Bird is so honest with a great sense of humor. You gotta respect him. Love how he says he’s older or out of shape now while Jordan would never admit that.
Its too bad they didn't keep it a team game! Now it's more about shooting a 3 and who's going to be the star of the team! All the things that drove the NBA into the ground in the 70s!
In my opinion, I would have to bring up what Pat Riley said, “ If the game was on the line, give the ball to Jordan. If my LIFE was on the line, would want Bird to take the shot.” Says it all
@@gfriedman99 Exactly. Birds is only dismissed by those who never saw him play. He was a better, smarter and tougher version of Luka Doncic, and we can see how a very young Doncic is torching the NBA.
Larry Bird is simply the BEST ALL-AROUND PLAYER EVER!!! He made his teammates better more than anyone. I will take Larry Bird in his prime(84, 85, 86, 87) over anyone even Michael. By the way, the 80's were the BEST basketball years ever.
What a joy Larry is as a personality, thinking man’s player and clutch performer. I envy all the great gents who had the chance to play with him on the same team. He also was a hell of a coach and a smart tactical thinker.
Greatest clutch shooter of all time. The difficulty of the shots he made. The confidence for him to tell the opponents what he's going to do. His stats during his prime before his back injury. Best all around player. He'd the best small forward that played the game. He'll always be in my best starting five.
Even though I hated him, as a Bucks fan, but Larry was so much fun to watch. He was so smart, so competitive, and as confident a player as I've every seen. Funny guy... and can still trash talk.
I wore a Larry Bird Jersey everyday when I was in Grade 7 and 8, and played with his Card in my sock for most of High School! His talent, hard-work, and determination to win have never been equaled! Wish I had been a bit older to watch him play in person!
It's funny how these famously guarded guys retire and allow you inside a bit. This guy may be the best example. What an absolute class act and must not forget, an unquestionable monster on the court. Great interview.
i won't get into whatever he has been personally[and frankly don't care, not like I'm going fishing with him tomorrow], but he is classy in interviews and it's really too bad that we have Barkley being a chatterbox and not Bird...I just listened to Bird explaining how he approached every defender differently, using Tripucka and Rodman and one other guy I can't remember as examples, and thought, 'Man, that really is a window into the greatest basketball mind we've ever seen'...and I wanted more, because I only have a casual understanding of the game
I would put this on my bucket list to sit down with Larry for an hour at least an hour and ask him questions. He is such a Legend. I could listen to him for hours.
That is the most talkative, relaxed, funniest I've ever heard Larry speaking. For a minute or two, I wondered if it really was him. What a great guy, always giving credit where it's due. It was special to even be his fan. Every time I shoot a crumpled paper at the waste basket, I say, "Bird for 3 and the game." If I miss, it,'s, "Bird would've made that." However...my fave athlete was #6, Bill Russell.
+whatthehellimbored Amen. Nobody was more focused as a player and now he can let it go. A rare man is one who doesn't live in the past, especially HIS past.
As good an interview as I've ever heard. One of the greatest ever yet humble don't see much of that today. I miss the 80's NBA . Larry is right the most individual talent of any era.
I was a Lakers fan in the 80s but I had a begrudging admiration for Larry Bird. Now I can just flatly admire him and appreciate what he and Magic did to elevate the NBA to New unprecedented hights.
Great interview. LArry is just one funny yet grounded fella. I swear the best interview ever between two x rivals was that of Magic and Bird on Letterman. Amazing chemistry.
Growing up I was a huge Laker fan in the 80"S but I'll always respect Birds game and listening to this hilarious interview makes me appreciate and respect him even more...Great job Bird and DP
Larry Bird in his prime is the greatest player I ever saw. An amazing thing about Larry Bird as a great pro shooter is that he played his entire career with a crooked index finger on his shooting hand.
Wei Qi people back then and even now, see i dont think people give Larry his due. I remember back then there was a lot of resentment that Larry was deemed the best basketball player in the world when he was because he is white!, in a black man's sport, even TODAY, you ask some people who their top 5 of all time , some won't mention him because of the whole race thing, its sad but TRUE
Wei Qi I was in the Celtics locker room several times in the early 1980's. Actually, the first game was in Hartford vs Detroit on the same day as SF beat Dallas in the NFC Championship game with the Clark Catch. I went up to Bird in the locker room after the press move away and shook hands and said great game. I think he said thanks. But, yes he hand a major screwed up index finger on his right hand (softball game where I believe he was the pitcher and took a line drive off of it where it was fractured). I went up to Parish and as I went to shake his hand, he held it out like he was the Queen of whatever with the fingers pointed down. I was 18 at the time and felt like an idiot since I ended up shaking like 3 fingers. Great stories, but even though Larry was my hero, he wasn't the nicest guy in the locker. He seemed like he was kind of weary of speaking to others (not teammates).
ditkoasmpages It's no surprise Larry was that way with people he didn't know well. By nature he's probably somewhat closed (which is not a flaw, just his personality) and when you combine that with various people trying to get a piece of him, it's no wonder he keeps his distance. Magic, on the other hand, was very open by nature. But if you want somebody to watch your back or win a game at the buzzer, I'd go with Larry which is no disrespect to probably the greatest point guard of all-time, Magic Johnson.
Bird vs Jordan. Pat Riley once said, "If I needed a shot made to win the game, I'd want Jordan to take it. If I needed a shot made to save my life, I'd want Bird to shoot it." I couldn't agree more.
Richard Sarabia that used to be my favorite quote. Until I told it to my friend and responded with “what’s the difference”. Because to him winning is just as important as living
@Ulysses432 ...Bird was an exceptional athlete... you don't have the success he had otherwise...his athleticism just didn't stand out like Jordan's did...
Larry is fun to listen to - witty. What a player. I'm currently revisiting some of the old NBA games from that era, and thoroughly enjoying the experience!
From Australia, I used to watch Larry, Magic, Kareem... I didn't realize then that I was watching some of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. An incredible era!
He was a competitive man on court and no great superstar is without a huge competitive streak. And that’s where the trash talking comes from and I agree with the other guy, it’s not trash talk if you back it up. It’s truth. But off the court, he is by far the most humblest superstar I ever heard speak. And he never talks about himself or how great he is. He goes out of his way to tell how great others were even though he crushed every one of them. You have to prod him to even talk about himself like Dan did.
Great interview with Larry Bird. He described basketball in Indiana back then the way I remember it. The funniest part of the interview was at the 0:50 second mark until the 2:00 minute mark lol.
This man was absolutely deadly. I was a Philly fan and Bird gave Dr. J and the guys all they could handle!! The greatest Small Forward to play the game after Dr. J.
Love Larry Bird - brutal competitor but also brutally honest, no BS he tells it like it is and has a good sense of humor about it - makes him even more of a legend and a great guy.
No one will ever knock Larry out of the greatest starting 5. I’ve got Wilt, up front with Larry and LeBron. Magic and MJ in the backcourt. That’s 82-0 right there…
He's not the best forward lol he's not even the best small forward. Overall Lebron is the best forward to ever grace the game, and hes the best small forward as well. THEN Tim Duncan.... and then Bird. Bird could never carry a team the way LeBron has season after season. You put lebron on that 80's Celtic team, GREATEST TEAM ALL TIME. Now put bird on the 2015 cavs and tell me what happens?? No kyrie, no love, just bird, dellavedova, and Tristan Thompson lol cmon. I love Larry but never. Never will he be better than Bron. Maybe Timmy D, but bron is too far lol.
I laugh every time I hear "Lebron is the greatest SF of all time". It's not even close. As a shooter, a passer, a rebounder, and even a defender. Bird comes out on top. Not to mention toughness,
+Darrin Combs I hear ya. In fact, if I were to pick a SF for my all time team, i'd go with Bird and if we was taken I'd go with Pippen before LeBron...
Jamming InDaStreets I said this before the most recent finals... I think I take him before Bird now... but Pippen is my all time favorite player so I still think I'd take pippen because I'm a homer like that.
jon Q I still think Bird is better tho but only a bit. I love both of their styles of play but I'd go with Bird because of his ability in the clutch and toughnes.
What an entertaining interview! Larry Bird had me cracking up! Larry Bird and Reggie Miller were always my favorite players to watch because they could shoot the long ball and they made their free throws.
Sooooo unfiltered, honesty, dry wit, with that Indiana country drawl mixed in, I love listening to Larry (and I'm a city kid from Boston). Larry and Barkley are the two ex-players I love listening to, and that's about it.
You've got to admit: For 14 minutes, LJB told it how it is. No " I'm the baddest MF'er to ever suit up", just flat out honesty. And I honestly think that if you presented him with a basketball challenge, he'd move Heaven and Earth to make it come true for you, because he's a true competitor, and will be until the day he dies. ALL props and honors to LJB and EMJ, because without them, the NBA wouldn't exist. You young punks.......take notes.
Larry is so confident and yet so humble at the same time. He is a great guy! I’m a long time fan of his. I’m older and I watched him in the 80s but I check out his utube videos often.
Ive been searching utube for an interview with larry for a while now a full one not just a few minutes and this is the first ive found ive come across a ton of other players talking about larry specifically his trash talking so to find this im so grateful thank you for sharing
