The one thing I liked the most about Bird, is wanted to get everybody to score. He could have made a lot more shots, but he wanted the whole team to help win.
Agree - instead of hogging the ball (MJ) he wanted his teammates to get involved. And to this day you will never hear a negative thing about him from any of those guys. He helped them become HOF'ers and they all know it and respect it.
He could have averaged 30 a game easily but they wouldnt have got the wins. He was a leader and wanted to get the most out of his teammates. They stepped up consistently. Same with Magic. Thats why they dominated the 80's and transformed the game.
Trust me, you show a Larry Bird video and us old heads come running and hit the lake button…. A legend should never be forgotten. Same goes for all those players from the 80s through the 90s… best era in basketball
Bird is STILL the best basketball player ever. Can you imagine if Bird was born in 2000? With a 3pt line for his whole life before the NBA, Bird might have been a 50/40/90 average for his career.
@@BDot-dv7lq exactly. He'd average 50-90-40 for his career plus better defensive numbers. Give him the advanced medical support and today's nice shoes.. he be cooking the league for yrs even without needing Lebron's PEDs
Bird and Magic came into the league the same year and together they definitely changed the game. They both loved passing and making their teammates better. You should watch the excellent documentary "Magic Johnson and Larry Bird: A Courtship of Rivals".
Larry Bird was a "team" player. Unselfish, passed the ball to a teammate even if he could have made the shot himself. He said giving his teammates the opportunity to handle the ball helped their stat numbers and helped the team to play together, play in sync. Obviously it worked, they were very intun with each other. Robert Parish said the 5,000 baskets he made in his career was due to Bird's unselfish play. Those full court passes were something. Birds accuracy was amazing!! Enjoyed yalls reaction!!
He averaged 10 rebounds for his career as well. That long pass behind his back that you mentioned was in the first game that the Celtics played after Magic announced his diagnosis and immediate retirement. Bird didn't want to play that game. That pass was a nod to Magic. Bird telling his opponent, heck, sometimes the entire opposing team including the coaches, what he was going to do in the next play... and then doing it. They couldn't stop him from doing it. 🤯
He played baseball. He broke his shooting hand playing baseball right before signing with the Celtics, and kept it a secret from them. Imagine if he didn't mess up his shooting hand and didn't hurt his back, and played for 15+ years.
Your watching a passing compilation. He was a team player but didn't always pass first. He just did the right thing for his team. Bird was a master of all aspects of the game. Don't assume he's only one thing or another.
I’m from Kansas and we take the game seriously..the man who invented basketball, James Naismith was the first basketball coach at Kansas and is buried with his wife at the university cememtary in Lawrence, Kansas..1939..the original 10 Rules of Basketball..are behind glass in a building next to Allen Field House..and KU is the winningest men’s team passing Kentucky 3 years back..plus Wilt Chamberlain played at KU..the only player scoring 100 points ..against the Knicks..1962..Hershey, Pennsylvania..when you put up all the greats from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and today’s LeBrons and Harden and KD, and Kobe, and Curry, and Joker or anyone else..because Bird played with that permanently dislocated forefinger and a bad back doctors could never stabilize, Bird was the best all around player who ever suited up..when you were down 2 with 3 seconds on the clock..Bird would hit a 3..called a dagger three..winning and leaving no time on the clock..that was clutch, but that 50-40-90 thing..that’s another level..and whatever they’re doing now, Bird did it first in the 80’s..before these guys were even born…Bird did it first, and smoother..
Bird averaged double digit rebounds and near 50/40/90 shooting for his career, and as you guys said, he made everybody better, not just with assists but by constantly positioning himself to keep executing the fundamentals. The Laker's Michael Cooper (whom Bird said defended him the best) said Bird was even more dangerous off the ball, always moving and doing whatever he could to give his team the best chance to score.
Bird was all about the team & winning......he was one of the most unselfish players in NBA history, always wanting to make sure, all his teammates were part of the game! Great reaction guys 😊 Would love a reaction to Larry's 50 amazing assists video!
Some of the passes werent necessary and thats what made him a great team player. He knew he had to get his whole team involved and if guys like Parish werent getting shots, he would feed them the ball instead of racking up scoring numbers.
Bird , Parish and Mckale all hall of famers . 6'10",6'11"and 7" . Best front line ever. The 6th man Walton, also a Hall of famer 7' . Point guard DJ Hall of famer
Bollix mate... I read this and had to google. Larry played in a double header in 1979 as a dare. As for the football BS 💩 that was a Canadian LB born in 1945 and played CFL for the Saskatchewan Roighriders from '67 to '78. Fact check yourself before spewing nonsense... You've obviously not watched "Magic and Bird a courtship" or anything else pertaing to him because if you had you'd know LB is nothing but the Ultimate hooper... You're a numpty for that comment..
@@lochlanoloughlin1683 WTF does that mean? Larry has been in my to three for forty years. In HIGH SCHOOL, he was an all-american. He played high school football, high school baseball and High School basketball. Not only have I seen the documentary, I watched the rivalry in real time. I don't give a s*** if anybody ever responds to any of my comments. I'm 60 years old I don't need nobody's on the internet making me feel any kind of way. If I want a good feel good about something I'll look at my family.
Even if your favorite team was winning against the Celtics, you had to wait until the buzzer went off at 0:00 to get excited they won. BUT loved watching Larry! He is the GOAT
Larry played baseball. That's how he permanently damaged his finger playing baseball...took his brother's place, if memory serves. His ENTIRE NBA career...Larry played with a diminished feel of the basketball.... Meaning..he was better. 😉
I saw an interview in which it was said that Larry's brother was on the other team, and it was he who hit the ball that busted Larry's finder as he tried to field it.
@Alice-xy3fi I remembered it differently...but it's been a long time. I was thinking he took his brother's spot on the team...but maybe it was another guy's spot he took. 😊
Possibly the most all around player in hoops history. No holes in his game. Averaged double digit rebounds for his career and even made all-defensive teams.
Yes, the 60 point game is worth a watch. There's also a great video of the players who were there that day telling stories about it. This is where you'll understand his level of trash talk. "Hilarious Story told by NBA Legends 'He Dropped 60 on us' ". That one.
Bird said he'd love to have played against Jokic. He only wanted to play against the best, and many times he demanded a double team. But white guarding him, he hated that because he thought they were beneath him. He only wanted to be guarded by the most athletic black players. Dominique Wilkins said, "In a half court scenario Larry was evil. You couldn't beat him." Bird is also in Jordan's top five all time. Bird was just built different.
Love to video. LB is my favorite player just because he is fun to watch, so much so that I've gone on YT and watched a ton of those old Celtic games. Magic, Kareem, Dr J, Wilkins, IT, Hakeem - so many great, great players left to explore.
i dont even know much about basketball but im 55 and any time i hear anybody debating the bball goat i know they arent serious if they arent discussing bird. thank you
A couple thoughts... * First, Bird was just fun to watch! * Second, he got away with a lot of stuff because he was so versatile, opponents had to honor every little twitch or move he made as a threat, which made them overcommit. He dumped a lot of guys onto the floor with a simple step-fake.
14:00 well oiled machine. There. You nailed it. As amazing as the passes were, his teammates were ready and caught them. You can see a player right now, that passes but the teammates aren't catching them, which is turn over city. The thing about Boston though, after the starting 5... they had no bench.
Larry Bird was a Legend before his NBA days. He led Indiana State Sycamores to a 30-0 season in 1979 to nail their spot in the NCAA final against Michigan Spartans w/ Magic Johnson. I have watched videoes of the 79 Sycamores games. He had the passing, shooting, rebounding & court vision skills you see in his NBA career.He put Indiana basketball on the map. I heard you say that Bird made flashy passes. I always think of the Lakers & Magic as flashy. IMO- Bird wanted the win not the show. And his team was rewarded for their efforts, especially Robert Parrish & Kevin McHale.
Check out Larry Bird Welcoming Rookies to the NBA and his Greatest Trashtalking Stories both great videos the trashtalking 1 is a 4 part series. You should check out some Wilt too imo gotta be the most athletic player in NBA history
Here's the crazy about Larry: 1/2 the time he was bored and just entertaining himself. Played a little baseball, no foot ball, something like 30+ full court passes in this edit. This joker is also tough on the rewind key: with longer clips you can see him draw the double or triple while setting up the no look pass.
Even though obviously Larry scored a lot himself, he was not selfish, the ultimate team player always looking for the best shot, whoever might be in the best position for it.
I noticed a comment in at least one of your previous basketball videos suggesting/requesting that, at least for sports vids, you fill the screen with the game, and put yourself (and guest/s) in the inset, so as to make the games' action easier to follow-- esp. on these older, less clear videos. I'd just like to second that request...or at least, because I'm just a curious person, would like to know why you prefer not to do that. It seems to me an especially good idea with Bird vids, because the man's so slippery and does so much that's unexpected, it'd be great to have that larger view to make it a bit easier to avoid missing some of his coolest move. Meanwhile, I've been loving your reactions, and your and your friends' love of the game, which it's great fun to see...and share, through these vids!
There are 34 outlet/full court passes in that video. Between that, the touch passes, and the way he could put spin on the ball to get it to move how he wanted, Larry was playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, and Baseball out there on the court. Larry wasn't exactly a pass first player. He was a WIN first player, and he knew that the best way to get that win was to get the whole team involved. Him being a threat to score tended to draw defenders, which opened up teammates for easy buckets. Him being a threat to pass also spread defenders out, opening him up to score. It was hard for opposing teams to guard Larry, since he was a threat both ways, and he would punish you both ways. Larry's only real weakness is that he couldn't run all that fast, and his vertical jump was exactly the league average at the time. But in terms of his skills on the court, he had no weaknesses.
I saw Bird say somewhere that he used those long-range passes later in his career (when he had issues with his back and his feet) to get a break from running the floor. That might be part of the reason there are so many of them, but a lot of it is just his uncanny awareness of where everyone on the court is at all times and his teammate's commitment to using that superpower.
There are other trash talking videos on bird too. He was such a team player. We loved it.Joker and Luka both studied bird. He didn't play football but he did play baseball. That's how he injured his finger before he even got signed by the Celtics. You should watch 5 time Larry bird was injured and 4 crazy stories that prove that Larry bird is the toughest nba player. Coach knight said Bird had the best eye hand coordination that he saw. At some point you guys need to watch courtship of rivals too it's about bird and magic . Yes wear the shoes and video . Would be fun to see! Love watching you guys reaction to bird. Bird never disappoints ❤
Converse Weapons just got Re-released recently. They were comfy but heavy. You would never wear them to a pool party because if you fell in the pool they were going to drag you right down to the bottom.
Larry Bird and magic Johnson learned from pistol pete. He was the originator of today's style of play. You should check his college highlights out. There isn't much good footage of Pete from the NBA unfortunately.
You guys are so good with this clip. I think that the "pass first" game is so much more fun to watch. And basketball kind of lost that at some point. It just isn't as much fun. I read that Larry Bird would sometimes pass to players whose numbers needed a boost. Like, that's what you're seeing when you go "why didn't he just shoot it?" Because he wanted to pass and boost the other player's numbers. That's how he played. But what's funny is that I think that's kind of what kept the other team off balance a bit.
You mentioned Le Bron's similarity to Larry, so I wanted to mention having seen an interview in which LeBron talked about how Bird was no way just a shooter, but had an all-around complete game, being a great passer, etc. He also credited his having studied Bird with his own widened view of the possibilities of his position. Last, I also saw an interview with LeBron in which he was asked to name his top 3 GOATs and he not only named Bird, but mentioned him first. I don't know if that meant Bird was his #1 GOAT, but it was, at the very least, Bird's name that came first to his mind. And YES!! Would LOVE to see you e-watch the trash talk vid(s) with your friend (I can't recall now which you chose, but it would be great if you chose the one(s) in which the players themselves related their Bird stories (rather than one of the vids in which the narrator re-tells it rather than letting the players, including the greats, tell us what Bird did/said, and what it was like for them). Thanks for another great reaction, and for the fun of letting us watch your friends get their first real experience of Bird. p.s. Another video to react to, that will give you a whole new appreciation of another side of Bird: 5 Times Larry Bird was injured but REFUSED to quit ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QRHZToVAEFA.html&ab_channel=UncutHoops I'd be willinlg to bet big bucks (if I had 'em) this wil completely blow your mind, and up your respect for Bird a ton, as a person as well as a player).
Here’s a hint to why Larry was hard to guard. Watch a video of Larry signing a contract or autograph, he is left handed. Baseball was his first love and his older brothers were right handed. When your family is poor, you learn to throw tight handed if you want to wear your brother’s glove. He taught himself to throw and shoot right handed. Watch how often he passes and shoots left handed every game. How do you stop a player who shoots right handed but switches to left when you try and block his shot? He switches and it is so natural it is easy to miss. I am a lefty and watched Bird play for years and never realized he was a lefty until I saw him sign a jersey. At first I thought the image was reversed but it wasn’t. Phiil
They all got it from the legend Pistol Pete Maravich, he was basketball's original Showtime and the best player of the 70s. In 1977 Pete scored 68 points against the Knicks before there was a three-point line. To this day Pete is the NCAA all-time scoring leader with 3,667 points and he did it all in just 3 years 68 69 and 70 while averaging 44.2 points a game all before there was a three-point line. You guys should check out some of his videos.
shoot, Bird could play with anyone but put him with Curry, Ant man, Doncic and Giannis. Bird grabbed 10 rebounds a game, could post low (and high) and often played power forward. OR, replace Doncic and Gianiis with Lebron/KD and Jokic.
I don't think Bird played football, at least not organized ball. He played softball. I heard somewhere that he pitched but I know when he hurt his finger before signing with Celtics he was playing in the field. When he played in that one baseball doubleheader his senior year of college he played first base at one point. He volunteered as an assistant baseball coach while he did his student teaching for his degree. During the Dream Team in Barcelona, Bird snuck out the side door of the hotel to go to watch baseball games.
The crazy thing is that Bird's stats would be even bigger if he didn't get everyone involved and he was selfish and took the shots himself. He shared the glory and elevated his team around him and gave them better stats by not being greedy like some players are.
A lot of young people who see his highlight videos don’t seem to understand why his fakes were so effective. This video encapsulates why his fakes were so effective…the man was a god tier passer and everyone knew that…so when he faked they had a very real worry that he was about to make them look foolish with yet another amazing pass that they cant stop.
I heard somewhere that In the 80's if you pass to a player that bounces the ball before going for the bucket it would not count as an assist. If that is true it would mean that Magic's and Larry's assist count by modern rules is higher than we see in their stat sheets.
I have Larry the best all around small forward of all time if it was not for the bad back and Achilles issues who the say what else he would accomplish. Remember those 13 years in spend in the league was mine blowing.
My first couple of seasons of youth basketball I played in Converse All-Stars. I got some kind of no-name Rebocks the next year, and even those garbage shoes were better than Converse. Your original point was correct in my opinion. The only plus of the Converse was that those little suction cups on the tread grabbed the floor really well. However, that was kinda dangerous with no ankle support lol.
So Jokic plays like a good player from the 80's and he's dominating the modern NBA. That's what the old heads been saying the whole time. This modern NBA is not advanced at all.
Larry always made sure to keep his team involved. That's why he gave up easy buckets for the assist. He made sure that all his starters were double digit scorers. Yes, Jokic plays a lot like Larry Bird. For me it's proof that Bird would dominate in todays game. Jokic isn't quite on his level yet. He needs a little work on his defense and you can't lose a game 7 at home. Larry had something that only a few players have and that's the ability to take over a game. Current starting 5? Jokic, Luka because he would fit their game better. other forward spot really doesn't matter because Larry is actually a power forward that moved to small when McHale became a starter, so could go with Giannis or Tatum. I would put Curry as the other guard, so yeah, 2 point guards. With that lineup, traditional official positions mean nothing really as they will just play wherever they are needed at the moment. Whoever was guarding the shooter would take off if Larry was near the basket. He knew they would be running so all he had to do was play quarterback.
Bird was a master at those full court dimes, but he wasn't even close to being the first. Russel and Wilt were launching those full court passes all the time back in the 1960s. Wes Unseld was famous for them, too.
