Question for the seasoned Celtics fan, what was it that made Larry Bird so great. I didn't get into basketball until 93' (cause I wanted the Suns to beat the Bulls) but remember when he retired (Bird) because I knew he had a helluva legacy. I've seen the same highlights over and over, but they don't show the deminsions of the player. How did he carry himself? How did his teammates regard him? You can look at records, but that doesn't share the feeling of being a true Bird fan. I noticed first hand what made Jordan so great, but didn't get to experience Bird as much.
God, I'll try and keep this under a thousand words... There was just something amazing about Larry Bird. It was an aura around him. I remember being 6 years old and going to my first Celtics game at the old Boston Garden: it was 1986 and the Celtics were rolling on their way to the NBA Title. When Larry walked onto the court, all eyes just immediately became focused on him. Even if you didn't follow basketball, you could just tell that this was THE MAN. As cliche as it sounds, you knew you were in the presence of greatness. When he was on the floor, you never once doubted that the Celtics would win. Larry could take the most off-balance, falling out of bounds, why on earth are you shooting that shot... and you would be more amazed if he missed than if it went in. You just felt that every big shot he every took would go in, that every game he played the Celtics were never out of and that even if they were down 10 win a minute a go, Larry and Company would find a way to pull out the win. The thing about Larry and his teammates, you never knew if they really liked each other, and later we heard that he and McHale clashed frequently. But you could see that everyone on that team knew what he was capable of and respected it. Everyone knew their role, knew Larry was the man, no questions asked. And Larry knew what everyone of them did well and tried to bring it out of them. Would McHale and Parish have been Hall of Famers on another team? Maybe, but not the motal locks they were by the time Larry handed them the keys to the franchise. There was a mutual respect, I think, and even if they didn't always see eye to eye on things, the Celtics always played well on the court, not letting petty crap get in the way of the bigger goal. Larry always made the right pass and had a motor that wouldn't quit. I remember Larry saying once that he never trusted a ref and so he never just let a ball go out of bounds, cause the ref could get it wrong. And so there was Larry, the franchise player, throwing himself around like a guy desperate just to make the roster. That attitude permiated the roster all the way down and made everyone play harder, because if Larry would do that, then damn, we better too. No one thought it was Larry trying to do something for the camera, he was doing it because he wanted to win. Thats the thing that always kind of annoyed me about Jordan, and Kobe now, is that I wonder if somethings are just for the sake of the cameras. You never thought that about Larry, or Magic for that matter. He was slow, white, couldn't jump that high... but he'd beat you everytime if you gave him an inch. Maybe its hero worship, maybe my perspective has been jaded since I bleed Celtic green and view the world through Shamrock glasses, but to me Larry was every bit the man, the myth and the Legend that people make him out to be, and then some.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CeltsMan54:</div><div class="quote_post">God, I'll try and keep this under a thousand words... </div> Thanks for the insight. That kind of description really paints a picture and adds depth to the image of who he was. I always thought that McHale and Bird got along pretty well.
I couldn't have summed it up any better Celtsman. Larry Bird is one of my favorite players of all time. I love him because he is an example that you don't have to be the quickest or jump the highest to be successful. The main reason Larry was so good was because he worked hard and did'nt beleive that anyone was better than him. He was a great shooter, passer and rebounder. He was also a great defender but a lot of people don't give him credit for that. Larry also got in other players head. He talked trash to them in a classy way that really messed with their heads. He cooperated with his teammates very well and was extremelly humble.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AA13:</div><div class="quote_post">He talked trash to them in a classy way that really messed with their heads.</div> Yeah, like when he walked into the locker room before the three point contest and asked who was playing for second. Or the time he told Xavier McDaniel that the final play was coming through him and exactly where he was going to shoot it from... and then drill it in McDaniel's face.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CeltsMan54:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah, like when he walked into the locker room before the three point contest and asked who was playing for second. Or the time he told Xavier McDaniel that the final play was coming through him and exactly where he was going to shoot it from... and then drill it in McDaniel's face.</div> I remember Magic on Sportscentury saying that he had to miss a playoff game due to sickness against the Celtics. He said Larry came over to where I was and he told me, "I'm going to put on a special show for you since you don't get to play." Magic said everytime he scored Larry looked over at Magic and winked. I think Larry ended up scoring 40 some points that game. magic said that he was mad when he left the Garden. The next game Magic didn't play well and he blames it only Larry's trash talk.
I don't have the time to write the doctoral dissertation length answer that this question requires, so for now, I agree with everything Celtsman said.
As a Knicks fan and someone who hated Larry Bird, I can give you another perspective. Not only did I hate him because he beat the Knicks over and over with his ability to shoot from anywhere and was deadly with 3 pointers, but also because he was so cocky and he would often trash talk to his opponents. Of course he did this to give himself an advantage, but I think it's a true reflection of how he felt about himself and how the Celtics felt about their team. They were all just plain cocky but were good enough to back it up.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Waneko:</div><div class="quote_post">They were all just plain cocky but were good enough to back it up.</div> Yeah, but I've always thought that there was is fine line between cocky and arrogant and they always seemed to toe the line very well. Cocky is ok, its when you step over into arrogance that you lose. In that respect, you have to thank the Showtime Lakers for keeping the Celtics humble. They were a great contrast to each other and created a great rivalry. If they weren't there I think the Celtics could have rolled through the 80's like the Bulls of the 90's.
