Larry Bird

Bird's Legacy

Bird's humble roots led to his most frequently used moniker, "The Hick From French Lick." More cynical or facetious observers called him "The Great White Hope." As a Caucasian superstar in a league dominated by African-American athletes, Bird undoubtedly stood out because of his race, but his skin color has little to do with his place in NBA history. Despite having relatively few athletic advantages (other than his height, at 6'9"), Bird possessed an uncanny and unparalleled ability to anticipate and react to the strategies of his opponents. His talent for recognizing the moves of opponents and teammates prompted his first coach with the Celtics, Bill Fitch, to nickname him "Kodak," because he seemed to formulate mental pictures of every play that took place on the court.

Related Topics:
Hick - Caucasian - African-American - NBA - Bill Fitch - Kodak

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Throughout his career, Bird was a fierce competitor and outstanding team leader. Former teammates of Bird frequently said that through his selfless play and leadership, Bird elevated their level of play. In addition to his offensive proficiency, Bird made the simple task of passing the ball an artistic feat. Of the players of his era, only Johnson, and perhaps John Stockton, could execute the no-look or touch pass to a teammate as craftily and creatively as Bird.

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Bird is also remembered as an excellent defender, as evidenced by his career 1,556 steals. He was not fast or quick-footed, and rarely could shut down an individual player one-on-one, but Bird consistently displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, thereby reacting to passes and creating turnovers. Unspectactular but effective defensive moves, such as jumping into a passing lane to make a steal or allowing his man to step past and drive to the hoop, then blocking the opponent's shot from behind, were staples of Bird's defensive game.

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Above all, Bird is remembered as one of the foremost clutch performers in the history of the NBA. Few players before or since Bird have performed as brilliantly in critical moments of games. The following is merely a sample of the notable clutch efforts of Bird's career:

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• In game 7 of the 1981 Eastern Conference finals against the rival Philadelphia 76ers, Boston was behind by one in the last minute when Bird sank a fast-break mid-range pull-up bank shot, a very difficult shot to execute under intense pressure. That basket won Boston the game and the series and they would go on to win the NBA championship in the Finals. In the late stages of this game 7 Bird also had two key steals, two free throws made, a rebound, and blocked a shot.
• In the clinching game 6 of the 1986 Finals, Bird recorded a triple-double (the basketball term for double-digit numbers in three categories) of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
• In game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons, with five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Boston trailing the Pistons 107-106, Bird stole an inbound pass from Isiah Thomas intended for Bill Laimbeer. With the clock ticking down and with his momentum carrying him out of bounds, Bird turned and fired the ball to teammate Dennis Johnson, who converted a layup with 2 seconds left to win the game for Boston. The dramatic play--known simply to Boston fans as "The Steal"--saved the series for the Celtics, who, had they lost game 5, would have had to win game 6 in Detroit (where they were winless in the series) to force a decisive seventh game. Instead, after losing in Detroit, Boston won game 7 and advanced to the Finals.
• In game 4 of the 1987 Finals against the Lakers, Bird fought off defender James Worthy, got the ball, turned and hit a three-point shot with less than a minute remaining to give the Celtics the lead. Magic Johnson would regain the lead for the Lakers with a clutch shot of his own, but Bird had one final chance to win the game. With only a few seconds remaining, he received the ball behind the three-point line and fired again. The shot was on line, but glanced off the rim and missed as time expired.
• In game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, Bird shot 9 of 10 in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points in that quarter alone and lifting the Celtics to a narrow series-clinching victory over Atlanta. Bird outdueled the Hawks' Dominique Wilkins, who scored 47 points in that game. Bird had previously guaranteed to reporters that Boston would not lose the game; his fourth-quarter performance delivered his promise.
• In the second quarter of game 5 of the Celtics' 1991 first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, Bird slipped and fell, crashing face-first onto the Boston Garden floor. A hushed Garden crowd watched as Bird was escorted to the locker room, then erupted in the third quarter as Bird dramatically came up the ramp to the court and rejoined his teammates. Despite a concussion and a resultant severe headache, Bird scored 32 points on 12 for 19 shooting, leading Boston to victory for the game and the series.
• In the 1988 All-Star Game Three Point Contest, Bird--the winner of the event in both years since its creation in 1986--faced Seattle Supersonics guard Dale Ellis in the final round of the competition. Ellis went first and scored 15 points. Bird started slowly, then ran off a series of makes, needing to hit his final three shots to beat Ellis. He did so. After Bird shot the last ball in the rack, he raised his arm and index finger as the ball was halfway to the rim, and walked away. The shot went in, winning the competition 17-15 and capturing Bird's third-straight shootout title.

Larry Bird embodied discipline in the NBA. An Indiana farm boy who made it to the pros - he never flinched, and he was always clutch.

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Michael Jordan, who may have supplanted Bird as the league's most feared clutch player through his heroics with the Chicago Bulls, once was asked who he would want to take a shot with the game on the line, other than himself. Before the question could be finished, Jordan quickly responded, "Larry Bird."

Related Topics:
Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls

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