Bird always said anyone can make a 3 when the game is tied or up but when your down that’s what separates players. He made so many pressure shots and told the other team where he would shoot it from and the play
Rodman is always brought up as one the greatest defenders of all time….but Bird has always said that no one gave him more trouble or guarded him better than Micheal Cooper. Gary Peyton was nick named the glove, he shut down many great players, and he said he hated guarding Bird. Bird’s IQ combined with being 6’10”. Made him nearly unstoppable. He could shoot over the top of most guarding him, and if he had an extreme size advantage against his defender he’d post them up. Jordan’s rookie year, Doug Collins (Bulls coach) put Jordan on Bird. Bird kept posting him up and got 19 points off the bat. Collins switched the match ups after that.
NBA teams didn't average more than 10 three point attempts per game until the year after Bird's retirement. They averaged 3.2, 2.0 and 2.3 team attempts per game the first 3 years after it was adopted. A different era and approach to the game. Larry only competed in the first three 3 point contests, was hurt for the fourth and let the youngsters take it from there.
He said he used to practice 3 pointers with his eyes closed. He also said he always had nerves before every game but once he got on the court and got ahold of the ball they were gone. Another thing I thought was interesting is sometimes he wasn't even thinking about basketball but he'd be thinking about what he has to get done at home or things not related to basketball at all.
What he's saying is that 42.3% is one and a half times as much as 28.2% Bird's percentage was 150% of the NBA average that year. Curry's 45.4% is 1.28 times as much as the league average for that year, so Curry 128% of the NBA average. The math works. He's comparing the gap between the two stars and the league as a whole to the league average.
The difference between the eras is the spacing. Now even ‘bigs’ camp out on the 3pt line. Back then, they would use the 3pt shot to open up the paint. Then go low and pound the low post. And every time the opposing team would adjust, they would switch gears and start shooting more outside shots to open it again.
The 50-40-90 club. He was the first to average 50% field goal percent 40% from 3 point and 90% from the freethrow line in a season. Also remember there was no 3 point line until birds rookie year so nobody practiced them. Also bird broke his hand playing I believe softball before he got to the league and he said he never had them feel for the ball
Want to hear something crazy? The three point rule was new when he was drafted- he had been hitting from that distance in high school and college and only getting two points for it.
If you will check out the top defenders of all time I’m sure coopers name will come up quite often. He was a beast on D and could ball pretty good on offense.
Everybody has to remember that the NBA did not have the three-point line until the year 1979 - 80. So all the players that came into the league around that time have been trained and skilled to run plays it did not incorporate the three-point shot so therefore in those early days of the three-point line teams did not make that a point to put in as some of their plays because their players were not accustomed to shooting from the outside perimeter.
Shooting 3s in this modern age where defense is non-existent is MUCH different from Larry's era when defense had their hands all over you.....STRAIGHT-TALK.....
From deep and when I say deep I’m talking about from 3 point land and beyond Steph is the best I’ve ever seen. From anywhere on the floor Bird is the best I’ve ever seen. There have been so many great 3 point shooters I just can’t pick 3 but I will say this. Bird won the first 3, 3 points contest and was never defeated. In a clutch situation when the game is on the line from long range I’ll take Bird over anyone.
A lot of people attribute Birds greatness to "IQ." He was probably more intelligent than the average NBA player but he wasn't a rocket scientist. He played the game on instinct, smarts, hustle, and sheer will. He was also selfless. He didnt care who got the credit as long as the team was winning. Playing like that over a long period of time helps develop more and more relevant basketball skills. That's how Larry Bird and the other all time greats separated themselves from the rest.
"Strategy" That was the way basketball used to be played. Todays game is only 5/8th or less of what it used to be. From 3pt line to 3pt. line. That's not a game. That's a 3pt competition. In which Larry already proved who's king.
Larry Bird only played in 3 3 point contest 3 years in a row. He didn't compete in a 4th one because he was injured. So he won ever time he competed in.
larry bird is the top three point shooter of all time- SHOW ME ANYONE that has made MORE CLUTCH fourth quarter game winning threes. THAT IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT- OH show me another three-peat three point contest winner- yeah, uh-huh thats what i thought
Find another player other than Larry Legend, who is ranked Top 50 in Points, Rebounds and Assists still today. Oh wait, you can't. Larry is the most complete player to ever do it.
Don't read the other comments.. they are making it hard for the people that aren't good in math. The video did it perfectly. So people like us could understand it easily.
I had to look up how to calculate percentage increase.... Final Value minus Starting Value divided by Starting Value times 100 For his era, Larry's 3 point shot was a game changer. I have no doubt that if Larry played in this era he would perfect his 3 point shot and be one of the greatest at it.
The Sonics back in '96 lost against the Bulls because in the 4th quarter they just decided to hurl up 3 point attempts, making basically none. It was *painful* to watch, here in Seattle especially.
Reddick is just a chump trying to cause drama so anyone pays attention. Curry doesn't play ball with a black eye, broken bones, or blood on his jersey. No disrespect to Curry, but there is no comparison.
Any student of the game can see how great Bird was. The modern NBA is all 3's and dunks. They don't play defense. It's shit basketball compared to the 80's and 90's. Larry made them when it mattered.
Yes I agree 👍 I stopped watching Basketball 🏀 about 8 years ago I'm 59 years old so I loved the game in the late 70's 80's n early 90's. But today it's a joke foul foul fouls all fucking game. It sux way to soft. If Larry Legend played today definitely at least 50 a game. Not just Larry alot of the greats but I'm putting Larry at #1 because he would hit 99% from 3 point range. Wide open to him because you really can't touch the guy Like he was being guarded when he played.
Just imagine if the NBA suddenly decided to remove the three point line what would these players do? You can't say it could never happen the three point line is a relatively new addition to the game, being it only came in to play in 1979 (it only been around for 44 years). First the line came in, then it was moved out, when it was moved back to where it was first introduced, the proof of this when old games have the two or no three point lines,
Move / move, *remove* is proof enough they didn't know what to do with it. They should have not even put it in in the first place. Look where the game is now. Or lack of game rather.
Top 3? Larry Bird Larry Bird Larry Bird Bird didn't take a lot of 3s because he played in an era when they still played basketball. Every 3 he ever took was a clutch 3, and half of them were taken with broken fingers, a bloody nose, and people hanging onto his jersey.
someone else probably wrote this already, but the 51% is because the avg was 28%. Bird was 42%. (42 - 28 ) = 14%. 14% (difference ) / 28% (average) means the difference is 50% higher than the average of his day
I don't understand, every source that i checked said that Larry Bird won three consecutive contests. Can you tell me where it is cited that it has been disbuted ? I feel as though if that were true that larry Bird himself would set the record straight. He doesn't strike me as the kind of man that would need false accolades.
I don't know how big/tall this Larry Bird denier is, but I swear he had a twin Spock eared brother that I had to knock out in a bar one night back in 1980... He had every bit of 4" on me and maybe a few pounds.... For insurance purposes, I had to let them make the first move for self defense and it went well... I was only 6'2 @ 230lbs back then, but that's what made bouncing fun.... I really wasn't big enough to be intimidating enough for a couple of the clubs I worked... I was challenged significantly more than most of my counter parts, but that paid off well with the ladies at the strip joints I had worked ..Lol... Only did that for about 8 1/2 years at Rock n Roll nightclubs and a couple of semi high end strip clubs before landing the job I knew I'd retire from one day...... and have 34 years later... But I remember that Spock eared Larry Bird look alike fairly well..... Larry the LEGEND baby.......
Anybody born in the last 40 years shot my 3's by highschool than bird took in his life and still nobody was as clutch. Also how many more would bird had made if he wasn't telling the other team what he was going to do 90% of the time
dude love your vids.. love me some bird ..get ublock to get rid of the adds .. thing about Larry .. what you need to finish the game he do it .. and tell you about it first ..
Bird curry Allen Miller and if he got to play his career with a 3pt line pistol Pete no particular order there oh yeah Lillard too and if you were still allowed to play d these days the 3 attempts would go back down
You would have got benched back then, camping out on the 3 point line. The league was about getting the high percentage shot. Plenty of times Larry wouldn't even take the mid range shot, if someone was wide open for a lay up. If Steph went back to that Era, they would be fouling him hard for playing that way, he would not be enjoying himself.
WRONG cause 3s are the cancer to the game they make it a lazy mans game that allows the other team to not have to play defense but real basketball is attacking the rim, making the extra pass, and hitting mid range jumpers consistently and only using the 3 as a dagger or an extra option to catch up in the second half cause the GOAT Larry Legend Bird understood that
The 3pt shot has not really done much for the game of basketball. Let's compare the game in the 1980's decade, when the 3 point shot was introduced, to the game in the 2020's decade so far. These are average per team/per game statistics 80's 2020's Points scored per game 109 112 Total number of shots per game 88.9 88.4 Number of 3pt attempts per game 3.4 12.4 FG % 48.5% 46.5% From a statistical basis the 3 point shot has done almost nothing except lower the field goal percentage.
The reason dumb dumb wants to talk shooting percentage is he had good numbers, but he averaged 24 minutes, i would call that well rested. If you're banging the boards, running the court, you're going to be fresh as a daisy. The year he played all 82 games he averaged 9.2 points a game. Reddick are your arms tired....nope. How about the rest of your body.....nope. All other percentages sucked!
The 3 point line came just in play as Larry entered the pros. He won the three point contest 3 years in a row and was the 4th injured! MJ never beat Larry! As they quote" if MJ is the GOAT, what is Bird? He won a game against MJ without shooting on time at the basket, just assists and still beat his ass. And Pat Riley said" if i have to choose one to shoot for win the game, i take MJ, if i have to choose one to shoot to save my life, i choose Larry! I have no GOAT, but i don't watch these girls today!
Yea the little smack dude speaks like he graduated the 3RD grade. He is the most annoying and ignorant reaction person on RU-vid. He never knows what he is talking about. I usually can't make it more than 3 minutes of his loud obnoxious childish antics.
If JJ Reddick's stupid logic is to be believed then Seth Curry is a better 3 point shooter than Steph Curry ! and Drazen Petrovitch and Steve Kerr are better than both of them! word?🤦🤦
Well, at that point he'll probably change his logic to "wait, but Seth only shoots x per game while Steph shoots y". Ok, where's the cutoff point? At what point can we say Seth's 45% is valid compared to Steph? Do we factor in Steph's ability to hit those shots in the playoffs in the final seconds of games when trailing?
@@riffsthatkill2180 "Do we factor in Steph's ability to hit those shots in the playoffs in the final seconds of games when trailing" Actually, Steph doesn't have a big history of game saving shots in the playoffs.
JJ is an ignorant fool! . I was gonna say something else but I don't know if they allow those words on here! LOL. Let's see considering the 3 point line didn't even exist until 1979 in Birds rookie year and it was discouraged by coaches ....because they felt it was ridiculous and unnecessary! Stats are not going to be up to the way things are set up today. Where everybody's doing nothing but trying to shoot 3s....Boring!!! Larry Bird used the 3 point shots as a weapon! Anybody with eyes....that's ever seen him play... knows this!
WTF was that ???? I didn't hear one word of English in the first 20 seconds and I bailed. Pick a language. Learn the languate. Use the language properly.
