This video was about the intense rivalry between Larry Bird and Chuck Person, and there's a story you may find interesting. In the last couple years, I watched an interview that Metta Standiford-Artest (formerly Metta World Peace/Ron Artest) did on Byron Scott's podcast. It was an interesting and lengthy interview that - of course - included a big section on the Malice at the Palace because Metta always gets asked about it. He talked about how hard he was working on improving himself at that point in his life. Metta had a lot of trauma growing up which made him volatile, with a hair trigger temper as sort of a self-preservation defense mechanism. (If you don't know, he grew up in a crime ridden, poverty stricken neighborhood. As one example, when he was just 12 yrs old, he witnessed an older friend of his get stabbed to death by a broken table leg through the heart during a YMCA sanctioned basketball tournament.) At this point in his career, Metta was working really, really hard to find ways to control that side of himself. In addition, he had just won Defensive Player of the Year, and really wanted to work on his offensive game, so that he could be great on both ends of the floor. He said that he spent that entire off season, every day, working with Larry Bird and Chuck Person to accomplish that. To understand how remarkable that is, you should know that neither Larry nor Chuck were coaching at that time. Chuck was working in the Pacers front office in scouting and player relations and Larry was in the executive suite as President of Basketball Operations. Considering how they'd been rivals, with a few well known personal incidents between them, the fact that Larry and Chuck came out of their offices, rolled up their sleeves, put on their player and coaching hats, and united with each other to work with Metta that whole summer seems pretty special. Somehow, it adds a bittersweet element to the tragic event in Metta's career that happened just 7 games into the season. (It may have been working too. Metta averaged 24.6 ppg in those 7 games which was astronomical relative to his scoring across his 7 years in the league up to that point.)
That cheap shot to Bird's back by Chuck Person at 11:57 tells you all you want to know about Person. He knew Bird's back was jelly and he wanted to take him out and cripple him, because he knew the Pacers had no chance to win when Bird came back into the game. Just another day at the office for Larry Legend.
Thanks for doing that great video! But hey, could you talk a little more slowly cuz it's almost like you're slurring your words and you're hard to understand. Thanks!
lol aint no trainer telling Larry not to play. Not even the coach could tell Larry not to shoot. Larry called his own play, called his own shot, played how HE wanted to play, which was ALL OUT 1000%
Today's player's are soft there making so because of Larry Legend and Magic saved the NBA and there making millions they have a sore finger and they don't play but are on the side lines watching the game all styling out with there clothes come on there playing this game and making millions of dollars because of Larry Legend and Magic saved the NBA unbelievable fr
