Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Birdis an American retired professional basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. Since retiring as a player, he has been a mainstay in the Indiana Pacers organization, currently serving as team president. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth7 December 1956
CityWest Baden Springs, IN
CountryUnited States of America
My goal was just to try and be the best player on my high school team, and look where I am now. And that was still my goal as a young kid, just to try and be a little better than my brother was.
You can make all the excuses you want, but if you're not mentally tough and you're not prepared to play every night, you're not going to win.
I always know what's happening on the court. I see a situation occur, and I respond.
I'm a firm believer in that you play the way you practice.
It's been a journey, the NBA. It's taken me a lot farther than I ever expected.
In the closing seconds of every game, I want the ball in my hands for the last shot - not in anybody else's, not in anybody else's in the world.
I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American.
As far as playing, I didn't care who guarded me - red, yellow, black. I just didn't want a white guy guarding me, because it's disrespect to my game.
But it is a black man's game, and it will be forever.
Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.
I've been around a while. I kinda know these things.
Guys like Larry Bird -- he played so hard, he wants everybody else to play hard. That's not unreasonable. Any coach would want that and demand that.
The best players will play. That's the way it will always be.
I just shoot until I feel good.