Telling Larry Bird he couldn’t play would be the best way to discipline him, according to Red Auerbach.
While many NBA players don’t particularly worry about losing sleep these days due to game cancellations, the legendary Larry Bird wasn’t like that. Indeed, Red Auerbach, the president of the Boston Celtics in the past, once said that the best way to discipline Bird would be to inform him he couldn’t play for a few games.
“I wouldn’t fine him if I intended to punish him. He wouldn’t say anything even if I fined him any amount. I would tell him he couldn’t play the next few games if I truly intended to punish him.”
Many contemporary NBA players have voiced their displeasure with the 65-game criteria for awards; Jaylen Brown, a current Celtic, has suggested that the minimum game requirement should be 58. It is unfortunate that they believe it is unreasonable to expect them to play 80% of the season in order to qualify for honors.
A rule such as this one would not have concerned someone like Bird in the slightest. During his first nine seasons in the league, he played the fewest games in a single campaign—74.
Bird didn’t start missing time until he began to struggle with serious heel and back issues after playing every game in three seasons. He even persevered through injuries because he was so determined to go back on the floor. It would be great to see more players in the NBA today with that kind of mentality.
