Bird’s pass, which McHale had seen during Celtics practice, thrilled him.
When the name Larry Bird is mentioned, people frequently think of his unrivaled confidence on the court, his love of trash talk, his ability to lead with poise and efficiency, and his ability to reveal his moves while still executing them more effectively to score on his opponent. Furthermore, even though the 12-time All-Star is known for being a superb rebounder and scorer, passing may not be the first quality that most people think of when they picture him.
But during a practice, Kevin McHale saw an incredible spin pass from the Indiana native that was so impressive that he pulled his hamstring and was stunned for a while.
McHale discussing Larry’s superiority over his peers
In a film dedicated to Bird after his selection to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, McHale paid his final respects. The two-time 6MOTY praised Larry Legend’s unmatched mental and physical toughness, noting how these attributes set him apart from other stars in his day.
“That person, you know, would play through suffering. He was a fierce opponent with excellent hands, vision, and game sense, and nothing phased him. And you… could just go out and play at an unbelievable level each and every night,” McHale remarked. “Didn’t have to shoot the ball well to have a good game because he did so many different things.”
Herman Munster thought back to Bird’s enchanted spin pass.
Herman Munster thought back to Bird’s enchanted spin pass.
When asked to name Bird’s most memorable game, the seven-time All-Star admitted it was difficult to choose just one because of how skillfully the 6’9″ forward performed a variety of tasks on the court. McHale did, however, remember an instance during a Boston Celtics practice in which he was astonished by a miraculous spin pass from Bird, which ultimately caused him to strain his hamstring.
I’m cutting in the back door. Larry did in fact spin the ball. Like, I never would have imagined spinning the ball,” McHale went on. “He bounced the ball out in front of me after backspinning it. I assumed the ball was heading out of bounds, but it jumped back up and struck me in the hands, causing me to tear a hamstring. He simply said, “I’ll hit ya when you get open.” I do recall thinking, ‘I’ll try that spin pass,’ so that’s something. After giving it a go, I vowed never to do it again.
Even though Larry prevented a number of Hall of Famers from going on to greater success, he made sure that his presence had an impact on everyone who wore the same uniform as him.
