[Here’s an interesting thought piece about the great Larry Bird from Hoop Magazine’s Basketball Yearbook, 1987. It comes from the late-Mike Carey, a very good, long-time sportswriter for the Boston Herald. Carey’s sources for this article are superb. But they are mainly then-current and former Celtics. Not a Laker or 76er to be had. So, in some ways, this article can be read today as: Is Larry Bird the greatest Celtic ever?
But in the mid-1980s, Bird and the GOAT question were very much in circulation. More than 30 years later, it’s harder to make that argument because of the generational changes in the game. It’s the old question: What actually are we comparing? But a healthy Bird in his prime flew higher in the public’s estimation than few NBA players since. Carey distills Bird’s greatness to his complete mastery of the game, which made his non-elite athleticism mostly a moot point. This article is definitely worth reading today to appreciate just how skilled and competitive Bird was at everything. His total package was greater than any of the individual parts. Kind of like Nikola Jokić.]
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When Larry Bird was drafted by the Celtics eight years ago, there were many questions about the 6-feet-9 Indiana State forward’s potential. His critics—among which were some very well-known NBA scouts—claimed that he had no speed, no quickness, no jumping ability. In the pro game, they said, Bird’s weaknesses would be exposed.
Today, there is only one question about Larry Bird which has not been completely answered: Is he the greatest player ever?
Red Auerbach, who as coach, then general manager and now president, has molded the Celtics into sports’ greatest dynasty. He believes that Bird is indeed the best player in history.
“Before Bird came along, I used to think no one would ever come close to (Bill) Russell,” said Auerbach. “He was a force at center, the best player of his era. He had everything you’d want—the skills, the desire, the unselfishness. But now, having watched Larry for the past seven years, I think Bird’s got the edge because he’s the complete player. I mean, there’s nothing his game lacks. He’s the definition of the word ‘perfectionist.’ In his mind, every shot should go in, every pass should be on target. There’s no margin for error, at least not for him.”
Perhaps Bird’s greatest asset is his ability to perform under pressure. “There can’t be anyone who was any better in the clutch,” says Celtic teammate Kevin McHale, “because he doesn’t even know what pressure is. There can be 15,000 fans jumping up and down and two guys from the other team waving their hands in his face, and all Larry will see is the ball and the basket. The game can be on the line and, for him, it’s just like playing H-O-R-S-E in his driveway back in French Lick.
“Pressure just doesn’t exist in his mind. He just looks at each shot as a challenge. Some may be tougher than others, but none are impossible. Whatever it takes to win, he will do. No one knows that more than we do.”
Auerbach agrees. “I used to tell people that the best I ever had in rising to the occasion were Cousy, Havlicek, and Russell,” he says, “but Larry goes beyond them in that phase of the game. I’ve seen him do things that no one else would dare try. I’ve seen times when we were down by two points with only a couple of seconds left on the clock. Not only does Larry want to make that last shot, but he wants to get in position for a (three-point) 25-footer that’ll win it for us. He’s got that much concentration, that much confidence in his shot.”
This season, Bird is seeking to become the only player in history to win the MVP award four straight years [Blog Note: Bird wouldn’t win the fourth MVP. The honor went to Magic Johnson in 1987]. For his career, he has averaged 23.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 10.5 rebounds. In 1985-86, he led the league in free-throw percentage (.896), while finishing fourth in scoring (25.80, seventh in rebounding (9.8), fourth in three-point field goal accuracy (.423), and ninth in steals (2.02). Bird capped his most-impressive campaign by being voted the MVP in the finals of the playoffs.
Bill Walton says Bird’s talents become more amazing not only with each season but with each game. “You watch him one night, and you swear you’ve seen it all. Then, the very next night, Larry does something even more spectacular. He’s the best I’ve ever seen, and I know I haven’t seen the best of him yet,” says the Celtic center.
“The only reason he’s not better than what we see is that the league doesn’t offer him enough competition. I can’t picture anyone coming along who will be able to match all the things he does so well.”
What makes Bird unique is that it’s difficult to pinpoint his greatest skills. “You think of Magic Johnson as a great passer and playmaker; you think of Bernard king as a scorer; you think of Moses Malone as a rebounder. Larry does everything at the highest level,” says Celtic guard Danny Ainge. “If someone asked me what he did best, I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
There’s Bird’s seemingly unlimited shooting range—with either hand. There’s his blind, behind-the-back bounce passes on a fastbreak. There is his knack for ruining an opponent’s three-on-one attack with one perfectly timed swipe of the hand. The list could stretch for miles.
“What makes him so great is that besides being the most-talented player in the league, Larry also happens to be the most unselfish,” says Ainge. “To really appreciate him, you have to look at his total game. He does all the little things it takes to win.”
In the opinion of Hall of Famer Bob Cousy, Bird is the only player in history to possess a complete game. “I mean, Larry is the first to have mastered every skill there is to learn. What I admire most about him is that he worked hard to get to this level, and he’ll continue to work hard to improve,” says Cousy. “I’m almost convinced that someday we’re going to witness the perfect game from him. Someday, everything will go right for him. There isn’t any other player I’ve seen that I could possibly say that about.”
But Bird just grins and jokes about himself when the subject of a “perfect game” is brought up. “Hell, I’m not smart enough to go 48 straight minutes without making a mistake,” he says. “I don’t want to play perfect. I just want to make sure I never play bad. I expect a lot from myself—but not anything close to perfection.”
Bill Fitch, who coached Boston during Bird’s first four seasons as a pro, claims he has never met a more self-demanding player. “Larry’s got it all—talent, attitude, instinct. Yet he’s probably his own toughest critic. He could have a triple-double and still be genuinely upset with the way he played. I’ve seen that happen. I don’t think there’s ever been a time when Larry has been totally satisfied with his game, and, knowing him, I don’t think there ever will be.”
While Bird realizes his game has limitations, he often displays an air of supreme confidence. In fact, according to Celtics coach, K.C. Jones, Bird is quite adept at using his cockiness as a weapon when he’s on the court.
“Larry has that Muhammad Ali kind of approach. He gets to you and your mind before the fight begins,” says Jones. “He can psyche you out with a couple of words or maybe even a look. The beauty of Larry Bird is he can back up anything he says he can do.”
Although many rate him as basketball’s best all-time player, Bird, refuses to put himself on a level with Russell. “The truth is Bill was a better basketball player than I am—and I ain’t afraid to admit it,” Bird says. “The way he dominated the game . . . what can you say? People don’t know all that it takes to win a championship. And when you think of Bill Russell winning 11 championships in 13 years, it’s amazing. It’s something that will never be done again.”
From Way Downtown 