Eighteen of those 50 — were players from two franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
That’s 36%.
Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Bill Russell, Bill
Sharman, John Havlicek, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Nate
Archibald, Sam Jones, Robert Parish, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor,
Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan, James Worthy, and
Magic Johnson.
During the 2008 NBA Finals, I’ll profile (nba.com, youtube, basketball-reference.com) one of those Lakers-Celtics legends daily.
"Once every generation or so, a player comes along who can truly be called a superstar. Larry Bird was such a player.
For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, from 1979-80 through
1991-92, Bird personified hustle, consistency and excellence in all
areas of play–as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team
player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer. Bird was so
self-confident that he was known to waltz up to the opponents’ bench
before tipoff and predict a 40-point performance for himself. He was
such a deadly shooter that he sometimes practiced three-pointers with
his eyes closed. Among Bird’s contemporaries, perhaps only, Earvin
“Magic” Johnson was considered a better passer, a player who he would
inextricably be linked with forever. Few played tougher than Bird, who
would leap into crowds and over press tables for loose balls.
Bird was the embodiment of “Celtics Pride.” He was a classy,
confident, hardworking player who thrived on pressure and inspired
teammates to excel. Like Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek and
Dave Cowens, the low-key Bird force the spotlight upon himself, but
rather one who brought out the best in the players around him. But even
those legendary players didn’t fill Boston Garden, wowing fans and
dominating games as Bird did.
Bird helped rebuild a Celtics franchise that had been suffering from
substandard play and poor attendance in the late 1970s. With Bird as
the focal point of a well-rounded squad, the Celtics won three NBA
titles and 10 Atlantic Division crowns. In addition to his three
championship rings, Bird piled up an awesome collection of personal
achievements. He became only the third player (and the first
non-center) to win three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards.
He was a 12-time All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and a nine-time
member of the All-NBA First Team. He led the league in free-throw
percentage four times." [Read]
Magic Johnson said there'll "never be another Larry Bird."
I agree.
I wish there was some way we could know how many hours each player spent in the gym. I'd wager that NO ONE has spent more time on their game than Larry Bird.
it took me a very long time to admit to myself that Bird was a bad bad man...and you know like Run-DMC said...not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good!
seriously...look how close he came to career avg of a triple double. definitely one of the best ever.
Bill Murray: Okay, here's how I see it. Daff?
Daffy Duck: Yes.
Bill Murray: You dish it off to the girl bunny.
Michael Jordan: Bill...
Bill Murray: Then you dish it off to the guy bunny.
Michael Jordan: Bill...
Bill Murray: Then it goes to the big man. You go to the hole and dominate!
Michael Jordan: Bill! We're on defense!
Bill Murray: Whoa hoa hoa! I don't play defense.
Hoffman-this is a great post on one of my favorite players if there is a such thing as a blue collar player he was the poster boy .his hustle and determination are what made him great and he played untill the end of every game even if it was out of hand.you don't find to many players like him anymore players that played for the love of the game aka Brett Favre nowadays its like some are barely doing enough to get by and laugh all the way to the bank..Great blog i'll have to check out some more even though im not a huge fan of todays NBA..
The world went to see Indiana State when they travelled.
Bird was the reason.
Fans of your team would fill the arena, just to be in awe of Larry. I was one of the young kids in the stands.
evilquacks101
I agree. I was a freshman in High School when Bird, Magic and Kelser went at it for the NCAA championship. I was big time into sports already, but those gentleman really got me hooked on Basketball.
Larry was that good of a player because of 150% commitment to basketball. He had very average athletic ability. I could only imagine what Larry would have done on top of an already incredible career if he had lets say........Tom Chambers ups.
Hoffman, roll the Tom Chambers highlights. lol
Last edited by sixfigurefan2 on June 12th at 9:30 PM.
I love basketball. While many basketball fans enjoy the month of March, I prefer the months of April, May, and June. I look forward to productive chats, heated debates, and honest opinions.
