Larry had the softest hands and the sharpest mind in basketball. The favorable bounces he got on the rims were amazing and he could productively go to his left hand which made defending him even tougher. His ballhandling was excellent, too, for a big man and he knew how to box out under the boards - great fundamentals. AND, he made his teammates better with incredible passing. They in turn fed him great passes, too. That's all I have to say about that.
Bird is actually left-handed; pretty much the only thing he mostly does righty is shoot the basketball. th-cam.com/video/2IsMbsQiUBo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=SObC27B4z4ITjEVc
As fantastic a shooter as he was it never ceases to amaze me how often he preferred to pass to an open player when he had a high probability of making the shot himself . Such an unselfish player for a big shot. He never seemed to quit fighting , never let himself have a holiday on the court. Very smart seemed to know where the ball and everyone was going to be at all times. Phenomenal at finding the open man at a split second.
It's funny watching Kent Benson trying to guard Bird . Benson a dominating center on Indiana perfect 76 team . Here he looks like he doesn't belong in the same league . Bird had that effect on a lot of very good players .
Thanks for the upload. Watching this shows how relentless and good Bird was as an all around player. Fearless going inside and willing to mix it up - to get and give some abuse, true passionate b-ball. Leave Bird a small opening and he drills the outside J. Double him + he burns u with the pass. His energy wore other players down + his movement w/out the ball = lost art. Best all around player ever.
If he's not scoring, he's rebounding on both ends of the floor, if he ain't rebounding, he's dishing out incredible passes/assists, and he's also coming up with block's, steals, at the right moment, Man was the complete package, an assassin, killed many opponents dreams and hopes
The greatest ever. If he was black, there'd be no debate. A better shooter, passer and rebounder than Jordan and did it in the golden era of basketball.
@@Necron990 Great point by you. McCloskey and Daly really turned the Pistons’ identity around in the two years between this series and the ‘87 East final.
@@Necron990 27.1/10.4/7.6 on 49%/94% shooting, for Bird, in the 1987 ECF… when those players you’ve mentioned had ALREADY came along, like you’ve said. And Larry lead the Celtics to a 4-3 victory, with some iconic, all-time plays in the series.
@@donesy125 Read DRIVE Larry pretty much says Benson was a total jerk to him. Also Bob Knight ignored Larry on campus which just added to Bird's insecurity of coming from a small poor rural area.
I think that is one reason why Bird kept feeding Mchale in that early March game vs the Pistons in 85. He must have loved watching Benson get abused :)
Bird was greatest passing fwd in NBA history. Also he didn't heave up 3s every 5 seconds. He took them at strategic times, especially at the end of games to put down the opponent. Also waited until Parish and McHale were under the hoop for a rebound.
@@cade9173 no way watch some more videos of Larry passing and you’ll see what’s up . Bird is a better passer . Rebounder and shooter from any distance. Period
When some people say they hate Bird, it can actually be taken as a term of respect. They hate him, because he was so good, he dismantled teams they love. Legend loved to be hated!
I can't believe people take LeCry over Bird. He builds his own teams yet is still 4-6 in the finals smh. Bird is just a Superior basketball player to lebron IMHO. And he really wants to win
Back when fans were entertained by the actual games! No carefully planned time outs so dancers could infest the court. No fireworks coming from the scoreboard.
Look at Bird's face...every single time he was on the court! No emotion! STONE COLD KILLER! He treated games like he was going to WAR! MJ is the only other player in history that had a similar "give me the GOD DAMN ball!" face. I feel sorry for the Lebron generation...they'll NEVER know how great the NBA used to be.
Larry will probably always be my favorite Small Forward. KD, Lebron, Tatum, and many others have PIECES, and Even With Superior Health, They Just Don’t Have HIS CONTROL OF THE GAME AS A BALL-PASSIVE/BALL-SUBMISSIVE Scorer
The announcers were already trying to say Larry couldn't run or jump in this. Missed it when I watched the game and the YT video. The myth has been around for a long time.
The 3 years in a row Bird won the MVP, he was the best, greatest basketball in the WORLD! Dude was so freaking good man, and he played good defense those years, his back and having sugery on both achilles took away from his game, what a shame
The Pistons had a good team but boy did getting Rodman (and Salley, to a lesser degree) to replace Cureton/Long take them to the next level. Those guys were decent players but Detroit was desperate to have somebody in there who could do a better job contesting Bird (and later, Pippen) - not an easy task. Then they got Mahorn who did a much better job challenging Bird and McHale with his physicality and intelligence than Benson. Also acquiring Dantley for Tripucka was a major upgrade because he was so much tougher down low on the block. That team became so much more formidable in a couple of years due to those moves. Then of course you had Laimbeer, easily the dirtiest player in the last 40 years, who was already a great defensive rebounder that never passed up a chance to punish people physically. He got away with a lot (see 4:50). But their depth and physical play eventually wore the Celtics down in 87 and 88 when Boston had no guys on the bench to spell the ailing Big Three.
No one, I repeat no one, in the history of the NBA, ever energised a home crowd like this dude did. MJ and Magic came close, but there was a level of absolute reverence and awe at Boston Garden when Larry played like this that just wasn’t matched elsewhere. He was the best player in the world over a five or six year stretch and those Celtic fans thought he was Superman. And maybe he was.
Ainge had exceptional agility. Hurt a bit by being overshadowed by the best front court to ever play in the NBA. And the other guard was that freckle-faced guy Johnson, one of my very favorite players.
I wonder if this was strategy back then? To try and confuse opposing coach matchups? Bird next to McHale also you see they're virtually the same height. McHale had longer arms and that goofy shoulder line but yea, so many photos with them side by side McHale has, at best 1/2 inch on Bird, maybe a full inch at the shoulder line. Moreover, Parish is listed 7'1" but side by side McHale looks at most 2" shorter, Bird by 3" at most. So now I wonder, was McHale 6'11? If they were under-reporting his height, that also helps explain his mind-boggling 8' wingspan. It's really clear though watching all these youtube vids that Bird had the size advantage on almost anyone at his position, and could match up well enough at PF too much of the time.
@@JakeStine My random opinion is the league kept him 6'9" cuz Magic was 6'9". For marketing. To have another element of "same" -ness between them. Why not, Bird didn't care. He did his competing on the court not on a height chart. Just a random thought I had with no real evidence. Did you know that Walton denies being, and REFUSED to be listed as, 7ft (or taller) for his own personal reasons?
@@cindyknudson2715 you’re absolutely correct. Regarding Magic, i’ll never understand why the league starting pushing him for MVP in the 86-87 season. Before it even began for that matter. As well they gave Magic the all star mvp on a losing squad in 90??
Why do people say Jordan was better? He’s not and yes I’ve seen both play. You guys just go off popular opinion. Bird was the better overall player and team player and it’s not even close
Sports Fanatic Because Jordan played at an elite level for a longer time, he had a greater effect on winning games for his team, and he won more championships for his team. Jordan also had more seasons where he was the best player in the league by consensus.
Ernesto Hendrix He did not have the most seasons where he was the best player in the league. Lmao thats so not true. Dude had some of the best teams of all time. He was a ballhog and selfish. Didn’t start winning anything until Bird an Magic got old
Sports Fanatic Sorry but I was referring to the consensus which is much more powerful than your clearly misguided and poorly informed opinion. Stats and achievements also prove that Jordan had more years at the very top of the league compared to Magic and Bird. If you think he was a selfish ballhog then you clearly haven't watch any full games of him in his prime.
Ernesto Hendrix I watched. You clearly didn’t. His own teammates AND coaches said he was selfish. You might wanna do some research. I know it’s hard for y’all to admit your idol had flaws but he did. Take the blinders off. He wasn’t the best player in the league longest than LeBron or Kareem. Dude retired in the middle of his prime. Get your facts straight
Sports Fanatic Once again I’m really sorry that I have to correct you on this but you don’t really know what you’re talking about. If you watched him play in his prime which was in the 90s then you would know that he always made the correct basketball play. That’s not selfish. I also never said he was at the top of the game longer than LeBron. If you have any more questions or clarification I might be available.
I remember when Isiah and Rodman said if he were black he would be a average player. To me its always been about color black and white there called stats . And they don't see color. His numbers were at the top in almost any category that mattered
@@chuckweicha1 haha you're definitely right. He used to fuck Dominique and company up every single time they played the Hawks. I don't know what Tripuka ever did to him, but he seemed to have some kind of vendetta against him because he killed him every single time they played.
@@tyleru96 '88 Game 7 Bird dropped 20 on Atlanta in the 4th Quarter - I was 9 years old at the time watching and to me he was literally a super hero - if after the game Larry had levitated the roof off of the garden and flown out like Superman I wouldn't have even been surprised
Bird mangled his finger in a bar fight a few months prior to the finals. It happened at Chelseas bar on Merchant's row in Boston. Stats wise it definitely impacted his shooting. As hard to believe as that is. Some believe if that fights didn't occur we would have taken the Championship away from the Lakers.
jjs777fzr Apparently it was 11 days before the finals started with the Memorial Day massacre www.upi.com/Archives/1985/07/30/Celtics-superstar-Larry-Bird-allegedly-threw-a-punch-in/3082491544000/ www.celticslife.com/2012/08/thanks-mike-harlow-for-blowing-1985.html?m=1
Neither of which won the title lol btw...but had Bird been healthy, they'd dropped the Lakers prolly in 85 here and no doubt if LA had made it to the Finals in 86, Boston would have wooped them like a red-headed stepchild.
"The guy was a basketball genius who had a mask of "a hick from French Lick" out as his calling card. But if you believed that for one second, you were going to get beaten." - Dr. Julius Erving, Televised interview published September 12, 2011, th-cam.com/video/uxbDdnm3F1A/w-d-xo.html "Larry, you only told me one lie. You said there will be another Larry Bird. Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird." - Magic Johnson, 1992 speech made in Boston in honor of Larry Bird “Larry has a way of making everybody he comes into contact with a better person. A pure American of the highest character as reported in Sports Illustrated: "Bob Woolf, Larry Bird's attorney, brings out a hotel bill dated April 6, 1979. .... Now, the most illuminating thing in this whole saga is that hotel bill from 1979. You see, except for the basic room charge and the tax, there was nothing else on it. No room service, no restaurant charge, no long-distance phone calls, no nothing. Having dealt with many other athletes, Woolf naturally assumed that the kid would charge at will. But that wasn't how Larry Joe Bird was raised back in French Lick, Indiana. ‘Larry has a way of making everybody he comes into contact with a better person,’ Woolf says. ‘If you think the Larry Bird on the court has character and is unselfish-well, off the court he's even more so.’ Among those who know Bird well, the same catalog of qualities is cited again and again: honest, loyal, steadfast, dependable-his existence shaped by the contradictory, almost mystical ability to be the cynosure, yet always to contribute to those around him. Mel Daniels, who was an assistant coach at Indiana State when Bird played there, said it best: ‘It's like a piece of Larry goes to each player by the things he does.’ Tony Clark, a Terre Haute radio executive who grew up with Bird, says, ‘Larry epitomizes the word friend. Do you understand that?’ Yes. ‘Then you really don't have to know anything else about him.’” (Sports Illustrated 1988, Frank Deford, “A Player For The Ages,” Sports Illustrated, Time, Inc., New York, New York, March 21, 1988) Larry Bird Greatest Passer of All Time th-cam.com/video/CExjzyTRxnQ/w-d-xo.html Larry Bird: The Art of Passing th-cam.com/video/C727koGJaPo/w-d-xo.html
Bird's left had was not his "weak side". He is actually left-handed. Note how he signed the rookie contract. He taught himself to use the right primarily because that was what everyone else was doing. But to see him score with his left should not have been unexpected. He was shooting three-pointers with his left in games, so why did the defenders discount those shots? Probably because everyone else they guarded could only shoot with the one dominant hand. So, he could out-shoot them, and out think them. This made his teammates much stronger, and much more aware that they needed to step up their game to be closer to his level.
Never heard that about being left-handed and I find it hard to believe. Though his development of his left hand was one more tool in his bag of tricks.
was this the game after which Thomas said Bird was overrated? or did he wait until Bird stole the series with the 1987 game 5 steal? or when he averaged over 30 points the last three games of the 1987 ECF against Rodman and Mahorn? Just wondering when Thomas came to the conclusion...
Bird and Lebron are both a cut above Magic Johnson IMO. Bird = elite scorer, shooter, rebounder, passer, leader, big-game player, clutch finisher, and very good defender. Lebron = elite scorer, shooter (yes, he is), passer, defender, and very good rebounder, big-game player (he's gone missing a few times, so have most of the greats), clutch finisher. Magic = good not great shooter and scorer, decent rebounder, average defender, only elite as passer and leader, very good big-game player (yeah, I know 80 finals, but also fucked up 84 finals). I think magic's charisma, flashy playing style, and playing for LA have led to him being a little bit over-rated. Top 5-10 all time, but Bird and Lebron = top 5 no doubt.
I would agree with you about Lebron and Bird over Magic. At the beginning of his pro career Magic was not as good a player as he was 7 -8 years later. As a rookie his defense was terrible and he needed special attention from the coaches. He was getting lit up by opposing point guards to the tune of 35 to 40 pts per game. Also he was 4th or 5th option at the end of the game - he didn't want to take the last shot. Much different than Bird. Nobody talks about Magic's poor 1983 finals against the sixers. You have to look at the whole career, good & bad. TV has also won many fans for Magic.
+Seamus B I agree. Magic became truly top 5 great from 1986-1991. Before that he was just great. I think Jordan is the best ever, but Bird had the greatest floor game in NBA history. Shoot, pass, rebound all 10 out of 10, and intangibles was also 10 out of 10.
***** Yeah Lebron's shooting has dropped off a fair bit since I post that. But after this year's Finals performance do you at least consider him top 5?
***** OK I get it, you're just a blind hater. I can't be bothered arguing then. All I'll say is: many former players consider Lebron's Finals performance the greatest ever, and if you can't recognise what a great performance it was you either don't know much about basketball or else form your opinions based on the personalities you (don't) like. I can guarantee you that Michael Jordan, even though he is indisputably the GOAT, would not have won 2 games with that Cavs team, end of story, and neither would Magic/Bird/anyone you care to name.
+HPM Royale you're a hater if you have massive confirmation bias, which you have just demonstrated. You seek out any 'evidence' you can that Lebron isn't all that great (the meaningless stats you adduce), while ignoring any evidence that would contradict your pre-existing view (lebron's ppg, rpg, apg, his teammates, his opponents, etc, etc). That's what a hater does; that's what you just did; that's why you're a hater. Clear enough?
45/13/6-- typical bird game. oh, and if he was black, he'd just be another good player, right Isiah? He's just jealous because Bird has more jewelry than he does.
lol love seeing this game's highlights. More nice considering racist Isaiah thomas said bird was only considered great because he's white. LOL. said the same about maravich. what a joke. some people are bitter.
Celtics fans make countless excuses for the Lakers dominance of them in the 80's. Bird's injury in 1985 was hardly make-or-break as this clip shows. LA was simply better.
the lakers also had an easier road to the finals its tougher to win the whole thing when you are constantly being tested. The Rockets were the only ones to push the Lakers and the 86 Celtics would mop the floor with ANY of the Laker teams especially 87
***** lol @ you calling that guy butthurt when your post is full of mentally anguished personal attacks. If anyone comes off as pussyhurt, it's you. Try not to get any tears on your keyboard. No excuses for 1985? Read some of the posts below, dumbfuck. That's all you Celtics douchebags ever do. Oh McHale, oh BIrd's elbow, oh Walton. Magic was easily the better postseason performer, and had the better career. Hell, he matched Bird's Finals MVP total at age 22!
Dkouts57 Another myth. The East wasn't that much better. You had the Sixers in the early 80's, and the Pistons in the late 80's. Then who? The Bucks? The Hawks? Meh. Most of the teams Boston faced were just as weak as the Laker's opponents. If constantly being tested was a bad thing, the Western Conference would not have dominated from 1999-2011, but they did.
Enrico Pallazo Give me the team in the West as good as the those sixers teams then give me a team in the West that was as good as those Pistons teams. The teams that came out of the west outside of the Lakers were the Rockets and Blazers. Both went to the finals. Both were non competitive! were the Suns teams with Larry Nance great or better than the Hawks? or the Gervin Spurs? The Nuggets with Issel and Alex English??? The Mavericks with Harper and Ronaldo Blackman? when there's recorded history and witnesses there are no myths. Just non believers like yourself
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuk you!!! lol lakers were overrated as sshiiiittt!!! home court only reason any titles detroit robber in 87 bigtime by LA bs, and kareem n magic even worthy immune to being called for fouls and protected by refs, lakers amazing poor on D, and len bias in 86 woulda meant no more titles for lakers from 86 on
Even though the Boston Celtics have a great record in the 2017-18 season, it's embarrassing how little pride they show when playing on The Parquet. They're actually a better road team.
Larry had the softest hands and the sharpest mind in basketball. The favorable bounces he got on the rims were amazing and he could productively go to his left hand which made defending him even tougher. His ballhandling was excellent, too, for a big man and he knew how to box out under the boards - great fundamentals. AND, he made his teammates better with incredible passing. They in turn fed him great passes, too. That's all I have to say about that.
How right you are! The greatest passer of all time and in my own opinion, the greatest overall player of all time.
yes it is.....
Bird's hands were truly incredible.. plus great body control
Forest Gump
Gheorghe muresan 7 foot 7 inches against Larry bird
The moment he scores he hurries to defend his side...what a player, what a Legend!
Bird in his prime was basically unstoppable as a scorer.
7 foot 7 inches Gheorghe muresan against Larry bird
7 foot 4 inches Rik smit would've ❤️ guarding Larry bird tayshaun prince would've ❤️ guarding Larry bird,,
sweetest stroke ever. he barely moves and it's in the basket.
Nobody can play with their off hand better than Larry legend.
Bird is actually left-handed; pretty much the only thing he mostly does righty is shoot the basketball. th-cam.com/video/2IsMbsQiUBo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=SObC27B4z4ITjEVc
As fantastic a shooter as he was it never ceases to amaze me how often he preferred to pass to an open player when he had a high probability of making the shot himself . Such an unselfish player for a big shot. He never seemed to quit fighting , never let himself have a holiday on the court. Very smart seemed to know where the ball and everyone was going to be at all times. Phenomenal at finding the open man at a split second.
Young kids cant comprehend how good this guy was...in a time when the league was about defense
Having Bent Kenson guarding Bird is like having a Sheep guard a Jaguar.
It's funny watching Kent Benson trying to guard Bird . Benson a dominating center on Indiana perfect 76 team . Here he looks like he doesn't belong in the same league . Bird had that effect on a lot of very good players .
Larry left Indiana, and Benson was one of the reasons. He did not like the guy and torched him every chance he got.
Is there video anywhere of Benson trying to defend against Bird & not getting lit up?
@@lmbscriptsharcs2044 I don't believe there is one.
Thanks for the upload. Watching this shows how relentless and good Bird was as an all around player. Fearless going inside and willing to mix it up - to get and give some abuse, true passionate b-ball. Leave Bird a small opening and he drills the outside J. Double him + he burns u with the pass. His energy wore other players down + his movement w/out the ball = lost art. Best all around player ever.
aaarrhgrhghghg
I *love* watching Larry take it to Benson!
Ken Benson should've shown Larry bird his lefty hook shot
If he's not scoring, he's rebounding on both ends of the floor, if he ain't rebounding, he's dishing out incredible passes/assists, and he's also coming up with block's, steals, at the right moment, Man was the complete package, an assassin, killed many opponents dreams and hopes
*Awesome* reel Larry Legend! Thank you
Larry Bird all time great. Anyone who disagrees is kidding themselves.
No doubt.A basketball genius.Greatest outside shooting forward ever.
The greatest ever. If he was black, there'd be no debate. A better shooter, passer and rebounder than Jordan and did it in the golden era of basketball.
No one would say he isn’t tbh
6th best eh? Pass over whatever you're smoking, I want a hit.
Gary there are not 5 better players than Bird...he is defnintely the best SF of alltime and Id put him in the top 3 if not top2 of non centers
Bird in his prime used to destroy the Pistons like it was nothing
To be fair, Mahorn, Rodman, Salley, and Dantley aren't on this team. These guys all came the following year.
@@Necron990 Great point by you. McCloskey and Daly really turned the Pistons’ identity around in the two years between this series and the ‘87 East final.
No one played the game so wisely.
@@Necron990 27.1/10.4/7.6 on 49%/94% shooting, for Bird, in the 1987 ECF… when those players you’ve mentioned had ALREADY came along, like you’ve said. And Larry lead the Celtics to a 4-3 victory, with some iconic, all-time plays in the series.
Isiah Thomas said "Every time Bird touched the ball we were scared"
I love seeing BIRD burn Benson because of the way Benson disrespected BIRD for the SHORT time Larry was at I.U.
Yes he was a total jerk to him
What happened? Never heard about this
@@donesy125 Read DRIVE Larry pretty much says Benson was a total jerk to him. Also Bob Knight ignored Larry on campus which just added to Bird's insecurity of coming from a small poor rural area.
I think that is one reason why Bird kept feeding Mchale in that early March game vs the Pistons in 85. He must have loved watching Benson get abused :)
Ken Benson gave Larry bird private tutoring & lessons on Ken Benson lefty hook 🪝 shot ,, at Indiana
Bird was greatest passing fwd in NBA history.
Also he didn't heave up 3s every 5 seconds.
He took them at strategic times, especially at the end of games to put down the opponent. Also waited until Parish and McHale were under the hoop for a rebound.
William Premo thats an excellent point.
He threw the bomb when he had cover if it missed.
LeBron is a better passer but Bird is insane
@@cade9173 no way watch some more videos of Larry passing and you’ll see what’s up . Bird is a better passer . Rebounder and shooter from any distance. Period
I remember this game. Bird is top 3 all time and I hated him growing up
Gary Thompson Because I was a Magic fan. But I respected his game.
When some people say they hate Bird, it can actually be taken as a term of respect. They hate him, because he was so good, he dismantled teams they love. Legend loved to be hated!
3:38
Parish often looked like he was just gonna lay it in softly.... then suddenly BAM!!💥 💥 Tomahawk SHA-LAY-AM !!
5:25 The set up and pass
Bird MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PLAYER
Bobby Wilson MINE TOO.
The greatest I have seen is MJ but Bird remains my favorite player along with The Dream
I can't believe people take LeCry over Bird. He builds his own teams yet is still 4-6 in the finals smh. Bird is just a Superior basketball player to lebron IMHO. And he really wants to win
This is why l think Larry is the GOAT!
GOAT
best and smartest player ever larry bird
Well, that's what happens when Kent Benson guards the GOAT.
Ken Benson had a great lefty hook shot at Indiana University
Back when fans were entertained by the actual games! No carefully planned time outs so dancers could infest the court. No fireworks coming from the scoreboard.
took the words out of my mouth bro
It's astounding how many shots don't touch the rim. I guess when you are that precise you can do that..
Great job great team good game 🎯👍😃😊🎮i
Look at Bird's face...every single time he was on the court! No emotion! STONE COLD KILLER! He treated games like he was going to WAR! MJ is the only other player in history that had a similar "give me the GOD DAMN ball!" face.
I feel sorry for the Lebron generation...they'll NEVER know how great the NBA used to be.
Watch some old film of Russell. He was the original Killer.
@@73Trident Definitely agree with that. 3 Killers.
Larry Legend
Larry will probably always be my favorite Small Forward. KD, Lebron, Tatum, and many others have PIECES, and Even With Superior Health, They Just Don’t Have HIS CONTROL OF THE GAME AS A BALL-PASSIVE/BALL-SUBMISSIVE Scorer
good eye aye🍻
@@andybilakshow260 🍻
At 3:01 I literally laughed out loud. Amazing!!
5:28 Love Magic, but how many big men can do that?
Bird just loved to light up Benson
newerafrican That's because of the way Benson treated him at I.U. before BIRD went to Indiana State.
@@billmelton5528 I've heard that. In all fairness, though, Bird could be pretty rough on rookies (and anyone else he chose) with his abuse.
@@newerafrican He was providing incentive for them to improve. 🙂
The announcers were already trying to say Larry couldn't run or jump in this. Missed it when I watched the game and the YT video. The myth has been around for a long time.
(1:22) *DANNY AINGE WAS A BIG UNDERRATED PLAYER.*
I've got to take Bird on my team no matter what. I'll have him as my leader along with Kareem. My other starters will be Kobe MJ and Magic
not bad kid. I got Bird at #1. The rests are fill ins.
The 3 years in a row Bird won the MVP, he was the best, greatest basketball in the WORLD! Dude was so freaking good man, and he played good defense those years, his back and having sugery on both achilles took away from his game, what a shame
Bird takes advantage of whatever the defense gives him
Classic voice and call of Skip Carey...
Bird abused Kent Benson (among others).
Kent who? 🤣🤣🤣
@@Mrd9960 Right?
Kent Benson is the same guy that got clocked in the face by Kareem
I wish current celtics were this savvy
5:30.... simple Bird, simple movement, quick hands, always the best choice...
2:57 What a Move
The Pistons had a good team but boy did getting Rodman (and Salley, to a lesser degree) to replace Cureton/Long take them to the next level. Those guys were decent players but Detroit was desperate to have somebody in there who could do a better job contesting Bird (and later, Pippen) - not an easy task. Then they got Mahorn who did a much better job challenging Bird and McHale with his physicality and intelligence than Benson. Also acquiring Dantley for Tripucka was a major upgrade because he was so much tougher down low on the block. That team became so much more formidable in a couple of years due to those moves. Then of course you had Laimbeer, easily the dirtiest player in the last 40 years, who was already a great defensive rebounder that never passed up a chance to punish people physically. He got away with a lot (see 4:50). But their depth and physical play eventually wore the Celtics down in 87 and 88 when Boston had no guys on the bench to spell the ailing Big Three.
👍
The Len Bias curse. He was the needed set of young legs.
this dude bird switches hands like a mustadunka. Muy peligroso
bird cold. Cold bird. bold curd.
Bird had an elbow injury that year...
Bone chip, wasn't it?
3:39 - BAMMM! Wow!
The pistons didn't have all the bad boys real team together yet then in 1985
Bird = Fundamental basketball 🏀
Bird hit inside shots that look like complete luck. But he hit them all, the, time.
Celtics greatest basket
No one, I repeat no one, in the history of the NBA, ever energised a home crowd like this dude did. MJ and Magic came close, but there was a level of absolute reverence and awe at Boston Garden when Larry played like this that just wasn’t matched elsewhere. He was the best player in the world over a five or six year stretch and those Celtic fans thought he was Superman. And maybe he was.
He filled other team's arenas when the Celtics came to town.
1:22 Pretty cross move and pass by Danny. He doesn't get enough credit.
Ainge had exceptional agility. Hurt a bit by being overshadowed by the best front court to ever play in the NBA. And the other guard was that freckle-faced guy Johnson, one of my very favorite players.
Bird was actually 6-10 not 6-9.
He was listed at 6-10 early in his career. They changed it for god knows what reason, but probably b/c he moved to SF.
I didn't know that. Interesting.
@ If you look at bird next to Kareem and Ewing he's an easy 6'10".
He's a big 6'10"too. Strong hands and upper body.
I wonder if this was strategy back then? To try and confuse opposing coach matchups? Bird next to McHale also you see they're virtually the same height. McHale had longer arms and that goofy shoulder line but yea, so many photos with them side by side McHale has, at best 1/2 inch on Bird, maybe a full inch at the shoulder line. Moreover, Parish is listed 7'1" but side by side McHale looks at most 2" shorter, Bird by 3" at most. So now I wonder, was McHale 6'11? If they were under-reporting his height, that also helps explain his mind-boggling 8' wingspan.
It's really clear though watching all these youtube vids that Bird had the size advantage on almost anyone at his position, and could match up well enough at PF too much of the time.
@@JakeStine My random opinion is the league kept him 6'9" cuz Magic was 6'9". For marketing. To have another element of "same" -ness between them. Why not, Bird didn't care. He did his competing on the court not on a height chart. Just a random thought I had with no real evidence.
Did you know that Walton denies being, and REFUSED to be listed as, 7ft (or taller) for his own personal reasons?
@@cindyknudson2715 you’re absolutely correct. Regarding Magic, i’ll never understand why the league starting pushing him for MVP in the 86-87 season. Before it even began for that matter.
As well they gave Magic the all star mvp on a losing squad in 90??
Why do people say Jordan was better? He’s not and yes I’ve seen both play. You guys just go off popular opinion. Bird was the better overall player and team player and it’s not even close
Sports Fanatic Because Jordan played at an elite level for a longer time, he had a greater effect on winning games for his team, and he won more championships for his team. Jordan also had more seasons where he was the best player in the league by consensus.
Ernesto Hendrix He did not have the most seasons where he was the best player in the league. Lmao thats so not true. Dude had some of the best teams of all time. He was a ballhog and selfish. Didn’t start winning anything until Bird an Magic got old
Sports Fanatic Sorry but I was referring to the consensus which is much more powerful than your clearly misguided and poorly informed opinion. Stats and achievements also prove that Jordan had more years at the very top of the league compared to Magic and Bird. If you think he was a selfish ballhog then you clearly haven't watch any full games of him in his prime.
Ernesto Hendrix I watched. You clearly didn’t. His own teammates AND coaches said he was selfish. You might wanna do some research. I know it’s hard for y’all to admit your idol had flaws but he did. Take the blinders off. He wasn’t the best player in the league longest than LeBron or Kareem. Dude retired in the middle of his prime. Get your facts straight
Sports Fanatic Once again I’m really sorry that I have to correct you on this but you don’t really know what you’re talking about. If you watched him play in his prime which was in the 90s then you would know that he always made the correct basketball play. That’s not selfish. I also never said he was at the top of the game longer than LeBron. If you have any more questions or clarification I might be available.
I remember when Isiah and Rodman said if he were black he would be a average player. To me its always been about color black and white there called stats . And they don't see color. His numbers were at the top in almost any category that mattered
And he didn't play for stats.
Sadly he is the Mario Lemieux of NBA if not for injuries could have easily been the GOAT
That is such a great and insightful handle to give..."Mario Lemieux of the NBA ".
He IS The best most complete all-around basketball player. Period.
LOFL-Kelly Tripicka couldn't guard my grandma.
He was in the NBA and an All-Star, bet he could guard you.
g.o.a.t
Did ya'll see the tshirt on that fan? Indiana Bird and the Garden of Doom, lol
Chuck daily adjusting his suit
It's called the Rodney Dangerfield Reflex. "I can't get no respect".
I wonder if Kelly Tripuka still wakes up at night screaming...Bird used to absolutely tune him up
He's not the only one.
Bird used to absolutely tune everyone up* FTFY
@@tyleru96 haha true but some even extra....the Hawks and Blazers and Kelly Tripuka seemed to get a special ass kicking for some reason
@@chuckweicha1 haha you're definitely right. He used to fuck Dominique and company up every single time they played the Hawks. I don't know what Tripuka ever did to him, but he seemed to have some kind of vendetta against him because he killed him every single time they played.
@@tyleru96 '88 Game 7 Bird dropped 20 on Atlanta in the 4th Quarter - I was 9 years old at the time watching and to me he was literally a super hero - if after the game Larry had levitated the roof off of the garden and flown out like Superman I wouldn't have even been surprised
Bird's injury came after this game, during the Philly series in the ECF.
Bird mangled his finger in a bar fight a few months prior to the finals. It happened at Chelseas bar on Merchant's row in Boston. Stats wise it definitely impacted his shooting. As hard to believe as that is. Some believe if that fights didn't occur we would have taken the Championship away from the Lakers.
jjs777fzr
Apparently it was 11 days before the finals started with the Memorial Day massacre
www.upi.com/Archives/1985/07/30/Celtics-superstar-Larry-Bird-allegedly-threw-a-punch-in/3082491544000/
www.celticslife.com/2012/08/thanks-mike-harlow-for-blowing-1985.html?m=1
I think it was before because it was during the Cleveland series he missed a playoff game.
Bird is bad ass till he hurt his back it was only a matter of time
Bad ass way past retirement. He'd still kick your ass today.🤣
Neither of which won the title lol btw...but had Bird been healthy, they'd dropped the Lakers prolly in 85 here and no doubt if LA had made it to the Finals in 86, Boston would have wooped them like a red-headed stepchild.
"The guy was a basketball genius who had a mask of "a hick from French Lick" out as his calling card. But if you believed that for one second, you were going to get beaten."
- Dr. Julius Erving, Televised interview published September 12, 2011, th-cam.com/video/uxbDdnm3F1A/w-d-xo.html
"Larry, you only told me one lie.
You said there will be another Larry Bird.
Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird."
- Magic Johnson, 1992 speech made in Boston in honor of Larry Bird
“Larry has a way of making everybody he comes into contact with a better person. A pure American of the highest character as reported in Sports Illustrated: "Bob Woolf, Larry Bird's attorney, brings out a hotel bill dated April 6, 1979. .... Now, the most illuminating thing in this whole saga is that hotel bill from 1979. You see, except for the basic room charge and the tax, there was nothing else on it. No room service, no restaurant charge, no long-distance phone calls, no nothing. Having dealt with many other athletes, Woolf naturally assumed that the kid would charge at will. But that wasn't how Larry Joe Bird was raised back in French Lick, Indiana. ‘Larry has a way of making everybody he comes into contact with a better person,’ Woolf says. ‘If you think the Larry Bird on the court has character and is unselfish-well, off the court he's even more so.’ Among those who know Bird well, the same catalog of qualities is cited again and again: honest, loyal, steadfast, dependable-his existence shaped by the contradictory, almost mystical ability to be the cynosure, yet always to contribute to those around him. Mel Daniels, who was an assistant coach at Indiana State when Bird played there, said it best: ‘It's like a piece of Larry goes to each player by the things he does.’ Tony Clark, a Terre Haute radio executive who grew up with Bird, says, ‘Larry epitomizes the word friend. Do you understand that?’ Yes. ‘Then you really don't have to know anything else about him.’” (Sports Illustrated 1988, Frank Deford, “A Player For The Ages,” Sports Illustrated, Time, Inc., New York, New York, March 21, 1988)
Larry Bird Greatest Passer of All Time
th-cam.com/video/CExjzyTRxnQ/w-d-xo.html
Larry Bird: The Art of Passing
th-cam.com/video/C727koGJaPo/w-d-xo.html
Toscodav Absolutely correct.
Being white sure gave Bird a great advantage, didn’t it Rodman?
Love that Bird dominated Benson!!
Bird's left had was not his "weak side". He is actually left-handed. Note how he signed the rookie contract. He taught himself to use the right primarily because that was what everyone else was doing. But to see him score with his left should not have been unexpected. He was shooting three-pointers with his left in games, so why did the defenders discount those shots? Probably because everyone else they guarded could only shoot with the one dominant hand.
So, he could out-shoot them, and out think them. This made his teammates much stronger, and much more aware that they needed to step up their game to be closer to his level.
Never heard that about being left-handed and I find it hard to believe. Though his development of his left hand was one more tool in his bag of tricks.
@@firstminnesotaBird eats and writes left-handed but plays all sports - basketball, tennis, golf, softball, etc. - right-handed.
Bobby,"Starters.-"
Imagine if he had not mangled his hand...
was this the game after which Thomas said Bird was overrated? or did he wait until Bird stole the series with the 1987 game 5 steal? or when he averaged over 30 points the last three games of the 1987 ECF against Rodman and Mahorn? Just wondering when Thomas came to the conclusion...
87 when when they said it.
To his credit, I've seen Thomas years later pay appropriate tribute to that Hall of Fame steal in the 87 playoffs.
Larry: "You put a white guy on me??"
Remember Jordan jockers, as great as MJ was, Larry was better. MJ didn’t win a thing until Bird and Magic were nearing their retirement.
Bird and Lebron are both a cut above Magic Johnson IMO. Bird = elite scorer, shooter, rebounder, passer, leader, big-game player, clutch finisher, and very good defender. Lebron = elite scorer, shooter (yes, he is), passer, defender, and very good rebounder, big-game player (he's gone missing a few times, so have most of the greats), clutch finisher. Magic = good not great shooter and scorer, decent rebounder, average defender, only elite as passer and leader, very good big-game player (yeah, I know 80 finals, but also fucked up 84 finals). I think magic's charisma, flashy playing style, and playing for LA have led to him being a little bit over-rated. Top 5-10 all time, but Bird and Lebron = top 5 no doubt.
I would agree with you about Lebron and Bird over Magic. At the beginning of his pro career Magic was not as good a player as he was 7 -8 years later. As a rookie his defense was terrible and he needed special attention from the coaches. He was getting lit up by opposing point guards to the tune of 35 to 40 pts per game. Also he was 4th or 5th option at the end of the game - he didn't want to take the last shot. Much different than Bird. Nobody talks about Magic's poor 1983 finals against the sixers. You have to look at the whole career, good & bad. TV has also won many fans for Magic.
+Seamus B
I agree. Magic became truly top 5 great from 1986-1991. Before that he was just great. I think Jordan is the best ever, but Bird had the greatest floor game in NBA history. Shoot, pass, rebound all 10 out of 10, and intangibles was also 10 out of 10.
***** Yeah Lebron's shooting has dropped off a fair bit since I post that. But after this year's Finals performance do you at least consider him top 5?
***** OK I get it, you're just a blind hater. I can't be bothered arguing then. All I'll say is: many former players consider Lebron's Finals performance the greatest ever, and if you can't recognise what a great performance it was you either don't know much about basketball or else form your opinions based on the personalities you (don't) like. I can guarantee you that Michael Jordan, even though he is indisputably the GOAT, would not have won 2 games with that Cavs team, end of story, and neither would Magic/Bird/anyone you care to name.
+HPM Royale you're a hater if you have massive confirmation bias, which you have just demonstrated. You seek out any 'evidence' you can that Lebron isn't all that great (the meaningless stats you adduce), while ignoring any evidence that would contradict your pre-existing view (lebron's ppg, rpg, apg, his teammates, his opponents, etc, etc). That's what a hater does; that's what you just did; that's why you're a hater. Clear enough?
Wow, this was a complete ass rape of the highest of orders....
Larry don't call when James
Probably the last year Bird was relatively healthy.
45/13/6-- typical bird game. oh, and if he was black, he'd just be another good player, right Isiah? He's just jealous because Bird has more jewelry than he does.
3:38
People need to stop talking about defense in the 80s. This is sad to watch.
Because Bird is confounding the defense? That's funny.
@@cindyknudson2715 🤣
lol love seeing this game's highlights. More nice considering racist Isaiah thomas said bird was only considered great because he's white. LOL. said the same about maravich. what a joke. some people are bitter.
3:13 travel
Where?
Watching tripuka play defense is laughable! I could of scored 40.
No you couldn't, he was trying to guard Larry Bird and no one could. You sure couldn't guard Larry.
bill laimbeer sucks
Kent benson was terrible
Kent Benson also got a taste of his own medicine when he got punched by Kareem
He’s not better than Melo
Melo does nothing better than Bird
Celtics fans make countless excuses for the Lakers dominance of them in the 80's. Bird's injury in 1985 was hardly make-or-break as this clip shows. LA was simply better.
the lakers also had an easier road to the finals
its tougher to win the whole thing when you are constantly being tested.
The Rockets were the only ones to push the Lakers and the 86 Celtics would mop the floor with ANY of the Laker teams especially 87
***** lol @ you calling that guy butthurt when your post is full of mentally anguished personal attacks. If anyone comes off as pussyhurt, it's you. Try not to get any tears on your keyboard.
No excuses for 1985? Read some of the posts below, dumbfuck. That's all you Celtics douchebags ever do. Oh McHale, oh BIrd's elbow, oh Walton.
Magic was easily the better postseason performer, and had the better career. Hell, he matched Bird's Finals MVP total at age 22!
Dkouts57 Another myth. The East wasn't that much better. You had the Sixers in the early 80's, and the Pistons in the late 80's. Then who? The Bucks? The Hawks? Meh. Most of the teams Boston faced were just as weak as the Laker's opponents.
If constantly being tested was a bad thing, the Western Conference would not have dominated from 1999-2011, but they did.
Enrico Pallazo
Give me the team in the West as good as the those sixers teams
then give me a team in the West that was as good as those Pistons teams.
The teams that came out of the west outside of the Lakers were the Rockets and Blazers.
Both went to the finals. Both were non competitive!
were the Suns teams with Larry Nance great or better than the Hawks? or the Gervin Spurs?
The Nuggets with Issel and Alex English???
The Mavericks with Harper and Ronaldo Blackman?
when there's recorded history and witnesses there are no myths. Just non believers like yourself
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuk you!!! lol lakers were overrated as sshiiiittt!!! home court only reason any titles detroit robber in 87 bigtime by LA bs, and kareem n magic even worthy immune to being called for fouls and protected by refs, lakers amazing poor on D, and len bias in 86 woulda meant no more titles for lakers from 86 on
Better than Jordan
"smarter" than jordan
@@andybilakshow260 that to
Thanks for uploading!
Even though the Boston Celtics have a great record in the 2017-18 season, it's embarrassing how little pride they show when playing on The Parquet. They're actually a better road team.