NBA Legends Explain How Larry Bird Made everyone Look Bad

"Michael made you look slow. Larry made you look stupid."

Larry was the incarnation of the game, he understood how to play. Knew when to pass, when to go pick and roll, when to take a shot, etc... Many kids should take inspiration in him instead of just wanting to dunk anytime.

Larry Bird retired 30 years ago and ppl still talk about him like he’s the John Wick of basketball. That’s when you know you’re a bad ass.

It's a testament to a players skill when your greatest rivals still respect you decades later.

I swear the best kind of trash talking is just telling them your game plan. Like telling them the future and they can’t do anything about it. But you can only do it if you’re Larry bird.

“Which one of y’all boys is coming in 2nd?” One of my fav trash talking

I love the joy and love that comes from these guys as they tell the Bird stories. They are genuinely enjoying themselves as they share those memories.

Jordan could Fly, Ervin was Magic, and Larry is Legend.

loved bird as a kid, nice to hear all these legends speak about the bird

He really is one of the best. Loved watching him play. Miss that sportsmanship and love of the game.

James Worthy said guarding Jordan made you look slow but guarding Bird made you look stupid.

Larry Bird is the greatest SF of all time hands down, and has rights to the GOAT

Bird told Cooper, Worthy, Pippen, Rodman, MJ, Magic, Payton anybody try to guard him the play no top 5 ever did that consistently in the playoffs ECF, Finals. A healthy Bird is the goat 🐐 broke hand predraft & broke back mid 3 time MVP run. Imagine if he was healthy 3x MVP & Finals.

Legend was cerebral asf. As an LA kid and die hard Lakers fan, Larry was the only player on the Celtics that I feared. Without Bird, the Celtics would've been just an average team. People seem to forget he won 3 straight Association MVP's- 1984, 85, 86. Dude was a straight up killer.

Birds intelligence of the game and his mental game were elite. His shot accuracy and his deception tactics were also next level. He was constantly a step ahead making his opponents think he was going the other direction. Bird was a scientist on the court in my opinion. He could break it down entirely, master the understanding of the game and throw everything he learned right in your face. A lot of people couldn’t contend with that.

never enough about Larry, he was mean and scary but only for the game, the best type of athlete masterclass

Bird is the most underrated player in NBA history. If he played in the modern NBA with all the rules against physical play, he would have been twice as effective. Bird was getting hammered on a regular basis during his career, it would still happen but much, much less and there would be a lot more fouls called.

People don't realize that Larry watched his father go to work with an ankle that was black and blue and swollen as hell. Kevin Durant is a hell of an offensive player BUT Bird would and could carry a team on his back. He had leadership skills that would be foreign today.

I never get tired of listening to Larry Bird stories

I'm 66, live in LA a huge Wilt and Jerry West fan. I saw Wilt's last game in person. LA against NY. Wilt retired because Jack Kent Cook wouldn't give Wilt a raise, he was making $250,000 and wanted $300, 000 because Peli was making $300,000. West retired at the start of the next season. He was still a very good player, better than most guards in the league but couldn't play up to his own standards. I heard him say in 1973 that someone dribbled past him that had no business being on the court with him....thats when he retired. Bird was the same way. He could still play but he had standards to live up to. Those standards were his own. If Wilt wanted to he could have played two or three more years, told the coach "I want to score more ". Then he would have put the scoring title out of reach of anyone. Remember, Wilt played at Kansas, then played for the Harlem Globe Trotters. Give Wilt 5 more years at a young man, the record might be 45,000 pts. I believe Wilt is the GOAT MJ is the second best. But if I were to start a team my first 2 would be #1. Wilt #2. Bird I hated Larry in the 80s Lakers were my team. But of all the players I miss, from Wilt to Magic to Kobe.... It's LARRY.