempts per team per game 29.14 22.625 ft's made per team per game 22.07 17.575 assists per team per game 25.83 24.725 steals per team per game 8.78 7.525 blocks per team per game 5.37 4.775 Points per team per game 109.29 112.25 So when you look at the stats about the same amount of shots are taken per game , but 10 times the amount of 3 point shots are taken today and yet the average score has only gone up by 3 points a game. The way the 3pt shot is used today actually is hurting the game.
The comment coach Pat Reily made about Larry,and this says it all too me. He said, "If I could choose one player to take a shot to save a game, I'd pick Michael Jordan. If I had to pick one player to take a shot to save my life… I'd pick Larry Bird.”
Congrats to you and your lady for your blessing 🙂🙏 Loved your reaction, and Larry is on my top 5 all time list ❤ you would love the video of his greatest passes
Love the reaction!! ♥ also.... When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36
I subscribed for the Larry Bird content 🎉 If you are going down the Bird rabbit hole. NBA players and legends who were terrified of Larry Bird 🐦 is a great video.
15:18 - You missed the commentary, but he fractured his cheekbone when his face hit the court. He also snuck out of the locker room when the trainer wasn't looking, to come back in the game, because the trainer definitely wasn't going to let Larry go back out with a fractured face.
Ok one last comment. There is a great documentary about Magic and Bird's rivalry and eventually their friendship. It's called Magic and Bird A Courtship of Rivals. The best documentary ever ❤
At 14:28, Bird had "an apparent fracture of the right cheek". He had a mild concussion when he came back to the game and was seeing multiple baskets. So all of the shooting you see after that point, he had to guess which basket he was shooting for. Also, people talk about his shooting ability but many overlook the fact that he suffered an injury to his right index finger before beginning his NBA career. The finger is shaped much like a boomerang, permanently bent toward his thumb at a 45-degree angle. Two operations failed to straighten it. He can bend it only halfway to his palm.
If you like passing, you found the right guy. You should really check out a Larry passing compilation. Back up point guard Jerry Sichting said team greatness starts when your superstar is willing to give the ball up to anyone who's open. Not many guys like that left, but Larry and Magic were all about winning!
Larry bird is top 5 dead or alive. Imagine a man telling you what he is about to do to you and you can't stop him. He was clutch. A savage. Larry Bird videos get views.
2nd comment. You should look up what made Larry who He was. Hardship. His dad once had a work injury...foot swollen ...and Larry helped his Dad get that swollen foot into his work boot. That helps explain Larry's work ethic. When he fell in that video...did you catch that he fractured his face? That would be incredibly painful. Also...from time he was very little, he played BB with older African American kids. That's WHY he plays so well! And...he had to retire early because he went home one summer and did manual work on his mother's drive way...if I remember right. Could have hired it done. Ended up injuring his back and that shortemed his playing career. Also...before he began his NBA career, he severely injured a finger playing baseball. This affected his shooting ability! But...he did not let that stop him! There are many great videos re Larry Bird. He is extremely humble, too! He is inspirational! Worked hard. Must admire that. Re style of BB back then. Energized! Love the fast pace, the short shorts, and men even getting into a fight on court once in a while. Men and sports have been MOMMIED. Meaning....AS IF... someone's mommy does not want their sweet baby boy to ever suffer any pain. I loved it when men were real men. Lay off the SOY, young men! Congrats re new baby soon
It's Micheal, Magic and Bird. It doesn't matter what order you put them in. That's the holy trinity of basketball. Everyone who came after them goes after them
80s Basketball was the peak of skill and effort basketball. Huge number of athletes in the league...where being white automatically made you 2nd tier. Of course, Larry changed everyone's mind about that. He and Magic saved the NBA from oblivion. Best SF ever. And that's MJ's current opinion, btw. God bless!
Larry retired in 1993, the begnning of the video was showing part of his retirement ceremony - Larrys era was in the late 70's college through the 80's which was his prime era and retired in 93
He was freaking good.. MJ and magic played against him. They can tell some stories. He was on the dream team playing with them to. . Magical basketball era
Larry Bird is the first player to accomplish the 50-40-90 club, the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, 3 point Champion three straight years, MVP three times straight (When competing against Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and many more), Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. Also played for 13 years and was a 12 time All-Star.
Please watch the "greatest passer ever" with re-edit to see Bird as a passer. It is a shame some people think of Bird as a shooter only because Bird had a huge bag of tools to use. Bird was a great rebounder and a tremendous clutch player. Bird was on 3 all defensive teams ( 2nd team) and in 1983 finished tied for 3rd plave for the DPOY award. Bird led the league in defensive win shares 4 times and was 7 times in the top 5 in DWS. Bird went to a 29 win team and was the main reason Boston won 61 games = a 32 game turn around. Bird won ROY and 4th in MVP his rookie season. In the next 8 years in the MVP Bird was 2,2,2,1,1,1,3 and 2nd again. He is without question in anyone's top 10 and actually was a better all around player than Magic!!
In one playoff the ref said, “ unless I see blood, I’m not calling it.” A different era for sure. You needed to pull up your big boy pants to play these guys.
First of all, congratulations on your soon to arrive baby. Awesome!! Loved the video, thank you. I'm a Bird fan. I would encourage you to watch more Bird as well as Magic. They became close friends in a very cool way. Much love.
My college was playing larrys, we heard they had a future all American on their team, we knew nothing but during warm ups tried to guess which black player he was. Man were we wrong, also he beat us and set an arena scoring record with no 3 point line! Peace from Northern Michigan
The man played on a 500 team without him at best. His actual stat numbers made it a contender. His leadership, hustle, clutch (always) he made every player on that team better. He is without doubt the BEST ever. There are more flashy and attention grabbing players with hype perpetuating their greatness, no doubt. He is a TEAM the central processing unit that milked every drop of play those other 4 on the court had. He makes plays happen that are not stat evident. He was the secret sauce, 11 Herbs and spices. If you were making a dream team thats why he would be so far ahead of all the rest. When Magic Johnson calls him the greatest player ever thats hard to dispute. MJ said he was defiantly better than LaBron James, how do you argue. Him and Magic Johnson saved the league and MJ came in and sent it to the top. I grew up watching him and at the time didn't appreciate all the things he brought and at a level so high I couldnt comprehend. It took Decades to unravel, thats a true sign of A GOAT
Larry was the most clutch, highest IQ and possibly the best all around player ever. He averaged 24 pts, 10 rbs and 6 assists a game. Before his back injury, he was unstoppable. 3 mvps consecutively. You could put his best season stats up against MJ. If he never hurt his back, he would have one at least 1 or two more rings and a couple more mvps
seriously i think the IQ is the difference maker. good hands good passing good shooting yeah okay but being aware of everyone and where on the floor and making millisecond decisions is it. extremely rare. it’s that in other sports as well like brady and others
Watch my Magic Johnson Mixtape reaction here: ruclips.net/video/JHPQdwd2XG0/видео.html
I don't even watch basketball anymore it's become so damn powder puff!
When Bird came back to play...after that fall......he had a fractured cheekbone... A concussion... & double vision!!! Yet... somehow he played and they won the game! I don't know of any other player ...that would have come back out to play after being hurt that bad! That man had more heart then any other player that I know of that's played basketball!
@FREEZO410
I’m sure you already know that Bird and Magic’s legacies are forever intertwined.
Two videos that are definitely worth checking out if you are interested, as a fan of basketball are 1) “The Magic Man”, which is another Magic highlight compilation that is different from his Ultimate Mixtape, and “
2) “A Courtship of Rivals”, which is a documentary telling Bird’s and Magic’s story. It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve seen and really highlights how important and special these two were to the game of basketball.
I’ll leave the links in a separate comment. A reaction video to the shorter one would be cool, but not necessary. Check them out, tho. You’ll be glad you did…
“The Magic Man”
ruclips.net/video/q8Qbo0WqvOI/видео.htmlsi=GPQdmKrImK9or-Gj
“A Courtship of Rivals” Bird and Magic Documentary
ruclips.net/video/axbIoHqFaa8/видео.htmlsi=chnC5JV7uMA8V_qm
He didn't retire, he was just getting started: Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year, etc.
In a 9 year run from 1980 to 1989, Larry Bird got 67% of all MVP
votes that were cast. All other players combined only received 33% of the votes.
I don’t know if you’ve heard the story but you probably have. Larry Bird had in his contract that if he continued into 1994 he would earn $5 million a year. On August 12 I believe, he walked into the general managers office and told him he was retiring. His contract was to renew for $5 million on August 15, the general manager said “ Larry why don’t you take a week and think about it. Larry looked him in the eye and said, I know what day it is, and if I can’t play at 100% I’m not gonna take your money. That says a ton about Larry’s character !
YES. This is true. I remember this. IIRC it was Dave Gavitt, who was CEO of the Celtics at the time. No matter where you rank him, there is no one else like Larry Bird.
I didn't know that. FUCKING RESPECT
The story is true, but the year was 1992
That's the sort of thing that puts him in the top 5 of all time for me his character as well as his iq
@@adamcurley3895 His character was always on display because he was always a team player. He had mad skills, and knew he had mad skills. He put them on display every game, but his ultimate goal was the win. If passing to another player was the best choice, he did it. A true leader lets other shine but also steps up as needed.
The pass behind his back that you called unnecessary was in the game following Magic's announcement that he'd been diagnosed with HIV and was retiring immediately. Bird was crushed by the news. Back then, HIV was a death sentence. That pass, right there in the middle of the court, was for Magic. Bird had a hard time controlling his emotions that night.
Wow, I see why they were such good friends then. That’s love 💪🏾. Thank you for that information fam!!!
I really love your commentary!
Magic and Larry the best thing to ever happen to basketball!
I came to the comments to say exactly this.
@@dreamzergSo did I.
Bird didnt just fade away. He won a coach of the year award with the pacers and executive of the year also with them. He recently became a consultant with them. Birds still in the game.
He also randomly drained 15 shots in a row during the Pacers' practice as an executive in his fifties.
I just saw a video where he hit seven of nine threes against the knicks in 1991, as jacked up as he was. Can you imagine what hed do today in his prime
@@georgemccormick4786 I know it's crazy how underrated he is. His 11 (or 12, I forget) 3s in a row during one of the early three-point contests was crazy also.
Only man in the history of the NBA to win MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year.
@@Robert-un7br And throw in an Olympic Gold Medal just for fun.
Larry Legend had absolute total situational awareness and knew where everyone was on the court at all times. It was an amazing time to be watching the NBA.
The retirement ceremony was a testament to Bird's legacy at Boston. The stadium held 14,890 souls, the Garden had no game or other event scheduled for that night and It sold out to a standing room only crowd. Bird is one of the top tier greats of the game. Anyone who don't get that, don't know basketball from horse shoes.
I think my favorite quotes about Larry Bird was James Worthy "I'd rather guard Jordan then Bird,. Jordan makes you look slow, Bird makes you look stupid"
My dad has been a Lakers fan since forever, I'm born and raised here in LA a lifelong Lakers fan myself, and even though I wasn't old enough to ever see Larry Legend play on TV, I'll always remember my dad shaking his head at any mention of him at the fact that Larry was just way too good and made that 80's Celtics team one of the greatest in the history of the game for ruining a lot of Lakers victories. Magic is my favorite player of all time but goddamn, Larry was something else, and I feel he deserves his nickname, Legend, for being the most unassuming looking dude ever with little athletic gifts who still dominated the game in ever facet ever. The dude talked the most shit in NBA history, backed it up, and toyed with the best players in the world out of pure fun and killer instinct competition because he could. That's why I was hella confused when I was a little kid and my friends who were into basketball like me dismissed Bird like he was just some outlier 3-point shooting white guy and nothing else when Bird did everything while regularly putting up triple-double statistics all the time - even after his back was debilitated and his body breaking down on him.
Folks don't know that Bird was the real deal of NBA basketball and now that I'm older, I can appreciate Larry Legend was an absolute monster on the court, and his rivalry with Magic was just way too good and almost perfectly scripted that saved the league when those Finals battles were real wars being battled on television. I apologize for the block of text but I find it tremendously cool that more people are finding out about this man and his legacy from folks like you on RUclips to appreciate NBA basketball when it was its golden era, players earned their pay for staying on the same team to compete and win, nobody was afraid of getting hurt to do it, and the idea of joining your rivals to win rings was the exact opposite philosophy when Bird and Magic were thriving.
Spot on analysis. I think most people seem to only remember Bird's last couple seasons where his bad back limited his mobility and he was stiff and really couldn't run. Yet, as you said, could still play, score, and win. -- BUT THOSE FIRST SIX SEASONS . . .
I grew up watching the Russell-Chamberlain rivalry and thought it was the best rivalry ever until I saw Bird-Magic.
excellent comment. What people don't understand is that almost all the shots in this video were clutch winning shots...
@stevanvicm this. End of the world, Doomsday Cannon pointed at Earth and I need 1 shot to stop it? Larry Bird. Period. The guys DNA is just clutch genes
One of the best texts i ever read!
Bird is in my Top 3 of all time!
LeClown is not in my top 75! No winner, no clutch, flopping bumming crying….not great at all. Average to maybe good….but not more.
It’s a blame to rank LeClown over legends like Bird, Magic, Wilt, Kareem, Tim, Hakeem….West….the list goes on.
Period
Larry fractured his right cheekbone when he hit the floor, doc said he was out but Larry waited till the doc wasnt looking and came back out on the court scored 17 more points and won the game.
Yep, simply amazing. 32 points, 62% from the field and 80% FT, most of his points coming after that injury is mind boggling. He was built different.
Larry was watching the game in the locker room and couldn't just sit there thinking this was how the season was going to end. Waited till the doc left? When did Larry listen to a doc? He usually would ask them for a beer instead of any painkillers.
Bird also averaged 10 rebounds per game for his career in an era that featured some of the best centers and power forwards in the history of the game.
After JJ Reddick's presumptuous and relatively ignorant comments on Larry Bird, it's nice to see people discover more about him. One of the absolute greats.
Larry would drop 70 on Reddick
Your formula for the behind the backboard shot was spot on. We had a team of experts from Switzerland flown in to check the math. Well done Sir.
I was hoping I got that right. I forgot to show my work 😂
@@FREEZO410You didn't carry the 1? 😂😂😂
Too bad it didn't count. Any time the ball goes over the backboard in either direction it is considered Out of Bounds.
it seemed that you saw that shot before, but appreciate the love :)
@@GeraldWalls I think that rule was later changed.
Larry broke ankles because his opponents Never knew what the man was going to do. Larry had so many tricks up his sleeve that other players had an almost impossible time trying guess if he was going to fake a shot or a pass, or take the shot, or pass the ball. Sometimes he did a combo of those...lol.
Larry was the best at coming up with ways of getting scores, even if he didn't put the ball into the basket himself. He was generous in passing the ball to teammates, even when he could have easily made the baskets...and again, that kept the other teams off balance as they rarely knew what the man was going to do with that ball. (Even, ironically, lol, when he told them every move he was going to make on many of his plays...lol)
One of my favorite quotes about Larry -- by Charles Barkley:
"Larry being unathletic, is God's way of making it fair."
Whether one considers him GOAT or not, he is truly a LEGEND.
He’s GOAT. His passing and outside shot puts him over the top.
Larry Legend was for real.
Goat .
Larry is the goat in my eyes mj WHO
Larry was the GOAT killer, and that’s why he’s Larry Legend. Most feared player ever, and destroyed MJ every time, every game. True assassin
8:38 the guy just drowned a 3-point alley-oop and u complimant the pass?! 🥺😅
Great reaction!
The Bird is the greatest all-around basketball player of all time. Watch his greatest assists videos and you will agree.
I saw almost all of Birds games. Some of them live. I can tell you without a doubt that Larry Bird is the smartest most clutch player I have ever seen! He is the purist shooter you will ever see. Unlimited range, could make any shot. The 1986 Celtic team is still the greatest team I have ever seen play. They went 40-1 at home. If you want to see a basketball team play as one, watch some of those games. Bird was unbelievable. Larry won his third straight league MVP in 86. Bird is the most complete player I ever saw. He could do it all. He only played 13 seasons because he broke his back and had surgery on both feet. After the 87 season. I believe if he hadn't got injured and was able to have a full career, he would have put up some numbers that no one would have touched. He was one of a kind, there will never be another Larry Bird!
Just imagine what kind of stats he'd have if his career had of lasted as long as Kareem's.
He broke his shooting hand after college before he actually played with the Celtics playing a game of catch with his brother. Bird says it never healed right. So his whole NBA career his shooting hand was damaged goods.
@@edwardrichard2561actually it was his finger he broke it was bent all the way over sideways during a pickup softball game which his brother was also a part of and he had to have 2 surgeries on it.
@@edwardrichard2561 I believe he broke his hand in a softball game against his brother, but that is being nitpicky.
I heard it said like this about Magic & Larry's passing; "Magic Made Easy Passes Look Hard & Larry Made Hard Passes Look Easy". No Larry Didn't Really Do Flashy, Larry Was Only Interested In Team Winning. The More You Watch Him You'll See He Has The Best IQ Basketball. He was all about making the TEAM better, He was Very Unselfish.
To be fair, Larry wouldn't have been who he was without Magic and Magic wouldn't have been who he was without Bird! The two made each other better and they eventually learned to love each other for it. All because of a commercial that got them to talk over some of mama Birds homemade meal in which she said you two need to talk!
After that commercial and that meal they became the best of friends. One part I like is when the dream team happened Bird said he wouldn't do it without Magic because people were apprehensive because Magic had Hiv then and Bird said he couldn't imagine doing that with anyone else!
I grew up a Laker fan, watching Magic, Kareem, Worthy......and no one scared me more than Larry Bird.
Being a great passer is like being a Grand Chess Master. If you haven't watched Larry's greatest passer mix tape you'll luv it, especially since you seem like passing. Great reaction! 🤩👍👍👍
Yes! The re-edit greatest passer. The longest video, it's the best one.
Congrats on your upcoming bundle if joy💕💕💕 Magic & Larry, resurrected the game of basketball......My dad loved basketball, but stopped watching, until the competition between Johnson & Bird was highlighted......What my Dad used to say, about Larry's game, is that it reminded him of someone, who was not only playing basketball, but also, volleyball, dodgeball, hockey, baseball, football, soccer, & strategic chess, all at the same time, and was what made him so great 😊He certainly was one of the most unique and gifted players, I have ever watched! 🏀🏀🏀
When you see someone as good and athletic as Dominique Wilkins dropped by a step back, you know you are a LEGEND.
Also, you can be sure Larry would make sure to say a few words at that time so that the opponent wouldn't forget about that moment...
Larry Bird in gaming terms is what you get when you have all the stats that matter maxed out. He got a shooting skill that was insane. Passing that would make even the goat puzzled. Court IQ that made even Pat Riley feel stupid. Trash talk that left rookies scarred for life. Most importantly he didn't need to be a one man show like Jordan. He used team tactics that changed so quickly that it left many teams questioning if there was any strategy to beat the celtics that could work. Some did get lucky but most did not. The scariest thing of all is Bird was to some extent injured his whole career. First it was his hand which was damaged just before he joined the team but even then he played so good it turned a low level team into championship contenders. Then he got injured a lot on the court but still played so hard that people hardly noticed the injuries. Even at the end of his player career with his body badly broken and barely the man he use to be, he was still able to hand out repeat losses to Jordan like it was candy. Even after that he became a coach of the year and later an executive of the year. Not many guys today can boast that.
NBA 2K doesn't include a "trash talk" stat. Unfortunately.
This was great! There are so many Larry bird videos. You still need to discover, but I highly recommend the next one. You will enjoy a lot: Larry Bird, greatest passer of all time (re-edit with new footage). Seriously. Watch more amazing Larry Bird videos! Subscribed for more Larry Bird. You’re just barely discovering the greatness.
In his 13 seasons in the nba, larry bird made the all star team 12 times. The only time he didn't was because of a reconstructive back surgery, following a season ending injury in 89.
Won league mvp 3 times, in a league with Reggie Miller, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley, to name but a few. And between 1981 and 1988, whenever he didn't win he was always 2nd in votes, every single year.
Founding member of the 50/40/90 club
Over 13 seasons, he averaged 24.6, 10.4, 6.6, and his single game record was 60 points - thats why the hawks were jumping off the bench. They were witnessing history
I laughed out loud when you were doing calculations on the behind the backboard shot!😂 Check out the 60 pts against the Hawks. It will blow your mind! Great reaction! I’m subscribing 👊🏻
Alright first time watching your channel, excellent video. Ok the next video you must watch especially if you like passing is The Greatest Passer Larry a bird the re-edit. It’s 15-17 minutes of nothing but Bird passing the ball. Trust me you gonna love it! I was in high school when Larry and Magic were doing their thing and there’s one thing we used to say about their passing skills. “Magic would take an easy pass and make it look difficult, Larry would take a difficult pass and make it look easy!” Man you want your channel to blow up keep doing the Bird videos. I’ve seen it many times before and there are a ton of them to watch. You got a new sub and I. Looking forward to seeing more vids. Oh and congrats on the new baby, welcome to the club. Oh not just a shooter Birds the only player in his career to avg 24, 10, & 6
Here’s the link for the video I talked about above
ruclips.net/video/wwo4vtaZmsY/видео.html
Yessir I saw that game vs.Oacers..
Concussion..
Fractured cheek..
Double vision..
Came back same game..kicked ass!!
When you realize Bird won the MVP 3 years in a row, during a time of some of the greatest players ever!
Bro. I loved that little breakdown on paper of the behind the board shot. Funny stuff! Keep it up man and keep grinding
Watch the re-edit of Larry birds greatest passes. You would be in heaven.
Larry Birds skull and toughness are what make him The GOAT. He came back from DOUBLE Achilles surgery and played 5 years with a BROKEN BACK. Please was he greatest stories ever told part 2
When he took that fall against the Indiana pacers it was the playoffs in his last season at the end of his career, he has pretty much been playing with a broken back for about his last 7 years. We thought that was the end on that play. He came back with a fracture of his right cheek and double vision. If you love bball then you really gotta dig into Bird more. They just really don't make them this way. There's multiple videos about his injuries, his ish talking, his toughness etc etc, Check out Making the Case by Clayton Crowley for Bird, (and the other 7 he says has a substantial claim as the goat)
Compare to LeBron who pretends to be injured to have an excuse when he loses 🤦♂️
All the Pistons/Isiah Thomas had to do was inbound the ball and they were going to the NBA Finals. That play sent the Celtics to the Finals. That moment is the epitome of the word Clutch and exemplifies playing the game with everything you have till the very end. Everyone in Boston thought that game was over. Only one person didn’t. LEGEND.
Larry Legend. He was first one at practice everyday.Worked for hours before games.
He was a one man wrecking crew. Played great team ball but if he needed to take over he could. Talking trash the whole time.
React to more Larry Bird!! Subbed!!
Bird was a monster player- he had so many weapons in his arsenal, and even when his back went bad he was still torching the best of the best. He had the respect of his peers because they knew damn well if you made any mistake around Larry, you were going to pay for it! Larry Legend.
After you watch a few more of Bird’s videos, find his best passing video. Larry Bird is the GOAT!
YOU did a great job, by the way when Larry fell on his face and then came back you didn't hear them say he had a fractured check bone and a concusion and helped them win game 5 in a 5 game series
The "Larry Bird passing highlights re-edit with new footage" will have you geekin', do it..
My man, considering you were hype for the passes in this mixtape you should def jump on that re-edit with new footage because it is full of sauce. You'll love it, guaranteed.
Great reaction. Thanks! Bird was the best small forward ever. I watched him from the beginning all the way until his bad back made him retire. The night before a big game Bird could be found at a local bar drinking everyone under the table and getting into fist fights.
Two Pat Riley quotes about Bird:
1) "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."
2) "He's the greatest clutch player I've ever seen. The hell with Jerry West!"
What you forgot to say was how amazing the Boston Garden looked back then.
I really like the “the toughest NBA player” video because it highlights what people didn’t see when they watched Larry play. His pain tolerance was off the charts and puts him in a whole new category when you realized that he still played on and still made all those shots and passes.
Larry Bird Greatest Passer - Re-edited
ruclips.net/video/wwo4vtaZmsY/видео.html
4 Crazy Stories that Prove Larry Bird Is the Toughest NBA Player in History (… and he still played on)
ruclips.net/video/L4vsB2Hskv4/видео.html
Larry Bird Trash Talking
ruclips.net/video/cbshHcWCIVI/видео.html
Making the Case: Larry Bird G.O.A.T (Making the Case is another great series on multiple players)
ruclips.net/video/Pxf4RzocHN8/видео.html
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird: A Courtship of Rivals (really good documentary on the two of them)
ruclips.net/video/axbIoHqFaa8/видео.html
50 best Assist Larry Bird
ruclips.net/video/baBdnA7cui0/видео.html
This was hands down the best era of basketball. No matter how old I get and how bad my memory, I will never forget these games by Bird and especially the games between the Celtics and Lakers. I just feel there will never be another time in basketball that can top this.
What you didn't see here as Magic was approaching the stage was Magic flashing the Celtics t-shirt he was wearing under his Lakers warm-up.
Larry played beyond hurt. hr played about half of career with what was essentially a broken back that would pop[ out of place and lock up. This put him in traction more than a few times to allow him to play the next game. He would also lay on the floor in front of their bench when he wasn't in the game. if he sat on the bench during his bad spells, his back would lock up. The fall during the Pacers game resulted in a broken cheekbone and a concussion that game him double vision for a few games after that one. The only season he wasn't in the All Star game was because he only played something like 6 games that season due to having to have surgery on BOTH Achilles tendons. Yet still he persevered.
One more point, this time about the Portland game that he played the first three quarters left handed. That was the season that the Celtics only lost one game at home in the entire season. That loss was to the Portland Trailblazers. Coincidence? Or did they piss Larry Legend off?
I think that was his way of letting them know that their win was a fluke because he could beat them left handed if he wanted to. When reporters asked him after the game why he did it, Bird said "I'm saving my right hand for the Lakers."
First time seeing your channel. Good job, and your entertaining.
As a Knicks fan, it was tough to watch Larry "do it to them" but he was amazing to see in person - there was always something he did that you couldn't believe you actually just saw! lol Have fun discovering how thoroughly good this guy was - his trash talking videos, passing videos, etc. - he was definitely one of the greatest players of all time. He's in my top 3, for sure - Him, Jordan and LeBron for me - and if it comes down to a last shot - Bird every single time!
For those that think Larry Bird was not as good as he really was and never had the chance to see him play this comment is for you. Remember in this comment I am just highlighting Larry's NBA accomplishments.
Little know thing about Larry to those that never saw him play , he could effect the outcome of a game and never take a shot thats how devastating his passing skills were. Here is one thing that most fans (people) either don't know or try to ignore, prior to Larry joining the NBA there was no such thing as a three point line, that came in when Bird was starting his first year of his NBA career. Just think about it, what would todays game be without the three point line or if the line was one foot farther out like it was when it was first introduced. Food for thought.
At that time it was not about the individuals stats it was about the win. But if you need some stats here you go:
Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics:
Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986); Two-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986); Three-time NBA MVP (1984-86); 12-time NBA All-Star (1980-88, 1990-92); Nine-time All-NBA First Team (1980-88);
All-NBA Second Team (1990); Three-time All-NBA Defensive Second Team (1982-84); NBA Rookie of the Year (1980); NBA All-Rookie Team (1980); Three-time NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1986-88);
Career-high in points: 60 (March 12, 1985) -- tied for franchise record with Jayson Tatum; Named NBA Coach of the Year (1998); and Named NBA Executive of the Year (2012).
Larry Bird, was the first player to accomplish the 50-40-90 achievement, and one of two players to achieve the feat in multiple seasons.
Career averages:
24.3 points per game
10.0 rebounds per game
6.3 assists per game
88.6% free throw percentage
49.6% field goal percentage
37.6% 3-point percentage
Now we can't forget that Bird famously played with two injured ankles and a notoriously cranky back that forced him to lay down on the floor during practice breaks. After season-ending foot surgery just six games into the 1988-89 season
(Fracture of the right cheek.) I love when people discover Bird. Congrats on the little one!!
Subbed just for the old school basketball reactions. Bird was a straight killer just like the billy goat jordan who learned a lot about mind games from playing against larry. Magic and jordans bulls mixtape are a must. If you want to see the greatest rivalry in sport try reacting to a courtship of rivals magic and bird both saved the nba in the 1980s when it was on its knees they are both in my top 5 all time great players but are easily the most important players in nba history. Slainte from ireland.
Larry Legend, the real GOAT...great video guy, your reactions say it all, he did this night after night vs. the likes of Magic, Dr. J, Kareem, the Bad Boys, Moses Malone, The Human Highlight Reel Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, on and on- he killed them all lol and so clutch and he could make any play at any time with either hand- that is what made him so hard to defend- no one knew what he was gonna do next...Larry Legend Forever!
Comparing old players vs new players is always interesting. Newer players have more well rounded skill sets, partly thanks for players like Bird and Magic, who were bigs who could play any position. They also have much better training and health care. Older players were cut from a different cloth, though, and were generally tougher and more competitive-minded. Some of them, like Bird, did not care what the media thought of him and even told them so, and he hated the stupid controversial stuff they like to create.
I'm a big fan of some of today's players, like Kyrie Irving, Jokic, Giannis, Steph Curry, and others. But if I was going to start a championship dynasty, the very first player I'd draft is Larry Bird. Then I'd get Jordan, and go from there. Bird was not only an elite level individual player but he was a great team player. He had unshakeable confidence and could not be intimidated, and he was tough as nails. And every player and coach knew he was going to be a problem. He was just a menace until he retired.
If you take anyone over Duncan as #1 when building a franchise, you are a complete moron. Bird is up there, but mj and bird are no Duncan. He was leagues above anyone in the history of the game, it isn’t even close honestly
no they dont, they changed the rules to make scoring easier.....
Lol.... if players like Dr j and Dominique were allowed to "dribble" like today, and get that extra step, they would have averaged 40
Dude, Michael Jordan never beat Larry Bird, and Lebron, when asked who his favorite players were, said Larry bird, Michael Jordan and Kareem. He wasn't really a trash talker, because he backed up everything he said, so he was really just talking. He was one of the only players to call their shots coming up the floor. Plus he was ambidextrous too, and played the last 7 years of his career with a back injury, often spending the night in traction so he could play the next day. If you want to see how magnificently this game can be played, watch Larry Bird.
In the part of the video where Larry goes out of the game after breaking his eyesocket the Indiana Pacers made a big comeback and we’re on the verge of winning this game.
Larry sees what’s happening on the monitor tells the trainer to give him two beers, he downs two beers throws water on his face to try and clear his head and ran back out and scored the points to win the game.
And that’s in a time. When you had muggings on the floor you had guys that they did everything but pull a gun and take your lunch money.
In the words of the immortal Magic, Johnson “that is one bad ass, white boy“.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are in my top five because they pushed each other into greatness. Larry looked at Magic's box scores each morning and Magic looked at Larry's the same way during the seasons. Magic's team was deeper then Larry's and as time went on the Boston starting five would get tired and injury prone. Boston's coaches did not substitute well. Neither Magic or Bird can be mentioned by themselves as they were intertwined even as opponents. After the tennis shoe commercial they became friends and realized that they were more alike than different and became fast friends. They saved the NBA and were the greatest players of their generation. They started together and retired together.
You missed at the @15:20 mark in the Indiana Pacers game - he played the rest of the game with a fracture in his face. MOST players today wouldn't even come out of the locker room for the rest of the game. He rallied his team and led them to a blowout.
Not most all the players today wouldn't come out to play after an injury like that... Especially Lebron
Favorite quote about Bird came from Pat Riley. (Paraphrased) Game on the line he'd want Jordan to take the shot. His life on the line he'd want Bird to take the shot.
Bird played his whole professional career hurt from day 1.
Between the end of his college career and the start of his pro career Bird shattered the knuckle on the index finger of his shooting hand. Bird said he never had the same feel for the basketball after that.
Then in the summer of 1985 he hurt his back while shoveling gravel building a driveway at his mother's house.
Bird played until his body couldn't take it anymore. He didn't manage is workload because he said if you get paid to go to work, you go to work.
As for the difference between today's era and Birds era - the 3pt shot is way over used today.
Let's look at some stats from the 1980-1989 era and the 2020-2023 era
Bird era Today
fg attempts per team per game 88.85 88.375
fg's made per team per game 43.11 41.125
3pt fg attempts per team per game 3.45 34.53
3pt fg made per team per game .99 12.4
rebounds per team per game 43.78 44.25
offensive rebs per team per game 14.47 10.15
ft attempts per team per game 29.14 22.625
ft's made per team per game 22.07 17.575
assists per team per game 25.83 24.725
steals per team per game 8.78 7.525
blocks per team per game 5.37 4.775
Points per team per game 109.29 112.25
So when you look at the stats about the same amount of shots are taken per game , but 10 times the amount of 3 point shots are taken today and yet the average score has only gone up by 3 points a game.
The way the 3pt shot is used today actually is hurting the game.
The comment coach Pat Reily made about Larry,and this says it all too me.
He said,
"If I could choose one player to take a shot to save a game, I'd pick Michael Jordan. If I had to pick one player to take a shot to save my life… I'd pick Larry Bird.”
LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE TRUE GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️
Congrats to you and your lady for your blessing 🙂🙏
Loved your reaction, and Larry is on my top 5 all time list ❤ you would love the video of his greatest passes
Thank you so much!!
Love the reaction!! ♥ also.... When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36
YO! "... "So if we're looking at the trajectory ..." Im dyin. 😆🤣💀☠️
I subscribed for the Larry Bird content 🎉 If you are going down the Bird rabbit hole. NBA players and legends who were terrified of Larry Bird 🐦 is a great video.
15:18 - You missed the commentary, but he fractured his cheekbone when his face hit the court. He also snuck out of the locker room when the trainer wasn't looking, to come back in the game, because the trainer definitely wasn't going to let Larry go back out with a fractured face.
Ok one last comment. There is a great documentary about Magic and Bird's rivalry and eventually their friendship. It's called Magic and Bird A Courtship of Rivals. The best documentary ever ❤
Congratulations!!!!!! Be the best dad ever and ............ Bird is the GOAT :)
At 14:28, Bird had "an apparent fracture of the right cheek". He had a mild concussion when he came back to the game and was seeing multiple baskets. So all of the shooting you see after that point, he had to guess which basket he was shooting for.
Also, people talk about his shooting ability but many overlook the fact that he suffered an injury to his right index finger before beginning his NBA career. The finger is shaped much like a boomerang, permanently bent toward his thumb at a 45-degree angle. Two operations failed to straighten it. He can bend it only halfway to his palm.
If you like passing, you found the right guy. You should really check out a Larry passing compilation. Back up point guard Jerry Sichting said team greatness starts when your superstar is willing to give the ball up to anyone who's open. Not many guys like that left, but Larry and Magic were all about winning!
Congrats bro, nothing better than seeing one of your own. Kids are Christ blessings.
Mad respect from this dude. I'm too young too but Bird and Magic were Kobe and LeBron.. they just had to play against each other every year
Larry bird is top 5 dead or alive. Imagine a man telling you what he is about to do to you and you can't stop him. He was clutch. A savage. Larry Bird videos get views.
Greatest team player ever. Dig up more video's on him. I watched his career
That unnecessary behind the back pass was an homage to Magic who had just had to retire because of HIV.
Take my word for it, you have to watch Bird the greatest passer of all time. Great reaction and love your respect to the greats.
Larry and the Celtics got that team spirit
2nd comment. You should look up what made Larry who He was. Hardship. His dad once had a work injury...foot swollen ...and Larry helped his Dad get that swollen foot into his work boot. That helps explain Larry's work ethic.
When he fell in that video...did you catch that he fractured his face? That would be incredibly painful.
Also...from time he was very little, he played BB with older African American kids. That's WHY he plays so well!
And...he had to retire early because he went home one summer and did manual work on his mother's drive way...if I remember right. Could have hired it done. Ended up injuring his back and that shortemed his playing career.
Also...before he began his NBA career, he severely injured a finger playing baseball. This affected his shooting ability! But...he did not let that stop him!
There are many great videos re Larry Bird. He is extremely humble, too!
He is inspirational! Worked hard. Must admire that.
Re style of BB back then. Energized! Love the fast pace, the short shorts, and men even getting into a fight on court once in a while. Men and sports have been MOMMIED. Meaning....AS IF... someone's mommy does not want their sweet baby boy to ever suffer any pain. I loved it when men were real men.
Lay off the SOY, young men!
Congrats re new baby soon
It's Micheal, Magic and Bird. It doesn't matter what order you put them in. That's the holy trinity of basketball. Everyone who came after them goes after them
80s Basketball was the peak of skill and effort basketball. Huge number of athletes in the league...where being white automatically made you 2nd tier.
Of course, Larry changed everyone's mind about that. He and Magic saved the NBA from oblivion.
Best SF ever. And that's MJ's current opinion, btw.
God bless!
The unnecessary behind the back pass - was paying homage to Magic Johnson.
After he retired he became coach of the year and then later executive of the year. No one else has done that.
Larry would destroy players in the NBA today 💯 best NBA player of all time in my opinion 🤷
Larry retired in 1993, the begnning of the video was showing part of his retirement ceremony - Larrys era was in the late 70's college through the 80's which was his prime era and retired in 93
He was freaking good.. MJ and magic played against him. They can tell some stories. He was on the dream team playing with them to. . Magical basketball era
Great vid! If you like passing you need to react to top 50 passes from larry legend re-edited its fire
Larry Bird is the first player to accomplish the 50-40-90 club, the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, 3 point Champion three straight years, MVP three times straight (When competing against Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and many more), Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year. Also played for 13 years and was a 12 time All-Star.
Your lebum,self-proclaimed himself, saying he's the chosen one, the king
Please watch the "greatest passer ever" with re-edit to see Bird as a passer. It is a shame some people think of Bird as a shooter only because Bird had a huge bag of tools to use. Bird was a great rebounder and a tremendous clutch player. Bird was on 3 all defensive teams ( 2nd team) and in 1983 finished tied for 3rd plave for the DPOY award. Bird led the league in defensive win shares 4 times and was 7 times in the top 5 in DWS. Bird went to a 29 win team and was the main reason Boston won 61 games = a 32 game turn around. Bird won ROY and 4th in MVP his rookie season. In the next 8 years in the MVP Bird was 2,2,2,1,1,1,3 and 2nd again. He is without question in anyone's top 10 and actually was a better all around player than Magic!!
Greatest to ever do it. Best all around player and it’s not that close.
Totally agree!!!
Facts, except Elgin Baylor is arguably close. He was also an unbelievable all around player- guys who watched him say he was Lebron but better
That over the shoulder catch and pass is brilliant. You noticed it straight away. So many miss it.
In one playoff the ref said, “ unless I see blood, I’m not calling it.” A different era for sure. You needed to pull up your big boy pants to play these guys.
Larry fractured his cheek at the 14:10 mark of the video AND came back to finish the game!
Bird was a triple double machine.
First of all, congratulations on your soon to arrive baby. Awesome!! Loved the video, thank you. I'm a Bird fan. I would encourage you to watch more Bird as well as Magic. They became close friends in a very cool way. Much love.
Go down the rabbit hole of his trash talking stories. He was a straight savage!
My college was playing larrys, we heard they had a future all American on their team, we knew nothing but during warm ups tried to guess which black player he was. Man were we wrong, also he beat us and set an arena scoring record with no 3 point line! Peace from Northern Michigan
The man played on a 500 team without him at best. His actual stat numbers made it a contender. His leadership, hustle, clutch (always) he made every player on that team better. He is without doubt the BEST ever. There are more flashy and attention grabbing players with hype perpetuating their greatness, no doubt. He is a TEAM the central processing unit that milked every drop of play those other 4 on the court had. He makes plays happen that are not stat evident. He was the secret sauce, 11 Herbs and spices. If you were making a dream team thats why he would be so far ahead of all the rest. When Magic Johnson calls him the greatest player ever thats hard to dispute. MJ said he was defiantly better than LaBron James, how do you argue. Him and Magic Johnson saved the league and MJ came in and sent it to the top. I grew up watching him and at the time didn't appreciate all the things he brought and at a level so high I couldnt comprehend. It took Decades to unravel, thats a true sign of A GOAT
80s was brutal. I grew up watching bird and magic. They saved the NBA....and that's not an opinion. It's a fact.
Larry was the most clutch, highest IQ and possibly the best all around player ever. He averaged 24 pts, 10 rbs and 6 assists a game. Before his back injury, he was unstoppable. 3 mvps consecutively. You could put his best season stats up against MJ. If he never hurt his back, he would have one at least 1 or two more rings and a couple more mvps
seriously i think the IQ is the difference maker. good hands good passing good shooting yeah okay but being aware of everyone and where on the floor and making millisecond decisions is it. extremely rare. it’s that in other sports as well like brady and others