All black dudes back in the day hated Bird (including myself cuz I was a Sixers fan), but those same black dudes today LOVE Bird...including myself! Respect!
Mark, as a Celtics fan who saw his entire, historic career like yourself, I don't think you hated him; Like how I felt about Andrew Toney, Julius, Moses...fear man, and respect; Don't you miss those days when you could push a superstar around and NOT be called for Bullshit fouls(See Lebron James)? I miss all of those guys, Kareem, Magic, Parish, Bernard, Marques...all of them, and I know you do too! The NBA in the 1980's: It was fantastic!
John Flanagan Why is it that LeBron is everyone's punching bag nowadays? People seem to think that just because this man is big and strong, that a slap to the face don't hurt him like it does all the other players. A foul is a foul, regardless of who it is against, and should be called accordingly. All superstars get this treatment since "back in the day". In fact, smaller players like Steph and James Harden draw waaaay more fouls. If you're going to call the NBA out for "soft" officiating, fine. But don't just single out 1 player like it only happens for him. Because then, your disdain for the one particular player shows.
Dear B-Ball friend; At no point do I even intimate that Lebron James deliberately cultivated or felt entitled to his treatment by officials, no, he didn't ask for it, and I"m not sure what your age is, but I can tell you having watched pro-ball for forty years now, you could push, grab and hold a superstar. Why do you think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar(awesome) was such a complaining, boring person on the court? You could GUARD and BODY him, though it really didn't stop him from being nearly unstoppable. If you really think I"m using Lebron James as a " punching bag," you didn't really take in what I wrote previously, and what I write now and understand that the RULES were different. Want to know the real reason why? Because for the last three years approx, they're have been these comparison's(again) of who is better, Larry or Lebron? Don't answer, since you didn't see Bird's entire career both at the Garden, and on TV. And I want to make this clear as it's not just my opinion and nothing more: Lebron is a magnificent talent, player and seems like a pretty decent person to, so I think he's great and could have been great in the 80's too, which I can't say for many players of the 20 years; But Larry Bird was and is the superior talent, in terms of shooting(best forward EVER) Rebounding(Top ten for a decade) Assists? Right they're with Lebron, but Larry was not handling the ball up the court like James does, as Dennis Johnson, Ainge, Archibald and Henderson would. You mention Lebron's physicality, which is amazing, but that's building your body, not basketball talent; And keep in mind, Bird at 6'9 barefoot, and about 230-240 was a big dude man. He rarely, like Lebron, got his shot blocked...think about that. He overwhelmed them, Just like Lebron James does.
Bird was the slickest player to ever play the game. He calculated where to be on the floor, he knew each player and their tendencies. He did that because he wasn't as fast or athletic as 90% of the players in the league. He put himself in position to make a play before it took place. That's BBALL I.Q.
Myk Ford Exactly. All these kids nowadays saying how Larry wouldn't be as good today. Basketball is about positioning, hand eye coordination, shooting, passing, cutting, changes of pace etc, Larry was a master at all those things. Combine that with the way today's game is centred around the 3 pointer and ball movement, Larry would thrive in today's game just as he did in the 80's.
Now just imagine what IU could have looked like had they made Bloomington feel like home for him and not given him a reason to want to transfer out before playing a game. I'm sure Sycamore Nation loves the Hoosiers for that to this day 😂😂
In 1974 Larry Bird was my P.E assistant when I was in the 8th grade and he was a senior at Springs Valley High School. At the beginning of each P.E. class we always ran 10 warmup laps around the gym. One day, a trampoline was set up on the basketball court and there was Larry Bird bouncing on it. As the whistle blew and we reluctantly lined up to run our laps, our teacher (who was also Larry's basketball coach) blew his whistle, and said "Larry is going to take 10 shots while jumping on the trampoline. If Larry makes any shots, each one made will delete a lap that you must run." Coach threw the ball to Larry and right there in front of me and the entire boys Jr. High P.E. class, Larry proceeded to hit 7 out of 10 shots while bouncing up and down on the trampoline, 40 feet away from the goal. Larry set an incredible example for me as a young boy in French Lick, Indiana that helped me through my entire adult career. If you are willing to work very hard and never give up, your dreams can and will come true. Thank you Larry.
But Larry was in between colleges at the time? Also, if he was a senior how would he hold down a P.E assistant job? Kind of skeptical but if you have more details I would love to know more!
I went to Indiana State. At that time, George Pillow was the only Indiana All Star on the b-BALL TEAM. The team stunk. After I graduated, an old friend of mine said this dude named Bird from French lick is coming from IU to put ISU on the national basketball map. I told him he was nuts and give me some of whatever he was smoking. Boy, was I wrong about that one. Didn't see THAT one coming. LOL
I just hate how the refs don't let guys talk anymore, or get in the game. That's basketball and it's always been an aspect of the game, now they T you up for nothing. Soft.
Of course there is, but how you gain that edge matters little in the end. I'm just saying talking has and always should be a part of the game. The removal of it has taken a competitive spirit out of the game.
Jason Rose If you were coaching a bunch of 9 to 10 year old would you want them to talk trash yes or no? If the answer is yes then your point is valid. If you answer is no then it should be no at any age. Just think of the reason it is no, it never goes away.
Stuart Perry Not everybody should trash talk only the players of who are playing at the highest level of basketball need that edge to win you wouldn't let a 10 year old because they don't need to, and trash talking in basketball is just to win and gain that edge, Michael Jordan did it he didn't get into many fights some of the other guys knew what he was doing and ignored him or just laughed it off and Micheal Jordan said himself he only trash talks to the people who he is friends with. Its just a part of the game after the game nobody holds a grudge.
Binuyaka Vanilla - Bill Laimbeer would have been banned, and shunned like Ndamukong Suh of the NFL. Times have changed indeed, lots of so called 'sports fans' looking for something, anything to be offended at. They aint called 'the good ol days' f0 nuthin ;)
Robert Schwartzback Dude, after watching come clips of Bill Laimbeer playing, his ass would get walked off the court in cuffs... In our new NBA, hard defense is not allowed!
Robert Schwartzback I wouldn't consider Laimbeer an old school hard nosed player b/c that denotes something positive. he was a guy who was looking to injure other players which is a line that was never cool to cross in any era. I never minded guys who played hard defense. its even ok to give a hard foul to send a message. send your opponent home w/bruises and let him remember the night he played you but when you send your opponent to the IR or do shit calculated to end his season or career you're nothing but a dirty POS.
My personal favorite is a story of when Bird is playing against Dr.J. Throughout the night, every time a point is scored, Bird is telling Dr.J 2 numbers. The number of points they each have. By the end of the 3rd quarter that number was 42 for Bird and 6 for Dr.J. During the 4th Bird shouted at J that he should retire. J starts throwing punches. How do you get in the head of a legend like that?!
THATS WHY I LOVE THE GUY, ALREADY KNOWS THERE GOING TO WIN . LET ME BREAK THE RECORD FOR THIS BUILDING. I WOULD PICK HIM FIRST OFF ANYBODY I MEAN ANYBODY IN HIS PRIME THAT IS.
The Bird - Johnson era is my favorite period in pro basketball. Both of them could do pretty much what they wanted. Magic and Bird elevated the game of their team. Nothing quite like Johnson leading the break or Larry stealing a ball looking all awkward and then casually throw it the length of the court for an easy layup. Great basketball.
old school Jordan fan here, since about 87. I've gotta say, yeah, the late 80s were the best. There was the Magic & Bird rivalry, and the Pistons. Add to that, Jordan was quickly ascending into his peak. That was a great time for basketball.
He did. He was telling him "You got nothing. You better call time out." And Larry, I'm sure was being honest with him. What's great about that era is the fact that players were still honest. Guys from Jordan on were/are far too conceited to admit they got schooled, never mind be able to appreciate and laugh about it. Watch the 60 point gave vs. the Hawks. The Hawk bench is jumping up and down and waving towels and literally falling over one another. And the crowd was showing support for his effort. I hope we get back to a time like that one day....Maybe after the big asteroid.
Cesar Zapata I had love for it when I was younger (I'm 23) but now I struggle to watch it and love football instead. We had an abundance of personalities to make you want to watch the game back in the day.
SupaKawazu yea i get it nothing is the same to you. But i still love the game i just wish the players weren't prisoners of their emotions. the nba needs to understand this game is emotional and you just can't expect players to be robots.
My favorite shooter. I watched him pre game at the Garden. He took 100 shots from all over the court. He would run to a spot, a ball boy would pass him the ball and he would shoot. He was moving to the next spot before it got to the basket. He hit 96.
Christopher, I saw him in the Garden too doing similar stuff. He wasn't quite THAT good, maybe it was an off day, but he was still well ahead of everybody else doing his warmup shots. During high school my two sharp-shooter friends would do 50 free throws before practice, and always make between 48 and 50. The rest of us players were nowhere near that good but it was sure fun to watch.
Person actually very deliberately forearmed Bird in his bad back, knocking him to the floor in the famous busted-cheek playoff game in 1991, a pure POS move...mighta had something to do with it...
Larry held back from trash talking most playoff series, because it detracted his focus away from the game when it mattered most. One very notable exception: Chuck Person
My favorite bird story was when in warm ups in his first game against jordan...the ball bounced down the floor after jordan shot it, bird picked it up as jordan jogged down there and bird threw it over his head and said "idgaf who u are, this my league...welcome to the NBA rook" #Legend
jaranarm put together? Nope payton is tied with bird or better bird has the best punchlines but he wasnt trashtalking that much he was never missing a moment for trash talk but payton was always trash talk with any one and he assumes what he said like shaq says u can see him on a shop he would trash talk you he speak speak and speak both have a different types of trash talk but both are legends of this art
This was the greatest era of the NBA. While I hate the Celtics, with a passion. I respect Bird. He and his teammates made for some phenomenal games/series.
+Sam Brasel so tired hearing about curry, yea hes good, but if he played in this era, simple as this, if he faced the bad boys, if he made two 3's in a row, the next one hed be on his ass, and the next one, and at 6'3 he was driven against them dudes, lambeer and mahorn woulda decapitated him
+dave danella I agree. Though, I still can appreciate his talent. For this era, he's perfect for it. Sounds like you, I prefer the game as it was. Some things don't need to change.
+JD Hoov Us celtics fans feel the exact same way as the MJ lakers lol...COMPLETE hate but the same amount of respect....FUCK gsw or Mia Heat lol....LAKERS CELTICS ALL DAY!
As a Laker fan, loving the Showtime Lakers, watching Larry Bird compete against my team was a nightmare. This man made me nervous lol! But I respect the heck out of Larry Legend! It was a fantastic to watch him play! What a beast he was!
+Jeremy Gray you probably never saw him play. This man was amazing. Look at his career stats. His career was short due to health. He played in a rougher era. The game was way more physical when he played. He was 10X more clutch than LeBron could even dream of being. LeBron has the physical skills but mentally, Larry was one of the best, better than LeBron.
+Jeremy Gray I'm gonna be nice. I don't like to insult people. Let me give you the facts. This is what Larry Legend was: 3× NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986) 2× NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986) 12× NBA All-Star (1980-1988, 1990-1992) NBA All-Star Game MVP (1982) 9× All-NBA First Team (1980-1988) NBA Rookie of the Year (1980) 3× NBA 3-Point Shootout champion (1986-1988) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team I have nothing more to say!
Larry Legend earned his place in the Hall Of Fame. Bird was the basketball Wizard. Magic Johnson was the basketball Magician. From the first day Larry stepped on the court in the NBA, he took everybody to school and let them worry bout how they got home.
When I was a little boy this man made me want to spend hours practicing that behind the backboard shot at home. Thanks to Larry I won so many games of horse!
I was lucky enough to get Larry Bird's autograph about a week after Indiana State's loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Championship. He was signing at a department store in my hometown. I remember my Dad telling my Mom "Take the boy up there and get that young man's autograph. He's gonna be a star in the NBA!" How right my Dad was. I still have the autograph.
I remember a Bird interview, I think w/ Dan Patrick, when he said that he was surprised when he got to the NBA that players weren't as good as he thought they'd be. He also said that he could go out tomorrow and hit 90% of his free throws. This was like 2 years ago.
Yeah I remember that interview too. He was talking about being drafted by Red and his first encounters at Celtics practices. Be nice to find that interview somewhere.
Larry Bird played with a passion and a will to win. This man threw his body around the court running for loose balls, hustle plays so much that it shortened his career. Back then, players were loyal. They played for 1 team. They weren't trying to play with other teams and form "super teams"! Young kids who make comments and pick Lebron over Larry really don't know who Larry Bird is. He was a killer on that court! I have nothing but respect for him!
Such a special time, when Bird and Magic reigned supreme. So different than today. Can you imagine Larry or Magic "taking their talents" to a different city to form a super team-? Hell no. They were too competitive and just wanted to beat your ass. I miss those days-
Chris Carter Lol Jordan made it to the Finals 7 years after being drafted, LeBron stayed for 7 years after being drafted. Anyone who dogs LeBron is an idiot. The man just brought a championship, and arguably left thr worst Cavs team in history to the Finals back in 2007. Therefore, you look like an idiot. Bird won thr Finals 3 years after being drafted. So no, LeBron's situation isn't comparible.
I love Larry bird but no. Eminem is the goat of rap. Michael is the goat of basketball. There is no Eminem of basketball... but if there was it would be him lol
@zuze better then Eminem I doubt it when they sell his numbers then come back,this moment of time you can name better rappers cause he’s finished his style doesn’t fit this era bet you listen to youngboy you fruit
It really comes down to opinion. But if you want to look at stats, Eminem is the best to do it. #1 in records sold with over 200 million. And the 6th most of any solo artist ever in any genre. Also I like Eminem and biggie the best, because of their lyricism, and how they ride beats and their wordflow. To me, no one is better at it than em. But again, that’s just an opinion.
As usual, we have sanitizied so many facets of society including what is supposed to be fun and entertainment, sports. The fact that players aren't allowed to trash talk anymore is taking a big part of the color of basketball away.
my all time favorite is Bird is having an insane game...yells loudly to opposing coach Frank Layden...''HEY FRANK? DONT YOU GOT ANYBODY ON THAT BENCH THAT CAN GUARD ME?? CAUSE NOBODY OUT HERE CAN ! Frank looks down the end of his bench, turns to Bird and sez...''No".
The one thing about Larry Legend was that he could shoot the lights out, but he never relied heavily on the 3 point shot. Sure he could shoot like a dream, but his passing and defense were underrated. It's too bad his career was cut a little short due to his back.
Most coaches had no interest in allowing their players to shoot a lot of 3's at the time, as it was considered a "trick shot" and not worth it. They should have been watching the points PER POSSESSION when a few sharpshooters (starting with Bird) shot them.
Larry was so much fun to watch in the 80's, he did something amazing in every single game. That dude was bad. I didn't know he was such a trash talker though but I knew he was tough.
When he came into our house at Illinois State, he was leading the country in scoring and we decided to triple team him every chance we had. He got his 35 and they won. It was incredible to watch. Props Birdman
i have done that {the shot over the backboard ) couple times while playing full court, outside in my hood,people just can't believe it,they're like...WTF ! BUT...,OF COURSE it takes a lot of practice and Yes ,i was inspired by Larry
jumpinjiminy9 oh no ? damn, i thought it did count, lol, well...it counts outside on playgrounds though,but didn't the Larry's shot count when he did that shot ? i'm confused,
MiNNEAPOLiSTiLLiDiE as if to say Larry wasn't a great passer, grabbed rebounds, had a killer instinct & was extremely clutch which is something Lebron still lacks just be honest with yourselves. Lebron is great for this soft era in the NBA. Dunks? You cannot be serious lol.
kaiyeem Stats. PPG: LeBron 27.1 > Bird 24.3 AST: LeBron 6.9 > Bird 6.3 REB: Bird 10.0 > LeBron 7.2 BLK: LeBron 0.8 = Bird 0.8 STL: LeBron 1.7 = Bird 1.7 TURNOVERS: LeBron 3.4 > Bird 3.1 2P FG%: LeBron .538 > Bird .509 3P FG%: Bird .376 > LeBron .340 eFG%: LeBron .532 > Bird .514 FG%: LeBron .498 > Bird .496 PFouls: Bird 2.5 > LeBron 1.9 Rings: LeBron 3 (for now) = Bird 3 at only 31 MVPs: LeBron 4 (for now) > Bird 3 at only 31 AllStars: LeBron 12 (for now) = Bird 12 at 31 Scoring Titles: LeBron 1 (for now) > Bird 0 at 31 FinalsMVP: LeBron 2 (for now) > Bird 1 at 31 ROTY: LeBron and Bird both won it In total, LeBron beats or ties bird in 14/17 categories. Bird beats or ties LeBron in 8/17. And LeBron is only 31 AND has more mileage on him. Plus you can't bring up The Decision because Bird had a good team the whole time while LeBron left one of the worst teams ever. The winner is clear here. LeBron is the best Small Forward ever (Did I mention he can play every position and has done it before?) and Bird comes in as a close runner-up. I brought up facts not opinion. Case closed. Sources: Basketball-Reference, Wikipedia, NBA website, Google.
kaiyeem TL;DR? Okay. To round it up I just shot down your claim with facts, and LeBron is better than Bird. Also, I am unbiased as I am a diehard T-Wolves fan and to be honest I don't like either player. Take note, you just got beat by a preteen kid. Do not even try to say "You didn't watch Bird live" because statisticians did, live in the stands, and I used their facts. Repeat. I just beat you and I am not even 11 yet. That's pathetic.
I don't even watch sports and this dude makes me want to watch sports. I can only imagine what it was like to love this basketball and see Larry do all that.
Sho'Nuff Says ᶠᶸᶜᵏᵧₒᵤ LeRoy! ™ can u remember the name of that movie? All i remember is the glowing balls they could make and of course " whats my name? SHONUFF!"
LARRY LEGEND IS THE GREATEST ALL AROUND PLAYER TO EVER STEP ON THE HARDWOOD. ASK MJ , HE SAID HE , BIRD WOULD PICK FIRST ON HIS TEAM . SO HAPPY I HAD THE CHANCE TO WATCH HIM PLAY. LOVE THE GUY.
100 percent agree...I've been saying that forever. Everyone tries to push the Lebron MJ debate and it drives me crazy. The real debate is Larry or LeBron and anyone who knows basketball knows it's Bird all day!!!
scott gollahon the second part of your last sentence is stupid. I can see the argument for Bird over LeBron, but it’s not “clearly Bird”. LeBron is considered greater for a reason.
Larry legend was the best! humble, good hard working dude who stayed true to his routes, and knew gettin in your head, and how much it affected your game! everyone knew when he let it fly from the corner it's gona snap! 86 celtics👑
Exactly right. Everyone gets so caught up in his shooting that they forget to mention the the other facts, the guy was also a TREMENDOUS rebounder and probably the greatest passing forward who ever lived. The guy just had supernatural instincts for the game.
Bird was a big, strong, tough, smart and hypercompetitive SOB who wasn't afraid to mix it up in the league. He could go join a pickup game a playground in the heart of the hood and not be afraid. He grew up and learned his game playing with working class black neighbors in southern Indiana and tended to be closer with the black players on his teams. So many white players (especially white American players) are so intimidated by black "athleticism", hype about getting posterized or otherwise made a fool of and by wary coaches who are constantly telling them to "play within yourself" that often they're timid, passive and beaten as soon as they take the floor. Bird didn't give a crap. He gave as good as he ever got and never backed down even when he was facing obviously superior athletes like Michael Jordan
He was the nastiest, most disrespectful, shit-talking, dirtiest player in the game at that time. Absolutely fearless. Didnt care if you were Black or White. Bird would bust yo ass. He dished it out, and took it like a man should. 4th quarter would come, you knew he would get the ball....and you still couldnt stop him. So disrepectful, he even fought Dr. J...a living icon. I love that dude.
Beyonder- I remember the fight between Bird and Dr. J. Moses Malone held Bird's head while Julius Erving lost it and punched Larry in the head. There was a picture on the front sports page of my local newspaper. This fight happened some time late in the 3rd Quarter. Both men were ejected. I looked at the Box Score and saw the reason for Erving's frustration. Dr. J had a mere 3 points and Larry Bird had 48 points. Bird was lighting (a granted) older Julius Erving up and Doc just lost his cool. One more time Bird 48 points, Erving 3 points before the start of the 4th quarter. Bird might have set the Celtic scoring record that night and well......I hope you know the rest of the story. Kevin McKale set the Celtic scoring record with a 59 point game. The Celtics always played TEAM basketball, so they spread the wealth around so to speak. But the Very next game Bird went off for 63 to take the Boston scoring record away from a bemused Kevin McKale, who said he knew Larry could take the record anytime he wanted. But to do it the next game was typical of Mastery of Bird.
"dirtiest" Dirty, but not the dirtiest. And I wouldn't agree with "most disrespectful" either, because Jordan would call Muggsy "midget," whereas Bird would basically just brag about how great he was. Most fearless, sounds right.
trha2222 haha! Yeah I have it pretty bad myself, but I'm intelligent enough to turn it on and off in certain situations. It is a rather punky accent, but I can't help which patch of dirt I just happened to be born on. It is what it is, Worchester (proper spelling) has a different accent, its gross, I got a few buddies from there. I make fun of em all the time. But if I'm at a cookout with family and friends.... theres only 25 letters in my alphabet. The R is just gone lol. Cheers! Bird rules!
@WindyCityBluesMan Actually Pippen had a migraine in game 7. He tried to play but was useless out there. When the Bulls ran into the Celtics Pippen had yet to blossom. Don't even bother arguing with that idiot... thinking Rodman was a Bull in the mid-late 80's. Tells you everything you need to know about their basketball knowledge.
@dtk100000 Nope. But even then MJ would make the games competitive. Bird knew what was going to happen once he got some help... not 3-4 hof teammates like he had either, but just 1 all star and some quality role players. I think all 6 of those Bulls championship teams beat all but the 86 Celtics team. It would've taken the 96 team to get that job done and even then I'm not sure.
@@latvariansavage9134 The 83 Sixers were dominant down the stretch too. 72 Lakers with Wilt, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West, that won 33 straight. 85 and 87 Lakers. And 96 Bulls. Though the 91 Bulls, in the playoffs, were lights out too. These are the best teams imo. I'd love to see them play a round robin.
Bird was the best overall player of all time and managed to do it while looking totally out of place. He was BY FAR the best trash talker. He would tell you what he was going to do BEFORE the play and STILL do it. THAT's some OG shit right there.....
Most dangerous thing about him I think, is he did not look like your typical athlete...just an average tall dude with a dad bod...and they said how calm he was off the court...but dude was a savage....a Mr. Miyagi for sure
A lot of players talk trash after they hit a big shot, Larry is the only guy I ever heard talk trash before he even took the shot and had the audacity to tell his opponent where he'd shoot it from! That is why the guy is a legend.
I have never heard a player HATE talk Bird....to a man, they get this head shaking grin....and tell their Bird story with awe ... how he did that without making enemies is miraculous.
My favorite Bird talking trash story is when the Celtics played the Lakers every x-mas day in the 80's. Bird dropped a 3 from the corner right in front of the Lakers bench and said "Merry X-mas!" One of the greatest ever because of effort and will to win, not necessarily athleticism.. Of course being 6'9" helped...
Bird was the most complete player ever. He had jedi powers over the ball, he could do anything. Jordan was a scorer, Bird made everyone better he could do it all. Left handed, right handed, 30 ft running jumpers, passes behind his back, you couldn't stop Larry he was too good.
the only thing he lacked was athleticism which didn't hold him back on offense but it stopped him from being a supreme defender so the athleticism was the incomplete part of his game
Jordan was a scorer? He was also 9 time 1st team defense and 1 time defensive player of the year. He shut down the opposing teams best man and led his team every night, if that's not a complete player then there's never been one.
The reason Larry would talk so much trash was A) the psychological advantage it gave him and B) He ALWAYS backed it up. Shot after shot. And yes he needs more credit for just being the Charlie hustle of basketball with the timely steals, rebounds and passes. Quit was never in his vocabulary.
What I love about basketball is that your game speaks for you, in South LA racial tensions ran high growing up but I used to drive around to different parks just to play ball, love was shown everywhere man, bball unites all people
Larry used to get on his teammates, too, to goad them into working harder. He used get mad at McHale for not working in the off season and once said, "Kevin's idea of getting into shape for the season is switching to lite beer."
The best outside shooter and probably the smartest ever in ANY ERA! I always said the bulls of the 90's were good but they wouldn't of got out of the east in the 80's, even with Rodman. The 1986 Celtic team were off the charts as well as the 80's run and gun showtime Lakers. Probably the best two teams of any decade with the exception of the crazy shooting Spurs of last year. Their shots were falling from everywhere to an all time NBA finals FG record. The best shooting I have ever saw from outside, game after game in any NBA series. That won't happen again. It was their time.
Qisthatdude Jordan doesn't pass as good as Bird nor did he have the jumper Bird did. Yes he drove to the hoop better but Bird came out of the gate making his teammate's better as a rookie. Jordan took time to do this and a weaker NBA in the 90's as well.
But yes Jordan would dominate in any era and he did in the 80's as well. Jordan was a one on one offense and defensive specialist before his game expanded beyond that.
A weaker NBA? Compared to Bird's era?? Again...don't be ridiculous. Yes Larry Bird was a better passer, okay...however overall Jordan was better point blank period.
This was when players took pride in promoting the game, now it's just selfish and worrying about tarnishing a non existent image. Try too hard to be cool and being buddies with everyone rather than competing. The NBA is a damn joke now.
"That checks had my name on it for a week now, I knew I was gonna win it" lmao thats the best trash talking/gloating especially when you already won it.
sometimes i wonder if todays superstar would do their super thing if they played in the golden era. I know for sure these golden era superstar would even be more super if they play today.
All black dudes back in the day hated Bird (including myself cuz I was a Sixers fan), but those same black dudes today LOVE Bird...including myself! Respect!
Mark Pringle Go Sixers!!!!
Word up. GO SIXERS!! Larry Bird is OK, though. i don't love him like that lol
Mark, as a Celtics fan who saw his entire, historic career like yourself, I don't think you hated him; Like how I felt about Andrew Toney, Julius, Moses...fear man, and respect; Don't you miss those days when you could push a superstar around and NOT be called for Bullshit fouls(See Lebron James)? I miss all of those guys, Kareem, Magic, Parish, Bernard, Marques...all of them, and I know you do too! The NBA in the 1980's: It was fantastic!
John Flanagan
Why is it that LeBron is everyone's punching bag nowadays? People seem to think that just because this man is big and strong, that a slap to the face don't hurt him like it does all the other players. A foul is a foul, regardless of who it is against, and should be called accordingly. All superstars get this treatment since "back in the day". In fact, smaller players like Steph and James Harden draw waaaay more fouls.
If you're going to call the NBA out for "soft" officiating, fine. But don't just single out 1 player like it only happens for him. Because then, your disdain for the one particular player shows.
Dear B-Ball friend; At no point do I even intimate that Lebron James deliberately cultivated or felt entitled to his treatment by officials, no, he didn't ask for it, and I"m not sure what your age is, but I can tell you having watched pro-ball for forty years now, you could push, grab and hold a superstar. Why do you think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar(awesome) was such a complaining, boring person on the court? You could GUARD and BODY him, though it really didn't stop him from being nearly unstoppable. If you really think I"m using Lebron James as a " punching bag," you didn't really take in what I wrote previously, and what I write now and understand that the RULES were different. Want to know the real reason why? Because for the last three years approx, they're have been these comparison's(again) of who is better, Larry or Lebron? Don't answer, since you didn't see Bird's entire career both at the Garden, and on TV. And I want to make this clear as it's not just my opinion and nothing more: Lebron is a magnificent talent, player and seems like a pretty decent person to, so I think he's great and could have been great in the 80's too, which I can't say for many players of the 20 years; But Larry Bird was and is the superior talent, in terms of shooting(best forward EVER) Rebounding(Top ten for a decade) Assists? Right they're with Lebron, but Larry was not handling the ball up the court like James does, as Dennis Johnson, Ainge, Archibald and Henderson would. You mention Lebron's physicality, which is amazing, but that's building your body, not basketball talent; And keep in mind, Bird at 6'9 barefoot, and about 230-240 was a big dude man. He rarely, like Lebron, got his shot blocked...think about that. He overwhelmed them, Just like Lebron James does.
Bird was the slickest player to ever play the game. He calculated where to be on the floor, he knew each player and their tendencies. He did that because he wasn't as fast or athletic as 90% of the players in the league. He put himself in position to make a play before it took place. That's BBALL I.Q.
Spot on.
Myk Ford Exactly. All these kids nowadays saying how Larry wouldn't be as good today. Basketball is about positioning, hand eye coordination, shooting, passing, cutting, changes of pace etc, Larry was a master at all those things. Combine that with the way today's game is centred around the 3 pointer and ball movement, Larry would thrive in today's game just as he did in the 80's.
Myk Ford He was easily smarter than 99% of the players in the league.
200mphz06 How do you know? Have you ever met any of them?
Prince Dareshko I'm pretty sure he's talking basketball smarts.
This dude took Indiana STATE, not IU, to the finals in college. That's like taking a community college to the big game.
Indiana State has done nothing before and after Bird left
Statutory Grape lol drop the 🎤 period
Now just imagine what IU could have looked like had they made Bloomington feel like home for him and not given him a reason to want to transfer out before playing a game. I'm sure Sycamore Nation loves the Hoosiers for that to this day 😂😂
He WAS phenomenal!
too bad he lost
In 1974 Larry Bird was my P.E assistant when I was in the 8th grade and he was a senior at Springs Valley High School. At the beginning of each P.E. class we always ran 10 warmup laps around the gym. One day, a trampoline was set up on the basketball court and there was Larry Bird bouncing on it. As the whistle blew and we reluctantly lined up to run our laps, our teacher (who was also Larry's basketball coach) blew his whistle, and said "Larry is going to take 10 shots while jumping on the trampoline. If Larry makes any shots, each one made will delete a lap that you must run." Coach threw the ball to Larry and right there in front of me and the entire boys Jr. High P.E. class, Larry proceeded to hit 7 out of 10 shots while bouncing up and down on the trampoline, 40 feet away from the goal. Larry set an incredible example for me as a young boy in French Lick, Indiana that helped me through my entire adult career. If you are willing to work very hard and never give up, your dreams can and will come true. Thank you Larry.
Dang
But Larry was in between colleges at the time? Also, if he was a senior how would he hold down a
P.E assistant job? Kind of skeptical but if you have more details I would love to know more!
Velocity Hurts ok who cares? late bitch
I went to Indiana State. At that time, George Pillow was the only Indiana All Star on the b-BALL TEAM. The team stunk. After I graduated, an old friend of mine said this dude named Bird from French lick is coming from IU to put ISU on the national basketball map. I told him he was nuts and give me some of whatever he was smoking. Boy, was I wrong about that one. Didn't see THAT one coming. LOL
will 223YNW damn by your profile picture that kinda confirms that you are a child. I was just making a simple observation, so don’t get so triggered.
He was an assassin. Tell me you didn't get chills when he shot the last one and walked away with his finger raised!!
i didnt
Bruh that coment was 4 years ago lol
jnixa1010 Jordan was the assassin, you never saw Jordan play because you wouldn't say that remark
Legendary shit
Did you notice that he didn't even bother to take off his warm-up jacket?
I just hate how the refs don't let guys talk anymore, or get in the game. That's basketball and it's always been an aspect of the game, now they T you up for nothing. Soft.
alex12104 Exactly
Of course there is, but how you gain that edge matters little in the end. I'm just saying talking has and always should be a part of the game. The removal of it has taken a competitive spirit out of the game.
Jason Rose If you were coaching a bunch of 9 to 10 year old would you want them to talk trash yes or no? If the answer is yes then your point is valid. If you answer is no then it should be no at any age. Just think of the reason it is no, it never goes away.
Stuart Perry Not everybody should trash talk only the players of who are playing at the highest level of basketball need that edge to win you wouldn't let a 10 year old because they don't need to, and trash talking in basketball is just to win and gain that edge, Michael Jordan did it he didn't get into many fights some of the other guys knew what he was doing and ignored him or just laughed it off and Micheal Jordan said himself he only trash talks to the people who he is friends with. Its just a part of the game after the game nobody holds a grudge.
Sukhman Rai
What low lifes and thugs do you mean exactly?
Bird's an OG
yeah, Bird is much better.
Both great players
leBitch can go home
no not really
I give a shit, for me bird is better for you lebron end of story
If Bird played in this era he would average 1 technical per game.
excellent point
Binuyaka Vanilla This era is joke, basketball went on a downward slope after the 90's!
Binuyaka Vanilla - Bill Laimbeer would have been banned, and shunned like Ndamukong Suh of the NFL. Times have changed indeed, lots of so called 'sports fans' looking for something, anything to be offended at.
They aint called 'the good ol days' f0 nuthin ;)
Robert Schwartzback Dude, after watching come clips of Bill Laimbeer playing, his ass would get walked off the court in cuffs... In our new NBA, hard defense is not allowed!
Robert Schwartzback I wouldn't consider Laimbeer an old school hard nosed player b/c that denotes something positive. he was a guy who was looking to injure other players which is a line that was never cool to cross in any era. I never minded guys who played hard defense. its even ok to give a hard foul to send a message. send your opponent home w/bruises and let him remember the night he played you but when you send your opponent to the IR or do shit calculated to end his season or career you're nothing but a dirty POS.
My personal favorite is a story of when Bird is playing against Dr.J. Throughout the night, every time a point is scored, Bird is telling Dr.J 2 numbers. The number of points they each have. By the end of the 3rd quarter that number was 42 for Bird and 6 for Dr.J. During the 4th Bird shouted at J that he should retire. J starts throwing punches.
How do you get in the head of a legend like that?!
The laugh after “I’ve known Chuck a long time, and we’ve had some run ins, but uh, I always seem to get the last word🤷🏼♂️..” 😂😂😂🐐🐐🐐
While getting taped up before a game, "Hey ball boy! Go find the scoring record in this building."- Fuckin' bad ass!
THATS WHY I LOVE THE GUY, ALREADY KNOWS THERE GOING TO WIN . LET ME BREAK THE RECORD FOR THIS BUILDING. I WOULD PICK HIM FIRST OFF ANYBODY I MEAN ANYBODY IN HIS PRIME THAT IS.
L
+LifeOf Manny it's a movie my nigga chill
The Bird - Johnson era is my favorite period in pro basketball. Both of them could do pretty much what they wanted. Magic and Bird elevated the game of their team. Nothing quite like Johnson leading the break or Larry stealing a ball looking all awkward and then casually throw it the length of the court for an easy layup. Great basketball.
Indeed. True.
Then MJ entered the chat
old school Jordan fan here, since about 87. I've gotta say, yeah, the late 80s were the best. There was the Magic & Bird rivalry, and the Pistons. Add to that, Jordan was quickly ascending into his peak.
That was a great time for basketball.
Yes indeed!!!!
4:55 trash talking him into making a time-out lol
He did. He was telling him "You got nothing. You better call time out." And Larry, I'm sure was being honest with him. What's great about that era is the fact that players were still honest. Guys from Jordan on were/are far too conceited to admit they got schooled, never mind be able to appreciate and laugh about it. Watch the 60 point gave vs. the Hawks. The Hawk bench is jumping up and down and waving towels and literally falling over one another. And the crowd was showing support for his effort. I hope we get back to a time like that one day....Maybe after the big asteroid.
Doc James haha...that was funny man!
Dude got scared of him
And Chuck Person disappeared after that, he became nothing.
@@docjames6902 Orlando cheered for Kyrie as he dropped 60 in their court. He had 43 at the half.
Back when the NBA had interesting characters and real rivalries. Back before you'd get a high five from all your teammates for missing a free throw.
probably could have rivalries if the nba decided to let players show emotion and not expect them to act like robots.
Yea NBA is boring now
SupaKawazu I still love the nba.
But it's ratings and rivalries could be enhanced if they let players talk and be more aggressive on defense.
Cesar Zapata
I had love for it when I was younger (I'm 23) but now I struggle to watch it and love football instead. We had an abundance of personalities to make you want to watch the game back in the day.
SupaKawazu yea i get it nothing is the same to you.
But i still love the game i just wish the players weren't prisoners of their emotions.
the nba needs to understand this game is emotional and you just can't expect players to be robots.
My favorite shooter. I watched him pre game at the Garden. He took 100 shots from all over the court. He would run to a spot, a ball boy would pass him the ball and he would shoot. He was moving to the next spot before it got to the basket. He hit 96.
Christopher, I saw him in the Garden too doing similar stuff. He wasn't quite THAT good, maybe it was an off day, but he was still well ahead of everybody else doing his warmup shots.
During high school my two sharp-shooter friends would do 50 free throws before practice, and always make between 48 and 50. The rest of us players were nowhere near that good but it was sure fun to watch.
Larry : "I DIDN;T MEAN TO LEAVE 2 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK"
Mcdaniels : "DAMN"
Lmao !
Person was one of the few guys that could piss Bird off, never a good thing for your team.
Person actually very deliberately forearmed Bird in his bad back, knocking him to the floor in the famous busted-cheek playoff game in 1991, a pure POS move...mighta had something to do with it...
Larry held back from trash talking most playoff series, because it detracted his focus away from the game when it mattered most. One very notable exception: Chuck Person
My favorite bird story was when in warm ups in his first game against jordan...the ball bounced down the floor after jordan shot it, bird picked it up as jordan jogged down there and bird threw it over his head and said "idgaf who u are, this my league...welcome to the NBA rook" #Legend
Larry's art of trash talk was miles ahead of anyone. He was greater at trash talking than Jordan, Barkley, Payton, and Miller put together.
jaranarm put together? Nope payton is tied with bird or better bird has the best punchlines but he wasnt trashtalking that much he was never missing a moment for trash talk but payton was always trash talk with any one and he assumes what he said like shaq says u can see him on a shop he would trash talk you he speak speak and speak both have a different types of trash talk but both are legends of this art
Rehma M The glove said Larry was the best ever.
jaranarm Yes he is also BIRD WAS AND IS BETTER THAN ANY OF THE PLAYERS YOU MENTIONED
Rehma M Bird is the better player so his trash talking is miles ahead of Payton
FOUR FOUR FOUR......MOSES MALONE PREDICTS PLAYOFF SWEEP
This was the greatest era of the NBA. While I hate the Celtics, with a passion. I respect Bird. He and his teammates made for some phenomenal games/series.
+JD Hoov Amen, bro. The 1980s, Bird and Magic, the NBA will never have something like that again.
+Sam Brasel so tired hearing about curry, yea hes good, but if he played in this era, simple as this, if he faced the bad boys, if he made two 3's in a row, the next one hed be on his ass, and the next one, and at 6'3 he was driven against them dudes, lambeer and mahorn woulda decapitated him
+dave danella I agree. Though, I still can appreciate his talent. For this era, he's perfect for it. Sounds like you, I prefer the game as it was. Some things don't need to change.
+JD Hoov Us celtics fans feel the exact same way as the MJ lakers lol...COMPLETE hate but the same amount of respect....FUCK gsw or Mia Heat lol....LAKERS CELTICS ALL DAY!
This is how i'd rank the decades of the NBA
7. 1950's
6. 1970's
5. 1960's
4. 2000's
3. 1990's
2. 1980's
1. 2010's
With his smarts, shooting game and outside game. He would tear it up today.
As a Laker fan, loving the Showtime Lakers, watching Larry Bird compete against my team was a nightmare. This man made me nervous lol! But I respect the heck out of Larry Legend! It was a fantastic to watch him play! What a beast he was!
+Jeremy Gray you probably never saw him play. This man was amazing. Look at his career stats. His career was short due to health. He played in a rougher era. The game was way more physical when he played. He was 10X more clutch than LeBron could even dream of being. LeBron has the physical skills but mentally, Larry was one of the best, better than LeBron.
+Jeremy Gray You dumb asf
Jeremy Gray Lebron will be better than bird when he retires
+Jeremy Gray I'm gonna be nice. I don't like to insult people. Let me give you the facts. This is what Larry Legend was:
3× NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986)
2× NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986)
3× NBA Most Valuable Player (1984-1986)
12× NBA All-Star (1980-1988, 1990-1992)
NBA All-Star Game MVP (1982)
9× All-NBA First Team (1980-1988)
NBA Rookie of the Year (1980)
3× NBA 3-Point Shootout champion (1986-1988)
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
I have nothing more to say!
+Jeremy Gray he is no Lebron? yeah....that's right..because he can't 30%fg outside the paint like Lebron always does.
"So, which one of you guys are coming second?"
Christ.
"I'm just looking to see who's gonna finish second" savage
"There will never, ever be another Larry Bird" -Magic... Truer words have never been spoken.
Larry Legend earned his place in the Hall Of Fame. Bird was the basketball Wizard.
Magic Johnson was the basketball Magician.
From the first day Larry stepped on the court in the NBA, he took everybody to school and let them worry bout how they got home.
When I was a little boy this man made me want to spend hours practicing that behind the backboard shot at home. Thanks to Larry I won so many games of horse!
Bird is certainly the word.
I was lucky enough to get Larry Bird's autograph about a week after Indiana State's loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Championship. He was signing at a department store in my hometown. I remember my Dad telling my Mom "Take the boy up there and get that young man's autograph. He's gonna be a star in the NBA!" How right my Dad was. I still have the autograph.
I remember a Bird interview, I think w/ Dan Patrick, when he said that he was surprised when he got to the NBA that players weren't as good as he thought they'd be. He also said that he could go out tomorrow and hit 90% of his free throws. This was like 2 years ago.
Yeah I remember that interview too. He was talking about being drafted by Red and his first encounters at Celtics practices. Be nice to find that interview somewhere.
dbossmx
he tells the same story in the grantland interview with bill simmons here on youtube, if u wanna hear it from Larry
He's right, same as Jerry West out-shooting most of today's players in HORSE, at nearly 80 years old. Yup, you heard me right.
Larry Bird played with a passion and a will to win. This man threw his body around the court running for loose balls, hustle plays so much that it shortened his career. Back then, players were loyal. They played for 1 team. They weren't trying to play with other teams and form "super teams"! Young kids who make comments and pick Lebron over Larry really don't know who Larry Bird is. He was a killer on that court! I have nothing but respect for him!
Trash talking is part of the game. Would have been honored to play against Bird.
Such a special time, when Bird and Magic reigned supreme. So different than today. Can you imagine Larry or Magic "taking their talents" to a different city to form a super team-? Hell no. They were too competitive and just wanted to beat your ass. I miss those days-
Why would they have to leave when they were already playing with 2 to 3 hall of famers on their teams?
+ttaps lol exactly.
lol they would if there team was shit that they got drafted to.
their teams were shit before they got drafted and became contenders in their rookie years. thats a legend
Chris Carter Lol Jordan made it to the Finals 7 years after being drafted, LeBron stayed for 7 years after being drafted. Anyone who dogs LeBron is an idiot. The man just brought a championship, and arguably left thr worst Cavs team in history to the Finals back in 2007. Therefore, you look like an idiot. Bird won thr Finals 3 years after being drafted. So no, LeBron's situation isn't comparible.
Larry Bird is like the Eminem of Basketball
i wonder why
I love Larry bird but no. Eminem is the goat of rap. Michael is the goat of basketball. There is no Eminem of basketball... but if there was it would be him lol
@zuze nice joke my man 👍🏻
@zuze better then Eminem I doubt it when they sell his numbers then come back,this moment of time you can name better rappers cause he’s finished his style doesn’t fit this era bet you listen to youngboy you fruit
It really comes down to opinion. But if you want to look at stats, Eminem is the best to do it. #1 in records sold with over 200 million. And the 6th most of any solo artist ever in any genre. Also I like Eminem and biggie the best, because of their lyricism, and how they ride beats and their wordflow. To me, no one is better at it than em. But again, that’s just an opinion.
As usual, we have sanitizied so many facets of society including what is supposed to be fun and entertainment, sports. The fact that players aren't allowed to trash talk anymore is taking a big part of the color of basketball away.
+Manuel Perez They took it away because the players are nothing but thugs, today. Lucky if they aren't packing guns on the court.
+Manuel Perez They took it away because the players are nothing but thugs, today. Lucky if they aren't packing guns on the court.
You must not know you're history to say such a stupid statement. Exhibit A: The 70s Oakland Raiders.
Manuel Perez
What does a football team have to do with basketball? You are a fool!
Oh, so you say stupid things and you're actually stupid as well. Good job. If you don't get the parallel to your "thugs" statement, I can't help you.
This guy was one of the top 3 best players in the history of Basket ball. His shooting game and his humility in the public eye was amazing.
True!!!
my all time favorite is Bird is having an insane game...yells loudly to opposing coach Frank Layden...''HEY FRANK? DONT YOU GOT ANYBODY ON THAT BENCH THAT CAN GUARD ME?? CAUSE NOBODY OUT HERE CAN ! Frank looks down the end of his bench, turns to Bird and sez...''No".
The one thing about Larry Legend was that he could shoot the lights out, but he never relied heavily on the 3 point shot. Sure he could shoot like a dream, but his passing and defense were underrated. It's too bad his career was cut a little short due to his back.
Most coaches had no interest in allowing their players to shoot a lot of 3's at the time, as it was considered a "trick shot" and not worth it.
They should have been watching the points PER POSSESSION when a few sharpshooters (starting with Bird) shot them.
Larry was so much fun to watch in the 80's, he did something amazing in every single game. That dude was bad. I didn't know he was such a trash talker though but I knew he was tough.
"That's not trash, that's just fact."
Same thing I say. He wasn’t trashtalking. He was only talking. Facts.
@@miciboo9993 I think it was James Worthy said something about "If you talk trash and back it up like Larry Bird, is it talking trash?"
When he came into our house at Illinois State, he was leading the country in scoring and we decided to triple team him every chance we had. He got his 35 and they won. It was incredible to watch. Props Birdman
The shot over the backboard around 2:10...how would you even think to attempt that, much less make it?!?!??!?!/1
i have done that {the shot over the backboard ) couple times while playing full court, outside in my hood,people just can't believe it,they're like...WTF ! BUT...,OF COURSE it takes a lot of practice and Yes ,i was inspired by Larry
Unfortunately, doesn't count.
jumpinjiminy9 oh no ? damn, i thought it did count, lol, well...it counts outside on playgrounds though,but didn't the Larry's shot count when he did that shot ? i'm confused,
carlos garcia You can actually see the ref waving off the basket after it goes in.
T Conn Kobe hit one from behind the backboard that counted
Larry Legend Bird is the GREATEST small-forward to ever play in the NBA, yes I said it (sorry Lebron & KD but it's the truth).
Larry Bird is a scoring machine, Lebron isn't on LB's level when it comes to offense.
Yeah as passing, rebounding, and defense suddenly doesn't matter at all. Not to mention dunks.
MiNNEAPOLiSTiLLiDiE as if to say Larry wasn't a great passer, grabbed rebounds, had a killer instinct & was extremely clutch which is something Lebron still lacks just be honest with yourselves. Lebron is great for this soft era in the NBA. Dunks? You cannot be serious lol.
kaiyeem Stats.
PPG: LeBron 27.1 > Bird 24.3
AST: LeBron 6.9 > Bird 6.3
REB: Bird 10.0 > LeBron 7.2
BLK: LeBron 0.8 = Bird 0.8
STL: LeBron 1.7 = Bird 1.7
TURNOVERS: LeBron 3.4 > Bird 3.1
2P FG%: LeBron .538 > Bird .509
3P FG%: Bird .376 > LeBron .340
eFG%: LeBron .532 > Bird .514
FG%: LeBron .498 > Bird .496
PFouls: Bird 2.5 > LeBron 1.9
Rings: LeBron 3 (for now) = Bird 3 at only 31
MVPs: LeBron 4 (for now) > Bird 3 at only 31
AllStars: LeBron 12 (for now) = Bird 12 at 31
Scoring Titles: LeBron 1 (for now) > Bird 0 at 31
FinalsMVP: LeBron 2 (for now) > Bird 1 at 31
ROTY: LeBron and Bird both won it
In total, LeBron beats or ties bird in 14/17 categories. Bird beats or ties LeBron in 8/17. And LeBron is only 31 AND has more mileage on him. Plus you can't bring up The Decision because Bird had a good team the whole time while LeBron left one of the worst teams ever. The winner is clear here. LeBron is the best Small Forward ever (Did I mention he can play every position and has done it before?) and Bird comes in as a close runner-up. I brought up facts not opinion. Case closed. Sources: Basketball-Reference, Wikipedia, NBA website, Google.
kaiyeem TL;DR? Okay. To round it up I just shot down your claim with facts, and LeBron is better than Bird. Also, I am unbiased as I am a diehard T-Wolves fan and to be honest I don't like either player. Take note, you just got beat by a preteen kid. Do not even try to say "You didn't watch Bird live" because statisticians did, live in the stands, and I used their facts. Repeat. I just beat you and I am not even 11 yet. That's pathetic.
I don't even watch sports and this dude makes me want to watch sports. I can only imagine what it was like to love this basketball and see Larry do all that.
Cant deny, the greatest shooter in NBA history...
i havent seen that movie since i was a kid. ha
Sho'Nuff Says ᶠᶸᶜᵏᵧₒᵤ LeRoy! ™ can u remember the name of that movie? All i remember is the glowing balls they could make and of course " whats my name? SHONUFF!"
+adam cox of course brother. It's, "Who's the master??? SHO'Nuff !" The movie is the last dragon.
I remember now. Thanks, im going to force my kids to watch it. Ha.
+Sho'Nuff Says ᶠᶸᶜᵏᵧₒᵤ LeRoy! ™ I fuggin LOVE your picture.. cracks me up!
Swag is when you walk off holding up the #1 sign in crunch time knowing the shot is gonna go in, which obviously it did. Larry Legend indeed.
Damn thats some next level savagery, he said "I didn't mean to leave 2 seconds on the clock"...
*BOY*
LARRY LEGEND IS THE GREATEST ALL AROUND PLAYER TO EVER STEP ON THE HARDWOOD. ASK MJ , HE SAID HE , BIRD WOULD PICK FIRST ON HIS TEAM . SO HAPPY I HAD THE CHANCE TO WATCH HIM PLAY. LOVE THE GUY.
Larry Bird is truly a Legend!!
Yes indeed!!!!🏀🏀🏀🏀
People forget how good this guy was. Some forget, and some don't even know. Best Small Forward ever in my opinion.
Oltaarg mine too...
100 percent agree...I've been saying that forever. Everyone tries to push the Lebron MJ debate and it drives me crazy. The real debate is Larry or LeBron and anyone who knows basketball knows it's Bird all day!!!
scott gollahon the second part of your last sentence is stupid. I can see the argument for Bird over LeBron, but it’s not “clearly Bird”. LeBron is considered greater for a reason.
@@noonecaresworkharder9125 Lebron can argue the point, but Bird WAS the better all-around player - in a league that STILL PLAYED DEFENSE.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 what are u smoling...bird was not a better play all around than lebron.
Larry legend was the best! humble, good hard working dude who stayed true to his routes, and knew gettin in your head, and how much it affected your game! everyone knew when he let it fly from the corner it's gona snap! 86 celtics👑
Exactly right. Everyone gets so caught up in his shooting that they forget to mention the the other facts, the guy was also a TREMENDOUS rebounder and probably the greatest passing forward who ever lived. The guy just had supernatural instincts for the game.
You’re right about that!!!!
Bird was a big, strong, tough, smart and hypercompetitive SOB who wasn't afraid to mix it up in the league. He could go join a pickup game a playground in the heart of the hood and not be afraid. He grew up and learned his game playing with working class black neighbors in southern Indiana and tended to be closer with the black players on his teams. So many white players (especially white American players) are so intimidated by black "athleticism", hype about getting posterized or otherwise made a fool of and by wary coaches who are constantly telling them to "play within yourself" that often they're timid, passive and beaten as soon as they take the floor. Bird didn't give a crap. He gave as good as he ever got and never backed down even when he was facing obviously superior athletes like Michael Jordan
+zyxwut321 He also grew up as the youngest of four brothers in an extremely poor family, so he grew up tough.
He was the nastiest, most disrespectful, shit-talking, dirtiest player in the game at that time. Absolutely fearless. Didnt care if you were Black or White. Bird would bust yo ass.
He dished it out, and took it like a man should. 4th quarter would come, you knew he would get the ball....and you still couldnt stop him. So disrepectful, he even fought Dr. J...a living icon. I love that dude.
Beyonder- I remember the fight between Bird and Dr. J. Moses Malone held Bird's head while Julius Erving lost it and
punched Larry in the head. There was a picture on the front sports page of my local newspaper. This fight happened some
time late in the 3rd Quarter. Both men were ejected. I looked at the Box Score and saw the reason for Erving's frustration.
Dr. J had a mere 3 points and Larry Bird had 48 points. Bird was lighting (a granted) older Julius Erving up and Doc just
lost his cool. One more time Bird 48 points, Erving 3 points before the start of the 4th quarter. Bird might have set the
Celtic scoring record that night and well......I hope you know the rest of the story. Kevin McKale set the Celtic scoring record with a 59 point game. The Celtics always played TEAM basketball, so they spread the wealth around so to speak.
But the Very next game Bird went off for 63 to take the Boston scoring record away from a bemused Kevin McKale, who
said he knew Larry could take the record anytime he wanted. But to do it the next game was typical of Mastery of Bird.
"dirtiest" Dirty, but not the dirtiest. And I wouldn't agree with "most disrespectful" either, because Jordan would call Muggsy "midget," whereas Bird would basically just brag about how great he was. Most fearless, sounds right.
7Beyonder Barkley was the dirtiest player. Don't forget just because he's nice off the court…and Lambeer was a true asshole.
Peter Savad "he's nice off the court" If you call driving drunk being nice.
+Joseph Scott lol nice nitpick
Larry Bird is the greatest Basketball player of all time Period
Toss up between him and mj.
Lebron magic bird jordan
zack blozen Take out LeBron and that's correct.
Mukoro Oweh, Jr. I say 4th greatest of all time. Magic, Michael and Kareem are ahead of him.
Mukoro Oweh, Jr. Bird is the best team player ever...and the smartest too
I'm from Boston. We used to watch this dude do this stuff on a regular basis. amazing, simply amazing.
trha2222 haha! Yeah I have it pretty bad myself, but I'm intelligent enough to turn it on and off in certain situations. It is a rather punky accent, but I can't help which patch of dirt I just happened to be born on. It is what it is, Worchester (proper spelling) has a different accent, its gross, I got a few buddies from there. I make fun of em all the time. But if I'm at a cookout with family and friends.... theres only 25 letters in my alphabet. The R is just gone lol. Cheers! Bird rules!
I remember watching Larry bird play when I was growing up. He definitely was a great player!!
It took Larry's back to give out for Jordan to dominate.
That's not true. Come on.
@WindyCityBluesMan Actually Pippen had a migraine in game 7. He tried to play but was useless out there. When the Bulls ran into the Celtics Pippen had yet to blossom. Don't even bother arguing with that idiot... thinking Rodman was a Bull in the mid-late 80's. Tells you everything you need to know about their basketball knowledge.
@dtk100000 Nope. But even then MJ would make the games competitive. Bird knew what was going to happen once he got some help... not 3-4 hof teammates like he had either, but just 1 all star and some quality role players. I think all 6 of those Bulls championship teams beat all but the 86 Celtics team. It would've taken the 96 team to get that job done and even then I'm not sure.
@@latvariansavage9134 The 83 Sixers were dominant down the stretch too. 72 Lakers with Wilt, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West, that won 33 straight. 85 and 87 Lakers. And 96 Bulls. Though the 91 Bulls, in the playoffs, were lights out too. These are the best teams imo. I'd love to see them play a round robin.
Jordan has the Boston Garden record for points in a game. Bird called Jordan, Jesus disguised as Michael Jordan
Larry never trash talked, he just told his oppenent what he’s going to do 😅😅😅
"Bird stuffs him! And has something to say afterward!" My favorite part of the video.
Larry Legend. Grew up watching this fool. Never forget.
Look at the crowd and their reactions to some of these highlights. Your rarely see that type of passion today in the NBA.
The league then wasn't as big or popular as it is now and there wasn't social media or any good marketing.
+Zu Qu today's NBA is all about swag. Players look like a breakdancer to wear all that complete pads lol
Average fan is priced out of going to games now
True!!!!
Bird was the best overall player of all time and managed to do it while looking totally out of place. He was BY FAR the best trash talker. He would tell you what he was going to do BEFORE the play and STILL do it. THAT's some OG shit right there.....
Larry Bird GOAT. No Questions. No Debate. That is all there is to It. Anyone questions it they are out of line.
And Indiana State hasn’t been back to the finals since . Larry Legend
Most dangerous thing about him I think, is he did not look like your typical athlete...just an average tall dude with a dad bod...and they said how calm he was off the court...but dude was a savage....a Mr. Miyagi for sure
A lot of players talk trash after they hit a big shot, Larry is the only guy I ever heard talk trash before he even took the shot and had the audacity to tell his opponent where he'd shoot it from! That is why the guy is a legend.
damn...gave chuck person the straight up stare down...bird goes hard
I have never heard a player HATE talk Bird....to a man, they get this head shaking grin....and tell their Bird story with awe ... how he did that without making enemies is miraculous.
Bird WALKED THE WALK after he talked the talk.
THAT'S how.
Larry Bird : the only guy to hit 2 game winners in the same game.
When opportunity meets; competitive drive, pride, court vision, timing, technique & confidence = BIRD!
My favorite Bird talking trash story is when the Celtics played the Lakers every x-mas day in the 80's. Bird dropped a 3 from the corner right in front of the Lakers bench and said "Merry X-mas!" One of the greatest ever because of effort and will to win, not necessarily athleticism.. Of course being 6'9" helped...
The game was against the Pacers I believe not the Lakers.
@@patriciahenderson2096 You're thinking of the "answer Chuck Pearson" shot - yes, that one was vs the Pacers.
Gotta love Larry Bird!!!!🏀🏀🏀🏀
Bird was the most complete player ever. He had jedi powers over the ball, he could do anything. Jordan was a scorer, Bird made everyone better he could do it all. Left handed, right handed, 30 ft running jumpers, passes behind his back, you couldn't stop Larry he was too good.
You forgot to mention who he thought was the best player he ever saw...MAGIC .
jumpinjiminy9 He may have said that, but that's not what he really thought. He was too full of himself and with good reason.
I wish I could have all the money that shit has.
the only thing he lacked was athleticism which didn't hold him back on offense but it stopped him from being a supreme defender so the athleticism was the incomplete part of his game
Jordan was a scorer? He was also 9 time 1st team defense and 1 time defensive player of the year. He shut down the opposing teams best man and led his team every night, if that's not a complete player then there's never been one.
And this is why basketball today is a joke compared to the 70's, 80's and 90's....nobody wants a challenge anymore..Larry Bird...lived for it
The reason Larry would talk so much trash was A) the psychological advantage it gave him and B) He ALWAYS backed it up. Shot after shot. And yes he needs more credit for just being the Charlie hustle of basketball with the timely steals, rebounds and passes. Quit was never in his vocabulary.
Right, Larry don't talk trash, the legend spits facts.
Imagine if the dream team was in 88. Definetaly the best.
I would of wished to be born back in those days. True Legend.
"That checks had my name on it for a week now"....F*cking Ruthless
What I love about basketball is that your game speaks for you, in South LA racial tensions ran high growing up but I used to drive around to different parks just to play ball, love was shown everywhere man, bball unites all people
"That's not trash, **that's just facts**"
lol
If only they had Bird mic’ed up back then. Would love to hear his trash talking 1st hand! 😂
"My name has been on this check for over a week now!"
😁😂😀😃
Love this video, especially Ainge rooting on the bench for 3 point contest
Larry used to get on his teammates, too, to goad them into working harder. He used get mad at McHale for not working in the off season and once said, "Kevin's idea of getting into shape for the season is switching to lite beer."
I'm Black..... Larry Bird is my fav. player to ever play the game!!!! Love the guy
The best outside shooter and probably the smartest ever in ANY ERA! I always said the bulls of the 90's were good but they wouldn't of got out of the east in the 80's, even with Rodman. The 1986 Celtic team were off the charts as well as the 80's run and gun showtime Lakers. Probably the best two teams of any decade with the exception of the crazy shooting Spurs of last year. Their shots were falling from everywhere to an all time NBA finals FG record. The best shooting I have ever saw from outside, game after game in any NBA series. That won't happen again. It was their time.
Stop, Jordan would've dominated in any era.
Don't be ridiculous.
Qisthatdude Jordan doesn't pass as good as Bird nor did he have the jumper Bird did. Yes he drove to the hoop better but Bird came out of the gate making his teammate's better as a rookie. Jordan took time to do this and a weaker NBA in the 90's as well.
But yes Jordan would dominate in any era and he did in the 80's as well. Jordan was a one on one offense and defensive specialist before his game expanded beyond that.
A weaker NBA? Compared to Bird's era??
Again...don't be ridiculous. Yes Larry Bird was a better passer, okay...however overall Jordan was better point blank period.
If I were to start a team I would pick Larry first. If I would want to start a one on one tournament, Jordan. enough said.
One of the MOST underrated legends ever to play the game of basketball #33 4 life
This was when players took pride in promoting the game, now it's just selfish and worrying about tarnishing a non existent image. Try too hard to be cool and being buddies with everyone rather than competing. The NBA is a damn joke now.
The Larry finger up is classic, pure confidence. Who does that?
Jason Rose Would be a technical nowadays...
"That checks had my name on it for a week now, I knew I was gonna win it" lmao thats the best trash talking/gloating especially when you already won it.
LARRY BIRD IS THE GODFATHER OF TRASH TALK! all hail the King
The greatest competitor and clutch shooter in NBA history bar none...
The greatest playmaker
Great era,loved the 80s nba..as for Larry bird,absolute legend..greatest shooter of all time.
sometimes i wonder if todays superstar would do their super thing if they played in the golden era. I know for sure these golden era superstar would even be more super if they play today.
“He was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers.”
More like he was playing 4D chess and everyone else was playing Candy Land.
The best NBA player EVER !
A great player---and so entertaining to watch.
One of the best of all time!
Don't know about that. He's like top5
+K-Swaggin15 top 3
+sir JIMS Sir JIMS Yeah