I love Pat Riley's response when asked who, all-time, would he give the last shot for the win. He said "If the game was on the line, Jordan. If my life was on the line, Bird."
Celtics were down 1 point, called a timeout. Coach KC Jones drew up on a chalkboard the final play. Bird reached in, erased what KC just wrote and said "Give me the ball." 3 pointer from the corner. Swish.
What's scary is that Bird shattered one of his knuckles before his rookie year and was never the same shooter again. The NBA never saw a 100% Larry Bird.
Worked for a company in SoCal that was based in Boston. A pizza joint next door would fill 50/50 with Lakers and Celtics fans during the finals. Watching Bird and Magic go at it was awesome. The crowd gave each other shit but it was all good natured fun.
Larry Bird famously injured his back in 1985 while paving his mother's driveway. That caused him to suffer back pain which ultimately led to his retirement in 92. He was still producing at a high level in the years immediately after the injury, but he was noticeably affected
I was too you young to see him play in his prime. I remember the years when he was laying on his back on the sidelines, but he was still that guy. How great would it be to be able to get all the greatest players together in their prime and see what shakes out?
I hear people say that, and I don’t doubt it, there’s just no way to know. I have students say Lebron is the greatest, most complete player ever, but I DID see MJ play in his prime, and he was a demon. I’d take MJ over James any day and twice on Sunday.
So weird to see all this recent love for Larry Bird when every story I've ever heard about him paints him as a colossal asshole who was a nightmare to both work and live with.
Nobody is perfect, which is why you give people opportunities to fix mistakes, right wrongs, become a better person etc. But Larry spent his whole life hurting people and then hurting them again when they gave him those redemptive opportunities. We shouldn't hold people to perfection but we should also call out those who time and again prove what giant assholes they are, no matter how good they might be at doing a profession.
There was another instance where he asked a rookie whether or not he was guarding him. When the rook replied "Yeah" Bird just laughed and said: "50." Guess how many points he scored that night...
Bird would go up to the defender, dribble, tell the guy exactly what he was about to do ("I'm gonna fake right, go left, around the top of the key, fake a jumper, then drive in for an easy lay-up.") and then he would do it.
qtRaven
More about Bird:
chingadamadrex
That’s an albino black guy…
I said it.
glovelyday
I love Pat Riley's response when asked who, all-time, would he give the last shot for the win. He said "If the game was on the line, Jordan. If my life was on the line, Bird."
ThailandExpress
Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1566591 Well worth a watch!
taez555
Lies. He's 5 of a kind.
necessity
This man was the GOAT at shit talking. Would demoralize you and then back it up by scoring on you. Insane talent.
CorgisButtsDriveMeNuts
He was basically the ultimate troll, while playing pro on top level pretty much.
57rescraft9
Celtics were down 1 point, called a timeout. Coach KC Jones drew up on a chalkboard the final play. Bird reached in, erased what KC just wrote and said "Give me the ball." 3 pointer from the corner. Swish.
DisneyCountdowns
Larry didn’t consider himself white.
He would yell to the other teams’ bench “you’re guarding me with a white guy..?”
oneofrhesamsame
Tell your grandkids this was the most ruthless shit talker of all time
BestUsernameICouldThinkOf
What's scary is that Bird shattered one of his knuckles before his rookie year and was never the same shooter again. The NBA never saw a 100% Larry Bird.
pete8772
Reminds me of Mickey Mantle’s story.
duktayp
https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUyZGxucHM2ZXM2bGlpcnBjeWl5aTR2M3ZwYzZsa3N4MDU3OWtvYm9nbSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/zJqtphCa87gye5uXu2/giphy.gif
B0reas
Larry was one of the few high quality shit talkers, who actually could back it up. What a legend.
Pyllymysli
Also like the old school heat he is bringing. No your momma or some other stupid shit, but shit like "what you ain't double teaming?"
rolliefingers
An unstoppable fucking psychopath. We should all be thankful that his medium was basketball instead of, like, knives.
TsubakiTragic
Back in the day when basketball shorts were short. Now, they may as well wear a 3 piece suit.
StephenDaniels
AFAIK the only NBA player in history to take deep, deep offense at being guarded by a white player.
FatBastardVegetarian
Why you disrespecting me?
ThailandExpress
WalmartSecurityForce
Was the basket lower than it is today?
whoatherebigfella
As someone who lived through the Michael Jordon dynasty years, I can agree that Larry Bird was a top tier basketball player.
rebelft
Amd they said white men cant jump
TexxasTerror
I'm not a basketball fan, but I watched Bird any time I could, he was not of this world
ababyzarmholdinganapple
Worked for a company in SoCal that was based in Boston. A pizza joint next door would fill 50/50 with Lakers and Celtics fans during the finals. Watching Bird and Magic go at it was awesome. The crowd gave each other shit but it was all good natured fun.
Nalianna
Shit talkin', AND pizza? sign me up.
GuitarsAndCodeAndRage
Just imagine if he hadn't been such a fan of paving driveways
CharlesTooke
?
GuitarsAndCodeAndRage
Larry Bird famously injured his back in 1985 while paving his mother's driveway. That caused him to suffer back pain which ultimately led to his retirement in 92. He was still producing at a high level in the years immediately after the injury, but he was noticeably affected
3Davideo
Don't forget about his at least equally famous brother, Big.
boxbackknitties
I was too you young to see him play in his prime. I remember the years when he was laying on his back on the sidelines, but he was still that guy. How great would it be to be able to get all the greatest players together in their prime and see what shakes out?
pete8772
Wilt would win.
boxbackknitties
I hear people say that, and I don’t doubt it, there’s just no way to know. I have students say Lebron is the greatest, most complete player ever, but I DID see MJ play in his prime, and he was a demon. I’d take MJ over James any day and twice on Sunday.
WhoIsBoop
The slick dick from Deer Lick, baby!
yuenglingandfirefly
French Lick
Snooj
He was so good it was intimidating just being his teammate. Some of the blind passes he makes are ridiculous.
CitrusyGarlic
So weird to see all this recent love for Larry Bird when every story I've ever heard about him paints him as a colossal asshole who was a nightmare to both work and live with.
crateo
Dude, if you can't enjoy genius stuff done by assholes, you will miss a lot of good stuff.
We are not here looking for saints.
CitrusyGarlic
Nobody is perfect, which is why you give people opportunities to fix mistakes, right wrongs, become a better person etc. But Larry spent his whole life hurting people and then hurting them again when they gave him those redemptive opportunities. We shouldn't hold people to perfection but we should also call out those who time and again prove what giant assholes they are, no matter how good they might be at doing a profession.
crateo
Oh, I do. And at the same time I think he was one of the best basketball players ever.
CitrusyGarlic
The more we let talent outweigh shittiness, the more shitheads we're going to have to deal with
33Fox
We aint loving him because he was nice, all those things are still true. But damn that dorky lookin fella could ball!
CitrusyGarlic
/gallery/LO3hLin/comment/2488177455
largo33
pandemicpolemic
"Y'all got a white guy trying to guard me, that's disrespectful. There's not a white guy on the planet that can guard me"
pres465
You better call for the double-team. Lol
HeadJamistan
Title of my sex tape.
Mahanos
There was another instance where he asked a rookie whether or not he was guarding him. When the rook replied "Yeah" Bird just laughed and said: "50." Guess how many points he scored that night...
mychesthairlookslikeacatsass
I love bird stories. I heard one during the 3 point shootout he walked in the locker room and said “alright who’s coming in second?”
The best story like that I heard was when Jordan purposely missed a free throw to leave 45 points on the board so Horace Grant knew 45 wasn’t 23
TerribleAwful
wisher1977
The dude was a sniper with the ball. Could hit the mark every…fucking…time.
Cbouch4rd
Biopic with Edward Norton.
Magnar1183
"Ed...ward Nor...ton...? What sort of stupid cunt name is THAT!?" (My favourite line from Sausage Party.)
rolliefingers
That is deeply disturbing and somehow infuriating. And yet I cannot deny the underlying truth.
glovelyday
Bird would go up to the defender, dribble, tell the guy exactly what he was about to do ("I'm gonna fake right, go left, around the top of the key, fake a jumper, then drive in for an easy lay-up.") and then he would do it.
doctorId
You'd be surprised how few people will take you seriously when you're being transparent and straightforward.
KaptainObveeus
I did this at a poker table. I went all in, smiled at my opponent and said: I have the flush. He thought I was full of shit and called.
glovelyday
He did it often. They took him seriously, but he couldn't be stopped