Top tier shooter, rebounder, passer, clutch, team player, dog, hustle and winner. Watched him through his career. Most entertaining player Ive seen in watching NBA from 1974 to 2014.
For me, the game that really showed Bird's effect on the team was after Bird had double-Achille's surgeries and had to sit almost a whole season out, on top of his severe back pain. Second game back, he played Jordan and Pippen and Bird was the only player who was still meeting his average stats on his team. Everybody else had gotten slower and older. But Bird beat Jordan and Pippen and then went straight to the hospital and let other players do the Press Conference. He was so strong-willed. He wasn't as charismatic as Magic or as athletically prowessed as Jordan but he had the strongest will to win that I have ever seen. No comparison to Lebron who often stops doing defense. Bird, injured, with jaw fractures and 2" inch surgical cuts in his heels and double vision - literally seeing two baskets - came out and played the same stats as he always did. Made him addictive to watch.
He could do something nasty to opponents on every inch of the court . Whether it was defense , rebounds , assist or shooting ... if you wanted to make all time list you could say ... this player or that one is better in one particular category or another . There is no other you can put in the top five of any list you want to make up and do it across the board ...
THE best all around. Not even a competition. In the end, Magic, MJ, Russell, Wilt, and Kareem would tell you the same thing. It would take Wilt a hot second to think it over first, though 😉 MJ would bristle while he admitted it because Bird swept him over his career 😂 Worse luck, MJ.
@@iambecomepaul To be fair, Michael's teams were inferior to Larry's during those dominant playoff sweeps. A great match would have been one of the Jordan championship teams versus the 86 Celtics. Now that is can't miss TV.
@@zeppelinmexicano I hear you but I’ll come right back and say: the Celtics of 1978 won 29 games all season. In 1979, (Bird’s rookie season and the same exact team) the Celtics won 61 games. In the next year, they went to the NBA Championship (and won). I hear ya, but I’m not shedding any tears for MJ. Legends do Legend sh*t. It’s that simple, really.
It is widely accepted that Bird was one of the greatest shooters ever. Now ask yourselves, how many of those passes in this video that Bird chose to dish would Kobe or LeBron have shot themselves? Bird was an incredible team player always trying to get his teammates easy buckets.
Larry could shoot the ball himself, but always looked for better shots and aways tried to get the entire team involved, but in a close game Larry took over himself. The top clutch player .
Bird had an unprecedented sense of court intelligence. And out-thinking his opponent was just as important as out-playing him. Bird moved at the speed of thought. And physically, no one can keep up with that.
Bird broke his back in 85 and still played 7 more years. You should check out The 5 Times Larry Bird Was Injured But Refused To Quit. It's mind blowing.
THIS DUDE IS RACIST AGAINST Mexican people! He sent me a full of HATE response. Cuz i insulted him by, asking for a non black rapper reaction?! Gangster Mexican Rapper Kid Frost. He's fears Mexican gangsters I guess? Chump!
That pass behind his back when you said looks like magic was the first game back after finding out Magic had aids. So glad Magic beat aids bc they are still friends!
I was at a game in Madison Square Garden and Bird had an off shooting night. I think he was 5 for 17. But he had 17 rebounds, 13 assists, 5 steals, and hit the dagger three with under a minute left to send the Knicks home for the night. Every one of his dimes coulda easily been a highlight reel. As we are departing the arena, all you could see and hear were people shaking their heads and muttering, "That damn Larry Bird, DAMN." 😡😡 LOL! 😂😂😂
Another often overlooked part of Bird’s skills is his rebounding. An example that amazes me every time in this video is when he dives out of bounds into the photographers on the baseline to save the ball, tipping it back to Parish. Parish collects it and takes the ball to the hoop. By the time the ball is going through, Bird is under the basket to rebound if needed 🤯 and then running back down the court on defense. Boxing out opponents, snatching and protecting it, controlling it and instantly pushing it down court, tipping it away from opponents, tap passing it to teammates. Bird is so much fun to watch. ☘️ Larry Legend
That was a pass. He wanted to win. He was on target and didn't care about padding his stats. If he had wanted to, there's no telling how many he could have had. And the funny thing about watching him back then, was you could see it - they didn't know what he was going to do. He could run circles around everyone if he wanted. He could dunk, he had the 3s, took charges, whatever he needed to do. That's what he did.
@@CoachWizReacts Yeah I always saw it - I think you mean that high floater that Cornbread slow-played - as Larry JUST simply saving a possession...he wasn't in a position to do much else, let alone shoot such a crazyass shot. Saved the ball and a possession is all he was doing. I say "all" like a throwaway comment...players today make 'business decisions' Larry played every play as if it were his last.
"Yo how he seein' all this?" There's never been another player with the "court vision" of Larry Legend. He's like a player who went to the future in a time machine and memorized the game and came back to the present to play it. Always ready for everything."
I think Birds different ways of getting the ball to his teammates was better than anyone’s and full court passing control was phenomenal. He could have been a quarterback
Bird as a passer compared to all other forwards in his era ( PF and SF) finished #1 in assists per game for 8 seasons!!! Bird was #2 in assists per game for 3 seasons and was once 4th in assists per game. Bird only played 12 seasons!! Bird dominated his position in assists more so than Magic. Magic led the league in assists 4 times and was 2nd in assists 6 times and was also 4th and 7th. Bird is the best non ball dominate passer to ever play. Imagine Bird playing today in the further spaced out floor because of the dominant 3 pointers? Bird was ambidextrous and could shoot and pass with either hand. Bird rebounded like a PF and had the court vision of a PG and could shoot lights out from anywhere on the floor. Keep researching Bird and you will be amazed. Bird was the first played to post a 50-40-90 season = did it back to back in 87 and 88 seasons and was so close in 85 and 86 that if you total his stats for those 4 years = Bird averaged 50-40-90 shooting over 4 consecutive seasons!!!
100 % accuracy on passing and you asked was it a pass or a shot ??? It was a pass. Bird would even pass the ball to his self off the backboard. Bird could do it all !!! Clutch plays time and time again. He was simply fantastic !!! Larry Bird #1.
Look up Larry's injuries and then Courtship of Rivals, follow that up with the Dream Team, it will give you the perspective to put Larry's greatness in context.
F Bird! He kicked my 6ers out of too many championship runs. Skills on top of skills, partially ambidextrous, and smart is one thing, but he processes info faster than anyone I've seen in any sport.
@ did magic ever fight kareem? dr j and barkley had to jump bird, lamberd. Like wtf magic had kareem and a few other stars😂 and fought nobody😂 simps get aids and have woke children😂
Reason you dont hear about Bird passing is because he wasnt a point guard and didnt handle the ball all game to get 10 assists. So they go by numbers when rating, not by skill.
He was the best passing forward I’ve ever seen, went to my 1st NBA game in ‘68 got to watch one of the greatest guards of all time The Big O. Also for what it’s worth Wilt was the best passing center imo
@@CoachWizReactssaw Larry almost every time they played in Indy. Worthy, Karen, Scott, Nixon and Cooper(Cooper was actually one of the few that could slow Larry down) Magic and Larry were as good as it gets
As far as having good team mates goes. Before Larry Bird arrived, Celtics had a 29-53 record. When he arrived - with him being the only new player - the record changed to a 61-21 record. The final year of Larry Bird, with him being so injured that he would come straight from the hospital sometimes, the Celtics record when all of the other players were old and had lower averages, was 51-31. The Celtics had 8 losing seasons out of the next 10 after losing Larry.
They averaged 61 wins per season in Larry's first 9 years. When he missed his 10th season to injury/ achilles surgery, they were 42-40. After he returned for his final 3 broken back, repaired heels seasons they won 50+ each year
@ Thanks for sharing it like that. They always try to say that Larry had a better team as a way to minimize his greatness as a player but he was the X Factor that made them a great team.
Wiz this why we go so hard for Larry Legend he was amazing a dog , I feel Larry Legend is the best thx Wiz put out some more videos ty again I'm a Larry Legend fan but I loved Magic to ty again 🐐🐐💙💙
I understand lol. He really put the nba on the map! I think I’m going to do magic next. I just dropped a pistol Pete video too! ua-cam.com/video/7g3rkB79ks8/v-deo.htmlsi=DEHfqAnImZ97JuXi
That ball he threw around his back like Magic actually was a consciously made tribute to Magic after he was diagnosed with HIV. As you know Larry was one of the few that stood by Magic. This was him honouring him and showing respect.
It was the same day that magic announced his diagnosis, or the day that he told Larry... I'm not sure which happened first. Larry was so distraught when he heard about it, he didn't even want to play that night
With Bird, as you noted, he had every pass in his arsenal. The thing that separated him from everyone else was that he always knew where everybody else was. I can truly say that watching him play the game caused me to tune into the NBA. I had always been a college hoops fan, but, not so much the NBA. When Bird started playing I got to see how I thought basketball should be played. After he retired, and then Magic retired, I kept watching the NBA because of Jordan. After all that, I quit watching the NBA. It just wasn't, and probably never will be, like watching those guys, and especially Bird. I'm not saying the guys who came after weren't great, but, it just wasn't as much fun as watching Jordan, or Magic, and especially Bird.
Nice reaction, thanks for that! Never to late to explore Larry Legend who was the best all around player by far. The goat discussion is none in my opinion. Kindest regards from Ostfriesland!
Bird was an anomaly so to speak. He studied the game and committed it all to memory. Then he utilized all of his resources to insure a win. That's what great players do. Never a ball hog until the last minutes of the game and only then if the Celtics were losing. His shooting ability was committed to memory and he knew his shots were going in.
I enjoy that statement . you're correct.He did make great players greater and regular players great.... unless you played against him then you got disrespected and brutalized
@coachwiz43 started watching the Celtics when I was 4 years old in 1972.My grandad and dad would watch them all of the time. Probably one of the ugliest teams in the NB.A during the late 70s-80s. Maybe ever. But what beautiful game play!
@sora exactly ...... I am a Hawks fan and Bird would beat us every time. That's when Atlanta had Wilkins, Doc, Tree, Willis, Webb, Livingstone, etc ...... However, it was always Bird; dude did everything....... Hawks never beat Bird at that time and neither did the Bulls (Jordan was irrelevant in the 80's. Jordan NEVER beat Bird once in their two playoff appearances against each other. Bird was 8-0 against Jordan (one season without Pippen and a season with Pippen.
Went to a summer camp that had an ex warriors player running at his name was John Coughrin who played against Larry in Larry's rookie year and talked about this full court bounce pass he made between two guys that was the best pass he had ever seen
If you are open somewhere on a court that has Larry Bird handling the ball, you have to be paying attention at all times, or you're gonna get hit in the chest or the face with a good pass
Everybody that didn't see players from the past sleeps on them. It's just human nature to not really fathom how good players were that they haven't really seen.
Magic made easy passes look hard and Larry made hard passes look easy. Bird had a lot of great teammates but don't forget about the showtime Lakers. Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Cooper and Rambis all in the HOF. 2 of them are top 5 ever.
Rambis is in the HOF? Kareem had the career he had because OF Magic. Go check out the Lakers with Kareem as their leader for the 5 years before Magic made him a winner again. Magic made ALL the passes easy, Bird wasn't in his league.
Bird and magic were magical! Larry was more of a threat because he could shoot from anywhere and pass and steal. Bird was a great passer. He was amazing to watch. He was everywhere doing everything ❤You have to watch 5times Larry bird played hurt and 4 crazy stories the prove Larry bird is the toughest nba player. Watch these videos and you will appreciate just what a great player he was playing even when he was injured. Oh and about great players magic had Kareem Worthy and coop. These guys were amazing to watch play.
@@rcmysm9123 in 1987 parish had sprained ankle Mchale played with a broken foot Ainge had a hip problem and bird was playing with his back. Get all your facts. I love Magic and he was one of the greatest players . Just appreciate both bird and Magic for the greatness and basketball genius they both were.
Bird is the best passer. Best player in general even over Jordan. He never got hyped like Magic because Blacks went for Magic and Whites went for Bird, so your community thinks higher of Magic without looking at these tapes. But Bird was always the best of the best. Magic was on a super stacked team from the start, where as Bird made his teammates super because of his playstyle, kind of like Caitlynn Clark nowadays.
To me, Magic’s and Bird’s passing were opposites. Magic could take a simple pass and make it spectacular. Bird could make a spectacular pass and make it look simple.
@ I actually did watch Magic play. Are you sure you did? Yes, he may passes in every way possible. That’s kind of my point. He could’ve used a simple chest pass, but he had to make it spectacular with the no-look, high leg kick to make it look spectacular. Which is exactly what I said.
@robertball5107 I played 1 on 1 against him in 1982. He could've avg'd over 30 a game if he had wanted to. He was afraid to play me in ping pong though, yeah I was THAT good at 15 years old. I understand, you just don't really know basketball, it's ok, I get it.
@@rcmysm9123 so let me get this straight, you say you’re disagreeing with me, while actually agreeing with me. Then you make up some lame story about playing against Magic, but I don’t know anything about basketball? Typical Laker fan. The Cowboys fans of the NBA. 🙄
@robertball5107 There's nothing you said that's agreeable. My experience playing Magic 1 on 1 triggers you? lol If you think Bird was better than Magic you don't know basketball. It's not even an argument actually.
There is video where a hall of famer is asked who is better, Majic or Larry Bird. He had to say they were both equal but had to take Larry Bird because he was the better shooter than Majic.
This is why people that have watched Bird put him over Lebron. The passing, the hustle, the willingness to go after loss balls, the IQ. But he sacrificed his body over longevity
I love Ainge @ 13:28 with the "please don't hurt me" posture lololol....and at 14:09 it's the most overlooked one of the bunch where Larry pulls his deep pass off a DEAD FREAKIN' BALL and just nonchalantly goes up to the official, gets handed the ball, and FIRES a full-court pass lolololol....ohhh man....great story behind McHale's 56 pts vs. Detroit, too. Larry wanted to embarrass the guy guarding McHale, Kent Benson, as Benson was at IU when Larry was a new freshman. Benson was mean to him at IU and Larry never forgot it. He just fed McHale all night until Benson's temper allowed the ref to toss him on a double-technical lololololol.....some great 80's memories here!
i believe Bird is the best SCORING passer. Magic could scores, but he wasnt really a scorer like that.. I'm talking the teams primary scorer (Kareem was really that guy for most of their run until late).. I think Bird is a better passer than lebron. Lebron controls the rock like a pg. Bird didnt control the ball. he played a lot of off ball and yea iso and post up also, bird did it all, rebounds, passes, steals, defense, scoring.. you could never really shut him down cuz he did EVERYTHING.. and he probably is the best passer that DIDNT control the ball
The legend could do it all…..hands down. I’m 72, and watched Bird and the Celtics all through the 80s. The 86 Celtics were no joke. Watch the video on the 86 Celtics, bad boys!
i hate nba but have watched the best clips of all the players and people over look bird's passing because of his phenomenal shooting. i study how the players handle the ball. bird is the only one that i have ever observed who doesn't squeeze the ball it is always loose and he tosses, slams, barely touches the ball - he knows the ball and what his fellow players have a tendency to do and their default positions on the court.
Kidd, Stockton JWill and of course Magic were great passers too, but when I hear people (often) give the edge in passing to LeBron, well that's just ridiculous
13:05 OK in the history of pro basketball(I’m adding the ABA as well) no forward will be mentioned as a great passer…. Even though there were quite a few, I mean, everybody knows about LeBron’s passing, and LeBron looked up to Dr. J., George Gervin and Larry legend
Magic and Larry were so similar as players magic just had more flash..Magic rookie season MVP of the finals(you should watch game seven) Bird rookie MVP the following season Bird wins title.. by the start of his third season they were already calling him 🎉😂❤ Larry legend❤😂🎉
Basketball was beautiful when Bird was playing. Bird had great teammates who werent that great when he got them. Magic made easy passes look fancy. Bird made hard passes look easy. They reckon the game is faster now. Bullllll shit.
As for Magic vs Larry passing: Magic's passes were aesthetically more pleasing... these were a thing of beauty especially on the fast break. Magic was also great at outlet passes pushing the ball up the court. But if you look for "functionality," it's hard to argue against Bird. In this video, notice all the different kinds of passes Larry made... football throws into double coverage the length of the court, chest passes, bounce passes, over the head passes, tip passes, hustle passes off the floor, no look passes, fake passes, underhand passes, hook passes, through the legs passes, etc... and then he did a lot of them with both the left and right hands. One thing that's overlooked is those long passes by Bird kept defenses honest helping the entire C's team. It was hard to crash all 5 guys to to the boards as the threat of the fast break was legit at any time. From a pure fundamental standpoint, that's where both Bird and Jordan succeeded. Everyone talks about Jordan's athleticism and rightfully so, but Dean Smith taught him core fundamentals which were the backbone of MJ's game and are WAY underrated. And Bird and Jordan had the biggest drive to win of anyone I can remember in the NBA. Magic had this too, but Bird and Jordan were on another level. Jordan is my favorite player all time and while he did dive for balls, it was nothing like Larry. Larry played basketball like Pete Rose played baseball... all hustle. Passing wise, you can't go wrong with either Magic nor Bird, just two different styles.
Don't hear about Bird's passing and TEAM PLAY these days b/c everyone's out for their own 3's anymore. Bird was as unselfish as they came and like Kareem even said, Larry could do just about ANYTHING...he could put up 40 on a whim - ask Stockton about Bird's 43 lol - he could get 15+ rebounds if needed, and he saw the floor as well as anyone who ever played.
I’m hoping Caitlin watches Larry play everyday. She’s got it in her. The core of Mitchell, and Boston to work with. With Lexie, and of course the beauty Temi Fagbenle who’s a big that is fast, and a baller.Ps. I saw the Legend play one game at the Garden mid 1980,s. He was unbelievable.
I don't think that was a shot, he would have probably have been much closer to making it if he was trying for a basket. Larry was not into stats. He was into it for the W. He actually uses his left hand to sign his name. Was a lefty, but learned to be right hand dominant. Magic is a great passer. And I believe he made more total assists, but he was a point guard. I think Larry (small forward/power forward) made the same passes, but added a few of his own. I also think he got the ball off just a little quicker.
@@rcmysm9123 Love Magic but he shot the baby skyhook and mid. He wasn't a three point shooter really and as a point guard he was passing not shooting unless he had a good shot. That is why he averaged 19 points a game and Bird 24.
A lot of people Don't know that Larry Bird is Left Handed, but he was coached in using his right hand. Look at Larry Bird signing his contract with his Left Hand and his autographs was with the Left Hand as well. So Larry Bird knew how to pass and throw with his Left Hand.
Top tier shooter, rebounder, passer, clutch, team player, dog, hustle and winner. Watched him through his career. Most entertaining player Ive seen in watching NBA from 1974 to 2014.
I can’t disagree. He was one of one for sure
Same. Watched him from the collegiate final till his retirement. Broken hand, broken back, still won 3. And if Len Bias hadn't died, 3 more.
Best Small Forward ever
True. I was West Coast and didn't like him one bit. Now, he is the Greatest Team player. No one was tougher than him.
His off ball court movement and placement was amazing to watch live.
For me, the game that really showed Bird's effect on the team was after Bird had double-Achille's surgeries and had to sit almost a whole season out, on top of his severe back pain. Second game back, he played Jordan and Pippen and Bird was the only player who was still meeting his average stats on his team. Everybody else had gotten slower and older. But Bird beat Jordan and Pippen and then went straight to the hospital and let other players do the Press Conference. He was so strong-willed. He wasn't as charismatic as Magic or as athletically prowessed as Jordan but he had the strongest will to win that I have ever seen. No comparison to Lebron who often stops doing defense. Bird, injured, with jaw fractures and 2" inch surgical cuts in his heels and double vision - literally seeing two baskets - came out and played the same stats as he always did. Made him addictive to watch.
To me I've always thought and said Larry Bird is the best all-around player ever in history.
He could do something nasty to opponents on every inch of the court .
Whether it was defense , rebounds , assist or shooting ... if you wanted to make all time list you could say ... this player or that one is better in one particular category or another .
There is no other you can put in the top five of any list you want to make up and do it across the board ...
Lebron who????
You thought wrong, Magic is.
All around best player , Larry Bird without a doubt.
Definitely one of the best all around
yes
THE best all around. Not even a competition. In the end, Magic, MJ, Russell, Wilt, and Kareem would tell you the same thing. It would take Wilt a hot second to think it over first, though 😉 MJ would bristle while he admitted it because Bird swept him over his career 😂 Worse luck, MJ.
@@iambecomepaul To be fair, Michael's teams were inferior to Larry's during those dominant playoff sweeps. A great match would have been one of the Jordan championship teams versus the 86 Celtics. Now that is can't miss TV.
@@zeppelinmexicano I hear you but I’ll come right back and say: the Celtics of 1978 won 29 games all season. In 1979, (Bird’s rookie season and the same exact team) the Celtics won 61 games. In the next year, they went to the NBA Championship (and won). I hear ya, but I’m not shedding any tears for MJ. Legends do Legend sh*t. It’s that simple, really.
It is widely accepted that Bird was one of the greatest shooters ever. Now ask yourselves, how many of those passes in this video that Bird chose to dish would Kobe or LeBron have shot themselves? Bird was an incredible team player always trying to get his teammates easy buckets.
Larry could shoot the ball himself, but always looked for better shots and aways tried to get the entire team involved, but in a close game Larry took over himself. The top clutch player .
Grew up watching Larry Legend. G.O.A.T. None other.
I grew up during these years and Bird is still the most fun to watch passer of all-time. Never knew what he was going to do.
Bird had an unprecedented sense of court intelligence. And out-thinking his opponent was just as important as out-playing him. Bird moved at the speed of thought. And physically, no one can keep up with that.
Bird broke his back in 85 and still played 7 more years. You should check out The 5 Times Larry Bird Was Injured But Refused To Quit. It's mind blowing.
He hated to see a ball go out. That's the hustle and heart I've been talking about. You can't measure that. He's something else.
Yea it’s crazy how quick he was to the floor. That’s how great role players made a living. To get your star player to do it only elevated your team
I'm EVERYWHERE FOO!!
THIS DUDE IS RACIST AGAINST Mexican people! He sent me a full of HATE response. Cuz i insulted him by, asking for a non black rapper reaction?! Gangster Mexican Rapper Kid Frost. He's fears Mexican gangsters I guess? Chump!
That pass behind his back when you said looks like magic was the first game back after finding out Magic had aids. So glad Magic beat aids bc they are still friends!
I was at a game in Madison Square Garden and Bird had an off shooting night. I think he was 5 for 17. But he had 17 rebounds, 13 assists, 5 steals, and hit the dagger three with under a minute left to send the Knicks home for the night. Every one of his dimes coulda easily been a highlight reel. As we are departing the arena, all you could see and hear were people shaking their heads and muttering, "That damn Larry Bird, DAMN." 😡😡
LOL! 😂😂😂
Another often overlooked part of Bird’s skills is his rebounding.
An example that amazes me every time in this video is when he dives out of bounds into the photographers on the baseline to save the ball, tipping it back to Parish. Parish collects it and takes the ball to the hoop.
By the time the ball is going through, Bird is under the basket to rebound if needed 🤯
and then running back down the court on defense.
Boxing out opponents, snatching and protecting it, controlling it and instantly pushing it down court, tipping it away from opponents, tap passing it to teammates.
Bird is so much fun to watch.
☘️ Larry Legend
People forget he was always up there in rebounds. Bird did everything
Magic is the second leading guard rebounder by avg in history, slightly below Oscar.
He averaged more rebounds per game than Patrick Ewing.
@@bryansmith9431
Patrick Ewing 😂
LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE TRUE GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️
That was a pass. He wanted to win. He was on target and didn't care about padding his stats. If he had wanted to, there's no telling how many he could have had. And the funny thing about watching him back then, was you could see it - they didn't know what he was going to do. He could run circles around everyone if he wanted. He could dunk, he had the 3s, took charges, whatever he needed to do. That's what he did.
He was the ultimate team player for sure. Always first on the floor for loose balls and always looking for his team mates
@@CoachWizReacts Yeah I always saw it - I think you mean that high floater that Cornbread slow-played - as Larry JUST simply saving a possession...he wasn't in a position to do much else, let alone shoot such a crazyass shot. Saved the ball and a possession is all he was doing. I say "all" like a throwaway comment...players today make 'business decisions' Larry played every play as if it were his last.
"Yo how he seein' all this?"
There's never been another player with the "court vision" of Larry Legend.
He's like a player who went to the future in a time machine and memorized the game and came back to the present to play it. Always ready for everything."
Larry was one of the best passers ever. True team mate and was always making his team better
I think Birds different ways of getting the ball to his teammates was better than anyone’s and full court passing control was phenomenal. He could have been a quarterback
@@5667hall I loved his tap passes. Didn’t even catch the ball, would just tap it to a teammate.
He wasn't a better passer than Magic, the greatest passer ever!
Bird as a passer compared to all other forwards in his era ( PF and SF) finished #1 in assists per game for 8 seasons!!! Bird was #2 in assists per game for 3 seasons and was once 4th in assists per game. Bird only played 12 seasons!! Bird dominated his position in assists more so than Magic. Magic led the league in assists 4 times and was 2nd in assists 6 times and was also 4th and 7th. Bird is the best non ball dominate passer to ever play. Imagine Bird playing today in the further spaced out floor because of the dominant 3 pointers? Bird was ambidextrous and could shoot and pass with either hand. Bird rebounded like a PF and had the court vision of a PG and could shoot lights out from anywhere on the floor. Keep researching Bird and you will be amazed. Bird was the first played to post a 50-40-90 season = did it back to back in 87 and 88 seasons and was so close in 85 and 86 that if you total his stats for those 4 years = Bird averaged 50-40-90 shooting over 4 consecutive seasons!!!
100 % accuracy on passing and you asked was it a pass or a shot ??? It was a pass. Bird would even pass the ball to his self off the backboard. Bird could do it all !!! Clutch plays time and time again. He was simply fantastic !!! Larry Bird #1.
Bird isn't even top 5!
Rebound pass shooter steals ..hustle clutch yeah he is the GOAT
Magic led the league in steals, was a better passer, has a higher shooting percentage and beat Bird 3 out 4.
17:08 he made that pass the first game after Magic had to announce his retirement. He did it to say goodbye.
Hands down , the
GREATEST ALL
AROUND player
in NBA history !
Yup when you got MJ's admiration, that's rarefied air...
He wasn't even the best player of his time, Magic was.
@
Magic himself
doesn’t even
agree with you ..
@@howdoicancel6760
Bird does! 🤣
@@howdoicancel6760
AND so does Larry's OWN brother! 🤐
He also averaged 10 rebounds over his career....shooting, rebounding, assists. He was just an all around player.
Very slept on stat. He was an excellent rebounder
It's not just the insane passes, how do his teammates react so fast to him. I would catch a pass to my face for sure.
Look up Larry's injuries and then Courtship of Rivals, follow that up with the Dream Team, it will give you the perspective to put Larry's greatness in context.
It's a mullet baby! Business in the front, party in the back!
People only just getting to see Bird pass now
F Bird! He kicked my 6ers out of too many championship runs. Skills on top of skills, partially ambidextrous, and smart is one thing, but he processes info faster than anyone I've seen in any sport.
you don't hear that about Bird because he's known as a shooter. so you can imagine what a good shooter he was to distract people from his passing game
That’s very true! He was really an all around player
Bird fought the most hall of famers and most fights goat 🐐
And Magic beat him 3 outta 4.
@ did magic ever fight kareem? dr j and barkley had to jump bird, lamberd. Like wtf magic had kareem and a few other stars😂 and fought nobody😂 simps get aids and have woke children😂
Saw vid where Parrish said; thanked the Birdman for the 2,000 points he passed to him
Reason you dont hear about Bird passing is because he wasnt a point guard and didnt handle the ball all game to get 10 assists. So they go by numbers when rating, not by skill.
He was the best passing forward I’ve ever seen, went to my 1st NBA game in ‘68 got to watch one of the greatest guards of all time The Big O. Also for what it’s worth Wilt was the best passing center imo
Wow watching Oscar I’m sure was incredible
@@CoachWizReactssaw Larry almost every time they played in Indy. Worthy, Karen, Scott, Nixon and Cooper(Cooper was actually one of the few that could slow Larry down) Magic and Larry were as good as it gets
The basketball IQ, and the peripheral vision in those beady little eyes was amazing
As far as having good team mates goes. Before Larry Bird arrived, Celtics had a 29-53 record. When he arrived - with him being the only new player - the record changed to a 61-21 record. The final year of Larry Bird, with him being so injured that he would come straight from the hospital sometimes, the Celtics record when all of the other players were old and had lower averages, was 51-31. The Celtics had 8 losing seasons out of the next 10 after losing Larry.
They averaged 61 wins per season in Larry's first 9 years. When he missed his 10th season to injury/ achilles surgery, they were 42-40.
After he returned for his final 3 broken back, repaired heels seasons they won 50+ each year
@ Thanks for sharing it like that. They always try to say that Larry had a better team as a way to minimize his greatness as a player but he was the X Factor that made them a great team.
@@wishingb5859 happy to. Context is huge
Wiz this why we go so hard for Larry Legend he was amazing a dog , I feel Larry Legend is the best thx Wiz put out some more videos ty again I'm a Larry Legend fan but I loved Magic to ty again 🐐🐐💙💙
I understand lol. He really put the nba on the map! I think I’m going to do magic next. I just dropped a pistol Pete video too!
ua-cam.com/video/7g3rkB79ks8/v-deo.htmlsi=DEHfqAnImZ97JuXi
Bird AND Maravich on the same team? That's just not fair, man. How could you have a hope?
That ball he threw around his back like Magic actually was a consciously made tribute to Magic after he was diagnosed with HIV. As you know Larry was one of the few that stood by Magic. This was him honouring him and showing respect.
It was the same day that magic announced his diagnosis, or the day that he told Larry... I'm not sure which happened first. Larry was so distraught when he heard about it, he didn't even want to play that night
GOAT
With Bird, as you noted, he had every pass in his arsenal. The thing that separated him from everyone else was that he always knew where everybody else was. I can truly say that watching him play the game caused me to tune into the NBA. I had always been a college hoops fan, but, not so much the NBA. When Bird started playing I got to see how I thought basketball should be played. After he retired, and then Magic retired, I kept watching the NBA because of Jordan. After all that, I quit watching the NBA. It just wasn't, and probably never will be, like watching those guys, and especially Bird. I'm not saying the guys who came after weren't great, but, it just wasn't as much fun as watching Jordan, or Magic, and especially Bird.
Alex English and Larry my 2 fav 🏀
Nice reaction, thanks for that! Never to late to explore Larry Legend who was the best all around player by far. The goat discussion is none in my opinion. Kindest regards from Ostfriesland!
Theres a full reel of just his touch passes..should be. Best passer EVER.
Yea those passes were insane
easy sub for “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to, man.”
Bird was an anomaly so to speak. He studied the game and committed it all to memory. Then he utilized all of his resources to insure a win. That's what great players do. Never a ball hog until the last minutes of the game and only then if the Celtics were losing. His shooting ability was committed to memory and he knew his shots were going in.
I enjoy that statement . you're correct.He did make great players greater and regular players great.... unless you played against him then you got disrespected and brutalized
Aye that’s so true! lol if you wasn’t a Celtic it was curtains lol
@coachwiz43 started watching the Celtics when I was 4 years old in 1972.My grandad and dad would watch them all of the time. Probably one of the ugliest teams in the NB.A during the late 70s-80s. Maybe ever. But what beautiful game play!
Usually franchise players want all the glory rather than pass.
He was playing chess against those playing checkers! He truly was an old school player
I don't know if Bird is the goat, but he was the player I most liked to watch and he never got enough credit for his passing.
Definitely didn’t get enough credit for his vision and just for changing the game period
@sora exactly ...... I am a Hawks fan and Bird would beat us every time. That's when Atlanta had Wilkins, Doc, Tree, Willis, Webb, Livingstone, etc ...... However, it was always Bird; dude did everything....... Hawks never beat Bird at that time and neither did the Bulls (Jordan was irrelevant in the 80's. Jordan NEVER beat Bird once in their two playoff appearances against each other. Bird was 8-0 against Jordan (one season without Pippen and a season with Pippen.
Went to a summer camp that had an ex warriors player running at his name was John Coughrin who played against Larry in Larry's rookie year and talked about this full court bounce pass he made between two guys that was the best pass he had ever seen
That’s insane and dope lol
In high school. The BB coach used football helmets for Birds team to protect their heads, and faces from Bird passes till they learned to watch him
Bird is the best passer ever (left or right handed).
LOL, Magic was better!
I'll say it again for the 100th time for the people in the back: LB was the GREATEST all around player ever.....no debate
I’m with you lol
If you are open somewhere on a court that has Larry Bird handling the ball, you have to be paying attention at all times, or you're gonna get hit in the chest or the face with a good pass
His passes were insane
No matter where he was on the court, if he had the ball you'd better defend the basket
Bird is top 1or2 players of all time! No weakness! I’ll let you have 1st pick!!
He's not even top 5, probably 7-10
Everybody that didn't see players from the past sleeps on them. It's just human nature to not really fathom how good players were that they haven't really seen.
Boston taught so many teams you have to play 48 minutes
Magic made easy passes look hard and Larry made hard passes look easy. Bird had a lot of great teammates but don't forget about the showtime Lakers. Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Cooper and Rambis all in the HOF. 2 of them are top 5 ever.
Rambis is in the HOF?
Kareem had the career he had because OF Magic. Go check out the Lakers with Kareem as their leader for the 5 years before Magic made him a winner again.
Magic made ALL the passes easy, Bird wasn't in his league.
Everyone on birds team getting easy points due to his insane iq and unselfish play because winning and team success was most important to bird
This is the unedited version. The music one is the updated. Sorry you couldn't use that. You'd love it
Bird and magic were magical! Larry was more of a threat because he could shoot from anywhere and pass and steal. Bird was a great passer. He was amazing to watch. He was everywhere doing everything ❤You have to watch 5times Larry bird played hurt and 4 crazy stories the prove Larry bird is the toughest nba player. Watch these videos and you will appreciate just what a great player he was playing even when he was injured. Oh and about great players magic had Kareem Worthy and coop. These guys were amazing to watch play.
Oh no the showtime lakers were stacked also. lol I wasn’t comparing. Those two definitely made the league together
Just stop, Bird had Parrish, McHale, Dennis Johnson.
Magic was better, period!
@@rcmysm9123 in 1987 parish had sprained ankle Mchale played with a broken foot Ainge had a hip problem and bird was playing with his back. Get all your facts. I love Magic and he was one of the greatest players . Just appreciate both bird and Magic for the greatness and basketball genius they both were.
He truly was old school all the way.
I haven’t seen this video. He made his team better that to me is a sign of a goat
You definitely have to make everyone around you better
Bird is the best passer. Best player in general even over Jordan. He never got hyped like Magic because Blacks went for Magic and Whites went for Bird, so your community thinks higher of Magic without looking at these tapes. But Bird was always the best of the best. Magic was on a super stacked team from the start, where as Bird made his teammates super because of his playstyle, kind of like Caitlynn Clark nowadays.
I'm white and you're a racist. Magic was better always was, always will be
To me, Magic’s and Bird’s passing were opposites. Magic could take a simple pass and make it spectacular. Bird could make a spectacular pass and make it look simple.
Then you didn't actually watch Magic play, he passed in every conceivable way, the best of all time!
@ I actually did watch Magic play. Are you sure you did? Yes, he may passes in every way possible. That’s kind of my point. He could’ve used a simple chest pass, but he had to make it spectacular with the no-look, high leg kick to make it look spectacular. Which is exactly what I said.
@robertball5107
I played 1 on 1 against him in 1982. He could've avg'd over 30 a game if he had wanted to.
He was afraid to play me in ping pong though, yeah I was THAT good at 15 years old.
I understand, you just don't really know basketball, it's ok, I get it.
@@rcmysm9123 so let me get this straight, you say you’re disagreeing with me, while actually agreeing with me. Then you make up some lame story about playing against Magic, but I don’t know anything about basketball? Typical Laker fan. The Cowboys fans of the NBA. 🙄
@robertball5107
There's nothing you said that's agreeable.
My experience playing Magic 1 on 1 triggers you?
lol
If you think Bird was better than Magic you don't know basketball. It's not even an argument actually.
There is video where a hall of famer is asked who is better, Majic or Larry Bird. He had to say they were both equal but had to take Larry Bird because he was the better shooter than Majic.
There's another video where Magic keeps beating Bird and makes a clutch hook shot and then Bird misses the final shot.
Good times!
This is why people that have watched Bird put him over Lebron. The passing, the hustle, the willingness to go after loss balls, the IQ. But he sacrificed his body over longevity
They think of Bird as a shooter, but he's an elite passer and made three all defense teams
And rebounder.
I love Ainge @ 13:28 with the "please don't hurt me" posture lololol....and at 14:09 it's the most overlooked one of the bunch where Larry pulls his deep pass off a DEAD FREAKIN' BALL and just nonchalantly goes up to the official, gets handed the ball, and FIRES a full-court pass lolololol....ohhh man....great story behind McHale's 56 pts vs. Detroit, too. Larry wanted to embarrass the guy guarding McHale, Kent Benson, as Benson was at IU when Larry was a new freshman. Benson was mean to him at IU and Larry never forgot it. He just fed McHale all night until Benson's temper allowed the ref to toss him on a double-technical lololololol.....some great 80's memories here!
Lol yes at 14:09 was so hilarious to me! He wanted to make sure Kevin got that bucket. Super unselfish. There will never be another
i believe Bird is the best SCORING passer. Magic could scores, but he wasnt really a scorer like that.. I'm talking the teams primary scorer (Kareem was really that guy for most of their run until late).. I think Bird is a better passer than lebron. Lebron controls the rock like a pg. Bird didnt control the ball. he played a lot of off ball and yea iso and post up also, bird did it all, rebounds, passes, steals, defense, scoring.. you could never really shut him down cuz he did EVERYTHING.. and he probably is the best passer that DIDNT control the ball
I think he could have played any position.
Yea bird did everything and was willing to which is why I love his game
@@robinmahan8814 He pretty much did.
@@robinmahan8814 I believe he did! Lol
The legend could do it all…..hands down. I’m 72, and watched Bird and the Celtics all through the 80s. The 86 Celtics were no joke. Watch the video on the 86 Celtics, bad boys!
LARRY
If you want to win, put Bird on your team period end of story.
Unless your team goes up against Magic's team, lol.
3 outta 4!
i hate nba but have watched the best clips of all the players and people over look bird's passing because of his phenomenal shooting. i study how the players handle the ball. bird is the only one that i have ever observed who doesn't squeeze the ball it is always loose and he tosses, slams, barely touches the ball - he knows the ball and what his fellow players have a tendency to do and their default positions on the court.
Kidd, Stockton JWill and of course Magic were great passers too, but when I hear people (often) give the edge in passing to LeBron, well that's just ridiculous
He's behind-the-backing it down court like it was nothing. Tap passes, between the legs. Bird was a monster.
13:05 OK in the history of pro basketball(I’m adding the ABA as well) no forward will be mentioned as a great passer…. Even though there were quite a few, I mean, everybody knows about LeBron’s passing, and LeBron looked up to Dr. J., George Gervin and Larry legend
Magic and Larry were so similar as players magic just had more flash..Magic rookie season MVP of the finals(you should watch game seven)
Bird rookie MVP the following season Bird wins title.. by the start of his third season they were already calling him
🎉😂❤ Larry legend❤😂🎉
This is true
His passing was my fav part of his game. What a magical time in the NBA, the teamwork & passing back in the day was awesome!
Basketball was beautiful when Bird was playing.
Bird had great teammates who werent that great when he got them.
Magic made easy passes look fancy. Bird made hard passes look easy.
They reckon the game is faster now. Bullllll shit.
It was a hail Mary shot that became a pass.
As for Magic vs Larry passing: Magic's passes were aesthetically more pleasing... these were a thing of beauty especially on the fast break. Magic was also great at outlet passes pushing the ball up the court.
But if you look for "functionality," it's hard to argue against Bird. In this video, notice all the different kinds of passes Larry made... football throws into double coverage the length of the court, chest passes, bounce passes, over the head passes, tip passes, hustle passes off the floor, no look passes, fake passes, underhand passes, hook passes, through the legs passes, etc... and then he did a lot of them with both the left and right hands.
One thing that's overlooked is those long passes by Bird kept defenses honest helping the entire C's team. It was hard to crash all 5 guys to to the boards as the threat of the fast break was legit at any time.
From a pure fundamental standpoint, that's where both Bird and Jordan succeeded. Everyone talks about Jordan's athleticism and rightfully so, but Dean Smith taught him core fundamentals which were the backbone of MJ's game and are WAY underrated.
And Bird and Jordan had the biggest drive to win of anyone I can remember in the NBA. Magic had this too, but Bird and Jordan were on another level.
Jordan is my favorite player all time and while he did dive for balls, it was nothing like Larry. Larry played basketball like Pete Rose played baseball... all hustle.
Passing wise, you can't go wrong with either Magic nor Bird, just two different styles.
Don't hear about Bird's passing and TEAM PLAY these days b/c everyone's out for their own 3's anymore. Bird was as unselfish as they came and like Kareem even said, Larry could do just about ANYTHING...he could put up 40 on a whim - ask Stockton about Bird's 43 lol - he could get 15+ rebounds if needed, and he saw the floor as well as anyone who ever played.
This is true! Not too many great passers anymore sadly. A few but not how it use to be
I’m hoping Caitlin watches Larry play everyday. She’s got it in her. The core of Mitchell, and Boston to work with. With Lexie, and of course the beauty Temi Fagbenle who’s a big that is fast, and a baller.Ps. I saw the Legend play one game at the Garden mid 1980,s. He was unbelievable.
Magic also had great players on his team. I have Bird and Jordan tied at #1. I have Magic all time #4.
I'll take Larry as the greatest passer of all time. everyone been sleeping on Bird.
Facts
Fiction. He's no Magic Johnson.
@@rcmysm9123 I think Larry has more creative passing, despite having fewer assists due to not being a point guard...
@@danimalplanimal
You're not only wrong, you're laughably so.
@@rcmysm9123 the footage don't lie
They were so fearful of his shot that he most often drew a double team.
I don't think that was a shot, he would have probably have been much closer to making it if he was trying for a basket.
Larry was not into stats. He was into it for the W. He actually uses his left hand to sign his name. Was a lefty, but learned to be right hand dominant. Magic is a great passer. And I believe he made more total assists, but he was a point guard. I think Larry (small forward/power forward) made the same passes, but added a few of his own. I also think he got the ball off just a little quicker.
Bird's shooting was so deadly that people forget about his passing.
True!
Magic actually has a higher shooting %, just saying.
@@rcmysm9123 Love Magic but he shot the baby skyhook and mid. He wasn't a three point shooter really and as a point guard he was passing not shooting unless he had a good shot. That is why he averaged 19 points a game and Bird 24.
@@marykuettner752
It's why Magic was the better all around player. Nobody shot 3s back then, Larry avg'd 0.7 made 3pters per game in his career. 🙄
How does he drop these guys?
Now you know.
A brick on his gas pedal every second of the game, wide open.
To be competitive with the showtime Lakers of that era. Crazy....
Facts lol
Jordan, Bird and Magic are for me, "the Trinity of Goats".
They changed the game forever
💯
It's amazing how accurate he is with how out of focus those games were. I could barely make out half of them!
Magic and Bird were on another level
They were for sure
Know one as dope as Bird in his youth!
Larry only shoots one way. That was a pass
A lot of people Don't know that Larry Bird is Left Handed, but he was coached in using his right hand. Look at Larry Bird signing his contract with his Left Hand and his autographs was with the Left Hand as well. So Larry Bird knew how to pass and throw with his Left Hand.