When I think about players from Bird’s generation, I’m reminded of that quote by Joe DiMaggio when asked why he always played so hard: “Because there might be somebody in the stands today that’s never seen me play before, and might not ever see me again.”
This is why Larry is the GOAT. He thinks about everything even the non players but still has to do their job so they can have games. I had to laugh when Bird said they played back to back playoff games, then reading about Lechina James complaining about having played back to back games earlier this week and how tough it was.
It’s perfectly in character for Larry to think of the arena workers, etc when talking about the team’s duty to give their best efforts. A failing team = lost jobs rippling through ALL the workers associated with a team and venue. Because Larry came from low-income blue collar background, so the “little guys” are His People.
A basketball genius with 360 vision who knew exactly where everyone was on the court. His dedication to the game he loved made him one of the best all round players to ever play the game ! !
Have been following your reviews of Mr. Bird, and enjoy them a lot. One thing that really gets me about Bird is how he gets in "the zone". I think when he is challenged, he goes on autopilot, no thinking, just do it. He seems to just go on instinct, and his instinct was just phenomenal.
Larry Legend, MJ, and Kobe had the killer Instinct 🐐🐐🐐 Lebron doesn't have the killer Instinct, I appreciate you BU for these great video's thank you so much 👍🐐
Unbelievable interview. both Larry and bill are so relaxed and comfortable . And BU you did a great job too. Thanks for letting them talk. I also grew up in the boston garden . Larry was and is the greatest .and not only at basketball . As you see in this interview. You see a decent and caring human being. I'm so proud represented boston. And as a city we're very proud to have had him represent us
The IQ of Bird even during this video is just amazing. Him describing how he changed things because he knew what they were going to do because of watching tapes doesn’t happen today. He was just so smart and his ability to play against anyone always amazed me.
Watched my Dad and brother enjoy the Celtics playing Bball for years. Being a teenage Girl at the time. I didn't realize then how awesome Bird was, but l could watch him all day now. Am blessed to have seen all the greats play back in the day. MY vote for G.O.A.T Larry Joe Bird the Hick from French Lick!!
Magic isn’t the only one who can’t admit that Bird was the healthiest member of the 1987 Celtics. Jordan fanboys don’t acknowledge this because the injured Celtics swept MJ’s Bulls in the playoffs. Larry never played to an empty seat. Even on the road, he sold out seats for the opposing teams. It shows his greatness that he cared about the arena workers and the fans who bought tickets hoping to see him play and to see him do something special. No load management for him. He also cared about his teammates. Yes, he used soft-spoken humor to trash talk, but he wasn’t a bully. He also enjoyed the gleam in his teammates eyes whenever they made a basket off one of his assists. Larry never used his teammates’s abilities as an excuse. He took a mediocre NCAA team to the finals with a 33-0 record. Then, in his NBA rookie year, he was responsible for the greatest team turn around in NBA history. His leadership, intelligence, and his ability to affect the game without the ball are keys to his goat hood. Circus-like acrobatic dunks might be fun to watch, but the sound of the soft-touch swoosh is so much more satisfying, and more effective, especially since Larry could make those shots from any distance. Then, watching the post-ups and pick-and-rolls added to the excitement. You are so right-the beauty of the game is lost. When Larry was asked if he would have liked to play on the same team as Magic, he said no. He wanted to play against the best. Magic felt the same way. I thought you might like what Larry said about Kobe’s desire to win and get better. Thanks for reacting to this. Simmons did a great job with this interview. It was like we got to watch two friends having a friendly conversation. Larry sure did learn how to speak. He was so shy when he came into the league and was never instructed on how to handle the media. Many fans believe that cost him the 1981 finals MVP.
This is the best pure basketball interview larry ever did. Bird hates talking about himself and doing interviews so it's rare but bill Simmons did it the way larry likes it. No personal stuff. Just hoops
What a great interview. I've seen bits of it before but not the whole thing at once. When Bird seemed uncomfortable about the interviewer's admission of Bird's place in his top moments, and Bird's disparaged it a bit, it reminded me of another instance in particular. Have you seen Oscar Schmidt's HOF induction speech? Bird turns as red as the curtains. It's near the very beginning. That whole speech is a good one, as well. This Simmons interview was 10 years ago, I believe. I have a feeling that Bird wouldn't find it fun to play with the current version of Lebron. In my opinion, if Bird could, right now, be popped back into his MVP years body, he would dominate the league all over again. Who he is, his upbringing, his struggles, his view made him the player he was. He never stopped adapting and improving and giving his best.
Bird was QUICK. He wasn't gonna win a footrace, but he had skill, quick hands, great ball fake (maybe the best ever), hustle, tough, and the best clutch shooter the NBA has ever seen.
Dunking is just a crowd pleaser! The mid game being eliminated.... Is one of the reasons the NBA sucks now! They are losing fans...soon it will be sponsors...the NBA will be right back where it was when Bird & Magic came in & saved it!!! When will they ever learn.... that it's the whole game.... a team working as 1 unit that keeps the fans going! The dunking, the jumping, etc.. are just crowd pleasers. At the end of the day.... if you're not playing the game properly anymore...who wants to watch it?! Most of the people that I talk to find the game now.... extremely boring! They don't want to watch guys that just stand there ....waiting for the ball come to them.... so they can shoot 3s!
I just subscribed and I wanted to comment. I am a 72 year old white guy. So many reaction videos are culture specific whether it is sports, music, etc. I turn the sound off during the intro until you go live again. What impresses me is that you react culture blind. You (unlike most reaction videos) know to let the video show and hold your comments so you do not break up the value of the video you are reacting to. When you do comment, it is smart and thoughtful. Well done. A second thought: most reaction videos put the video as the window in the corner. You do the reverse. I like watching your reactions while I enjoy the video. Again, well done. OK, a 3rd thought. I think you and I could have an intelligent conversation and it would make no difference that we have different skin colors (which I wish was the rule rather than the exception).
Whats up?!? Thanks for the sub! Thanks for the kind words, and yes I agree I am sure we could!! Sometimes I wonder if my intelligence is waning, but I still have a little bit in me haha! Cheers!
What's messed up with today's games is that basketball is no longer a sport that is entertaining. It's purely just entertainment. These days you can get a foul for looking at a guy sneakers wrong. No touching, no steering, don't get to close, etc. Sports is slowly dieing and being replaced with showtime.
Loyalty, loyalty from the GM standpoint, Red Auerbach, and loyalty of players like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish you just don’t find it anymore. Like Bird has said many times, they gave their heart and soul to the Celtics. injuries that they had were because of playing so hard and giving their all each and every game. Show me one player today who would play through a broken foot like Kevin McHale or a back injury like Larry Bird had. There is not one player in today’s NBA who would do that.
12:26 The effigy of Ralph Sampson hanging may not have been one of Boston's finest moments. Even if there wasn't a racial intent behind it it still didn't look good.
Today in 2023, the NBA to me is a joke. Everyone's standing around waiting to take a three. I watched the Celts from 1956 to 1992 and there was great basketball played throughout the league. NO ARGUEMENT. I saw all of them, I mean all of them and nobody mentions Jerry West and he was a hell of a player!
This video is 10 years old now, but I can't help but wonder what Larry would say about Lebron today. LeBron has done some major bonhead things since this interview. I know he's done things where, if they were teammates, Larry would light his ass up. Great find!
Great interview. I doubt he'll never give any more interviews. He avoids social media, sports media, and just about everything. And that's his choice the he's earned it.
I don't know what it was about the old Boston Garden, but the Bruins could be playing, it was 10 to 15 degrees F outside ,but you would still be sweating in thaGarden.
Larry doesnt realize how many ppls lifes he effected, not one kid or bball players, we all tried that famous bird step back,if you grew up on bird 🐦 ❤, he was everything to us #LB33 ,forget all his accomplishments ,OMG his shot was so pretty ‼️‼️🏀🏀☝
Good reaction. At the 30 min mark, you go into how Jordan came into the league with a trashed team, he needed to get better, etc. Bird, in his rookie year, came into the league inheriting the worst Celtics team in history, a 29-53 record with aging players. 2nd worst in the league that year. By just adding a rookie Larry Bird and Bill Fitch as coach to the same team, they ended the season with a league best 61-21 record, and lost in the Eastern Conference Finals against Dr. J and the 76ers. And of course Bird's 2nd year, the Celtics get Parish and McHale as a bench player, they win the championship. It took Jordan years to learn how to make his teammates better, to get the drive and motivation to will a win night after night. And he has stated that he learned a lot from Bird.
Players nowadays will take a break, not play to rest and they didn't even have a back to back games like them old school guys. Kevin McHale played the whole season with a broken foot. Dang, that's dedication and really just for the love of the game.
Since you're ok with longer vids, you should react to Larry's retirement ceremony. He sold out the Boston Garden and there wasn't even a game. It's good.
When Larry retired, he walked away from an automatic contract renewal worth, I think, 3 million dollars. He walked into their personal office and told someone he was retiring. He was told to think about it for a week and then decide. He said "I know what day it is. If I'm not going to play, I don't want to take the money." Larry Bird was all about the team to the end. By the way, James Worthy was the MVP in the championship his final college game. On a team that included Michael Jordan.
Larry Bird was asked a hypothetical question: If Len Bias didn't die in '86, he would have retired in 88. Bird is about the love of the game, not money.
I like the idea that you are a Laker fan and you are giving Larry Bird all this love because for 40 years I hated that f***** but it was because I was a Dr J fan
This is something I saw a while ago. It went something like this. Larry planned to retire, and it was 3 days before he was to receive x amount of dollars. Well, Larry turned it down and when asked why not wait 3 days and get the money then retire. He said, "I didn't earm it". G.O.A.T..... Mad respect there...
Yup you are spitting pure facts! Check this out what you are preaching: Kobe Fan Reacts to An Old School Lesson from Larry Bird |【日本語字幕】 th-cam.com/video/EWe3ZO30DA4/w-d-xo.html
When I think about players from Bird’s generation, I’m reminded of that quote by Joe DiMaggio when asked why he always played so hard: “Because there might be somebody in the stands today that’s never seen me play before, and might not ever see me again.”
And they don't want to take a day off to rest. I think they were thinking about the fans who saved a lot of money and make time to watch them play.
A great quote. Thanks
This is why Larry is the GOAT. He thinks about everything even the non players but still has to do their job so they can have games.
I had to laugh when Bird said they played back to back playoff games, then reading about Lechina James complaining about having played back to back games earlier this week and how tough it was.
I could listen to Bird talk about basketball all day.
Also, love how much respect you give to Bird. He deserves all the respect imo.
Same he has charm!
It’s perfectly in character for Larry to think of the arena workers, etc when talking about the team’s duty to give their best efforts. A failing team = lost jobs rippling through ALL the workers associated with a team and venue.
Because Larry came from low-income blue collar background, so the “little guys” are His People.
This is an excellent interview. Larry's IQ just shines all over this.
A basketball genius with 360 vision who knew exactly where everyone was on the court. His dedication to the game he loved made him one of the best all round players to ever play the game ! !
Reminds me of the other guy who always knew where everyone else was- Wayne Gretzky
Have been following your reviews of Mr. Bird, and enjoy them a lot. One thing that really gets me about Bird is how he gets in "the zone". I think when he is challenged, he goes on autopilot, no thinking, just do it. He seems to just go on instinct, and his instinct was just phenomenal.
Good point! It’s almost scary when you get in that kind of zone
Larry Legend, MJ, and Kobe had the killer Instinct 🐐🐐🐐 Lebron doesn't have the killer Instinct, I appreciate you BU for these great video's thank you so much 👍🐐
Bron dont got it like them
Unbelievable interview. both Larry and bill are so relaxed and comfortable . And BU you did a great job too. Thanks for letting them talk. I also grew up in the boston garden . Larry was and is the greatest .and not only at basketball . As you see in this interview. You see a decent and caring human being. I'm so proud represented boston. And as a city we're very proud to have had him represent us
The IQ of Bird even during this video is just amazing. Him describing how he changed things because he knew what they were going to do because of watching tapes doesn’t happen today. He was just so smart and his ability to play against anyone always amazed me.
Watched my Dad and brother enjoy the Celtics playing Bball for years. Being a teenage Girl at the time. I didn't realize then how awesome Bird was, but l could watch him all day now. Am blessed to have seen all the greats play back in the day. MY vote for G.O.A.T Larry Joe Bird
the Hick from French Lick!!
Same!
My favorite place. Bu..
That's my forever goat.
Magic isn’t the only one who can’t admit that Bird was the healthiest member of the 1987 Celtics. Jordan fanboys don’t acknowledge this because the injured Celtics swept MJ’s Bulls in the playoffs.
Larry never played to an empty seat. Even on the road, he sold out seats for the opposing teams. It shows his greatness that he cared about the arena workers and the fans who bought tickets hoping to see him play and to see him do something special. No load management for him. He also cared about his teammates. Yes, he used soft-spoken humor to trash talk, but he wasn’t a bully. He also enjoyed the gleam in his teammates eyes whenever they made a basket off one of his assists.
Larry never used his teammates’s abilities as an excuse. He took a mediocre NCAA team to the finals with a 33-0 record. Then, in his NBA rookie year, he was responsible for the greatest team turn around in NBA history. His leadership, intelligence, and his ability to affect the game without the ball are keys to his goat hood. Circus-like acrobatic dunks might be fun to watch, but the sound of the soft-touch swoosh is so much more satisfying, and more effective, especially since Larry could make those shots from any distance. Then, watching the post-ups and pick-and-rolls added to the excitement. You are so right-the beauty of the game is lost.
When Larry was asked if he would have liked to play on the same team as Magic, he said no. He wanted to play against the best. Magic felt the same way. I thought you might like what Larry said about Kobe’s desire to win and get better. Thanks for reacting to this.
Simmons did a great job with this interview. It was like we got to watch two friends having a friendly conversation. Larry sure did learn how to speak. He was so shy when he came into the league and was never instructed on how to handle the media. Many fans believe that cost him the 1981 finals MVP.
This video is better then watching the current NBA Finals.... No joking!
We had some pretty boring finals the last decade or so.
#Truth #Facts
I just can't get into BB these days...its just boring. I got spoiled in the 80's! Lol.
Parish was a black belt, messing with him was a bad idea.
we all seen him *high* karate chop Laimbeer to the floor🤣
This is the best pure basketball interview larry ever did. Bird hates talking about himself and doing interviews so it's rare but bill Simmons did it the way larry likes it. No personal stuff. Just hoops
Agreed fam
What a great interview. I've seen bits of it before but not the whole thing at once.
When Bird seemed uncomfortable about the interviewer's admission of Bird's place in his top moments, and Bird's disparaged it a bit, it reminded me of another instance in particular. Have you seen Oscar Schmidt's HOF induction speech? Bird turns as red as the curtains. It's near the very beginning. That whole speech is a good one, as well.
This Simmons interview was 10 years ago, I believe. I have a feeling that Bird wouldn't find it fun to play with the current version of Lebron.
In my opinion, if Bird could, right now, be popped back into his MVP years body, he would dominate the league all over again. Who he is, his upbringing, his struggles, his view made him the player he was. He never stopped adapting and improving and giving his best.
I agree. Bird had amazing discipline and such a drive for his own perfection and made everyone on the court on both teams a better player.
Bird was QUICK. He wasn't gonna win a footrace, but he had skill, quick hands, great ball fake (maybe the best ever), hustle, tough, and the best clutch shooter the NBA has ever seen.
This is a GREAT interview and you have very thoughtful responses. I appreciate this a lot.
Thanks I appreciate it!
Good work mate.
I like how you stop the footage before commenting.
Dunking is just a crowd pleaser! The mid game being eliminated.... Is one of the reasons the NBA sucks now! They are losing fans...soon it will be sponsors...the NBA will be right back where it was when Bird & Magic came in & saved it!!! When will they ever learn.... that it's the whole game.... a team working as 1 unit that keeps the fans going! The dunking, the jumping, etc.. are just crowd pleasers. At the end of the day.... if you're not playing the game properly anymore...who wants to watch it?! Most of the people that I talk to find the game now.... extremely boring! They don't want to watch guys that just stand there ....waiting for the ball come to them.... so they can shoot 3s!
Another great memory BU. I like all your clean comments. Great work
Connie for the win!!
Like I said in one of your other reactions, Larry Bird the most honest athlete ever! Keep up the good work!
I appreciate that
Great 👍🏿 post full interview of my favorite player
Bro, you nailed this one with your commentary!
I appreciate that! Thanks fam
If you can't bark with the big dogs, stay on the porch & whimper. 80's vs 2000-
Lmfaaaaao
Kobe was Larry favorite player
I just subscribed and I wanted to comment. I am a 72 year old white guy. So many reaction videos are culture specific whether it is sports, music, etc. I turn the sound off during the intro until you go live again. What impresses me is that you react culture blind. You (unlike most reaction videos) know to let the video show and hold your comments so you do not break up the value of the video you are reacting to. When you do comment, it is smart and thoughtful. Well done. A second thought: most reaction videos put the video as the window in the corner. You do the reverse. I like watching your reactions while I enjoy the video. Again, well done. OK, a 3rd thought. I think you and I could have an intelligent conversation and it would make no difference that we have different skin colors (which I wish was the rule rather than the exception).
Whats up?!? Thanks for the sub! Thanks for the kind words, and yes I agree I am sure we could!!
Sometimes I wonder if my intelligence is waning, but I still have a little bit in me haha! Cheers!
When MJ for Chicago it was just him. Then got div 3 College player Scottie Pippen Hoarse Grant Bill Cartwright so they slowly built there team.
Facts
What's messed up with today's games is that basketball is no longer a sport that is entertaining.
It's purely just entertainment. These days you can get a foul for looking at a guy sneakers wrong. No touching, no steering, don't get to close, etc. Sports is slowly dieing and being replaced with showtime.
Loyalty, loyalty from the GM standpoint, Red Auerbach, and loyalty of players like Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish you just don’t find it anymore. Like Bird has said many times, they gave their heart and soul to the Celtics. injuries that they had were because of playing so hard and giving their all each and every game. Show me one player today who would play through a broken foot like Kevin McHale or a back injury like Larry Bird had. There is not one player in today’s NBA who would do that.
12:26 The effigy of Ralph Sampson hanging may not have been one of Boston's finest moments. Even if there wasn't a racial intent behind it it still didn't look good.
Today in 2023, the NBA to me is a joke. Everyone's standing around waiting to take a three. I watched the Celts from 1956 to 1992 and there was great basketball
played throughout the league. NO ARGUEMENT. I saw all of them, I mean all of them and nobody mentions Jerry West and he was a hell of a player!
Had Len Bias lived..... I was so looking forward to seeing the great Celtics team with him. They would have been even more special.
This video is 10 years old now, but I can't help but wonder what Larry would say about Lebron today. LeBron has done some major bonhead things since this interview. I know he's done things where, if they were teammates, Larry would light his ass up. Great find!
Love the interview because for people who do not know Larry Bird did do many interviews
I appreciate him for it
Great interview. I doubt he'll never give any more interviews. He avoids social media, sports media, and just about everything. And that's his choice the he's earned it.
Man i dont blame him. Its a bunch of shit in these airways
I don't know what it was about the old Boston Garden, but the Bruins could be playing, it was 10 to 15 degrees F outside ,but you would still be sweating in thaGarden.
Larry seam to like your guy Kobe, that should make you good.
Jonny most retirement half time at the gardens.1990.37yrs.
Always great to hear Bird's perspective. He was brutally honest. Just like on the court,he did not sugar coat anything!
Danny Ainge should have stayed with baseball or basketball and kept his nose out of team management.
You do a great job with his interviews. Great work.
Ty Connie! I appreciate ya
Awesome interview! The knowledge that Larry has which he generously imparts! Amazing intelligence and wit from #33!
“Loyalty “ something no longer in Players or GMs today .
Hard to find lol
Bird and MJ are always on my all time 5. And I'd take Kobe over LeBron every day all day.
Larry doesnt realize how many ppls lifes he effected, not one kid or bball players, we all tried that famous bird step back,if you grew up on bird 🐦 ❤, he was everything to us #LB33 ,forget all his accomplishments ,OMG his shot was so pretty ‼️‼️🏀🏀☝
You was out there shooting jumpers like that!?!
@@BU_TV I was trying my best I had a pretty jumper and great lay-,up in school, never could control my hook though 🤣🤣🤣
All Larry Legend wanted to do was play Basketball 🏀☘️🐐
Thats all and he was great
What ifs for Larry? I wish I hadn't tried to make a driveway for my mom.
I have to say " you have some very good insight" about this interview and basketball in general. Thanks!
Thanks I appreciate ya
McHale was a near 60% shooter from the field. The black hole could really spit out the points
Bill Simmons a great author on subject of basketball
Bird is so involved he thinks about the people u don't c
True but when Bird came in the Celtics were trash
That comment around 21min mark is what I love about Larry.
Good reaction.
At the 30 min mark, you go into how Jordan came into the league with a trashed team, he needed to get better, etc.
Bird, in his rookie year, came into the league inheriting the worst Celtics team in history, a 29-53 record with aging players. 2nd worst in the league that year.
By just adding a rookie Larry Bird and Bill Fitch as coach to the same team, they ended the season with a league best 61-21 record, and lost in the Eastern Conference Finals against Dr. J and the 76ers. And of course Bird's 2nd year, the Celtics get Parish and McHale as a bench player, they win the championship.
It took Jordan years to learn how to make his teammates better, to get the drive and motivation to will a win night after night. And he has stated that he learned a lot from Bird.
Guys used to be loyal to their teams
'We just gotta get tougher'
Can you imagine hearing that from a player today?
He walked away from 16 million guaranteed by retiring 1 day before an automatic 4 year 4 million contract!
Players nowadays will take a break, not play to rest and they didn't even have a back to back games like them old school guys. Kevin McHale played the whole season with a broken foot. Dang, that's dedication and really just for the love of the game.
Bill Simmons looks like he’s 14.
Larry knew how hard it was for the people at the bottom.
Facts!
Since you're ok with longer vids, you should react to Larry's retirement ceremony. He sold out the Boston Garden and there wasn't even a game. It's good.
Got ya covered already! th-cam.com/video/9NssiYc21fk/w-d-xo.html
When Larry retired, he walked away from an automatic contract renewal worth, I think, 3 million dollars. He walked into their personal office and told someone he was retiring. He was told to think about it for a week and then decide. He said "I know what day it is. If I'm not going to play, I don't want to take the money." Larry Bird was all about the team to the end. By the way, James Worthy was the MVP in the championship his final college game. On a team that included Michael Jordan.
All true all true!
Larry Bird was asked a hypothetical question: If Len Bias didn't die in '86, he would have retired in 88. Bird is about the love of the game, not money.
I like the idea that you are a Laker fan and you are giving Larry Bird all this love because for 40 years I hated that f***** but it was because I was a Dr J fan
LMFAAAAAAAO! Respect!
Denver Broncos (and Larry Bird big time) fan, so I was happy about Manning. We got another Super Bowl because of him.
This interview was ten years ago. I'm curious what Larry would think about the players and the game today.
He needs to do more interviews lol. Larry likes to lay low like Mike
@@BU_TV You're right they both do. Larry is not a fan of reporters either.
Great job on this reaction ! You were saying everything I was thinking. Never happened before, and I watch a lot of reactions.
Smart and FUNNY! I love this man and God, do I miss watching him play.
Tom Brady is the Goat 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
Hard to argue that
This is something I saw a while ago. It went something like this. Larry planned to retire, and it was 3 days before he was to receive x amount of dollars. Well, Larry turned it down and when asked why not wait 3 days and get the money then retire. He said, "I didn't earm it". G.O.A.T..... Mad respect there...
Yup you are spitting pure facts! Check this out what you are preaching: Kobe Fan Reacts to An Old School Lesson from Larry Bird |【日本語字幕】
th-cam.com/video/EWe3ZO30DA4/w-d-xo.html
I just said exact same! Lol. Didn't see this til after...
This is the way to do a reaction video!! Great job
Very good interview!!❤
Larry is so smart.❤
(Everyone hates Laimbeer.)😂
And with good reason! Laimbeer was then & still is an a$$hole!
Larry Legend
That he is!
Spot on again ..
Who the hell has time to read a 700 page book? 700? Pages? I don't even think I could carry a 700 page book. Damn.
EXCELLENT VIDEO , THANKS FOR NOT OVER SPEAKING AND LET IT RUN.