Pistons v. Celtics w/ rookie Larry Bird, Pete Maravich, Bob Ryan [3/20/1980]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ค. 2012
- Some super rare footage from USA Network's "Thursday Night NBA Basketball" broadcast March 20, 1980. Great insight into early 80's pro hoops. The press account had attendance at only 1,138 (but that might have been a typo -11,138?) at the Pontiac Silverdome.
This game is notable because it is one of just a few times that Pete Maravich started for Boston.
Four of the Celtic's five starters are Hall of Famers and Top 50 players. I believe that is the last time that happened in the NBA.
Maravich 20 points.
Maxwell 16
Cowens 15
Carr 12
Bird 11
Archibald 11
Plus Bob Ryan (ESPN's Pardon the Interruption and Around the Horn) successfully predicts the winner of the '79-80 NBA season.
Special thanks to Wayne Federman and Bob Remy. - กีฬา
This footage is a real gem. Getting to see Pistol and Larry Legend play together is special. They didn't get a chance to play together long enough. Pete was at the end of his career and Larry was just starting his.
Man, I know it. Tiny and Cowens, too. Would've been a clinic every night!
Pete maravich would've given Larry bird private lessons on passing & dribbling
Unreal. In the interview, Bob Ryan nailed every prediction. LA would go on to have a historic season with Magic's start and center in place of Kareem for Game 1 of the Finals. But the lasting impression of this video is seeing Boston's insane starting lineup! Archibald at 1, Pistol Pete at 2, Bird at 3, Cedric Maxwell at 4, and Dave Cowens at 5. Hall of Famers, every. single. one. 1-5. Unbelievable talent at various stages of their careers. More than that, Bird admitted in his autobiography that they don't win the title in '81 without Cedric Maxwell. The guy was MVP material. Ridiculous talent on the Celtics that year.
I wish Bob would have offered here that in 2006, he intended to back his way into a crowded elevator at Busch Stadium during the World Series to press his ass against my friend's box lunch. This did occur, as we headed to our press suite October 25, to await an eventual rainout that delayed Game Four (The David Eckstein Game) by one evening.
Totally forgot that Maravich played half a season with Boston his last year. Imagine him in his prime playing with Bird. And Dave Cowan’s was a beast. Good stuff
Imagine Bird, Cowens, Pistol, Tiny and Cornbread all in their primes on a team?! That would have been fun to watch!!
Yes, what a great team, and to have LaBron's father on it must have been super!!
It was!! 🍀😉
@@chucklynch6523 It's LeBron! And his dad was in prison not in the NBA!
It was fun to watch youngster
This footage with Bird and Maravich playing together is rare, thanks for sharing.
This is basketball at it's best I didn't know that pistol &the hick from French lick played on the same team to cool
Don't forget Bob Ryan before ESPN
@M haha good luck with that. Soccer is boring as fuck to watch.
@M Ohh, do foretell to the ✋.
Wow. Bob Ryan. So long ago. Great writer covering the celtics for 40 yrs.
Can you imagine Pistol Pete playing in his prime with Bird? It would have been illegal
That would've been very illegal. Straight to jail for both of them.
Pistol Pete was still able to nail those shots without knees. PURE LEGEND
Hurt his knees jumping out a window when a husband came home early.
@@drbonesshow1 from your mothers bedroom
@@drbonesshow1 minor injury at Atlanta. The major one came in the 77-78 at NO.
@@Amick44 Death was the final blow.
Imagine Archibald, Cowens, Bird, and Maravich all in their prime in this time would be unstoppable
Bob Ryan was dead on with his prognostication regarding the Celtics near term future
And about the Lakers too.
Kareem was MVP that year. 1980
Maravich had the physique of a pianist.
Bet he didn't Load Management like today's players...
I truly think this is 1 of Auerbach's greatest regrets...that Maravich did not play in his prime for the C's. Watching footage from Red on roundball the respect and admiration these 2 shared for 1 another is obvious.
Agreed...80s was the most dominant era for the NBA. Those championship teams back then were so stacked with talent.
Astounding how well Maravich plays considering he's 32 with bad knees. He scored over 20 in 8 of the first 11 games of the season before his legs started giving out on him again. He missed two and a half months before being released, He scored 31 in a game two nights prior to this, and 20 to lead the Celtics here. He played 6 more regular season games after this one and 9 playoff games with limited action. Can only imagine what kind of havoc a healthy Maravich/Bird combo might have wrecked.
Agree. And with (a healthy) Cowens and Tiny, too? Wow!
tiny, pistol, maxwell, bird, cowens. favorite starting lineup ever. i know they are old accept for cornbread and bird but still favorite team ever
In name one of the best starting 5 in history.
A younger Dave Cowens and Larry Bird on the same team would have been incredible to watch! No disrespect to the Chief. And with the additions of McHale and Len Bias, they would have been unstoppable!
Wow...that starting lineup...80% Hall of Famers. (Only Maxwell's not in The Hall - but he WAS Finals MVP in '81 so....still not bad.)
What a lineup... Cowens and Maravich were passed prime and tiny to an extent was as well, while bird wasn't yet in his prime or peak of powers... Maxwell was maxwell..... Maravich and cowens shoulda stuck around one more year and won another ring when Mchale and parish showed up!!!
There wouldn’t have been roster room, but it’s a great thought to have all those guys on the team at once.
DAMN IT...IF only The Pistol and Larry Legend were in their prime playing together... They would've been a dynasty for sure...
Maybe. Bird and Pistol were too similar and did not compliment each other. McHale and Parrish would arrive the following year, they were a perfect match for Bird.
Sometimes only one ball ain't enough....
@@michaelmartin6912 Maravich added no value to a basketball team. He would not help Bird at all.
Funny how Boston's front line was all about 6'9" tall. Cowens, Bird, and "Cornbread" Maxwell. The Celts were so great. Even Tiny was so special. Tiny still holds the record for the only player ever to lead the league in scoring and assists for 1 whole season. I wonder if that record will ever be broken. Tiny was unstoppable at that time. He's past his prime here but still great.
Maravich played 26 games with Bird on the Celtics in 1980 thats just awesome period :) My top 2 fav players in history playeing on the same team sharing one another the ball :) Good stuff....also NATE "tiny" is great.
I know. You can't find 3 better scorers, passers who would share the ball and get it done.
What's also interesting is this isn't the only game the Pistons played against the Maravich/Bird Celtics. There was definitely a game in Boston Garden too.
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WOW!... Three of my favorites (Bird, Cowens and Maravich), playing together in my favorite team the Celtics!.... Rare clip indeed...
What a wonderful starting lineup !!!!! If these guys had been in their prime, they would have won the championship.
If they were all in their prime they would have accomplished a whole lot more than the chip lol
Archibald Maravich Bird Maxwell Cowens what a starting five
If Pete had a 3 point line & a 20 season Career 🔥🔥🔥😴
I had no idea Pistol Pete and Bird played together. Pretty neat to see that.
+Dave A. I said the same thing about MJ and George Gervin lol. They were teammates on the Bulls during the 1985-86 season.
Dave A. Bird played with Maravich, Tiny, Walton, and DJ, so like 4 of the 10 greatest 70s players. Not bad at all.
They weren’t paired up that much as Pete was on bad bad bad wheels by this point in his career
Wow! - - - Bird, Cowens, Maravich & Archibald. What a line-up! Too bad they weren’t all at their peak, but 3 of the guys (all but Bird) were well past their prime by 1980.
Bird said once he learned so much about basketball in his short time with Pete.
Maravich , Cowens and Bird ....what a trio.
Wow, 4 Hall of Famers in that Celtics starting lineup!
Yeah, but none were at their prime. Maravich (esp), Cowens and Archibald were all a bit past their prime. And Larry was a rook.
Which one isn't in the Hall?
@@cindyknudson2715 Maxwell
Alot of legends on the floor for boston at this time,as you guys noted too bad they were older.
Maravich was ecstatic going to the Celtics. He thought he could’ve really helped them. I remember him getting better and better. He played well in ECF against Philly. He had 33 in the deciding game. Unfortunately Larry didn’t like playing with him. Pete was hurt by that and retired. He shot 75% from the 3 point line with the Celtics coming off the bench. He played under control and looked pretty healthy. Very sad he didn’t get the chance to play a few more years with Bird and the Celtics. He never played pro ball again.
Bruce Dufelmeier just curious where you heard Bird didn’t like playing with Pete. I was wondering that myself watching this.
I've never heard that there was any real bad blood between them. They speak with great respect of each other. When interviewed some time following his retirement, Maravich declared Bird .. the best.
I've since read that it might have been something with Fitch and Maravich. I'm guessing that between that and his knees, he decided he was out.
you are legend Pete my favorite point guard of all time, today they retire your jersey in Atlanta
Bob Ryan...baller
Getting sideline interviews as a journalist after the first quarter.
Just imagine if Boston held a Healthy Pete Maravich, a Rookie Bird.. and 5 years down the road. the 85-86 Celtics team with the Pistol running at the point for a little while before subbing in Johnson. AMAZING.... God we miss you Pete
Wow this is gold. Birds rookie year was fascinating.
Omg Bob Ryan from ESPN. So disco with the collar and hair
Loved the Bob Ryan interview in this game
Imagine if Bird and Maravich played together in today's 3 point shooting crazed game. They'd be Steph/Klay Part II
Check out Pistol's shooting. 12-18 from behind the arc the one year they had the 3 in his career.
Actually wouldn't they have been Part 1 of that kind of partnership 🤔
Holy cow that was a young Bob Ryan.
Maravich, aved 44/gm at LSU, Tiny lead NBA in scoring and assist in same year, Bird on NBA Mt.Rushmore. not bad
It's a dam shame maravich had injury trouble at that point in his career. It's also a shame he didn't have a point line his whole career he probably would have retired the all time had he played during the 3 point line era.
No kidding. Great as he was, if he stayed healthy and had the 3 pt line, he would be a top 10-20 player, I believe.
Oh my, look at those Celtics : Larry, Tiny Archibald, Dave Cowens, Maxwell and Pistol!!!
What a team!
Great upload. Shame that Pete was on his last legs, that Cowens was past his prime, that Tiny was a shell of his former self after serious injuries, and that Bird, even though already great, was a rookie. Such a shame that Maravich never got a ring, also. If everyone was in their prime, that team would've been loaded with talent, and, at least, great to watch. In fact, they had the 2nd worst record in the league in the year before Larry got there, and then when he came around, with basically the same roster, they finished with the best record and made the ECF, Bird's impact was always incredible.
***** Next season Celtics won the championship, so they couldn't top that anyway... Little regret that Dave in '82 joined Milwaukee Bucks that swept Celtics, altough he wasn't a factor in playoffs.
Certainly 4 guys (Pete, Tiny, Bird, Cowens) that loved the game, knew the game and gave you your $$ worth. M.L would've been a superb addition to any team as well.
Everyone in their prime would've been an ALL-NBA Celts team!
Pete averaged 8 mins a game with 13 points a game. He scored 31 points a few nights ago. His last legs?
wow I never even knew Dave played for the Milwaukee Bucks.....my Dad worked with him in the life insurance business in the late 80s or early 90s for a period. My Dad said he just simply stopped coming to work after a while, and next time my Dad saw Dave it was on TV as an assistant coach for the Spurs
I would pay good money to get a video of Bird's full rookie season
2:25 Really interesting to see the difference in how the game was called then. Leon Douglas is called for an offensive foul on a play that'd be considered savvy and a potential 3-point play in today's game.
Yeah, they used to play basketball back then. Now you can lean towards the defender, sideways also and get the call.
I don't think I've ever seen Bob Ryan that young. Nice video.
This was during the pre Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Chuck Daly era for the Pistons!
It must have also been right after they traded Bob Lanier to the Bucks. If I'm not mistaken that move was made in the middle of the '79-80 season and put the Bucks into legit title contention that year (but lost to the Sonics in the 2nd round). The Pistons were tearing it all down for a rebuild that eventually culminated in the Bad Boy era later on in the decade.
@@madcapper6 Yup. Lanier had been dealt away and we were starting Leon Douglas, who would have been a good power forward except that he was not a very (ahem) cerebral player. This team would be a lot more fun a couple of years later with Thomas and Kelly Tripucka scoring a ton of points.
Don't forget Kelly Tripuka
Could you imagine having one of their pant and jacket uniforms? I love the style of them
Tiny , Cowens , pistol, bird,mL carr , Maxwell. Pistol played with Bird & Dr. J
Cedric Maxwell has always been underrated, I think. M.L. Carr too.
Amazing! Thanks for uploading this!
Pistol Pete Would have been the best All time player ever if he had gotten with the Celtics in the Beginning, I'm a total MJ fan but Pete was an amazing player until he got hurt. RIP
Wow! The offensive foul at 2:33...Shaq would have fouled out in 10 minutes in those days.
Thats a loaded boston team.Alot of talent there!
manny4552 thats a worn out team of men wellll past their prime, and one rookie who would become the best ever.
OnParr:First,thanks for posting this video. It's a great look(back in time) on some great Celtic players from the early 1980's. So much has changed in the NBA.
5:00, hit in the face, and stops for a moment then heads to shoot the free throws, if thats now the player is on the ground acting like he's been almost fatally wounded.
Amazing. I never knew pete and Bird played together. Wow.
That's an HOF starting lineup!
Everyone:First,thanks for sharing your views(on this video.) Most of them focus on the great Celtic players playing here. That's true. Yet,there is someone else that deserves some recognition by the Hall Of Fame. Former NBA referee Richie Powers was covering the game for USA Network here. He was a premere referee during his career(1956-1979.) His book "Overtime" (during the 1973-74 season) is very insightful as well. The fact that he isn't in the Hall of Fame is horrible.
That team was unbelievable!!!
Bird was a combination of Cowens and Maravich.
Kind of
Bird iz the GOAT
Wow the Celtics had a lot hall of fame players on that team
This is a nice example of the most underrated era of the NBA. Yes, the league had some big problems, but the game was more athletic, there was a lot of movement away from the ball, as opposed to today's boring NBA where everyone just stands around while one guy jacks up a 3-pointer or one just slams the ball in, and there is no physical play. Back then you had rivalries, where teams hated each other, and the game was tougher, more competitive, and a lot more physical as well as more athletic.
I couldn't agree more. You nailed it, then and now.
threeby8887 same with the 70s as well. So much ball movement
I've been a lifelong basketball fan, but I have no problem admitting that basketball might have the most ignorant and misinformed modern fans of any major sport. The pre-1980s are so disrespected these days. Hell there are even a lot of people these days that think Michael Jordan wasn't that good. I just don't know what to think of people as time goes on haha.
Sadly, you are correct. Not just Cowens, Maravich and Tiny, but some even discredit MJ, bringing up crap how he (Bulls) didn't get out of the first round and such. Well, not til Pip and Horace went to the next level. And how Pete and Tiny missed the playoffs so often.
But few bring up how Kareem's teams did little in between playing w/Oscar and/or Magic. Maybe they all should 've continually jumped teams like Lebron. Oh, yeah, wasn't so easy to do back then.
Well said!
That's super-rare! Thanks!
Wow, this is a pretty good starting line up for the Celtics!
Archibald
Maravich
Bird
Maxwell
Cowens
☮️🖖🏽
The Pistons wore these uniforms for a single season, and brought them back a few years ago as "throwbacks." They would then switch to "silver" uniforms to be worn at home for a couple years, presumably in reference to them playing in the Silverdome.
Fun to watch after all these years
This video is a rare gem featuring Larry Bird playing with fellow Hall of Famers Dave Cowens and Pistol Pete. The interview with Bob Ryan is a nice bonus. He look like a regular at the Deuce with that outfit. I would love to see this footage on Around the Horn.
Archibald is a Hall of Famer !!!
@@safee4540 My apology for forgetting about Tiny.
@@RodPower78 Don't apologize to me! True fan's & historians always acknowledge The Great Nate Tiny Archibald! One of the NBA's & New York's Finest👍
This might be the only time in Birds career where he called everyone on the Celtics sir.
Can u imagine a healthy Pistol and Larry Legend playing together for a few years may have changed the entire world of basketball
Just think how good that those two playing together for a few years would had made the Celtics
If I was starting a team my first two picks, in their prime, my players would be Pistol Pete and Larry Legend. The greatest of all time!
Fantastic
this is very hard to find it is not easy to find any celtic games form 1980 on dvd.
Damn Bob Ryan is good lol
Bob is one of the MOST knowledgeable, fair and astute observers the game has ever known.
Picked the winner that year, he did. Go Lakers ☝️
Bird and other players like Craig Hodges matched the best scores of shooters today in the NBA 3 point shooting contest. They often shot from farther out in the 60's when the set shot was still fairly common. But most early 3 point specialists were great jump shooters from well beyond the 3 line. To even suggest that players shoot better today is just ridiculous. Today's game is different because of the lack of called fouls. Thank Shaq and his circle for that. They made the game about wrestling.
And the officials.
Thank you for this rare game!
you only have the clip or the whole gm?
I would love to see the whole game McAdoo and Benson were out: this would be a great study of where the Pistons came from pre-Isiah
These are the boys dude.
Holy Cow, Bob Ryan.
Would have been nice if Pete stuck out the year and got a championship.
According to Basketball Reference, the total attendance was 11,138.
Wow. With All those legends.
That's a pretty high number. Pistons attendance dropped to 5,500 per game by the 80-81 season. People do not realize how low the popularity of the NBA was at this time. Most franchises really struggled to get people to come to the games. Almost nobody sold out games at this time.
Who knows how great Maravich could have been if he had started his career with a team like the Celtics that always played the team concept.
Pete said something to that effect while with New Orleans. But .... the chips fall as they do.
Would not have worked! Pete was a ball hog!
How did i not know that Larry Bird played on the Legends of the NBA starting lineup in his rookie year ?
As a student of the game he must’ve been in Hog Heaven
This 1980 video is a lot clearer than many of the 84-89 Celtics games on TH-cam. This was Pete’s last season.
Wow, thanks
To see Pistol And Bird on the same team is just mind blowing. I seriously suspect Bird, in the 70s , being a huge Maravich fan and observer of his techniques! Best two ball handlers ever!
The Bird family didn't own a TV for a good portion of Bird's early life.
@@cindyknudson2715 if that's true, other people did. Are you suggesting that Larry Bird wasn't obsessed with the ABA and NBA in the 70's?
@@joeyravage4798 I guess I am.
From what I have read and heard,
Bird didn't really give the NBA much thought until his senior year of college, I believe. He didn't realize he was in the 1978 draft and was surprised that the Celtics drafted him. He didn't know that much about them.
He was more aware, I believe, of college ball. That would have been how he and his dad saw Maravich's ball handling, I think. When Maravich was at LSU. I don't know if it was a game they saw on TV or just highlights. And he liked Walton, I think he has said, when Walton was at UCLA. I believe that had to do with the fact that Walton was an unselfish passer. I don't know if he watched him or read about him or just knew of him.
I think Bird has said he didn't dream of being in the NBA. It wasn't on his radar. He just wanted to be the best he could be. Develop all the skills of the game to the best of his ability. I personally think many elements of the game became like a puzzle for him as he practiced. How much more could each skill be refined? He loved the game. Loved elevating his teammates.
😄 Long answer to a short question.
@@cindyknudson2715 thank you Cindy, for your experience and perspective. I have no reason to doubt you about Bird's college ball interest. But I do have a hard time believing that a teenaged Bird wasn't observing the ABA and NBA. Young Pistol, Russell, Kareem, peak Wilt and so on! The idea that Bird was not doing anything that he could to watch, listen or read just doesn't make sense to me. Edit: AND Dr J!
Prime Pete and Bird playing together would’ve been a PROBLEM!
Miss those Pistons uniforms.
we need more players with names like Archibald and Cornbread
This is the game that Dave Cowens hit his one and only 3pt shot of his career, I was excited to see it but alas, it’s not here. If anybody can find that clip I’d love to see it.
If they had had it earlier, you can bet he would have hit more than that. Cowens had solid mid-range and occasionally deeper than that.
My dream team
a well know collector or very good one has been looking ten years plus at least and has only 4 -5 games on dvd of any celtic games from 1980 regular season. thats with internet sources to help.
Back in the day when players could shoot and pass well, you don't see that nowdays. I also like the fact that alot of the players back then had very good fundamentals somthing that missing from the NBA now.
I never knew Bird and Pistol Pete played on same team; I was too young. I was sometimes called Pistol Pete while in high school playing the game, but never knew his talent til yrs later.
First video I've watched where Bird wasn't the leader but was awarded rookie of the Year. Rest is history - never another LARRY LEGEND.
Great video!
Pete looks good here.....he got screwed again....by Fitch
Problem was, Fitch was hoping, hoping he had the prime Pete that was at New Orleans or something close to it. Since Pete was no longer that (after knee injury), Fitch never really gave Pete the chance or opportunity where he could've really contributed to a level to help Boston as much as he could've.
@@Amick44 These coaches (Finch, the guy in Denver) all seemed to need to prove that they were bigger than Pete and none of them were.
@@deepcosmiclove He (Pete) seemed fine with accomplished former players as coach(es). He and Elgin Baylor had understanding and respect. K.C. Jones (Boston asst at the time) said he was impressed with how hard Pete worked, esp on D.
Bob Ryan
Isiah was the greatest thing to ever happen to the Detroit Pistons franchise
That perm is dope
Last season. Minnesota had Luke Ridnour, Kevin Love, and Nikola Pekovic.