ESPN: Larry Bird: SportsCentury

Source:Celebrities 4 U- Boston Celtics Larry Legend.

"Larry Bird, known as "a hick from French Lick," is anything but. He proved it as an overachieving basketball player, and he's proving it still as a successful, unassuming NBA coach.

Bird was one of those rare athletes who made everybody around him better. His uncanny passing, deadly shooting and anticipation defensively transformed losers into winners. The 6-foot-9 forward overcame a severe case of what is referred to in the NBA as "white man's disease," an inability to jump high, to leap into the echelon of basketball greats.

Bird was one of those rare athletes who made everybody around him better. His uncanny passing, deadly shooting and anticipation defensively transformed losers into winners. The 6-foot-9 forward overcame a severe case of what is referred to in the NBA as "white man's disease," an inability to jump high, to leap into the echelon of basketball greats." 

From ESPN 

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From Celebrities 4 U

Imagine an NBA basketball player from the 1980s who wasn't fast or couldn't jump very high, who wasn't a very good individual defender and he's a good ole boy from rural Indiana. Just based on those factors alone, how well do you think a player like that would do? How long would he even play or better yet be in the league, would he play at all, would he even get drafted? But thats only part of Larry Bird's characteristics.

Larry Legend Bird's career wasn't about athletic ability. The closest thing to athletic ability that Legend had, was his hand-eye coordination, the best we've ever seen in pro basketball. And Larry's 6'9 230 pound frame, he could play both forward positions, because of his ability to rebound, shoot, pass, and handle ball. All relating to his hand eye coordination not his ability to run or jump. Larry was too big for almost any small forward that tried to cover him, other then James Worthy or Dominque Wilkins in his era. And Dominique despite his athletic ability, quickness, size, and strength, was never a great individual defender.

Because Larry Legend could shoot right over you and back most small forwards down in the post and Larry was too quick for most power forwards to cover him, Larry wasn't fast obviously, but quick, with excellent footwork and always knew where he was going. Larry Bird was one of if not the smartest basketball players the game has ever seen. Not a genius off the court, but brilliant on the court and that was the secret to Larry Bird. To go with his hand-eye coordination.

Larry Bird with his brilliance and hand-eye coordination could see things happen before they did. And thats what made him better than everyone else, because he always knew where to be and where to go. Because he always knew where they play was going to be, where he had to be to make the play. He saw things that his coaches or even point guard couldn't see and being the leader of the Boston Celtics. Bird was a great, world class chess player, who used those skills to play basketball. On the floor, he took it upon himself to always make sure he was in the right place to make the play.

Thats why Legend was such a great rebounder, because he always knew where the ball was going to bounce. Based on the guy shooting the ball and based on his own shots, he knew when he missed the shot. And where to go based on how he missed it and when he made the shot.. This is also why he was such a great passer, because he saw openings for his teammates in where to go to receive the ball and would pass the ball there. Even if his teammate isn't there yet and his teammate would go to that spot. And generally be wide-open for a layup or a jump shot.

The Celtics always knew they had to get the ball to Larry. At least once on every possession, because he would either get his own shot or set up one of his teammates. The reason why Larry Bird was such a great leader, because he was team first and team last and everything else in-between. How many games would it take to win, in order to have the best playoff position possible, to get to and win the NBA Finals. Which is how he and the Celtics judged their success in the 1980s and the Celtics knew to get on Legend's back and he would show them the way. And take them to the promise land.

I got Larry Bird down as the great forward in the history of basketball, not just in America, but in the world. The only player I would definitely take over Legend, would be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who I believe is the best two-way player ever. And you could argue that Earvin Johnson and Michael Jordan were better players than Legend. But I got Kareem as the best and you could argue for 2nd place, including Larry Legend Bird. That's how great of a basketball player that Larry Bird was.