Once played a game left handed out of boredom and stated he was “saving his right hand for the Lakers”. Dropped something like 27 in that game too.
Once got another team’s players fined for cheering when he balled out on them (Atlanta Hawks). Maybe was the same game as the lefty game?
Once scored 60 points to spite Kevin McHale (for not doing it a few games earlier).
Dups1822
He claims to have never practiced his 3pt shot.
vectron88
* He claims that he’s not the best shooter in the family. (That would be his brother Mark who agrees.) * Bird mangled his shooting hand in a softball accident prior to joining the NBA. He claims he has never had the same touch that he used to have. * He dropped out of IU after 24 days and hitchhiked home after not fitting in in the comparatively big city of Bloomington. (He was also bullied.) He then worked as a garbage man for a year.
Theredsoxman
He once walked into a Pacers practice and while the the team was stretching, looked over, grabbed a ball, and proceeded to drain ten 3 pointers in a row
Then he just walked off
He was 60 years old and hadn’t played in the NBA for 25 years
igotyourphone8
Larry Bird once shot a man in Reno.
TheSeventhBrat
When Twitter was Twitter, the little bird’s name was Larry.
KingCa92
For three straight years he was second in mvp voting then won mvp three straight years in a row
issajoketing
No white man can guard him
10011000000000
The 60 point game and getting the Atalanta hawks bench players in trouble were the same game.
One of the best shit-talkers to ever play the game. If I’m not mistaken he walked into a locker room before a 3pt contest at the allstar break and asked the rest of the representatives from around the league “alright who’s playing for second place?”
fourthofjulyness
He was top 2 in the NBA MVP voting for 6 straight years. If you add 1980 (4th), 1987 (3rd), and 1988 (2nd), that’s 9 straight years in the top 4 in the MVP voting, with 7 of those 1st or 2nd….insane
iguess12
His career was shorter because he fucked up his back fixing his mom’s driveway.
MWave123
The best is that he broke the index finger on his shooting hand barehanding a softball the summer before he came to the Celtics. Going hard with the Bird bros. Years later when they asked him about it he said, ‘Yeah, I was never the same shooter.’
Paydeidreback
He showed up for college walk on scrimmage in jeans and beat all the college kids.
SSJCelticGoku
He is the only person in NBA history to be named ROY, MVP, FMVP, coach of the year and executive of the year
AB-AA-Mobile
He is the GOAT
rodeick194732
To 5 years off his career by hand digging his driveway
manonamission37
Larry bird sold me crack cocaine and heroin on multiple occations eventually leading me to destroy every relationship ive had with anyone ive ever loved my life is truly ruined and also one time played a game lefty
joeyrog88
If you do a side by side for career averages with Steph Curry they are extremely close in points, assists, and steals per game played. Larry has a higher field goal percentage is probably my favorite part of it all. and Larry averaged about double the rebounds.
I don’t necessarily want to shade Steph but Larry did the same per game that he has done, while being an elite defender and averaging a double double. Steph got one more ring and one less finals MVP, so far anyway. Bird 9 times first team all NBA, Steph 4 times. They both have been all NBA 10 times…so Steph was rarely the best at his position in his formative years.
Steph could still change some of these facts…but ultimately there is almost no argument that Bird wasn’t a better than Steph
johngannon8
That he was also an elite trash talker
VibeChatIncarnate
Larry Bird once walked past Dennis Johnson in the locker room, did a full somersault in front of him, turned and said ‘you can’t do that.” Then walked out.
Bechimo
Back to back to back MVPs.
TNT_FC
I enjoy this contemporaneous summary from Sports Illustrated from March 1986… basically by his 7th season people were genuinely asking themselves whether he was the GOAT:
“They’re going to inbound the ball to me in the corner right there, and I’m going to shoot it in your fucking face and drain it.”
*does it*
“Shit man, I didn’t mean to leave any time on the clock.”
The player was Xavier Daniels guarding him, and per the X-Man there was 1.6 seconds left ( the Celtics won).
RedHotFromAkiak
Broke his pinky finger in a bar fight.
dchallenge
While on top of the NBA he lived in a modest 2 bedroom house and mowed his own lawn.
_--_-_-----_-_
he almost got a quadruple double in 3 quarters, he was benched for the entire 4th quarter tho
Fearthejuggalo
Larry smoked Newports.
BlackCherrySeltzer4U
He’s actually not a bird
--A3--
I saw Larry Bird at a grocery store in Los Angeles once. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off.
When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying. The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
Scalills
Despite having the same last name as Big Bird, they’re not related
35 Comments
He’s white
Once played a game left handed out of boredom and stated he was “saving his right hand for the Lakers”. Dropped something like 27 in that game too.
Once got another team’s players fined for cheering when he balled out on them (Atlanta Hawks). Maybe was the same game as the lefty game?
Once scored 60 points to spite Kevin McHale (for not doing it a few games earlier).
He claims to have never practiced his 3pt shot.
* He claims that he’s not the best shooter in the family. (That would be his brother Mark who agrees.)
* Bird mangled his shooting hand in a softball accident prior to joining the NBA. He claims he has never had the same touch that he used to have.
* He dropped out of IU after 24 days and hitchhiked home after not fitting in in the comparatively big city of Bloomington. (He was also bullied.) He then worked as a garbage man for a year.
He once walked into a Pacers practice and while the the team was stretching, looked over, grabbed a ball, and proceeded to drain ten 3 pointers in a row
Then he just walked off
He was 60 years old and hadn’t played in the NBA for 25 years
Larry Bird once shot a man in Reno.
When Twitter was Twitter, the little bird’s name was Larry.
For three straight years he was second in mvp voting then won mvp three straight years in a row
No white man can guard him
The 60 point game and getting the Atalanta hawks bench players in trouble were the same game.
Here’s a link to 15 trash talking stories https://www.complex.com/sports/a/jose-martinez/larry-bird-coldest-trash-talking-stories
Saying why put someone white on him to guard him
One of the best shit-talkers to ever play the game. If I’m not mistaken he walked into a locker room before a 3pt contest at the allstar break and asked the rest of the representatives from around the league “alright who’s playing for second place?”
He was top 2 in the NBA MVP voting for 6 straight years. If you add 1980 (4th), 1987 (3rd), and 1988 (2nd), that’s 9 straight years in the top 4 in the MVP voting, with 7 of those 1st or 2nd….insane
His career was shorter because he fucked up his back fixing his mom’s driveway.
The best is that he broke the index finger on his shooting hand barehanding a softball the summer before he came to the Celtics. Going hard with the Bird bros. Years later when they asked him about it he said, ‘Yeah, I was never the same shooter.’
He showed up for college walk on scrimmage in jeans and beat all the college kids.
He is the only person in NBA history to be named ROY, MVP, FMVP, coach of the year and executive of the year
He is the GOAT
To 5 years off his career by hand digging his driveway
Larry bird sold me crack cocaine and heroin on multiple occations eventually leading me to destroy every relationship ive had with anyone ive ever loved my life is truly ruined and also one time played a game lefty
If you do a side by side for career averages with Steph Curry they are extremely close in points, assists, and steals per game played. Larry has a higher field goal percentage is probably my favorite part of it all. and Larry averaged about double the rebounds.
I don’t necessarily want to shade Steph but Larry did the same per game that he has done, while being an elite defender and averaging a double double. Steph got one more ring and one less finals MVP, so far anyway. Bird 9 times first team all NBA, Steph 4 times. They both have been all NBA 10 times…so Steph was rarely the best at his position in his formative years.
Steph could still change some of these facts…but ultimately there is almost no argument that Bird wasn’t a better than Steph
That he was also an elite trash talker
Larry Bird once walked past Dennis Johnson in the locker room, did a full somersault in front of him, turned and said ‘you can’t do that.” Then walked out.
Back to back to back MVPs.
I enjoy this contemporaneous summary from Sports Illustrated from March 1986… basically by his 7th season people were genuinely asking themselves whether he was the GOAT:
[https://vault.si.com/vault/1986/03/03/as-nearly-perfect-as-you-can-get](https://vault.si.com/vault/1986/03/03/as-nearly-perfect-as-you-can-get)
He enjoys playing cribbage!
Chuck Norris tells Larry Bird jokes.
“They’re going to inbound the ball to me in the corner right there, and I’m going to shoot it in your fucking face and drain it.”
*does it*
“Shit man, I didn’t mean to leave any time on the clock.”
The player was Xavier Daniels guarding him, and per the X-Man there was 1.6 seconds left ( the Celtics won).
Broke his pinky finger in a bar fight.
While on top of the NBA he lived in a modest 2 bedroom house and mowed his own lawn.
he almost got a quadruple double in 3 quarters, he was benched for the entire 4th quarter tho
Larry smoked Newports.
He’s actually not a bird
I saw Larry Bird at a grocery store in Los Angeles once. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off.
When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like fifteen Milky Ways in his hands without paying. The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the bars and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “to prevent any electrical infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After she scanned each bar and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
Despite having the same last name as Big Bird, they’re not related