With three championships and numerous MVP awards throughout his tenure in Boston, Larry Bird is a legendary member of the Boston Celtics. But he also had a lasting impression on NBA champions like Metta Sandiford-Artest who followed him.
In an interview with Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem for “The OGs” on February 27, the former Los Angeles Lakers champion discussed how a chat with Bird fundamentally altered his style of play.
“I recall asking Larry questions along the lines of, ‘I watch you on tape, Larry. You’re entering the basket, but you’re not moving very quickly. I mean, no offense intended, but you seem kind of slow. I told him not to worry about it as I was observing him and I liked how he could acquire buckets whenever he wanted. Take that lane when you see it, he urged. What more, I ask myself? That’s it, he said,” Sandiford-Artest remarked.
Sandiford-Artest went on to explain more about how his game evolved.
“You know, they used to put hands on everyone, so that’s when I was doing one dribble pull up and one dribble here. That opened up my whole game.” At that point, I was attempting to make a basket or practice my one-dribble, one-dribble pull-up shot. Larry had to do that since I was always at the gym and highly intelligent.
When Bird served as the Pacers’ President of Basketball Operations, Sandiford-Artest was a player for the team. Despite the lack of success the two had in Indiana, Sandiford went on to become a champion with the Lakers in 2010.
Says He Had Something Current Players Don’t While speaking with NBA Hall of Famers Isaiah Thomas and Reggie Miller, Larry Bird discussed what set him apart from current players.
With Miller and Thomas on NBA on TNT, Bird stated, “The one thing that I have that a lot of people don’t have — there are a lot of players who have it — I had the ability to play every night.” “Each night, I brought it.”
“I knew full well that the Celtics were paying me to win basketball games. I felt like I had to win every time I went out there because it was my duty to win basketball games and I wanted to please them. I can say with certainty that I gave everything I did my all. I suffered a great deal of injuries as a result of my constant sacrifice, but practicing and playing every night improved me. I was also up against the top players in the world. That is the main focus.
Just a few months before the 1992–93 season began, Bird retired at the age of 35.
Larry Bird Makes Fun of Isiah Thomas for His Notoriety
The Pistons were robbed of a victory by the Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Larr Bird stole a pass from Thomas with a few seconds remaining in the game, and he quickly gave it to Dennis Johnson, who made the game-winning layup. The game was won by the Celtics thanks to the heads-up play.
Bird made fun of Thomas for the play during that same video clip.
“What did we learn from that?” Thomas inquired. Bird answered, “Call a timeout,” which made Miller chuckle.
The play itself proved to be crucial, as it allowed the Celtics to make their final NBA Finals appearance in Bird’s playing career.
