l spent 1 hour, (at Campbell Univ basketball camp) , in 1984, and watch Pete, shoot and talk. Missed 1 shot. 1...!!!!!!! We sat on the floor, in a half circle. 2 kids rebounded for him. True story. 1 shot. One.
You have no idea how deep the Larry Bird well goes. Top-tier passer. Top-tier rebounder. Top-tier free-throw shooter. Top-tier hustle. Top tier jump shooter. Top tier IQ. Top tier 3 point shooter. Top tier team leader. Top tier trash talker.
@@youngmisguided I recommend "Larry Bird - Greatest Passer of All Time (Re-edit with new footage). Also I HIGHLY recommend reacting to the documentary "Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals". You will probably want to break it up into 4 or 5 parts. It's the best sports documentary ever, and if you love basketball, you will absolutely love this video.
@@youngmisguided I'd also recommend just looking at his career accomplishments and the stats. It's impressive all by itself. He was an all around elite player, and one of the best elite players ever. Also, 50-40-90 club twice, league mvp 3 years in a row, and 9x first team all nba. There's a reason he is always in everyone's top 10 of all time list. I've never seen a respected top 10 list without him in it. Dude was a total badass. He is legitimately above kobe shaq curry durant and Duncan and all those dudes are also top 10ish players ever.
He was slow because he had a bad back most of the time he played. Also magic and Larry are still friends to this day. What magic said on Larry's retirement was insane Magic: "you only told one lie your whole career" Larry: "just 1"? "That's pretty good" Magic: "you only told 1 lie to me and the people here. You don't remember do you? I'll say it (looks down and pauses) you said that there will be another Larry bird one day. And Larry..... THERE WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER BE ANOTHER LARRY BIRD one day. You take that to the bank, I love you, I respect you, and I admire you" . Truly one of the best retirement speeches ever for an athlete.
Also not shown in this video, Magic was wearing a Celtics jersey under his Laker's warm-up jacket. There was more comment about in his speech and he opened his jacket to show it. There are other ytube videos that show his green & white Celtics jersey. 😅 I don't that's something that you're gonna see again for a VERY long time! 😂
Jordan was *0 in 6* against Larry in the Playoffs. Michael even scored 60+ points in one of those games. Larry was the *only* Pro-Player Jordan *never* got "revenge" against.
Larry’s jab step was so effective *because* he was such an all-around threat that his opponents were on edge - if he wasn’t shooting, he was making crazy passes. If he looked like he was committed to shooting, he’d fake the crap out of them. He could already be IN his shooting motion and suddenly pass it at a weird angle or behind his head. You’d swear Bird had eyeballs all over his head, his court vision was *that* insanely excellent. “Bird was a bad man” sums it up perfectly.
It's the same trait Wayne Gretzky used in hockey: the ability to see everything on the ice, know where everyone was, and what seems like precognition to know what was *about* to happen.
All that's true. And Bird instilled fear in those guys with a look. As for looking slow, he was a big 6'9". He looked slower than he was. Watching him was watching genius.
@@youngmisguided I was about to relay the same information. Magic said Bird made him loose sleep. And Magic didn't even guard him half the time. He made every player loose sleep. Including Jordan And you've seen Dr J. couldnt keep up with him either. Bird put fear in everyone all the way to retirement. Maybe even his teammates feared some aswell if they messed up. Ask yourselves, "How great do you have to be to fake your opponent and not fake your teammates?
Jordan did play well against the Celtics but they were just too good in the 80s. The 86 Celtics is probably the best team ever after the 96 bulls. They just beat everyone The Celtics could be down by double digits going into the 4th quarter and they just knew they were going to win.
There was a period of 2 years where the Celtics were almost unbeatable at home. In those 2 years, including the playoffs, they went something like 96-4 at home.
You talked right over when they said Larry returned to the game with “an apparent fracture of his right cheek(bone)” - he also had a concussion, but came back in (against team doctor’s orders) and dominated !
@@youngmisguided Did you see the glare in Larry's eyes when he came back & squatted down waiting to be let back in. He was scoping Person who *thought* was going to win the game with Larry out. Larry wasn't going to sit in the locker room and hurried out of there before they brought the chains in to keep him out of the game. Nothing or anyone can hold Larry off the court. Only his failing body after 5+ years of chasing the ball with multiple injuries.
@@youngmisguided As to why he didn't sit on the bench, Larry couldn't sit on the bench. His back was so messed up that if he sat it took too long for him to get back up. So from like 86 on he didn't sit any more unless he was done.
That cat was the most all around complete player; a walking arsenal, backed up with a hard warrior's attitude. He has been called "more dangerous when he doesn't have the ball" - because he's about to make something deadly happen.
Besides his shooting and passing, Bird averaged 10.0 rebounds for his career. He also made the NBA All Defensive 2nd Team three times. He won MVP three times (in consecutive years) and came in 2nd another four times.
He also led the league in defensive wins shares in a season 4 times only Russel, Miken and Duncan have more. He was a good defender as a younger player once the injuries happen it robbed him of quickness. I would also ask you to watch Tom Chambers highlights he was probably the Most athletic white dude you will ever see. Man 6’11 and could run and jump with anyone.
Bird was the guy who dominated the golden era of the NBA. He got 67% of all MVP votes in the 80's against Dr. J, Magic, Jordan, Isaiah, Drexler, Malone etc Jordan was playing but was just another good guy in the 80's, he became great only after Magic and Bird retirement.
Welcome to the Larry Bird rabbit hole. #birdgang some of the best people on UA-cam will be here liking, commenting, and suggesting videos. Enjoy the ride!
1. Isaiah Thomas was a fantastic player, and that inbound pass that Larry stole was pure hustle on Larry's part. He ran far enough that Isaiah just never saw him coming. Isaiah looking left at Laimbeer to pass it in and Larry ran 15-20' over from Isaiah'a right. 2. I believe Magic absolutely meant it when he said greatest basketball player ever. He had said in several interviews, "Larry was the only guy i feared when i played." This was 1992. Jordan was becoming known as the greatest at that point, but Magic and Larry had just dominated the league for a dozen years and Larry (to ne, anyway) is still the most talented overall player the league has seen. All aspects of the game combined. No holes, great at a lot, good at everything, running a bit slower and not jumping as high as many but still dominating because of pure skill is just incredibly impressive. That team won 29 games the year before Larry joined. He led them to 61 his rookie year. 60+ in 6 of his first 7 seasons (and 59 in his 8th), 51+ every year he played, and the one year he couldn't play because of double achilles surgery, they were 42-40 for an 8 seed...
I heard in an interview that Isaiah was never (or rarely) the inbounder, so he just wasn't used to the situation at hand. I was a Hawks fan at the time, so Larry always killed us too. Plenty of highlights from that 60-point game ugggh lol.
If you keep watching Larry, you’ll notice that, when it comes to passing, Larry perfectly combined basketball, football and volleyball. With his long quarterback-like passes and his bump passing it was a perfect blend. Also, Larry and Magic were great friends off the court. They became friends while filming a commercial at Larry property.
You do know Bird is the founding member of the 50-40-90 club, he played with a broken back, concussion, fractured face, week after foot surgery his basketball IQ was genius. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved the NBA. Love love love 80s basketball!!
You’re not wrong about Larry looking slow…he wasn’t a “fast” player. But what you have to realize, why those jab steps broke those ankles, was because his offensive game was 100% complete. You had to respect the jab, while trying to prepare for the rest of his arsenal because offensively he could do it all….so it has you off balance.
@@CBrady-jw8ps I think it was Clyde Drexler who said, talking about Bird, "He was playing chess out on the court when everybody else was playing checkers." And Byron Scott said, after talking about how Larry was slow, couldn't jump, wasn't super athletic, etc. -- "He just knew how to play the game."
Bird looked pretty quick in those games early on in his career. While a lot of the players he played against as a rookie werent the fastest, I watched some of the highlights on here, and he honestly looked pretty damn quick in comparison. Fast is different from athletic. The people that claim Bird wasnt athletic are OUT OF THEIR MINDS. Larry Bird was a GREAT athlete, especially before the back injuries.
What made Bird so special was that he didn't do it all himself; he made his teammates better. With his passes, his teammates had to be paying attention 100% of the time because the ball might appear at any time.That kept them involved, and made them better. Boston went from 29 wins the year before Bird to 61 wins with him as a rookie. In college, he took the Indiana State Sycamores to an undefeated regular season, and to the NCAA finals, where they lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State, and it wasn't because Indiana State had a bunch of talent other than Bird.
I watched both Larry and Michael Jordan play in person. Both are total legends. I used to play the video game called Jordan vs Bird back when I was a kid. I would walk into the arena and see Bird on the other team and think "Awe, man we gonna lose".
Birds career was cut short by a few years because of a back injury. He hurt it off the court, helping to lay down a driveway. He had issues with it for his last few seasons, and a cheap shot by Bill Laimbeer made it much worse.
He played half of his career with that bad back, his entire career with a mangled index finger on his shooting hand, and his final three years after double achilles surgery.... and still made 12 all star teams & 10 all nba in 12 seasons
One of the problems players had with Larry was he could pass anywhere on the courts or shoot from anywhere while being double teamedwhich gave him an edge plus the fact he looked slow but every legend who played against him including Jordan said that was very deceiving and if you dropped your guard he would embarrass you. So much more to see of bird but without magic neither would have been as great as they drove each other crazy. They single handedly saved the NBA from ruin in the early 80s. So the likes of the billy goat Jordan come rise to the top just like Kobe and lebron afterwards. If we are talking about the most important NBA legends these two exceed everyone else.
A lot of basketball players did things better than The Bird, but nobody did EVERYTHING as well as The Bird, which is why he's the greatest all-around basketball player of all time. End of story.
REALLY' another GreaT BLACK player at that time reconsider your Thought process. WhiTe VERSES BlacK is How they became PrimeTime' JUST so happens Magic had 1 over on Bird -COLLEGE TitLE MADE it watchable Tv ANDDDDDDDDDDDDD now You know the REST of theSToRy .
Great reaction. Thanks! Bird was the best small forward ever. I watched him from the beginning all the way until his bad back made him retire. The night before a big game Bird could be found at a local bar drinking everyone under the table and getting into fist fights.Two Pat Riley quotes about Bird: 1) "If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan; If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life...I'd take Larry Bird." 2) "He's the greatest clutch player I've ever seen. The hell with Jerry West!"
Larry Bird retired because he really had no choice. He had given his all and his body wouldn't take anymore. He injured his back in 1985, shoveling gravel to make his Mama a driveway. That was when he was in his prime. Each year, his back got increasingly worse. The last four, or so years, Bird had to lay down on the sidelines, when not in the game, and on planes, because he couldn't bear to sit. Some games, he wore a brace, or spent the night in traction, just so he could play the next game. It took hours of stretching and adjustment to get his spine aligned to hold long enough for him to play. Larry played many years in terrible pain...and he still put up awesome numbers. He endured because he loved the game so much. He finally retired in 1992, just after coming back from the '92 Dream Team, in the Olympics. The only reason he even played was because Magic talked him into going. After returning from the Olympics, Bird told the Celtics he was done, just about a week before his contract for the next year was to kick in. They told him to take a week or so and think about it. Bird said he knew what they were trying to do. His answer was that he wasn't going to take the money if he couldn't play. He could have hung around and tried a game or two and took the money, (millions) but he said no. That was Larry Bird. After retiring, he had surgery to have his spine fused. His retirement ceremony was in 1993, on a night that there were no game at the garden...yet the garden was sold out...for Bird. There are many, many videos on Larry Bird...passing re-edited (awesome), trash talking, injuries...just look. You will find them. "Making the case for Larry Bird..." and the documentary "A Courtship of Rivals," (about Bird and Magic), are good ones, too. Larry Bird was awesome! Oh, and MJ came into the NBA in 1984. So, yeah, he was around.
Ok guys. Larry won the 3 pt contest 3 years in a row. He was the first guy to have a 50=40=90 pct season, and he did it 2 years in a row. His Celtics were also 6-0 against Jordans Bulls in the playoffs. His retirement ceremony, all those people including Magic were there on a night that there was not even a game. Just for Larry's retirement. Larry had the most complete game I ever saw. Score, pass and he even had more rebounds a game that guys like Patrick Ewing and a bunch of others. You need to check out Pete Maravich too. Magic says he stole almost all his moves from Pistol Pete. Pete's pro career was cut short by knee injuries, but he was a top scorer his 1st few seasons. Also even though Pete only played 3 years of college ball (not allowed to play varsity as a freshman back then) he is still today the all time leading scorer in college basketball. He avg's 44 pts a game for all 3 years and did it with no 3 pt line. They went back and checked the score bookd from the games and Pete avg'd 13 shots a game that would have been 3s if there was a 3 pt line. So just with the shots he actually took he would have avg's 57 pts a game for his 3 years. Before Pete signed with the NBA, the Harlem Globetrotters tried to sign him. He invented a whole lot of what you see guys doing still today.
Larry beat every brother he ever encountered. What' your not seeing in all his moves is his mind. He has the whole evolving game mapped out in his head Not only does he know where his teammates are going to be before they do, He knows where his opponents will be before they do. That in itself makes Larry Bird the best ever to never have an equal.
Magic & Larry, resurrected the game of basketball......My dad loved basketball, but stopped watching, until the competition between Johnson & Bird was highlighted......What my Dad used to say, Larry's game reminded him of someone, who was not only playing basketball, but also, volleyball, dodgeball, hockey, baseball, track & Field, soccer, poker, & strategic chess in his head, and that's what made him so great 😊He certainly was one of the most unique and gifted players, I have ever watched!
Today's game might be faster but it was FAR more physical 30+ years ago. The talent was also better back then. If Bird played today he would thoroughly dominate the game. Bird was the most complete basketball player ever with a mental toughness that was off the charts. Shooting and passing was unreal. Solid rebounder, he did everything on the court..
Thanks so much for the reaction! Larry was before my time. I would have loved to watch him play in person. I would love to see you react to 'Making the Case' for Larry Bird.
Larry graduated high school same year as me, different schools. Our team travelled to French Lick to play his team. They (really him) beat us by 64 points (worse defeat in our schools history). Nobody knew Larry Bird back then, and he hadn’t even developed all of his skills yet. Years later I saw him play for the Celtics several times. Always a thrill to watch the Hick from the Sticks play ball.
Don’t be fooled. Larry might have looked slow, but he was getting the best of the most athletic players of his day INCLUDING MJ, Hakeem, Dominique, Dr.J, etc etc etc. Why? BCUZ NO MATTER HOW FAST A BODY IS, LARRYS *BRAIN* WAS FASTER.
He’s the founding member of the 50-40-90 club and did that 3 times. You should look at the film “bird is from another world “ when he got injured he never took anything for pain he was just the toughest player ever.
You guys should watch this game. Keep in mind this is old Larry with a broken back: Michael Jordan vs Larry Bird Highlights (1991.03.31) - 71pts, Crazy Battle! Must Watch!
What u don’t understand is he was so good that when he made the slightest move they didn’t want to get beat !! One of those guys he almost broke ankles was Dominique Wilkens ! A hall of famer who was also a great defender
Theres SO much more to Larry you guys have to see, he was an (amazing) passer, had amazing assists, one of the best shooters and playmakers ever seen, and he would tell opposing teams and opposing players what shot or play he was going to make on them - and then do it time after time. He combined head fakes with step backs and had players falling all over the place. Check out larry birds "greatest passing/re-edit video, youll love it.
62 years old. Grew up taking the bus to MSG to see Clyde and Willis Reed and Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe. Watched all the way up to Bird and Magic, even some of Jordan. I never thought about race like you two. Sad.
We weren't saying it to be disrespectful I've heard NBA players talk about Larry and one of the things they've said is "Larry said putting a white guy on me is disrespectful". So I was just referring to that. Didn't mean to offend you in anyway.
"Most" top Pro-Players in the 80s era give the nod to Larry over Magic. Mostly because of Larry's *3* point shooting was ruthless *and* endlessly clutch.
If you want more Larry Bird, you should watch "Making the Case - Larry Bird," and you absolutely should watch the documentary "Magic Johnson and Larry Bird: A Courtship of Rivals Basketball." It's one of the best sports documentaries ever - maybe THE best.
And he averaged 10 rebounds a game for his career. His passing was even better than his shooting, but he was a top rebounder. He had that tangible “winner” mentality that magic, Jordan, Duncan, etc.… Have
Larry broke ankles, because he already had people off balance, he could go left, right, stand there or go bank and get his shot off, so he needed to see someone leaning and make his move. Also this is 40 years ago, a lot of quick little jab steps were NEW back then. Defenders weren't used to them. He might have been the first to regularly use the step back.
Larry Bird is the BEST all round player the league has EVER seen, bar none. Larry did routinely what other players could only dream of doing. I watched Larry from the time he walked on the court to his retirement. He is the reason I became a Celtic's fan and I don't live anywhere near Boston, I live in Missouri. His stats are as good or better than ANYONE'S in the game. Larry greatly helped the NBA in a time when it was being put on a back burner for re-runs. Larry and Magic became the greatest of friends. He told Larry at his retirement ceremony "Larry, I really going to miss playing you, you challenge me in ways no other player can. Just when I think I've seen all your moves, you come up with shit I haven't seen anyone do before".
Everything he did in his career he did handicapped. Between college and his rookie season he busted his shooting hand playing , I believe it was softball. His finger never healed 100% and remained bent as he put it "like a boomerang". He said he never got back the ball feel he had prior to that injury.
In the past 50 years, here are the highest Total Career Avg Stat Points (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK) #1) Jordan = 44.7 #2) LeBron = 44.3 #3) Bird = 43.1 #4) Kareem = 42.9 ...many other players #21) Curry = 37.3 That's just to put things into perspective and to show you how great Larry Bird was.
@@youngmisguided Their careers overlapped. Jordan was 0-6 against Bird in playoff games. Which kills this lifelong NC fan to admit. lol! And Bird had his own shoe by Converse.
He also re-taught himself how to shoot the ball after mangling his fingers playing softball in the off season between graduating from college and his rookie year. The Celtics almost dropped him once they heard about what happened. But Red took Larry out to shoot and talk to him and was persuaded to give him a chance. The index finger on Larry's shooting hand is still contorted to this day.
No MVPs? Were you saying that about Larry, or did i misunderstand? He was 4th in mvp voting while winning rookie of the year (63-3 over Magic). His 2nd-9th seasons, he finished 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 3, 2 in mvp voting while receiving 67% of all mvp votes in that 8 year span. From 1980-88, he dominated the league for a decade. He was all nba each of his first 10 seasons, 9 times first team, including his rookie year
Magic and Larry are still best friends. Watch their David Letterman appearance together...it's funny and heart-touching. You will also enjoy Larry Bird Trash Talking and Greatest Passes (re-edit)
Defenders would freeze against Bird. If you stepped up on him, he could get by you with a fake and a great first step, or he'd just hit the open man with a great pass. If you backed off, he'd sink the jumper from anywhere on the floor. Defenders were helpless.
The NBA wasn't slow, the difference is they actually played more physically and by the rules back then and the refs called carries & travels when they occurred. It tends to look quicker when every other move made in today's game is technically illegal.
It’s good you r catching up on Bird. Take more time and you will see the genius. It becomes more and more sick to understand no one could stop him. Injuries are what took him down.
To think the NBA was slow in Larry’s time is forgetting that they were playing the “Showtime Lakers”, and several other teams who pushed the ball. Check out the Denver Nuggets of this era. Alex English, who most people nowadays never even heard of, scored more points than Magic, Bird, Kareem, Dr. J, or any other player in the 80s. Players now may be more developed physically, but not to the extent younger people assume. Check out the Tom Chambers mix tape. Put respect on these guys. They were more dedicated and fundamentally sound. The greats didn’t go trophy hunting, Magic, Bird, Isaiah, Duncan, Robinson, just to name a few.
What makes Larry Legend even more amazing, is that he played his entire NBA career with a shooting hand index finger shaped much like a boomerang, permanently bent toward his thumb at a 45-degree angle from and injury he sustained playing softball. Two operations have failed to straighten it; he can bend it only halfway to his palm. You can clearly see the finger at 3:30. Still became the founding member of the 50-40-90 club, pioneer the art of the dagger 3 and many more accomplishments playing with a destroyed finger. You guys should start at the beginning and watch the Untold Story of Larry Bird. Then the 5 times Bird played injured. The best overall narrative video to watch is Making the Case. Just try not to talk over the narration because you may miss some important info ;)
dont forget he also won Coach of the Year ( with the pacers ), and also won Executive of the Year. Making him the only person in history with Rookie of the Year, Season MVP, FInals MVP, Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year. Every facet of this game, he has been awarded as the best. He was the first player to ever shoot a 50-40-90 season ( did it twice in a row ). Add on top of that he has the second highest win % in NBA history behind Magic by only 0.5%. Swept MJ twice in a row in the play offs 6-0 and has a 23-11 season record against MJ. Making him the most successful player against MJ ever. MJ never won a ring until Bird was out with surgery or injured.
The greatest ever. More end of time, game winning shots than anyone. Dropped 47 on Portland left handed! Won 3 MVPs during the greatest era of players. 3 3 point contest in a row , one while wearing his warm up stuff! Played the last 6 years with a broken back and blown Achilles tendon! Was the first 50/40/90 guy. When playing the bulls in conference finals, swept them! As a rookie, on third day of camp, came out and told reporters, this league is nothing, I will dominate this league! Worthy said, he would rather guard Jordan than Bird! Made 2 shots on purpose from behind the backboard! Got the whole Atlanta bench in trouble, for his shooting display against them. When the rockets had the Twin Towers, they should have won 2 titles. Bird and the Celtics, stopped them! He's the goat. He once told an opposing player who has a good first half against him, " are ur parents here, cuz ur not gonna want them to see, what I'm about to do to you!" So Bird drops 27 on him in the second half, and also shut him down. He tells the guy after the game, " that was for ur mom!" Ice cold!
btw, about the trash-talking -- my favorite was his response to Hodges... Larry had won the 3-pt contest three years in a row, with Hodges coming in second. The year after that Larry was injured and couldn't compete, and Hodges won. A reporter asked Hodges if Larry's absence let him win, and Hodges retorted, "Larry knows where to find me" Larry's response? "Yes, I know where to find him. At the end of Chicago's bench."
4:24 first, love your commentary, thanks guys. And second, people were psyched out by Bird so they overcommitted, that was his game and how good he was.
Larry and Magic began as rivals who hated each other, but over time, they became the greatest of friends. When Magic was diagnosed with HIV Larry was one of the first players to call and check on him, many didn't call at all. Every player who laces up their sneakers today owes a debt to Larry and Magic for revitalizing the game and bringing back the fans and sponsors. Before they arrived in 1979 the NBA wasn't even on prime time TV. Pat Riley once said of Larry Bird "If I needed a player to make a shot to win the game, I would choose Michael Jordan, but if I needed a player to make a shot to save my life, I would choose Larry Bird". He was the best clutch player ever and is the only player back then who called his shots and then made them! There is a reason why the other players call him Larry Legend. He is one of the greatest of all time, literally saved the game with his Magic Johnson rivalry, but because he is white, no one knows his name.
I can't understand how this is the first time someone who has followed basketball is watching Bird for the first time. Man I must be getting old. I watched so many of his games live and these highlight reals are something he did every single game night in and night out, That's why the people who saw him play every game call him the GOAT.
I don't know who the GOAT is because someone needs to define the criteria. However, Larry Bird is the greatest all-around player in NBA history. He might not have been the best in any one category, but he is among the best in all categories. Larry was different. He was about winning, not stats, but in the big situation he wanted the ball because he felt he could score any time he wanted. Pat Riley said it best, and I am paraphrasing here - If I needed someone to score to win a game I would choose Michael Jordan. If I needed someone to score to save my life I would choose Larry Bird. Bird knew where every player on the court was at all times. Here are just a few things, as there is much more, about Bird. Bird won the first 3 3-point shooting contests, not even taking off his warmup jacket in the last one. James Worthy said he would rather guard Jordan than Bird because when guarding Bird you had to be constantly thinking. Dennis Rodman talked about guarding Bird and if he looked away for 1 second Bird was far away from him. Bird led the league in Defensive Win Shares 4 times. But here is a stat few people realize and these are just a sample of the players - if you look at defensive rebounds per game, Birds averaged more than Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal. But maybe the biggest thing about Bird is the mentality he brought to the game and his immediate affect on the Celtics The Celtics record the year before Bird joined was 29-53 The Celtics record in Birds first year was 61-21, Bird started in all 82 games and averaged 36 minutes a game, In Birds first 7 years the Celtics won more than 60 games 6 times. During Birds career, when he played a majority of games, the Celtics won at least 51 games in a season.
You guys wanted it, here it is. Pistol Pete reaction hope you guys enjoy
ua-cam.com/video/UuxUcK7Tfbc/v-deo.html
l spent 1 hour, (at Campbell Univ basketball camp) , in 1984, and watch Pete, shoot and talk. Missed 1 shot. 1...!!!!!!! We sat on the floor, in a half circle. 2 kids rebounded for him. True story. 1 shot. One.
Unfortunately, you talked through about a third of the video's narration, missing important commentary.
You have no idea how deep the Larry Bird well goes. Top-tier passer. Top-tier rebounder. Top-tier free-throw shooter. Top-tier hustle. Top tier jump shooter. Top tier IQ. Top tier 3 point shooter. Top tier team leader. Top tier trash talker.
Top tier clutch
I heard about the trash talking being top tier but I’m looking forward to checking out some more of his videos
@@youngmisguided I recommend "Larry Bird - Greatest Passer of All Time (Re-edit with new footage). Also I HIGHLY recommend reacting to the documentary "Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals". You will probably want to break it up into 4 or 5 parts. It's the best sports documentary ever, and if you love basketball, you will absolutely love this video.
@@youngmisguided I'd also recommend just looking at his career accomplishments and the stats. It's impressive all by itself. He was an all around elite player, and one of the best elite players ever. Also, 50-40-90 club twice, league mvp 3 years in a row, and 9x first team all nba. There's a reason he is always in everyone's top 10 of all time list. I've never seen a respected top 10 list without him in it. Dude was a total badass. He is legitimately above kobe shaq curry durant and Duncan and all those dudes are also top 10ish players ever.
You guys should watch making the case for Larry Bird on UA-cam. That will clear up a lot in the goat conversation.
He was slow because he had a bad back most of the time he played. Also magic and Larry are still friends to this day. What magic said on Larry's retirement was insane
Magic: "you only told one lie your whole career"
Larry: "just 1"? "That's pretty good"
Magic: "you only told 1 lie to me and the people here. You don't remember do you? I'll say it (looks down and pauses) you said that there will be another Larry bird one day. And Larry..... THERE WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER BE ANOTHER LARRY BIRD one day. You take that to the bank, I love you, I respect you, and I admire you" . Truly one of the best retirement speeches ever for an athlete.
Also not shown in this video, Magic was wearing a Celtics jersey under his Laker's warm-up jacket. There was more comment about in his speech and he opened his jacket to show it. There are other ytube videos that show his green & white Celtics jersey. 😅 I don't that's something that you're gonna see again for a VERY long time! 😂
Larry bird is top 5 dead or alive. Imagine a man telling you what he is about to do to you and you can't stop him. A savage. Larry legend is different
Jordan was *0 in 6* against Larry in the Playoffs. Michael even scored 60+ points in one of those games. Larry was the *only* Pro-Player Jordan *never* got "revenge" against.
Jordan's Bulls did beat the Bird-coached Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals one year, but yeah, Jordan never beat #33 in the playoffs.
Jordan had no squad against five hall of famers
@@TheOC2334 It just goes to show it's a team game. Even the greatest MJ, wouldn't have six titles without roll players.
@@TheOC2334
A busted up Bird beat the 91 Championship Bulls team.
@@TheOC2334 The Celtics went from worst to first in one year when Larry joined.
Larry’s jab step was so effective *because* he was such an all-around threat that his opponents were on edge - if he wasn’t shooting, he was making crazy passes. If he looked like he was committed to shooting, he’d fake the crap out of them. He could already be IN his shooting motion and suddenly pass it at a weird angle or behind his head. You’d swear Bird had eyeballs all over his head, his court vision was *that* insanely excellent.
“Bird was a bad man” sums it up perfectly.
Awh okay that makes sense, because I’m watching him make defender fall and I’m like how??? Thanks for breaking it down
It's the same trait Wayne Gretzky used in hockey: the ability to see everything on the ice, know where everyone was, and what seems like precognition to know what was *about* to happen.
They HAD to respect the fake because he was known for all these crazy passes as well as shooting.
All that's true. And Bird instilled fear in those guys with a look. As for looking slow, he was a big 6'9". He looked slower than he was. Watching him was watching genius.
@@youngmisguided I was about to relay the same information. Magic said Bird made him loose sleep. And Magic didn't even guard him half the time. He made every player loose sleep. Including Jordan And you've seen Dr J. couldnt keep up with him either. Bird put fear in everyone all the way to retirement.
Maybe even his teammates feared some aswell if they messed up. Ask yourselves, "How great do you have to be to fake your opponent and not fake your teammates?
Btw. Larry & his Celtics SWEPT Jordan’s Bulls TWICE. MJ lost 70% of his matchups against Larry
Really damn the way they talk about Jordan, you’d think he beat everyone
Jordan did play well against the Celtics but they were just too good in the 80s. The 86 Celtics is probably the best team ever after the 96 bulls. They just beat everyone The Celtics could be down by double digits going into the 4th quarter and they just knew they were going to win.
@@youngmisguided Well he would have dominated Lebron that's not much of a debate.
Larry won the 3-Point contest *three* years in a row. MVP... *3* years in a row too.
There was a period of 2 years where the Celtics were almost unbeatable at home. In those 2 years, including the playoffs, they went something like 96-4 at home.
You just watched the
greatest all around
player in NBA history !
He was also a coach of the year and an executive of the year. Bird and Magic absolutely saved a dying NBA.
There is a reason Magic, His Airness MJ, The Black Momba, and King Bron all had Bird in their top 5
You talked right over when they said Larry returned to the game with “an apparent fracture of his right cheek(bone)” - he also had a concussion, but came back in (against team doctor’s orders) and dominated !
Our mistake. But that’s impressive he came back with a concussion and dominated 😲😲
@@youngmisguided A concussion and double vision. He snuck out when the doctor wasn't looking.
@@youngmisguided Did you see the glare in Larry's eyes when he came back & squatted down waiting to be let back in. He was scoping Person who *thought* was going to win the game with Larry out. Larry wasn't going to sit in the locker room and hurried out of there before they brought the chains in to keep him out of the game.
Nothing or anyone can hold Larry off the court. Only his failing body after 5+ years of chasing the ball with multiple injuries.
@@youngmisguided As to why he didn't sit on the bench, Larry couldn't sit on the bench. His back was so messed up that if he sat it took too long for him to get back up. So from like 86 on he didn't sit any more unless he was done.
He also chugged a beer before coming back out…
in a 9 year run from 1980 to 1989, Larry Bird got 67% of all MVP
' votes that were cast. All other players combined only received 33% of the votes.
They did show the redemption with magic. Bird hit a three to win and then the crowd swarmed. You both weren’t looking 😂
That cat was the most all around complete player; a walking arsenal, backed up with a hard warrior's attitude. He has been called "more dangerous when he doesn't have the ball" - because he's about to make something deadly happen.
Besides his shooting and passing, Bird averaged 10.0 rebounds for his career. He also made the NBA All Defensive 2nd Team three times. He won MVP three times (in consecutive years) and came in 2nd another four times.
Damn bird was a bad man
Oh yeah - he also won Coach of the Year and later Executive of the Year with the Pacers.
He also led the league in defensive wins shares in a season 4 times only Russel, Miken and Duncan have more. He was a good defender as a younger player once the injuries happen it robbed him of quickness.
I would also ask you to watch Tom Chambers highlights he was probably the Most athletic white dude you will ever see. Man 6’11 and could run and jump with anyone.
Larry Legend. 🔥🔥🔥. One of a kind. No one like him even to this day. The most complete player.
LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN & THE TRUE GOAT 🐐 ☘️
Definitely a great player. Thanks for checking out the video
Bird was the guy who dominated the golden era of the NBA. He got 67% of all MVP votes in the 80's against Dr. J, Magic, Jordan, Isaiah, Drexler, Malone etc
Jordan was playing but was just another good guy in the 80's, he became great only after Magic and Bird retirement.
He was the best player of the modern era. The nba modern era was the best basketball.
Jordan became a hall of famer in the beginning of the 90s.
Welcome to the Larry Bird rabbit hole. #birdgang some of the best people on UA-cam will be here liking, commenting, and suggesting videos. Enjoy the ride!
Feels good to be apart of #birdgang 😎. Thanks for watching the video hopefully you liked and subbed
1. Isaiah Thomas was a fantastic player, and that inbound pass that Larry stole was pure hustle on Larry's part. He ran far enough that Isaiah just never saw him coming. Isaiah looking left at Laimbeer to pass it in and Larry ran 15-20' over from Isaiah'a right.
2. I believe Magic absolutely meant it when he said greatest basketball player ever. He had said in several interviews, "Larry was the only guy i feared when i played." This was 1992. Jordan was becoming known as the greatest at that point, but Magic and Larry had just dominated the league for a dozen years and Larry (to ne, anyway) is still the most talented overall player the league has seen. All aspects of the game combined. No holes, great at a lot, good at everything, running a bit slower and not jumping as high as many but still dominating because of pure skill is just incredibly impressive. That team won 29 games the year before Larry joined. He led them to 61 his rookie year. 60+ in 6 of his first 7 seasons (and 59 in his 8th), 51+ every year he played, and the one year he couldn't play because of double achilles surgery, they were 42-40 for an 8 seed...
I heard in an interview that Isaiah was never (or rarely) the inbounder, so he just wasn't used to the situation at hand. I was a Hawks fan at the time, so Larry always killed us too. Plenty of highlights from that 60-point game ugggh lol.
@@slb159 Isaiah has stated that he did not inbound the ball hardly at all.
If you keep watching Larry, you’ll notice that, when it comes to passing, Larry perfectly combined basketball, football and volleyball. With his long quarterback-like passes and his bump passing it was a perfect blend.
Also, Larry and Magic were great friends off the court. They became friends while filming a commercial at Larry property.
You do know Bird is the founding member of the 50-40-90 club, he played with a broken back, concussion, fractured face, week after foot surgery his basketball IQ was genius. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved the NBA. Love love love 80s basketball!!
You’re not wrong about Larry looking slow…he wasn’t a “fast” player. But what you have to realize, why those jab steps broke those ankles, was because his offensive game was 100% complete. You had to respect the jab, while trying to prepare for the rest of his arsenal because offensively he could do it all….so it has you off balance.
Awh okay it makes sense now
His BODY was slow. But his BRAIN was faster than anybody else
@@CBrady-jw8ps I think it was Clyde Drexler who said, talking about Bird, "He was playing chess out on the court when everybody else was playing checkers." And Byron Scott said, after talking about how Larry was slow, couldn't jump, wasn't super athletic, etc. -- "He just knew how to play the game."
Bird looked pretty quick in those games early on in his career. While a lot of the players he played against as a rookie werent the fastest, I watched some of the highlights on here, and he honestly looked pretty damn quick in comparison.
Fast is different from athletic. The people that claim Bird wasnt athletic are OUT OF THEIR MINDS. Larry Bird was a GREAT athlete, especially before the back injuries.
Slow? Luka is slow. Jokic is slow. They make Bird look like a sprinter.
Larry wasn't just competing with every black player he was dominating them. That is a fact! They will tell you themselves.
So did Rick barry
Bird is the real GOAT ! By
the way , Larry did all the
beating …. he feared no
other , they feared him !
What made Bird so special was that he didn't do it all himself; he made his teammates better. With his passes, his teammates had to be paying attention 100% of the time because the ball might appear at any time.That kept them involved, and made them better. Boston went from 29 wins the year before Bird to 61 wins with him as a rookie. In college, he took the Indiana State Sycamores to an undefeated regular season, and to the NCAA finals, where they lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State, and it wasn't because Indiana State had a bunch of talent other than Bird.
I watched both Larry and Michael Jordan play in person. Both are total legends. I used to play the video game called Jordan vs Bird back when I was a kid. I would walk into the arena and see Bird on the other team and think "Awe, man we gonna lose".
I agree with the other guy.. watch "Larry Bird, greatest passer of all-time ( with re-edit)"... People might snicker at the title until they watch it
Okay we’ll check it out. Appreciate you watching the video
All reactors are shocked when they see how great Larry's passing was. Got to check it out.
The reason his jab step and pump fakes were so effective was because of his insane shooting accuracy and clutchness.
Birds career was cut short by a few years because of a back injury. He hurt it off the court, helping to lay down a driveway. He had issues with it for his last few seasons, and a cheap shot by Bill Laimbeer made it much worse.
Oh damn I didn’t know that. Hate his career got cut short
He played half of his career with that bad back, his entire career with a mangled index finger on his shooting hand, and his final three years after double achilles surgery.... and still made 12 all star teams & 10 all nba in 12 seasons
"A few"? He played from 1986 to 1992 with a degenerative back problem and was still the best in NBA history, just imagine had he not had that injury!
One of the problems players had with Larry was he could pass anywhere on the courts or shoot from anywhere while being double teamedwhich gave him an edge plus the fact he looked slow but every legend who played against him including Jordan said that was very deceiving and if you dropped your guard he would embarrass you. So much more to see of bird but without magic neither would have been as great as they drove each other crazy. They single handedly saved the NBA from ruin in the early 80s. So the likes of the billy goat Jordan come rise to the top just like Kobe and lebron afterwards. If we are talking about the most important NBA legends these two exceed everyone else.
A lot of basketball players did things better than The Bird, but nobody did EVERYTHING as well as The Bird, which is why he's the greatest all-around basketball player of all time. End of story.
you know without Larry and Magic there would be no NBA they saved the league
They saved it and these gangster idiots of today have destroyed it!
REALLY' another GreaT BLACK player at that time reconsider your Thought process. WhiTe VERSES BlacK is How they became PrimeTime' JUST so happens Magic had 1 over on Bird -COLLEGE TitLE MADE it watchable Tv ANDDDDDDDDDDDDD now You know the REST of theSToRy .
@@earlshannon1048 I gather you mean the league right?
WRONG' DO REALLY BELIEVE the league NEEDED another GREAT BlacK player in that era ?
Great reaction. Thanks! Bird was the best small forward ever. I watched him from the beginning all the way until his bad back made him retire. The night before a big game Bird could be found at a local bar drinking everyone under the table and getting into fist fights.Two Pat Riley quotes about Bird:
1) "If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan; If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life...I'd take Larry Bird."
2) "He's the greatest clutch player I've ever seen. The hell with Jerry West!"
Also Magic DOES hold Larry in high esteem.
Larry Bird retired because he really had no choice. He had given his all and his body wouldn't take anymore. He injured his back in 1985, shoveling gravel to make his Mama a driveway. That was when he was in his prime. Each year, his back got increasingly worse. The last four, or so years, Bird had to lay down on the sidelines, when not in the game, and on planes, because he couldn't bear to sit. Some games, he wore a brace, or spent the night in traction, just so he could play the next game. It took hours of stretching and adjustment to get his spine aligned to hold long enough for him to play. Larry played many years in terrible pain...and he still put up awesome numbers. He endured because he loved the game so much. He finally retired in 1992, just after coming back from the '92 Dream Team, in the Olympics. The only reason he even played was because Magic talked him into going. After returning from the Olympics, Bird told the Celtics he was done, just about a week before his contract for the next year was to kick in. They told him to take a week or so and think about it. Bird said he knew what they were trying to do. His answer was that he wasn't going to take the money if he couldn't play. He could have hung around and tried a game or two and took the money, (millions) but he said no. That was Larry Bird.
After retiring, he had surgery to have his spine fused.
His retirement ceremony was in 1993, on a night that there were no game at the garden...yet the garden was sold out...for Bird.
There are many, many videos on Larry Bird...passing re-edited (awesome), trash talking, injuries...just look. You will find them. "Making the case for Larry Bird..." and the documentary "A Courtship of Rivals," (about Bird and Magic), are good ones, too.
Larry Bird was awesome!
Oh, and MJ came into the NBA in 1984. So, yeah, he was around.
React to more Bird vids. There're a ton of amazing video's of him. He is top 3 all time. Subbed!!
Yeah the ending really didnt do him justice. But we got you, thanks for watching hopefully you liked and subbed
Ok guys. Larry won the 3 pt contest 3 years in a row. He was the first guy to have a 50=40=90 pct season, and he did it 2 years in a row. His Celtics were also 6-0 against Jordans Bulls in the playoffs. His retirement ceremony, all those people including Magic were there on a night that there was not even a game. Just for Larry's retirement. Larry had the most complete game I ever saw. Score, pass and he even had more rebounds a game that guys like Patrick Ewing and a bunch of others. You need to check out Pete Maravich too. Magic says he stole almost all his moves from Pistol Pete. Pete's pro career was cut short by knee injuries, but he was a top scorer his 1st few seasons. Also even though Pete only played 3 years of college ball (not allowed to play varsity as a freshman back then) he is still today the all time leading scorer in college basketball. He avg's 44 pts a game for all 3 years and did it with no 3 pt line. They went back and checked the score bookd from the games and Pete avg'd 13 shots a game that would have been 3s if there was a 3 pt line. So just with the shots he actually took he would have avg's 57 pts a game for his 3 years. Before Pete signed with the NBA, the Harlem Globetrotters tried to sign him. He invented a whole lot of what you see guys doing still today.
Larry beat every brother he ever encountered. What' your not seeing in all his moves is his mind. He has the whole evolving game mapped out in his head Not only does he know where his teammates are going to be before they do, He knows where his opponents will be before they do. That in itself makes Larry Bird the best ever to never have an equal.
Magic & Larry, resurrected the game of basketball......My dad loved basketball, but stopped watching, until the competition between Johnson & Bird was highlighted......What my Dad used to say, Larry's game reminded him of someone, who was not only playing basketball, but also, volleyball, dodgeball, hockey, baseball, track & Field, soccer, poker, & strategic chess in his head, and that's what made him so great 😊He certainly was one of the most unique and gifted players, I have ever watched!
Literally magic and Larry saved the NBA, the NBA finals were not live on TV like today. Definitely react to magic next.
LJB. Greatest all around basketball player EVER. If I'm making a team. My first pick is Larry Legend
Today's game might be faster but it was FAR more physical 30+ years ago. The talent was also better back then. If Bird played today he would thoroughly dominate the game. Bird was the most complete basketball player ever with a mental toughness that was off the charts. Shooting and passing was unreal. Solid rebounder, he did everything on the court..
Bird best allaround basketball player ever
Thanks so much for the reaction! Larry was before my time. I would have loved to watch him play in person. I would love to see you react to 'Making the Case' for Larry Bird.
Yeah watching this made us gain some more respect for him, and appreciate you checking the video, and yeah we’ll definitely add that to the list.
Larry graduated high school same year as me, different schools. Our team travelled to French Lick to play his team. They (really him) beat us by 64 points (worse defeat in our schools history). Nobody knew Larry Bird back then, and he hadn’t even developed all of his skills yet. Years later I saw him play for the Celtics several times. Always a thrill to watch the Hick from the Sticks play ball.
Don’t be fooled. Larry might have looked slow, but he was getting the best of the most athletic players of his day INCLUDING MJ, Hakeem, Dominique, Dr.J, etc etc etc. Why? BCUZ NO MATTER HOW FAST A BODY IS, LARRYS *BRAIN* WAS FASTER.
I’ll remember that next time I’m playing a pick up game 😎😎
He’s the founding member of the 50-40-90 club and did that 3 times. You should look at the film “bird is from another world “ when he got injured he never took anything for pain he was just the toughest player ever.
You are right, but Bird did it two times, not three.
You guys should watch this game. Keep in mind this is old Larry with a broken back: Michael Jordan vs Larry Bird Highlights (1991.03.31) - 71pts, Crazy Battle! Must Watch!
thanks we’re adding it to the list😁, appreciate you watching the video hopefully you liked and subbed
Pat Riley summed it up best:
"If I had to choose one guy to take a shot to SAFE MY LIFE, it would be Larry Bird."
Nuff said.
What u don’t understand is he was so good that when he made the slightest move they didn’t want to get beat !! One of those guys he almost broke ankles was Dominique Wilkens ! A hall of famer who was also a great defender
Before Larry Bird the NBA post season games were played on re run.
He’s off the charts great.
Theres SO much more to Larry you guys have to see, he was an (amazing) passer, had amazing assists, one of the best shooters and playmakers ever seen, and he would tell opposing teams and opposing players what shot or play he was going to make on them - and then do it time after time. He combined head fakes with step backs and had players falling all over the place. Check out larry birds "greatest passing/re-edit video, youll love it.
62 years old. Grew up taking the bus to MSG to see Clyde and Willis Reed and Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe. Watched all the way up to Bird and Magic, even some of Jordan. I never thought about race like you two. Sad.
We weren't saying it to be disrespectful I've heard NBA players talk about Larry and one of the things they've said is "Larry said putting a white guy on me is disrespectful". So I was just referring to that. Didn't mean to offend you in anyway.
@@youngmisguided I get it your, not disrespectful at all. This putting a color label on everything lately is just getting …. Old.
"Most" top Pro-Players in the 80s era give the nod to Larry over Magic. Mostly because of Larry's *3* point shooting was ruthless *and* endlessly clutch.
Magic had a way better team.
I'm a 67 year old avid sports fan, I used to get excited when Celtics - Lakers were about to play, never felt like that before or since.
If you want more Larry Bird, you should watch "Making the Case - Larry Bird," and you absolutely should watch the documentary "Magic Johnson and Larry Bird: A Courtship of Rivals Basketball." It's one of the best sports documentaries ever - maybe THE best.
And he averaged 10 rebounds a game for his career. His passing was even better than his shooting, but he was a top rebounder.
He had that tangible “winner” mentality that magic, Jordan, Duncan, etc.… Have
Another thing about Bird, he was on the All Defense team 3 different times throughout his career. He was an incredibe multi-faceted player.
Larry broke ankles, because he already had people off balance, he could go left, right, stand there or go bank and get his shot off, so he needed to see someone leaning and make his move.
Also this is 40 years ago, a lot of quick little jab steps were NEW back then. Defenders weren't used to them. He might have been the first to regularly use the step back.
Larry Bird is the BEST all round player the league has EVER seen, bar none. Larry did routinely what other players could only dream of doing. I watched Larry from the time he walked on the court to his retirement. He is the reason I became a Celtic's fan and I don't live anywhere near Boston, I live in Missouri. His stats are as good or better than ANYONE'S in the game. Larry greatly helped the NBA in a time when it was being put on a back burner for re-runs. Larry and Magic became the greatest of friends. He told Larry at his retirement ceremony "Larry, I really going to miss playing you, you challenge me in ways no other player can. Just when I think I've seen all your moves, you come up with shit I haven't seen anyone do before".
Everything he did in his career he did handicapped. Between college and his rookie season he busted his shooting hand playing , I believe it was softball. His finger never healed 100% and remained bent as he put it "like a boomerang". He said he never got back the ball feel he had prior to that injury.
All this while being handicapped is crazy😮😮
In the past 50 years, here are the highest Total Career Avg Stat Points (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK)
#1) Jordan = 44.7
#2) LeBron = 44.3
#3) Bird = 43.1
#4) Kareem = 42.9
...many other players
#21) Curry = 37.3
That's just to put things into perspective and to show you how great Larry Bird was.
Why would Larry wear Jordan's when he dominated Jordan? Jordan couldn't win until Larry was disabled and still has a losing record to Larry.
Lmao because Larry was ahead of his time🤣😎😎(joking).
I have Larry at number two of all time right behind Jordan. But in a draft I would take Larry first because he’s such a good team leader
@@youngmisguided Their careers overlapped. Jordan was 0-6 against Bird in playoff games. Which kills this lifelong NC fan to admit. lol! And Bird had his own shoe by Converse.
Great video guys!!!
You should check out Larry Bird and Michael Jordan tearing it up playing together on team USA's Dream Team! 😁
I forgot they were on team USA together, yeah I’m adding that to the list
@@youngmisguided "Dream Team" documentary reaction is a *must* watch!
@@youngmisguided it's a must. The 1992 Olympic team is the best basketball team ever assembled
He also re-taught himself how to shoot the ball after mangling his fingers playing softball in the off season between graduating from college and his rookie year. The Celtics almost dropped him once they heard about what happened. But Red took Larry out to shoot and talk to him and was persuaded to give him a chance. The index finger on Larry's shooting hand is still contorted to this day.
No MVPs? Were you saying that about Larry, or did i misunderstand? He was 4th in mvp voting while winning rookie of the year (63-3 over Magic). His 2nd-9th seasons, he finished 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 3, 2 in mvp voting while receiving 67% of all mvp votes in that 8 year span. From 1980-88, he dominated the league for a decade. He was all nba each of his first 10 seasons, 9 times first team, including his rookie year
boys.... Dude won three straight MVPs in Magic's prime, he meant it
Janes Worthy is credited as saying, "Michael Jordan makes you look slow; Larry Bird makes you look stupid."
Magic and Larry are still best friends. Watch their David Letterman appearance together...it's funny and heart-touching. You will also enjoy Larry Bird Trash Talking and Greatest Passes (re-edit)
Larry was the only player Jordan and team could not meet. He had more wins in the regular season and never lost to the Bulls in the playoffs.
Legend 👆🏻
Defenders would freeze against Bird. If you stepped up on him, he could get by you with a fake and a great first step, or he'd just hit the open man with a great pass. If you backed off, he'd sink the jumper from anywhere on the floor. Defenders were helpless.
Subbed for more Larry Bird. This was a really good reaction, with open mindedness, honesty, and objectivity.
Really appreciate it. And yeah we try to be open minded, and critical without being disrespectful. Because we realize he is great
The NBA wasn't slow, the difference is they actually played more physically and by the rules back then and the refs called carries & travels when they occurred. It tends to look quicker when every other move made in today's game is technically illegal.
Please watch “Making the case” , Larry Bird. Also Jordan v Bird. You dudes will be amazed!
You didn't know Larry Legend could pass,??? He's one of the 3 best passers in NBA history. Y'all need to watch some more. Larry Bird
It’s good you r catching up on Bird. Take more time and you will see the genius. It becomes more and more sick to understand no one could stop him. Injuries are what took him down.
Yeah I’m starting to be a fan
To think the NBA was slow in Larry’s time is forgetting that they were playing the “Showtime Lakers”, and several other teams who pushed the ball. Check out the Denver Nuggets of this era. Alex English, who most people nowadays never even heard of, scored more points than Magic, Bird, Kareem, Dr. J, or any other player in the 80s. Players now may be more developed physically, but not to the extent younger people assume. Check out the Tom Chambers mix tape. Put respect on these guys. They were more dedicated and fundamentally sound. The greats didn’t go trophy hunting, Magic, Bird, Isaiah, Duncan, Robinson, just to name a few.
Check out Larry Bird Greatest Passer Ever re-edit and Larry Bird making the case for starters.
What makes Larry Legend even more amazing, is that he played his entire NBA career with a shooting hand index finger shaped much like a boomerang, permanently bent toward his thumb at a 45-degree angle from and injury he sustained playing softball. Two operations have failed to straighten it; he can bend it only halfway to his palm. You can clearly see the finger at 3:30. Still became the founding member of the 50-40-90 club, pioneer the art of the dagger 3 and many more accomplishments playing with a destroyed finger. You guys should start at the beginning and watch the Untold Story of Larry Bird. Then the 5 times Bird played injured. The best overall narrative video to watch is Making the Case. Just try not to talk over the narration because you may miss some important info ;)
You should check out; Making The Case for Larry Bird. Enjoyed
dont forget he also won Coach of the Year ( with the pacers ), and also won Executive of the Year. Making him the only person in history with Rookie of the Year, Season MVP, FInals MVP, Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year. Every facet of this game, he has been awarded as the best. He was the first player to ever shoot a 50-40-90 season ( did it twice in a row ). Add on top of that he has the second highest win % in NBA history behind Magic by only 0.5%. Swept MJ twice in a row in the play offs 6-0 and has a 23-11 season record against MJ. Making him the most successful player against MJ ever. MJ never won a ring until Bird was out with surgery or injured.
The league today is a
girls league ! 80’s NBA
was the real deal !
They packed the place for his retirement with no game.
The GOAT!!! Lets see if ya get a new sub for this :)
No new sub because ya missed too much of the commentary.... I will definitely check ya out if ya react to him again!
Dude on the left needs to show some respect to the GOAT.
His teammate Cedric Maxwell said black player's wore Prejudice they didn't think there was a white guy that could play as good as them. LOL
Yea instead a white man dominated them. The guy on the left obviously dislikes white people.
That's hilarious because I could see them being mad about that. If anything, you'd think they'd be impressed.😂
The greatest ever. More end of time, game winning shots than anyone. Dropped 47 on Portland left handed! Won 3 MVPs during the greatest era of players. 3 3 point contest in a row , one while wearing his warm up stuff! Played the last 6 years with a broken back and blown Achilles tendon! Was the first 50/40/90 guy. When playing the bulls in conference finals, swept them! As a rookie, on third day of camp, came out and told reporters, this league is nothing, I will dominate this league! Worthy said, he would rather guard Jordan than Bird! Made 2 shots on purpose from behind the backboard! Got the whole Atlanta bench in trouble, for his shooting display against them. When the rockets had the Twin Towers, they should have won 2 titles. Bird and the Celtics, stopped them! He's the goat. He once told an opposing player who has a good first half against him, " are ur parents here, cuz ur not gonna want them to see, what I'm about to do to you!" So Bird drops 27 on him in the second half, and also shut him down. He tells the guy after the game, " that was for ur mom!" Ice cold!
Third comment. Jordan is 0-6 vs Bird in the post season
Damn the way people talk about Jordan you’d think he beat him all the time
btw, about the trash-talking -- my favorite was his response to Hodges... Larry had won the 3-pt contest three years in a row, with Hodges coming in second. The year after that Larry was injured and couldn't compete, and Hodges won. A reporter asked Hodges if Larry's absence let him win, and Hodges retorted, "Larry knows where to find me"
Larry's response? "Yes, I know where to find him. At the end of Chicago's bench."
Appreciate everyone who watched the video, hope you guys like and sub to the channel. 🎉
Any recommendations drop em here, ight peace
The best Michael Jordan vs Larry Bird story ever told is a newer video and it is very well done.
You got to react to Bird's 60pt game, it's unreal. He hits from everywhere.
Ok, y'all need to watch something about Pistol Pete. Pete has no rival. None. He still holds records that haven't been broken 40+ years later.
Larry Bird Almost Makes A Player Commit Suicide. HILARIOUS story told by Jayson Williams.
ua-cam.com/video/rzgXzwZBZgk/v-deo.html
@@LadyShar thanks we’re adding it to the list😁, appreciate you watching the video hopefully you liked and subbed
4:24 first, love your commentary, thanks guys. And second, people were psyched out by Bird so they overcommitted, that was his game and how good he was.
Luka isn't comparable to larry bird cause he white bro haha why everyone do that. this dude was LEGEND status
Never watched him prior to this video so I could only go off what I heard in the sports world🤷🏾🤷🏾
@@youngmisguided gotta respect that then
Larry and Magic began as rivals who hated each other, but over time, they became the greatest of friends. When Magic was diagnosed with HIV Larry was one of the first players to call and check on him, many didn't call at all. Every player who laces up their sneakers today owes a debt to Larry and Magic for revitalizing the game and bringing back the fans and sponsors. Before they arrived in 1979 the NBA wasn't even on prime time TV. Pat Riley once said of Larry Bird "If I needed a player to make a shot to win the game, I would choose Michael Jordan, but if I needed a player to make a shot to save my life, I would choose Larry Bird". He was the best clutch player ever and is the only player back then who called his shots and then made them! There is a reason why the other players call him Larry Legend. He is one of the greatest of all time, literally saved the game with his Magic Johnson rivalry, but because he is white, no one knows his name.
Wait until you see his passing and assiste videos-!!!!
He only shook one man’s hand in any. It was Majic. He loved him
These players of today might be athletic but can't shoot alick today the game is boring
I can't understand how this is the first time someone who has followed basketball is watching Bird for the first time.
Man I must be getting old. I watched so many of his games live and these highlight reals are something he did every single game night in and night out, That's why the people who saw him play every game call him the GOAT.
I don't know who the GOAT is because someone needs to define the criteria.
However, Larry Bird is the greatest all-around player in NBA history.
He might not have been the best in any one category, but he is among the best in all categories.
Larry was different. He was about winning, not stats, but in the big situation he wanted the ball because he felt he could score any time he wanted.
Pat Riley said it best, and I am paraphrasing here - If I needed someone to score to win a game I would choose Michael Jordan. If I needed someone to score to save my life I would choose Larry Bird.
Bird knew where every player on the court was at all times.
Here are just a few things, as there is much more, about Bird.
Bird won the first 3 3-point shooting contests, not even taking off his warmup jacket in the last one.
James Worthy said he would rather guard Jordan than Bird because when guarding Bird you had to be constantly thinking.
Dennis Rodman talked about guarding Bird and if he looked away for 1 second Bird was far away from him.
Bird led the league in Defensive Win Shares 4 times.
But here is a stat few people realize and these are just a sample of the players - if you look at defensive rebounds per game, Birds averaged more than Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal.
But maybe the biggest thing about Bird is the mentality he brought to the game and his immediate affect on the Celtics
The Celtics record the year before Bird joined was 29-53
The Celtics record in Birds first year was 61-21, Bird started in all 82 games and averaged 36 minutes a game,
In Birds first 7 years the Celtics won more than 60 games 6 times.
During Birds career, when he played a majority of games, the Celtics won at least 51 games in a season.
Damn Larry was great i wish i got to see him up close and in person. I bet it was something to watch