Bird claimed that he worked tirelessly to become the NBA’s most dominant player.
Larry Bird established himself in the NBA with his deft passing, dogged rebounding, and ability to come up big in crunch time, frequently outhustling his opponents on numerous fronts. While his inherent abilities were evident, the three-time MVP admitted that he possessed three God-given characteristics but emphasized that he had worked tirelessly to become one of the best players in league history. Bird realized he needed to be better than the greatest.
Larry Legend was fortunate in his early years to understand that, despite the NBA’s abundance of skill, only a small number of players achieved greatness and consistently maintained it. Understanding the struggle ahead, the Indiana native realized that in order to thrive in the NBA, he needed to routinely outshine and outperform those best players on a nightly basis. “Some guys are very consistent, and some guys are just great, but there are probably about 20 guys up there all the time,” Bird stated. “Now, I figure three out of four nights, I’m going to play better than anybody else in the game.”
Some guys are really consistent, and some guys are simply fantastic, but there are probably around 20 guys up there all the time,” Bird said. “Now, I figure three out of four nights, I’m going to play better than anybody else in the game.” While Bird recognized his natural abilities, he honed his skill by working relentlessly to fill in the gaps and increase his overall performance. “I would say my vision, my court awareness, and my height are God-given,” Bird stated. “Everything else I’ve worked my ass off for.”
Larry made his presence felt right from the beginning. Despite not being as athletic as some of his peers, Bird’s exceptional game knowledge and savvy distinguished him on the court. Even in his prime, he lacked the speed and leaping ability of his peers. However, his extraordinary basketball IQ set him apart from the competitors. To the point where Red Auerbach labeled Bird ‘the best passing big man’ in only his sophomore year.
“This guy is unique,” Auerbach added. “He’s like a Bob Cousy up front, and Cousy was without a doubt the best passer to ever play the game. Larry will most likely be remembered as one of the best forwards of all time, if not the greatest.”
