The Ugly Truth of Larry Bird's Downfall 

Fax

man is one of the best, but if stayed healthy he could have been THE best

Definitely top 5 all-time

I heard he did his Achilles twice

Without looking it up I think he also shot 93 or 94% from the FT line his last season. His last season numbers, at 35, were still as good or better than Scottie Pippen's best season numbers. Late in that last season of 1991-92 he also authored a 49-14-12 triple-double in a win over eventual Western Conference champion Portland, who had the best record in the NBA that season. Until recently it was the HIGHEST scoring triple-double in NBA history - at age 35.5 with a bad back.

And then having people say you arent the best SF of all time because of a dude with the same amount of championships who took an additional decade with zero injury concerns and better teammates to get them 🙄

i was like lowest career percentage at the time? this man's the GOAT

@@RealCanadaTalk if hes not top 3 you're sus. If hes not top 4 you're wrong. If he's not top 5 you're biased to the point that your opinion is invalid.

Bird is the best small forward ever

That’s crazy tbh

Yes maybe, but bird has said he would’ve retired earlier than he actually did if Len bias haven’t died

#LoSLakersFan 28 It was publicly stated that Bird would have retired by 1988

Len bias and reggie lewis man, they would have paved the way for a young paul pierce

facts I bet MJ wouldn't have 6 ring either

@@zachzalvan8213 true true

He is the overall GOAT.

TRUE LEGEND

You think? I think Bird and Jordan are the goat. The only jersey I have is the 33. But damn. Jordan. Bird 1 Jordan 1 .

One of the greatest basketball minds on and off the court

@Mr. Thomas fr everyone Knows LeBron is the true goat.

Miami Sports fan now ur making me think of the “three eyed bird” from game of Zones m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WaQQiUEVeQ0.html, redrafting the top 10 picks of each 2010’s draft.

That’s a good one 🤣🤣

He's digivolving

The Knick Fan I love game of zones sad it had to end like that

deadass

Not best small forward. Lebron has the slight edge. Bird is definitely 2nd best small forward all time though.

@@user-rc8sx9xe1n What about in crunch time? I am picking Bird>Lebron.

@@user-rc8sx9xe1n Bird's the best by a mile

All facts no cap 🧢

@@melvynsngltn27 Bird isn't even better than Kevin durant

i know . this boy stupid AF. he gonna hurt himself one day.

the G.O.A.T.

Absolutely

This narrator sounds like a Eastern european robot..."TOE-multuous"

fr man could've maybe won another title and stop MJ from getting 6

Search Lebron bringing the ball and Bird bringing the ball on a court in Google. They are different, Lebron land on his toes, Bird lands on his heels.

@@inthepaint2907 nah not really. They could force the bulls to 6 games in 91 in the ecf but Jordan was hungrier than Bird in 91 and remember, they swept the Pistons. After that, the Celtics would be falling off by not much but not as a contender, a 3 seed at best.

Bird would be okay to 92 at best

@@TheOriginalFrankMatthews Says no one else ever. Bird would still be All Pro and an All Star at worst by mid 90's if it weren't for injuries, especially with game changing from basically football to actual basketball once the Pistons were done. Literally every NBA Great would and most have said the same.

facts for sure one of the GOATs top 3 Small Forward

He was.the best of his generation, and that generation was best the (NBA) had ever been a Golden era.

Yes

Oooh nice. Add How good was Glen Rice to that list. For some reason I always think of him too when I hear Mitch Richmond. Very similar playstyles (at least in my memory form watching as a kid).

Thanks

i really want a how good was pau gasol

How about Jimmy Jackson

Yeah medicine has come a long way, the manufactured covid 19 and let people die to it because they don't treat it right because they want forced vaccines. Great times to be alive.

Shoveling snow in the summer?

@@Tommy88- Watch the video.

I totally agree. Bird had an excellent long prime and a fantastic career. Father time is undefeated and catches all great athletes. You don't judge great players at the tail of their careers.

And his father died in 1975!

man deserves it

And he could score anytime or anywhere on the court

And shoot either hand from anywhere... Was a sniper

agreed, who's your 2 and 3?

No the best is flight vs Rudy gobert

@@inthepaint2907 bill Russell and wilt Chamberlain Is the second best rivalry

I agree.

Of all Sports, no contest

Could’ve included Giannis but voter fatigue :/ Jokic went crazy though no disrespect

Bird had a genetic condition in which his spine was too narrow. It was inevitable,. It's amazing he lasted that long. Driveway incident only exacerbated it .

man was tough dude

He was a basketball god too. Not just a tough guy.

U can’t say would of . u saying it was guaranteed

Hmm Pistons would have still won in 1989 and 1990. I can’t see them beating the Pistons

MJ def would have less rings

@@boxingdegenerate9077 tough to say

InThePaint maybe he would of lost but still in a different world and Larry never got hurt and won more rings that mean mj woulda neva been in his situation and probably not his dad so he might of neva retired which means Hakeem would have less rings

man balled out no matter the circumstances

Having no load management isn't a very smart thing

Exactly

I was surprised Andy missed this. Pretty well known story.

Hello8 goodbye9 technically Achilles is a foot injury, no?

He should have hired a contractor to do that. He's Larry Bird for goodness sakes.

@@VincentBeville that's just Larry being Larry. The Hick from French Lick. He just didn't believe in letting others do what you could do yourself. I'm sure now he would've hired someone but he just wasn't raised that way

Ryan Meneses and it is named after him

@@b.w.8909 correct👍

@@b.w.8909 hahaha

Who's ever owns Twitter is a big fan and that's what's up..

I am a Bird fan but he had. 83 where they were swept by the Bucks 3-0. 89 where he played only 6 games. From 90 to 91. He became slow. But still I will choose a washed up Bird to join my team than Gordon Hayward.

I knew Reggie when he was at Northeastern University and got to do the engineering and halftime show at WRBB when Perry Bernard was calling the games on the radio. His final days at Matthews Arena were electric and the crowd loved him. No. He did not have enough of a supporting cast around him to allow the Huskies to make a run at an NCAA title. But he scored half the points for the Huskies in his last year and everyone at the station went crazy when the Celtics drafted him in 1987. The thing I will always remember about him is that he was exceptionally quiet and shy off the court. True gentleman and fanatical worker on his game (like one of his teammates was known for).

bird is def one of the GOATs

Fr he was supposed keep the Celtics as contenders for years to come

He was on the team, for one or two days

Bird said he will retire in 88 if Len Bias didnt Die

Zach Zalvan no man he died on draft night

facts they wouldve won a lot more titles

That’s what I’m saying! The argument is always that he wouldn’t be athletic enough to compete now but Jokic is one of the best players in the league while being way less mobile.

Kevin Bolger Every great in NBA history would be great no matter when they played, because they’re fucking great! I hate people who say oh MJ couldn’t play today or lebron couldn’t play in the 80s or whatever like shut up

um, no oone ever said bird was underrated

Those people don’t know Basketball. Bird would be way more effective.

the man for sure needs more recognition, maybe we'll do a video on him!

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tQYs5rsSud0.html

Without DJ aggressively guarding Magic in Games 4-7 in the 1984 NBA World Championship Series, the Celtics would never have won the series. K.C. Jones told DJ to forget Game 3 (the "sissy game") at the Forum and to recollect and go after Magic (and sometimes Michael Cooper) with some intense defense. By the end of the series, DJ had nothing left in the tank but he *did* end up with his second ring! He completely turned his game (and the series around) starting in Game 4 and Boston won three of the last four games of the series after spotting Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. In 1986, DJ was basically a menace against Robert Reed (and occasionally Lewis Lloyd) and along with Ainge, helped the Celtics backcourt win that critical battle on defense. Not a scoring powerhouse in the series but pulled down a ton of rebounds and with his excellent passing and experienced play helped the Celtics win title #16.

Jerry Williamson well said Jerry

Without him and magic, the league was on the verge of bankruptcy. 78 was a very ugly year for the league..

Top 5, just watch him play, and win

Top 3

Throw in Kobe there too.

It was painful to watch those last few seasons of Kobe's career. He should have hung it up after that achilles tear. It was maybe even worse than some of the other players I mentioned because at least the other players were treated as role players on their respective teams after they were washed. Lakers treated Kobe like he was still the MVP rather than reducing his responsibilities to match his diminished skills.

agreed all around my man top 3 Small Forward of all time

what up my man I really like that video idea, we got a video on Pistol Pete's entire career and how good he was, and his Celtics years are featured in it, would love your honest opinion on it, even giving it a quick look would be appreciated boss!

I got Bird top 3, but not the best

@@inthepaint2907 For SF's or all time?

he is the best BASKETBALL player of all time. Others are more athletic, LeBron,Michael,Giannis but overall game, the Legend is the best.

@Course Man Top 10 all time?

@omar x blackrose no . YOU STOP> Your shit is hella old old tima. Where your zimmer @ ?

sadly

@@inthepaint2907 lebron not the goat. Unsub

well I'm sure he didin't think he would injure himself, I mean who does...I respect a guy that likes to work it can be relaxing too, its just a fluke and a shame

Thad, we live in the information age. The guy could have done some simple research. And the “fact” that older players who are suffering from injuries don’t play as well as they used to? Man, I’m glad this guy educated me on that.

The NBA 3 point line was introduced in 1979, the rookie year for Bird and Magic. Larry said he didn't like the introduction of the 3 point line, but he definitely to good advantage.

Jordan also said Larry gave him the best advice he ever got which was to learn how to get his team more involved.

Bird one of the GOATs for sure, top 3 SF

Larry was the best small forward

Le3-6?

Agree Larry legend is the best

1980- Averaged a .511 TS% in the postseason. In game 5 vs. the Sixers, he shot poorly, 5-19 with just 12 points, as the Celtics lost the game. His man (Dr. J) averaged 25 PPG in this series. His team loses in 5 games despite having HCA and winning 61 games. Had a 18.3 PER in the postseason. 1981- Has a .532 TS% in the postseason. He had a bad finals where he averaged just 15 PPG on .419 shooting and .460 TS%. 1982- PPG average dropped from 22.9 PPG to 17.8 PPG. He has an embarrassing .474 TS% in the playoffs. He averaged a pedestrian 18.3 PPG against the Sixers. Averages 17 PPG in the final 2 games of the series. The Celtics lose again with HCA. The Celtics won 63 games and had the #1 SRS in the league. Has a 17.9 PER in the postseason. 1983- The Celtics get swept by the Bucks. The Celtics win 56 games and had the #2 SRS in the league and lose again with HCA. Bird plays awful again. .478 TS%. His PPG average drops 2 PPG in the playoffs. Bird missed a game in the series but that game happened to be the closest one (Celtics lose by 4). In the 3 other games, the Celtics lose by 14.3 PPG with Bird on the court. 1984- Great playoffs. Averaged 27-14-4 in the Finals and had a .607 TS% in the playoffs. First great playoff of his career. Celtics win the title over the Lakers. 1985- Celtics make the finals, but Bird's numbers drop in the playoffs. His PPG drops by 2.8 PPG, Reb by 1.2 Reb, and AST by 0.7 AST. Had an average .536 TS% in the postseason. Bird plays even worse in the finals. His PPG dropped 4.9 PPG, his Reb 1.7 Reb, and AST by 1.6 AST in the finals compared to his regular season average. His Finals TS% is just .527. Not only that, but Celtics finish with 63 wins and lose once again with HCA a constant theme in Bird's career. This is the first time in Celtics history they lost in the finals with HCA. 1986- Great year. His best year ever. Wins the title. .615 TS% in the postseason and amazing finals. 1987- I think this is his most admirable playoffs up until the finals. The Celtics were quite banged up this year. Averaged 27-10-7 in the postseason with .577 TS%. Though his numbers in the finals dropped off once again. His PPG was 3.9 PPG down from the regular season, AST down by 2.1 AST and his TS% was just .534. In game 6, Bird scored just 16 points on 6-16 (.375) shooting. In the final 3 games of this series, Bird averaged just 20 PPG on .377 shooting and .492 TS% with 3.7 TOV. This is the first time Bird has played without HCA in the playoffs and his team loses. 1988- Bird's PPG drops by 5.4 PPG, Reb by 0.5 Reb. Bird shoots an awful 40-114 (.351) against the Pistons. Has a mediocre .538 TS% and 20.2 PER in the playoffs. The Celtics had HCA and the #1 SRS in the league and you probably guessed what happened next, Larry Bird loses with HCA once again. 1989- Injured doesn't play in the postseason. 1990- Bird shoots .539 TS% and has 3.6 TOV as the Celtics once again you guessed it, lose with HCA. 1991- In the first round, his team needs to go 5 vs. the 41 win Pacers. His PPG drop by 2.3 PPG and his Rebounds and Assists also drop quite a bit. Has a .490 TS% 15.8 PER in the playoffs. Against the Pistons Bird averages 13.4 PPG on .446 TS%. His 56 win team played with you guessed it HCA and loses with it. 1992- Doesn't play in the first round as the Celtics sweep the Pacers. In round 2, his team goes 7 against the Cavs, but Bird plays in 4 games and his team was 1-3 in those games. Averages a pathetic 11.3 PPG and 4.5 Reb which are 8.4 PPG and 5.2 Reb down from his regular season average. He has a .514 TS% and 16.4 PER in the postseason. So out of 12 years, you get 9 years under .540 TS%, 5 under .520 TS%, and 3 under .500 TS%. From 80-83, he had a 19.9 playoff PER. In that span, Johnny Moore, Franklin Edwards, Gus Williams, and Bob Lanier all had better playoff PER and WS/48. Teammates Parish, McHale, Tiny Archibald, and Cedric Maxwell had better TS% in that span. From 88-92, he had a 18.8 PER which is 25th among players with 10 playoff games played. Players who had better playoff PER's in that span include Fat Lever, Terry Cummings, Roy Tarpley, Cedric Ceballos, and Sarunas Marciulionis. His teammates Reggie Lewis and Kevin McHale had better playoff PER's in that span. With Bird you get a nice 4 year run that had 4 straight finals appearances but outside of that you get a 4 year span of .505 TS% (80-83) and a .525 TS% span (88-92). In 12 years, you get 7 losses with HCA. Basically out of Bird's 13 year career, you have 1 injury season and 3 non-descript postseasons at the end of his plus some playoff disappointments early in his career. Having watched Bird’s entire career Lebron James has passed Larry Bird a long time ago. Bird has too many HCA losses and too many poor playoff performance to be compared to an Elite GOAT Tier player like Lebron James.

Larry like kobe kept playing hurt u dont make your test better bird's defense doesn't come close to bron's

Harold Smith Yes, Lebron is a better defender, when he wants to be, which is highlighted by the fact that you could put together a fairly lengthy montage of Lebron sleeping or looking completely disinterested on defense. The same can’t be said of Bird. Even though Bird lacked Lebron’s quickness and agility , he still played very solid team defense, had remarkable anticipation, quick hands and averaged almost 2 steals per game for his carrier. Not bad for a slow white guy!

Same

Bird a GOAT, just checked out ur comment it is good, we gave you a sub, would love if you checked us out boss

InThePaint yo your videos are good my guy subbed

ayeee nice

back then taking care of your bodyd didnt exist. recognise.

@@OvaChicken he played 4 a great organization that had trainers playing hurt takes it toll later

@Chadwicked B different game now forwards and centers then couldn't bring the ball up and couldn't shoot 3s more physical then but slower

so whos the other two?

@@jon-unicorn-doxxer Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain...

No

@@zoidzilla348 Sam Cassell was, in fact, a good player who had a lengthy NBA career as one of the better players on some decent Bucks and Wolves teams as well a valuable contributor on the Houston Rockets championship teams of the mid-90's. Superstar? No. But solid starter? Yes.

hahah