Larry Bird's Rookie Spectacle Forces Teammates to Quit And Changed The NBA Forever! 

Nothing tops Larry Bird so thoroughly dominating Atlanta that the Hawks' bench were just laughing in disbelief as he dropped bombs on them.

Larry is a legend and he knows it from the beginning and proves it by backing up his words.

Prime Larry Bird would easily dominate todays NBA

I was blessed to see BIRD play 85 times from my Dad’s court side seats as a child. Had the privilege of seeing Magic many times as well. Their is a narrative out their that ‘THEY’ want you to believe: That BIRD wasn’t athletic. Oh yes he was… I witnessed him take a rebound down in traffic, and throw a 75 ft pin point pass into a sprinting Danny Ainge’s hands (LEFTY) for an under the rim lay up. Ainge caught the ball and after scoring had a look of disbelief on his face. Why, because he had never caught a pass like that in his life, because no one could throw a pass like that, or would have the balls to do it left handed. Here is another FACT. Just because your not as athletic as many players, doesn’t mean your not athletic. After all - it’s the NBA! In truth, BIRD was as athletic as Magic and, in fact, could jump just as high and run just as fast. Why isn’t athleticism ever brought up about Magic? He took set shots, because he couldn’t take a jump shot? And I’m ok with that, because of his brilliant skills, but you must admit, it’s a little unusual. I’ve also been blessed to have seen every great player since BIRD and I can guarantee one thing, If a REF is standing at the half court line, and rolls the ball out to center court and BIRD is 20 feet away, and another player is also 20 ft away, BIRD will find away to get the 50/50 ball the vast majority of the time. Because he was fast and he wanted it more. And lastly, I saw BIRD in his first 7 years dunk over countless people, both lefty and righty. Hence, If he wasn’t athletic, he wouldn’t have been smoking the opposition on a nightly basis. Fact is, because BIRD was good at everything, the media had to find a weakness, and in their sadly biased way, had to create the narrative that he wasn’t athletic.

Larry was a student of the game. He was always thinking ahead, and knew where his teammates were at all times. Most importantly, he believed in passing the ball.

Luka, Jokic, Nash, Curry, Magic...all dominate(d). Speed and athleticism are electric but skill and IQ sustains you.

Truly the best time to be a fan in the NBA. Larry and Magic extended the rivalry between the two Cities. One that was even more intense than it was ine 60s. Thanks for an excellent tribute.

Bird was a gangster assassin. He played defense and would body you. He hit the glass to limit the team be was beating. He could run the fast break. A magical passer and a great ball handler. He could shoot the lights out all over the court and hit hit runners or dunked at will. Lit up teams shooting left-handed when he got bored. He got inside Michael Jordan's head and never lost to him in the playoffs. Larry made the Celtics making everyone on the team better. Jordan and Bird were the best two players to ever play the game....period!

Larry Bird is the best all-around player ever. Period.

It makes me sick to see noob NBA fans fail to give Bird the respect he deserves. They don’t understand the power of flawless fundamentals.

"If you were any damn good, they wouldn't be double teaming me". The shear audacity of a rookie to say such a thing to a legend!

I can remember the unathletic, can't jump remarks about John Havlicek too. Until you had to guard him and he literally ran you to death. He never stopped running you through picks and screens all game until you were exhausted.

Bird arguably had the greatest peak of all time

LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE TRUE GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️

Seen all this before, but for some reason, I had to watch the whole thing again! Success from hard work and sacrifice is contagious!

I don’t know if I’d say he doesn’t get enough credit. Larry Bird was one of the players we’d emulate as a kid in the 90s. Everyone knew of his greatness.

Mentality and attitude always win, that's why us old school guys point to Bird,MJ and Kobe. They wanted to put the dagger down not just look good

He was never off balance but kept his opponents constantly off balance both physically and mentally.

Bleed Purple and Gold but I gotta tell you I love Larry, he was a bad ass, could score from anywhere at anytime on anyone, rebound lights out and do it against the very best, excellent in transition, Great Defender, as tough as ANY player in the history of the NBA both mentally & physically... To me it seemed if Larry treated every game as a Game 7, Larry just never let up....I mean does anyone ever remember 33 taking a play off, or a breather? One other Larry kick your ass if you want to get salty on the court. With respect to the NBA and Basketball there really is nothing you can say bad about Larry Bird..... Larry Legend makes my all time starting five.

At his peak between 1981-87 Bird was the greatest basketball player who ever played the game

Would have loved to see Bird make it to the 95-97 seasons when NBA moved 3 pt line in. MJ went from 30% to 40% for those years. No telling how much Bird would have crushed that short line.

Bird is my favorite player. Nothing will ever change that. He stands alone.

I won’t watch anything about the nba today . But back in the 80’s basketball was great . Today anything about that era I will watch if it’s brought up. Especially Larry Joe or Magic, Bird was the best team player and clutch. There wasn’t any better in my opinion.

Great upload 🤘🏽😎 Larry LEGEND! 1st post 😊

One of the absolute greatest players ever. The only player I put ahead of him is Wilt. One of the few players that I think would even be better in today's game than in his own day (he was awesome even back then).

Bird and Magic were so effective in the 80's that they didn't want to even lose an All Star game to each other . They actually played defense ...in an All-Star game ...because it was that important to represent the their respective conference

Long Live the Green ... Bird's Talents in Order ... Rebounding, Defense, Assists, Steals, Cherry Pick Bombs, Fast Break, Fast Break Defense, Educating Refs, Mid Shots & 3s ... Greatest Rivalries :Moses, Kareem, Akeem, Dominique... All Time Goat on levels you need another couple more decades to figure out

Give me one guy, in league history, to start a franchise with, im taking Larry Legend.

He would actually be bored with it. Just think what he would do offensively. Their is no hand checking now, so you couldn’t touch him, their is the Euro Step (Adult traveling) their is flopping, their is a general disdain for great defense because the league only promotes scoring. And how about palming the ball? When was the last time you saw it called? Now add in the fact that their is about 10 more offensive possessions a game, because the game has gotten faster (again do to promoting scoring) and add in the the fact that BIRD would be practicing the 3 ball (he never really did) and shooting 6 to 10 more a game. Lastly, let’s add in his trash talking and supreme confidence, and how he would break down todays EMO players. RESULT: MOP the floor with guys 😊

One of the top defenders who battled with Bird, and Jordan, was that he didn't like defending Bird, because he had to think the entire time.

One thing that stood out to me in the clips of Bird playing is how many times he passed the ball to another player.

Beautiful video! I loved it ,thank you.

Only 4 players could completely take over a game and win it on both sides of the court. MJ, Kobe, Magic (see him playing Center vs Sixers) and Bird. Jokic is getting to that level.

One of the best stats that will tell you about LB and what he did for those playing around him, the season after he retired, they had the lowest win total than they had since the year before he got there. I'm glad they talked to Cedric Maxwell because I remember him before Bird got there, he was good but he would pull up at times and not hustle. After Larry got there, you never saw him give up. It didn't change CM, just gave him hope to never give up.

3:14 picture is a CLASSIC on my wall,or will be. Thanks for uploading it👍🏽

I still miss Bird.

Great video. Though not my choice for the greatest, going by stats, he was my favorite player, by far, to watch play the game. He would pull jaw dropping plays during every game. He could do it all, extremely well and was good at team defense, but not exceptional at one on one. Though some say he was not athletic, he was a fine athlete. He just wasn't as fast as some and couldn't jump out of the gym like some, but was fast enough, with quick feet and hands, was strong, like a big farm boy, and had great stamina.

Well spoken & edited video man. You spoke 100% truth!

You didn't even mention that he took Indiana State all the way to the NCAA championship where they lost to Michigan State and Magic Johnson. That's a huge part of the story.

I'm a Sixers fan (😢) but I have such high admiration for Larry Bird.

As a Canadian White guy , I thought I was a racist way back in the day for being a Celtics fan because of Larry. I am so happy to be proud of my recognizing his talent early.

absolutely fabulous video Cpngrats I grew up in Boston.. He is a legend

Doesn’t get talked about?!?! C’mon, I’m from Indiana and love Bird, but if you’re looking for forgotten greats, seek out George Gervin, Bob McAdoo, Moses Malone, others. Bird was amazing, but it’s not as if he’s been forgotten.

Bro.. Many thanks for posting this... a lot of it I had never seen.

A young Parry Legend was an absolute animal, who could play with the BEST of them then, and today. When he turned Neast mode on, he could score at will, pass and rebound.

When supreme fundamentals, athleticism and bball IQ meet, you get Larry. Add godly athleticism and the ability to grip the ball with ease and you get MJ.

Kareem said Larry's greatest weapon was his mind... Also that Larry was his greatest foe... That doesnt register with people when it comes to assessing Larry's place in All Time Greats... Larry/Kobe/MJ are who I build a team around and you will get a ring in any era

Wonder how many points Jordan and bird would score in nba today. First thing to mind is ignoring what used to be called travel or steps etc.

Red is the Bostonian man!!!! That's why there's statues of him in the historic heart 💓💓💓💓💓💓 of the greatest city of the world 🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍🌍!!!!!😊😊😊😊😊😊

Couldn’t have said it better myself grew up five minutes from the garden started going to every game in 1974 until Larry retired

Listening to people having their narrow minds shattered and being able to laugh about it gives humanity a future.

I actually forgot that Larry played with pistol for a year or two. It would have been awesome to see the two of them play together with pistol at his prime. That guy what's something else and this was the four the three-pointer I think there's some statistic that they looked up find pistol shooting where he shot the ball from it would have counted as threes and he would have had like a million points it was something crazy like that. RLTW 3/75

Larry Bird himself has said he left for no other reason but not being able to afford going to college.

There are players who make the basketball experience of fans magical. I remember Wilt, Russell, Tiny Archibald, Dr. J, Magic, Bird, and the best of them all, Michael Jordan. I know there are players today who could have played in that era but this is not that era. It's a softer, crybaby era. I'm OG, I admit it. My thoughts on basketball are colored by the toughest, baddest, most determined players who ever stepped into the paint. I still enjoy basketball but it's a pale substituted for the glory days that may be gone forever. I was priveledged to witness the greatest era. My all time starting five can be picked from the names in the second sentence of this post. Bird, of all of them, is the most deserving of more respect. He is a legitimate candidate for GOAT.

LB 33 Was no joke man guy could play could do everything and was a winner. If he didnt end up the back and heel injuries probably has a few more rings

Very nice job on this Wilson.

FYI, Kareem was voted the 1980 FMVP AFTER Magic's great game 6 but because Kareem was not present, the voters were asked to change their votes so magic would get the award. This is covered in the book titled "Kareem" pages 140-141.

Pete Maravich is the only white player ever asked to join the Harlem Globetrotters.

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved the NBA, It took those 2 their whole career to make the NBA one of must watch, greatest sport on TV and it took LeBron James his whole Career to make people hate the game more than ever.

Larry's edge over his opponents was his mental edge and work ethic. He'd trash talk today's NBA and outwork them silly. He loved getting in players heads.

Larry is the ultimate example of a winners mindset. Show me someone who doesn't care if they win or lose and I'll show you a loser.

I started watching the C's a few years before Bird joined the team. I have Bled GREEN since he did.

Imagine Rodman saying that if Bird played today he would be in Europe.

No hate. Dirk was awesome. Donic is marvelous. Jokic is fantastic. Bird was gaming in a time where the game was still the game and not some spectacle with the need for more viewers because sponsors required eyeballs. Back them, there were teams that hated each other, pre-season games mattered between rival teams. Today's game, nearly every superstar on each team are buddy - buddy. Can we bring back that genuine competition again? Friends of the court.....fine. No problem. On the court, no picnics.

My dad and mom are both from French Lick, my dad being best friends with Larry’s brother mark and friends with Larry, my dad always says Larry’s work ethic and mental fortitude is what made him one of the greatest ever. My goat.

Bird gave his body to make a team and holding the team together. Unlike players today that think they alone are the team, and cry about being called a bad name.

I watched his entire career from his last year of college. Grew up a dirt poor boy myself in a very small coal community in McDowell County WV. As a kid that played sports in school I really looked up to Bird

Red Auerbach was a Genius!

One of his best lines was when he said to Magic about young Michael Jordan. "There's a new sheriff in town". Bird is still my favorite player. Michael J is a close second. Some of Jokic's passing reminds me of Bird.

He made everyone proud.

I will always predicate Larry Bird. And I’m from Los Angeles. He was and is a great man…. Thank you Larry…

2 seconds on the game clock, down by 1, time out, who do you toss in to? In all of history. Alternate question: if you are a rookie, in any time in history, who would you most fear having to guard? You know, like looking across the ring at Tyson. Or at Nolan gritting his teeth on the mound. Or Gretszky winding up to shoot on you. Who's the guy you tremble at having to guard?

I will get you water anytime and carry your bags all the time. Just give me an NBA contract.

Larry would not put up with Bobby Knight and his tyrannical rule that eventually got him fired. This is the key reason he did go forward with going to Indiana University.

I'm old enough to remember watching guys like Bob Cousey, John Havlicek, Earl " The Pearl " Monroe, and scores of other NBA Hall of Famers, but none of them had a better mind for the game, court presence, and will to win than Larry Bird.

Guys who make these videos quit saying Larry Bird couldn't jump he had the same vertical as Karl Malone before he injured his back no one would say Karl Malone can't jump. As a matter of fact in the early years he dunks on some people.

14:04 hidden treat JJ Reddick duct taped 😂😂

There will never ever be another Larry Bird, but there is Caitlin Clark!

There was no rookie transition for Bird

Nice job on the video, probably the 2nd best bird video out there, combining facts and footage. Its always fun to hear about larry, he was so much fun to watch 😊 always managed to keep his, aww shucks country boy attitude, thats why yiu sisnt always realize he was trash talking, sometimes it took a minute to sink in😂😂 imagine a player that could shhot that good from anywhere on the court in the league today!! He would be unstoppable, you cant touch him or its a foul today. Now im all hyped up, gonna watch another bird video, maybe, making the case for larry bird , its a great video!! In gonna go huff some green paint 😂😂

80's B-ball was best B-ball.

The late seventies Bullets were a great team and just because basketball was run badly, both in college & the pros, merits mentioning the problems basketball was having. They were marketed badly and also had some bad luck while football, being perfect for TV, became the USA sport. There were three great centers in the NBA, Bill Russell, Bill Walton, Wes Undeld, each could rebound and immediatly pass to the point guard. The problem was not the teams, it was the NBA organization and to a certain extent the NCAA.

The best ever!

Back when basketball was fun - not the crap you get in todays game.

Walton was incredible. Injuries ruined his career. Dominated the 76ers with 4 all stars.

From the minute Larry Bird retired I lost interest in watching the NBA. HE WAS SUCH AN AWESOME PLAYER. MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME. I LIKE MJ ALSO BUT BIRD IS MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME. HE DEFINITELY DOMINATED EVERYONE!

His adjustment to IU was because during the early stages when coaches weren't allowed to run practices before the season, Kent Benson made his life horrible.

Ok, I am a little confused here guys. Larry was on the East Allstar squad. George Gervin played for the San Antonio Spurs, a western team. Why were they on the same team for the Allstar game?

Bird dominated the 80s the best decade of the NBA that included Magic, Kareem, Dr J, Moses, Isaiah, and Jordan. "Experts" seem to forget that Jordan did not become a winner until the 90s when the league was much weaker and the great players of the 80s had either retired are would be soon retiring. During Bird's first nine years in the NBA, Bird won three MVPs, was runner-up MVP four times, finished third once in MVP voting, and then fourth (rookie year). No one - including Jordan - has done that. Boston was Eastern Conference Champions eight times in his first nine seasons. Unfortunately, his 10th season began with a season ending injury and he never completely recovered from it.

Didn’t Rowe, Wickes, or Maxwell have TVs? I saw Larry in college and I was only 12 but I thought he was the greatest ever

Sou brasileiro tenho 59 anos e tive o privilégio de assistir o melhor jogador do mundo do boston Celtic sou fã desta lenda do basquete mundial comecei a amar basquetebol quando pela primeira vez o assisti jogar amo boston Celtic

9:40 my favorite part.

It's Marine "Kore!" It's spelled Corps, but the p and s are silent.

Fresh presentation and material,thnx.

Nobody wants to mention the fact that when the 'renegade' ABA joined wit da NBA, within a couple of years they had to "pass legislation" about drug use and violence. Ain't much changed, especially recently

Thing that gives him an even bigger edge to me? 10 Boards. Every night.

Great rivalry but I remember the Celtics losing 1-3 games in Boston a year. I think they might have helped the rivalry along to save the NBA just like the NFL and the Super Bowl with Joe Namath. But it still was better basketball than what has been going on the last 25 years.

Love Bird watching.

sure Larry could have done it alone, but it was a thousand times better with his great friend Magic Johnson. it has been so long ago, ... so long, but i was " there " and they single handedly brought the NBA back from the abyss. i loved basketball, but even i was jaded by where the NBA had fallen. this video makes it sound like Red Aurebach brought Sidney Wicks and Curtis Rowe to the Celtics. No, that was caused by the temporary owner of the Celtics who destroyed the team. Paul Silas was traded - the great Celtic. Dave Cowens lost interest. The Boston garden was filling with empty seats. I was in Boston when Larry was drafted - yeah, i thought " another great white hope - what a waste. " But the pitiful rogue owner was banished, Aurebach re-asserted control, maybe a " wink-and-a-nod " deal was made to bring Parish by trade to the Celtics. It was Aurebach's ultimate triumph to re-constitute the Celtics. there is a statue of Aurebach outside Boston Garden.

BIRD and MARAVICH, there was and will never be ANY BETTER.✌️❤️🕊️❤️🏀