Larry Bird saw how white players could attain success in the NBA, just as most black players do.
Most NBA fans credit Larry Bird with overcoming the prejudice that white men were meek and fragile. While this is clearly true, Larry Legend believes that black athletes are inherently more athletic than white men. However, Bird pointed out that white players, unlike most black players, may distinguish out in the NBA by doing something unique and polarizing.
I’ve argued for years that the black man is the better athlete, so to overcome that, you have to be exceptional,” Bird told The Undefeated in 2019.
This is exactly what Larry Legend did.
True, when Bird entered the NBA, he introduced something new to the world of basketball. He did not dazzle the fans with electrifying dunks as Michael Jordan did, nor did he leave them in amazement with spectacular plays like Magic Johnson. Instead, “The Hick from French Lick” outperformed all of his most tough opponents on fundamentals, guts, and a desire to win
According to Bird, he realized right once that he lacked the athleticism and agility that most black NBA players possess. So he worked relentlessly to develop an approach that set him apart from the others.
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You can have all the speed in the world, all the quickness, and the ability to jump out of the gym, but I believe the most important thing you need is the will to improve yourself every day,” Bird famously said.
“I wasn’t able to run fast or jump high, so I had to come up with another gimmick to get me through,” he said. “The ability to learn quickly, to go out and learn the fundamentals and try and protect the fundamentals, and trying to get around of not having quickness or the jumping ability.”
The white NBA GOAT.
Some may disagree and criticize Bird for repeating that black athletes are superior to white men. It’s a daring move, but Larry Legend is live proof that there is a way to modify that widely held opinion. Bird’s NBA resume speaks for itself
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Bird has previously faced racial discrimination in the NBA. Nonetheless, it did not deter him from playing. Most of the time, Bird is the only white player mentioned in NBA GOAT discussions, and just a few people disagree. But if we had to name the white NBA’s greatest player, it’s safe to say Larry Bird.
