3:48 Only Bird, in a fit of rage, could laser the ball past 3 people who were in the line-of-sight between him and Laimbeer and nail him with precision.
I was thinking the same thing.... But when I realize these guys hands make the ball like a baseball to us normals I can see it being a simple thing for him.
When Laimbeer hit Jordan, Oakley immediately went after Laimbeer. Oakley always had Jordans back and that’s why Jordan and Oakley are still friends today.
Jordan was mad for years when they traded Oakley for Cartwright, he treated Cartwright like crap until Cartwright finally had enough and punked Jordan lol
@@billblaski9523 ...... Bill Blaski? That sounds like the name of a guy I worked with by the name of Bill Brasky.....You know he goes about 7'10" 590 lbs. I once saw him scissor kick Angela Landsbury.... He’ll eat a homeless person if you dare him.... Heres a Brasky story, one time I ask Brasky to dress up like Santa for a Christmas party I was throwing for my children. Well Brasky shows up as Santa, reaches into his bag, and says, I’ve got goodies for you kids. He proceeds to hand out scrap metal and cigarettes to ’em. Then he takes off his beard and says, There’s no Santa ’cause I ate him. BILL BRASKY!!! You know Brasky goes about 9’8” 780 pounds.... He sheds his skin once a year..... Brasky jumped off the Empire State Building one time and only sprained his ankle!! Like an alligator, he can fully digest a turtle shell. I tell you one thing: Bill Brasky is a son of a bitch!! Best damn salesman in the office. BILL BRASKY!!!!
Hey, you talkin about Bill Brasky? Do you know Brasky? He’s a big fella, goes about 6’10″, 380. He loves his Scotch! One time Bill Brasky showed up at my daughter’s wedding at the downtown Hilton.... So Brasky shows up... Well, he’s standing right between me and my daughter at the ceremony. He’s got no right to be there, but he’s drunk and he’s Brasky! Well, long story short: the priest accidentally marries me and Brasky! So Brasky grabs me with one of his giant hands- you know he’s a large bastard, goes about 7’8″, 530- the wedding cake with the other, throws me in the trunk of a stolen Mazda and drives us to the Poconos for the weekend - he loved me like I’ve never been loved before!!! BILL BRASKY!!! Best damn salesman in the office!! I hate Bill Brasky.... but I respect him! You know Brasky served three tours in ‘Nam? Well, I’m in Corpus Christi on business, and I had this eight-foot tall 650 lbs Asian waiter.... which made me a little curious, so I asked him his name, and sure enough it’s Ho Tran Brasky!!! BILL BRASKY!!! I once saw him eat 3 whole live chickens! Brasky once gave me a videotape of him having sex with my wife.....it was the most beautiful damn thing I ever saw! Bill Brasky goes 7'8" 655 lbs. He could eat a hammer and take a shotgun blast to the face standing!! Hell of a salesman!!! TO WILLIAM ROBERT BRASKY!!!
90s kept it going pretty well also, the Jordan/Pippin, Stockton/Malone, Kemp/Payton days. But yea if you had to pick a single decade it would be the 80s for sure, followed by the 90s then the 70s.
@@gillroygarlic3616don't you dare try to argue Lebron is better. He had more physical gifts and talent but Bird made the most of what he had. He would out think Lebron and make him look stupid.
I love Larry Bird for that game. I thought we were beat. Me and my Grandpa and Uncle Norman start jumping up and down. When Larry stole the ball from Lambeir and past it to Dennis Johnson to beat the Pistons.
@@normsaunders4980agree, but imagine the players now playing in those Avila, adidas, converse shoes wit minimal support, so that along, verse 2024 sports technology in meds, advanced studies conditioning, recovery, workout equipment, stands out, far as the players physical, mental, spiritual, toughness the 70s, 80s, 90s, early 2000s, and yes the game has evolved in 2024, and today's players have toughness also
Laimbeer wasn't very athletic or naturally skilled so he did what he had to to be successful. He was a major part of those 2 time champion Pistons teams. He's the type of guy you want to go to war with.
This is on par with the Celtics playing the Lakers at the Forum. Kurt Rambis kept agitating McHale up & down the court. McHale & Cedric Maxwell gave Rambis a combined clothes hanger. Pat Riley said it was the dirtiest play he'd ever seen. McHale got the blame for the flagrant foul, but Rambis kept his hands to himself after that. It was a thing of beauty.😂
@@user-wf3qy1pz4g McHale closelined Rambis because ML Carr (who was a former prison guard) was telling him he was playing like a 🐈 and he needs to kick someone’s @$$. Look at McHale’s reaction afterwards. His reaction is basically “ML CARR MADE ME DO IT!!!”
Hated Laimbeer when he played. Dirty and a bully but he knew the rules and used the NBA's tolerance to his advantage. Loved Bird and he used his trash talk and talent to his advantage. Greatest era in NBA history. I don't even watch now.
He played dirty and not within the rules. Its why he wasn't considered one of the greatest of all time, just one of the dirtiest. There is no greatest every team he would even be considered for.
@@TheLuminousOne No. Players hate guys like that. Even if he's on your team and he doesn't break teammates ribs in practice he still makes the other team want to hurt you.
Been a Celtics fan since 75. The game being played in this footage is what I came up on. The current, flop-filled, shoot 50 3's a game, trade superstars every single year, allow 5 "eurosteps" w/no travel, game just doesn't do it for me anymore. And that sucks because I'm a huge sports fan, and b-ball is my favorite sport... Saw a story recently about the league possibly calling fouls and giving FTs to the opposing team for flopping... 🤔🤔🤔 It's definitely a start👍🏼 Awesome video Never be another Larry Legend!💚
No doubt, in hockey they call flopping "embellishment" and it's a penalty. I'd love to see that implemented in basketball. Also like in hockey, I'd love to see teams lose a player for 2 minutes and be forced to play short-handed. Free throws are incredibly dull.
Yup. I've been a Celtics fan since 1960 when Bill Russell played, and now it's all about the 3-point shot the NBA took from the old ABA. All they need now is the red, white, and blue basketball.
I well remember the play where Bird stole the inbounds pass. I leaped out of my recliner at home, and shot my fist in the air as I screamed at the top of my lungs.....and knocked a hole in my living room ceiling. True Story. I really did that. I mean _I_ had always said it was the greatest basketball play of Bird's career and the best one I'd ever seen....but it's nice to hear it said here on this video clip.
I agree that this was one of Larry's most important plays and it was a beautiful steal but I really love the play where he was falling out of bounds and made that shot from behind the backboard.
The world is a lesser place without hearing Johnny Most calling a Celtics basketball game screaming about "Counterfeit Bill", his nickname for Bill Laimbeer.
People not from Boston, (or New England) never got to hear the greatest and yes the most biased broadcaster in NBA history. Magic "Crybaby Johnson" Mahorn and Jeff Ruland "Mcfilthy and Mcnasty" The 76'ers "The hatchet brothers" Bill Laimbeer "Counter Bill" and the list of nicknames goes on! The Celtics never, ever did wrong. And if you were a Celtics fanatic like me, it was just the greatest and most fun time.
There is one commonly replayed highlight of Michael Jordan where I bet Laimbeer was going for a flagrant on Jordan, then Jordan did a 180 and Laimbeer missed him, then Jordan scored. I never grow tired of watching that play, as much for thwarting Laimbeer as the coolness of the score.
@@SkylineR33mtjust go show you, what Bill Laimbeer said about other players, he didn't giva u know what about nobody on the court, then think deeply about what Larry said about Bill during his jersey retirement speech, the disdain between those 2 ruthless, just the best time yesteryears ago in all sports
I love watching these videos...I couldn't help but think today's NBA players wouldn't be able to handle the level of physicality there was in the 80s and 90s...the good ol' days of great basketball
Rumor has it that in the 1977 NBA Finals, towards the end of game 2 when Dawkins and Lucas got into a fist fight, was the turning point of that series. Philly went on to win that game, and were dominating the Blazers through 2 games. But then Portland won 4 straight, and many people attribute it to the bullied becoming the bully, and Philly wilting. Bird in . . . 1984 I think and then McHale decking Kurt Rambis was literally Bird encouraging the Bad Boys style. But that was how the league was. Today, many players would have a hard time playing that style.
One of the things that sets Larry apart (and Kobe did this too) was not just be individually great at playing the game, but great at playing against the other players. If an opponent had a weak spot he was going to find it and take advantage of it
Man was the 80's something else. It was the greatest era of basketball. It was the golden age of the NBA. Players really hated each other. There's no hugs or exchanges of jerseys after games. No one hanging with the opposition after the game. NOTHING. It was time where players actually cared about winning and losing. And losing was a death sentence. Fights broke out all the time. Bird had his face broken in one game. And the famous fight between Dr. J and Bird was remarkable. And the great Bird was the king of the 80's which showed the world that he is the GOAT.
Nobody slapped fives with u if u missed a free throw back then! Now these babies need reassurance after every miss. Buncha gen. Z softies. Hugging and Laffin with the guy who just kicked your butt! I RARELY WATCH AN ENTIRE NBA GAME FROM START TO FINISH EVEN MY HOME SQUAD.
I’m thinking baseball… they fight like a bunch of girls! HOCKEY IS THE MAN’S GAME… REAL FIGHTS … watch and see. Get some videos before the stupid instigator’s rule and be entertained as benches cleared and mayhem ensued! 😆
Nice commentary bro! And Your are right that steal is tops on my list by any player! So glad that Im old enough to have seen & lived that moment! I went from Agony to ecstasy in 5 seconds!
My uncle in Jacksonville went to the same little bar to have a beer. My Unk got him to sign a dollar bill and I bought a can of Skoal with it. I need my ass kicked.
Laimbeer is a sociopath. Attacking his own teammate? That's more than being a jerk. The NBA protected him far too long beccause the fights made for good ratings.
Exactly. Other teams tried to emulate the “Bad Boys” because they otherwise couldn’t play worth a shit but nobody won with it. That stuff may have made for ratings and drama but it wasn’t good for the game at all
@@tomjones3194Agree!! I feel so lucky- Dr. J, Magic, Bird, Isaiah, then going into Jordan, Ewing… and on and on. All the big men Kareem, Parish, Barkley. Just unbelievable. Never missed a game when I was a kid.
Once again, I have to say how much I respect and appreciate your reporting on this site. I was reading an article on another subject when it was flashed acrose 5he screen Bill Walton had passed away ! 4:23 Went right to Black/White and there was you telling the story ,with your usual forthright honesty and total respect. A very sad passing of a
As a child watching Lambeer I always thought to myself: “what’s his problem? Is he really such an a**hole or is he doing this all on purpose?” Turns out…he was doing it on purpose😏
Excellent video! I was a huge Celtics fan in those days and there is no measuring the hatred I and my dad had for Laimbeer. I truly believe the guy needed serious psychological counseling. Playing rough is one thing. Trying to end opponents' careers is something different altogether. The SOB should have been arrested for some of the crap he pulled on the court.
I remember watching the Pistons and had respect for other players, even Rodman the freak. But I never liked Laimbeer. He was the main reason for my hate of the "Bad Boy" Pistons.
@@natamyer1500 Man, that is such an interesting observation, LOL. When Rodman gets a pass because another teammate is over the line says a LOT about what a piece of $hit Laimbeer really was!
Larry Bird was great and proved it throughout his career. Bill Laimbeer would hit a baby for crying to loud. Magic showed up to Birds retirement and called him the best player he ever played against out of respect and admiration. They were rivals on the court but equals in life. No one cares about Laimbeer.
You gotta' hand it to Larry, he was always among the most professional players in the game. Every new opponent a strategy. Awareness of placement, movement and position of his team mates. If he didn't play basketball, he would've made an excellent strategic officer in the military. Just watch some of his old games, but don't focus on him. Watch his team, where they're moving and how he reacts to constantly take advantage of opponent positional weaknesses. It's impressive.
@@BBAKER22 Ever read Sun Tzu's Art of War? If your opponent is of choleric temper, irritate him. Psychological warfare is part of the professional's repertoire. If your opponent is east to irritate, exploit it. That's why you see trash talk in almost every competition.
dj was awesome, I watch a game against the houston rockets. western semis, when he played for Seattle super sonics, 4th qtr, seconds left Houston ahead by 2 or so, Houston with the ball, dj steals the ball and makes a 3 point shot to win the game, fuc*ing awesome! Sadly the lakers kick Seattle's as* in he Western finals... Magic's rookie year,
I liked Dantley too and felt so bad for him when they traded him the year they finally won after he had played for them so for long. Other than Dumars, couldn't stand the rest of them but I did respect Isiah.
@@gretchendietz1599 Adrian only played for them for three years. He had to go because Thomas was so jealous of him. Pistons lost a championship to the Lakers because rather than pass the ball to an open 54% career shooter Thomas tried to be mister hero and drive to the basket against a triple team and got stuffed. Thomas showed how much class he had while the gm of the Knicks. His jerkiness was not noticed as a player because of the two world class jerks he played with, laimbeer an rodman.
@@gretchendietz1599I personally didn’t like Dantley, who was a ballhog who didn’t play defense or get along with his coaches but I thought he got a raw deal, and it was Isiah’s doing. That was a real slap in the face
I just discovered this channel and I really love the editing and the narrator's pacing and voice is so good! You might have gotten me interested in basketball 😂
Heard about Laimbeer behaving the same way on the court while in college, and everyone knew it. Didn’t matter if you were a fellow college player or a visiting potential recruit
An ex-girlfriend's ex-husband ran a pool hall in South Bend where college student Lambeer ran up a debt playing poker. His father was called in order to pay off the debt.
I remember seeing some Notre Dame games with Laimbeir. He was a bruiser then too. I thought this guy is going to hurt someone. He was "Hatchet man" like Kent Benson was at Indiana and in the NBA.
Rob thank you for all you have done from my wife and myself. We l9ve your show. You, Sarah and the family have showed us how to enjoy the outdoors even more. God bless you and let the blood of Jesus cover you with healing.
When you have to injure another player and take him out of the game to win, then you’ll never know if you beat them in your mind if you are a true competitor and not afraid of the challenge. Bird and magic & Jordan knew this and always took the challenge on & gave the fans the thrills of watching it.
I still watch video of the Chief almost taking Laimbeer’s head off when I’m feeling down. It cheers me up every time. Bird had no problems with Laimbeer after that.
I lived in Michigan from 7th grade through graduation, so I should have been a Pistons fan. But their dirty style of play, ESPECIALLY Bill Laimbeer’s, made me hate them.
Ya I think he was the dirtiest players in my lifetime to ever play Basket Ball. He tried to take star players out for the season now that's as dirty as they come.
In my opinion , people go to see great players and great games. If the NBA Commissioner had any cajones he would put a stop to this kind of BS. Deliberately hurting a star player, or any player, sucks. No one would go to see a Laimbeer play, he was an a**hole.
I loved Larry Bird and Bill Lambeer lol Pistons vs Celtics was a bloodthirsty rivalry. The NBA in the 80s was so awesome!! Every game was heated and a brawl could break at any time and nobody was getting tossed out for the pitiful things they do today.
There were lots of great centers in the 80s - Moses Malone, Kareem, Olajawan, Patrick Ewing, Robert Parish. I'd much rather that my team had a big man other than Laimbeer than being a hypocrite rooting for him.
I've seen videos that do. They say that Larry stealing the ball would have been nothing without DJ being there for the lay-up. But then those two had a psychic connection.
1:36 ... I DID watch one those games to check & DID see Robert twist his ankle against the Pistons! ( He step'd on Larry's foot going for a board , lol ). Not even kidd'n...crack'd me up.
In the 80's...If I hadda choice to which person I hate more... My X , Stalin , Judas Iscariot or Lamebier...tuff call. I dont hate anyone anymore...but with Lamo... it's still tuff to say something nice. He , umm , looked good in sunglasses...how's that?
No, Lambeer twisted Parish's ankle by sliding his foot under where he knew Parish would land from his jump. Just another example of why Lambeer should have been kicked out of the NBA.
Wow, this video really took me back, lmao. When I turned a Detroit game on almost knew it was gonna be some drama...A.K.A. The Bad Boys, I remember Isiah getting stitch's above his eye one time for fighting in a game. The league was hella exciting back then not just from fights but pure basketball, I feel so so blessed and thankful to be able to watch these live games and live through the time.
I’m more of a NFL guy but that steal by bird is absolutely the greatest play in Sports. No steal,no ring. “ brought to u by the fundamental ( call time out !!!) miscue by Isaiah “
Lambeer should be in the Hall of Fame. Such a great shooter from outside. Great rebounder and defender. The Pistons were very lucky to have him. Thanks for the memories to all the Bad Boys.
04:21 *I can’t get over:* ⚠️ 🅰️ How *accurately* Bird threw the ball at him 🅱️ *How perfectly filmed it was* _compared to SO MANY videos of that same era_ 🤷🏻♂️ I get that he’s a professional basketball player and it was 10 feet… *But Parrish threw a punch which didn’t fully connect from 18 inches away* 03:25
Bird was a master passer that often threw perfect court length passes leading to layups. Announcers often joked he would make a good qb. Search youtube for these passes to be amazed.
That cheap shot on Larry by Bill at Detroit stadium must have aggravated Larry's back injury. I suffered from a sliped disc and its really painful, I understand Larry's frustration.
There's no doubt that Bill's approach to basketball was the blueprint for Dennis Rodman who eventually blurred the line between physical play and trying to hurt people... It's a physical game in the paint and this era of basketball has so many lessons to teach the current NBA. I was fortunate to see the Celtics play the Bad Boys in the Pontiac Silverdome and the game went into double-overtime, one of the most amazing things I have ever seen!
If your comment is true, why was Rodman not despised? Laimbeer seemed indifferent to hurting people while Roďman would wrap players up not knock them down. The game had become increasingly physical before either Laimbeer or Rodman took the stage.
@@johnz8843 First, Dennis had supernatural athleticism to match his tenacity which gained him respect from his peers and secondly, he smiled. In other words it became a diversion to him, not an intent to kill.
@@audwinjones9079I agree that Rodman had great athleticism perfect for a basketball player who could rebound and play defense and do little else as a normal basketball player. And he did smile with no obvious intent to injure when he fouled. In contrast Laimbeer was the typical big man, a bit slow and awkward in movement though he could shoot and knew the game. But he hit people hard and too often dangerously and carelessly.