Bird really likes ‘our’ team</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <span class="articleBegin">I</span>NDIANAPOLIS - Larry Bird is in charge of the Indiana Pacers’ fortunes now, and he’s always had a Hoosier heart. But there’s still some Boston blood in his veins.</p> While saying he’s happy for the Celtics, check out the Pacers president’s use of the word “our” in the following paragraph.</p> “Yeah, I am (pleased to see the Celtics prominent again), especially for Paul (Pierce),” Bird said before the C’s-Pacers game last night at Conseco Fieldhouse. “He was there through some very tough times. Our fans went through some tough times out there for a long period. And Boston’s one of the greatest - if not the greatest - sports towns in America, so I’m happy for them.”</p> Noting that he still has feeling for the C’s, the Hall of Famer added, “Not tonight, but overall, yeah. I grew up in Boston, got a lot of fans out there. But this is where I’m at now. I’m very happy here and I want to see our team win.”</p> As good as the reception has been for the new Celtics of Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the trio has a long way to go to match the mania of the Bird era.</p> “There’s no experience like it,” Bird said. “They get down on you when you lose, but if you bounce back and win they’ll be behind you. It’s just a great place to play - a lot of fan support - and I had a lot of great teammates. That’s a good combination.”</p> Speaking of the way things had been lately, he added, “If it was in the old Garden it would have been a little different, but they’ve got a new venue and things are different. It really wasn’t the same for me to go back. Obviously we had a lot of people out there I knew and a lot of them still come to games. It just felt different to me going into a different building.”</p> When asked, jokingly, if it was to say nice things about former teammate and current C’s director of basketball operations Danny Ainge, Bird waited a moment before delivering the barb.</p> “No. I’m very happy for Danny,” he said. “He went through a rough period, like me and Kevin (McHale, the GM in Minnesota) have been going through.”</p> Then Bird zinged.</p> “If you want to pat someone on the back,” he said, “pat McHale on the back.”</p> Bird also had a shot for former teammate and current radio analyst Cedric Maxwell, who reportedly has placed Garnett second on the list of best C’s behind Bill Russell.</p> “That’s fine,” Bird said. “Max quit on us, and he’ll probably quit on them before the season’s up.”</p> </div></p>
Of course Bird considers himself a Celtic for life, thus believes that the fans carry over throughout all Celtic achievements "Our."</p> I don't blame him.</p>
