Larry Bird is overrated in a lot of areas. ... Why does he get so much publicity? Because he's white. You never hear about a black player being the greatest.
A lot of black guys always ask me, 'Did Larry Bird really play that good?' I said, 'Larry Bird is so good it's frightening.'
I think the greatest player I've ever played against was Magic Johnson. Next, was Larry Bird. Then, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Since I've been five, people asked me if we're related. It is usually the third question in the line of questions. What's your name? Sue Bird. Oh, what do you do? I play basketball. Are you related to Larry Bird? That's how it goes. I guess it could be worse, though, since he is a legend and all.
Magic Johnson was my favorite player growing up.
Just basketball in general in Indiana is just huge, so that's everybody's getaway. That's our main thing, to think about the history. Obviously, Larry Bird is a very, very big part of that.
And I have been very blessed, having coached some of the greatest that have ever played the game. But if I had to start a team today, the greatest player and the one guy I would take would be Larry Bird.
Doug Christie, what skill, what strenght, what power, what quickness. The visionof Magic Johnson, the athletisicm of Michael Jordan, the toughness of larry Bird. Dough Christie has it all
I have always wanted to be part of something special, and when I got to Boston.. actually, when I bought, begged and pleaded my way onto the Celtics.. it was already a championship team. I was just glad to be able to sit there and cheer and to be Larry Bird's valet, to be sure that his shoes were fine and his uniform was folded neatly.
I've got to give Larry Bird his due; he was a great player. He knew the game and he was smart.
The greatest set shooter ever? Larry Joe Bird. Period. The best coming off screen? Reginald Miller. And the best off the dribble? Steph Curry.
Larry Bird is like a basketball god to me for what he's done for my career.
Some of the guys in the Eastern Conference, I had never been on their teams - like Larry Bird: even though you make the All Star team, you're going to be in the West; he's on the East. So you're never going to be teammates.
I like to use my Larry Bird analogy, because I'm from Boston. It must have been frustrating playing behind Larry Bird. Because no matter what happens, good or bad, he's the guy. And you've got no chance of getting in. That's just the way it is. It's tough to play behind a future Hall of Famer.
In 1979, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird entered the league. I remember that. Soon after this, the story began to be repeated ad nauseam: the NBA, a tottering mess in the seventies, was saved in the eighties by these two.
I remember when I was a rookie, there was an article in 'USA Today' that said, 'Larry Bird, he's lost a step.' That night I went out to guard him, he scored, like, 47 on me.
Magic Johnson didn't play the style that Larry Bird did, and Michael Jordan sure didn't play the style that Magic or Bird played.
As an outsider, when you think of Indiana, you think about a place that not only has championships but a championship tradition.
I'd like to think that the nature of the two teams - Boston being a championship team over the years and the Lakers, same thing - was a lot bigger than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
Just soaking up the history of the Boston Celtics has been the best thing that's happened to me as a player.
I had a Dan Fouts Nike poster with 'The Bomb Squad' on my wall as a kid. I was also a huge Larry Bird fan. One of my proudest art achievements is a papier-mache eagle decked out head-to-toe in Celtics gear.
I always say the Boston Celtics of the 1960s were the only true dynasty, because they won nine titles in a 10-year span.
I watched a lot of Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Kevin Durant, and a lot of Paul Pierce. I used to watch Tracy McGrady as well along with Kevin Garnett.
In New York, I run into Packers fans who have never lived in Wisconsin, Canadiens fans who have never lived in La Belle Province, Celtics fans who admire Russell and Bird and Pierce but have no trace of a Boston accent.
I love Larry Bird, but I don't agree with him. I love him and respect everything about him. I learned a long time ago, and I've made this statement: Coaches don't lose their expertise and ability to make the calls.
