Dallas-Mavs.com Forums - View Single Post - Great 48 minute video on one of the greatest forwards ever to play

Janett_Reno · 08-22-2007, 03:56 PM

I agree silk, sometimes i like to watch basketball back then because i sometimes think how good are the best guys now and then i go back and look, and get a reality check. No one could play with Bird, Magic and Jordan. It is very few now that eat, drink, sleep and breathe basketball and is obsessed. Those 3 guys were. The concentration they had and playing hurt. They were very smart and if you listen to Dr J, he says Bird wanted everyone to think he was a hick from French Lick, he played the part and when you thought he was stupid and dumb, J said he would destroy you. He was 2 or 3 steps ahead of everyone else because of his mind.

Reggie Miller has a video over there and said Al Harrington and another teammate challenged Bird to a horse game, this was when Bird was old, either coaching or doing what he does now and Bird never lost a game to either one. Miller laughed and said Harrington and the other guy thought Bird was left handed, because he never played right handed against them and he beat them every game that year left handed.

He said in that piece, his sophmore year in high school, he broke his left ankle and when he came back, he was the scorrer for his team and he was so slow he couldn't get a shot off because he couldn't move on that ankle. They put him in a few times and he found out, i can control the game with my passing and if i set these teammates up, then the coach will play me, even if i can't score. This is when he became a good passer he said. He had to or he would not get to play that year.

It is a 20 minute video over at that same place where Walton interviewed him and it was a game against Dallas and Dallas had never beat the Celts and Bird warned Walton and McHale if they goofed off at practice or wasn't in the room the night before game time at a certain time, they would not touch the ball the next day against Dallas. Bird scorred over 50 against Dallas and had a terrible game. He ball hogged it and Dallas won. Walton and McHale did not touch the ball and he told them after the game, remember what he said. Haha. He was something.

Ainge talked of one practice, where Bird got under this table and as KC Jones was talking to them, Bird tied KC's shoes together and when they went onto the court KC tripped and fell and everyone laughed but they said even though he was serious and one of the greatest to ever play, he had a joking and pranking side.

How come Dirk and these guys now never have a shot at being like a Magic or Bird, is what star or superstar will dive for a ball, who will take a chance every play on an injury like Bird and Magic did? No one plays balls out every single play like they did. Jordan i feel did also. His talent was unbelievable and plus Jordan played balls out. The funny thing was if you told Bird he couldn't jump, he would dunk on you, if you told him he was to slow he would be the first one down the court, if you said he shouldn't go inside with the centers because he might get hurt or couldn't rebound, then he would have about 20 rebounds, his ast was like a point guard, plus he would fight you, deadly shot and had ice water in his veins.

Magic said he fears no one but Larry Bird. It is pretty amazing looking at the talent in the league those years. Not just Boston/LA but so many teams. It just isn't anyone that want's to win that much as Jordan, Bird and Magic anymore and give it all up for every single win. I see streaks at times of Kobe wanting this but he is very selfish and want's to do it his way, like keeping the ball from Shaq because Kobe wanted the limelight. Bird, Magic and Jordan was not that way and did it in sync with team play and the game. I have seen hard hard play from Tim Duncan and wanted to win so much. Steve Nash does play balls out and he tries as hard as anyone now. Lebron seems to and he is young and has a great future ahead of him. That series we saw where Wade tries hard.

Probably the only guy playing now that plays the whole game at a blistering pace is Nash but remember Magic, Bird and Jordan played it on defense also. They never rested. People forget how good Jordan was on defense. He was very good. On those great Philly teams, Moses Malone played with them also. He was good.

In the interview with Walton, he hurts now. He has had back surgeries and hurts daily but he said that is ok, he wouldn't take none of it back and was happy the way he played. He just doesn't talk of his body pain these days. One thing he said if he had a chance to do over and he second gueeses himself would be his college team, In State was 33 - 0 and i remember that game as Bird was a good player and he didn't have anyone else that good and Mich St had Magic, Greg Kelser and and another good player but Bird said histeam had to have him to score. He said he shot so bad that game like 7 for 21 or something. He wishes he could have now practiced so much harder on his shot and play that game again.

He wanted to win for IN and he want's IN pro team to win and give back to IN. That Mich St was so good on defense also. That had alot to do with Bird shooting bad.

If you want to watch some other video on guys back then and see how good the nba was, watch Moses Malone, Barkley, Bobby Jones(Philly), J, Cooper, Dumars, Thomas, Laimbeer, Sikma, Alvin Adams, Elvin Hayes, Wes Unself and Jeff something on that Bullets team, Bernard King, Dominique, all of LA, plus it is so many more. I enjoy watching footage back then, even if Bird, Magic and Jordan wasn't playing because the guys was so good and played hard. Do not get me wrong, i like it now but it is alot softer now and we do not have the sheer complete talent like we did then. The nba then was so deep and some of the common guys back then would be stars today. Many of today's bench players could not make the nba back then. Maybe some that even start today.

I was watching and never knew one year, Bird's team only lost 1 home game all year. It might have been when they won the title. I think he won 3. Bruce Bowen comes to mind and a throw back to back then. He plays hard or has always. In all fairness to today's players, the coaches and management probably doesn't want the superstars to play as hard as they did back then, risking injury and if the superstars get hurt today it could kill the nba, of fans watching on tv.

So money and the business of it maybe they do not want them to play as hard. You are right, the nba stopped the physical play like back then and they want more of a Suns play. Run and gun and maybe less defense. In the end, still it is defense. Look at the Spurs shutting down Lebron. That is why the Spurs are a threat to win every year, of the defense.

Then Miami beat us with defense, plus who knows now, the cheating ref was back then as well.

One last funny thing on Bird, when McHale was a rookie and McHale was going to jump Elvin Hayes for the ball at the start of a game, Bird said out loud where ever one could hear him, Kevin tell Hayes what you told all of us. Hayes was listening. You know, tell him how bad you are going toi kick his ass tonight. McHale was like oh no, why me? Finally he just played the part, ok i said it.

Robert Parrish laughed so hard but with the joking, it was still mind games being played. Bird knew how good McHale was and Barkley said he was the hardest man in the nba ever for him to guard or stop. He said he couldn't. Bird also knew McHale came in very soft but so talented. So people feared Bird, they would not fight with Parrish but he had to let other teams, you better fear McHale plus put McHale in situations where he had to fight. It made Mchale very good. McHale was not a softy after this also. He complained all his life to the refs, like Kobe does.

I feel Bird knew it was one man that had the mental toughness he had that he played with. He would not back down from a freight train and that was Dennis Johnson. Bird really liked him and talked as if this was the best player he played with. Bird would set Johnson up at the end of the game and dish off to him, because he knew Johnson had ice water in his veins also and he would win the game.

In the off season i like watching some of the old footage.

08-22-2007, 03:56 PM	#7
Janett_Reno Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 2,150	I agree silk, sometimes i like to watch basketball back then because i sometimes think how good are the best guys now and then i go back and look, and get a reality check. No one could play with Bird, Magic and Jordan. It is very few now that eat, drink, sleep and breathe basketball and is obsessed. Those 3 guys were. The concentration they had and playing hurt. They were very smart and if you listen to Dr J, he says Bird wanted everyone to think he was a hick from French Lick, he played the part and when you thought he was stupid and dumb, J said he would destroy you. He was 2 or 3 steps ahead of everyone else because of his mind. Reggie Miller has a video over there and said Al Harrington and another teammate challenged Bird to a horse game, this was when Bird was old, either coaching or doing what he does now and Bird never lost a game to either one. Miller laughed and said Harrington and the other guy thought Bird was left handed, because he never played right handed against them and he beat them every game that year left handed. He said in that piece, his sophmore year in high school, he broke his left ankle and when he came back, he was the scorrer for his team and he was so slow he couldn't get a shot off because he couldn't move on that ankle. They put him in a few times and he found out, i can control the game with my passing and if i set these teammates up, then the coach will play me, even if i can't score. This is when he became a good passer he said. He had to or he would not get to play that year. It is a 20 minute video over at that same place where Walton interviewed him and it was a game against Dallas and Dallas had never beat the Celts and Bird warned Walton and McHale if they goofed off at practice or wasn't in the room the night before game time at a certain time, they would not touch the ball the next day against Dallas. Bird scorred over 50 against Dallas and had a terrible game. He ball hogged it and Dallas won. Walton and McHale did not touch the ball and he told them after the game, remember what he said. Haha. He was something. Ainge talked of one practice, where Bird got under this table and as KC Jones was talking to them, Bird tied KC's shoes together and when they went onto the court KC tripped and fell and everyone laughed but they said even though he was serious and one of the greatest to ever play, he had a joking and pranking side. How come Dirk and these guys now never have a shot at being like a Magic or Bird, is what star or superstar will dive for a ball, who will take a chance every play on an injury like Bird and Magic did? No one plays balls out every single play like they did. Jordan i feel did also. His talent was unbelievable and plus Jordan played balls out. The funny thing was if you told Bird he couldn't jump, he would dunk on you, if you told him he was to slow he would be the first one down the court, if you said he shouldn't go inside with the centers because he might get hurt or couldn't rebound, then he would have about 20 rebounds, his ast was like a point guard, plus he would fight you, deadly shot and had ice water in his veins. Magic said he fears no one but Larry Bird. It is pretty amazing looking at the talent in the league those years. Not just Boston/LA but so many teams. It just isn't anyone that want's to win that much as Jordan, Bird and Magic anymore and give it all up for every single win. I see streaks at times of Kobe wanting this but he is very selfish and want's to do it his way, like keeping the ball from Shaq because Kobe wanted the limelight. Bird, Magic and Jordan was not that way and did it in sync with team play and the game. I have seen hard hard play from Tim Duncan and wanted to win so much. Steve Nash does play balls out and he tries as hard as anyone now. Lebron seems to and he is young and has a great future ahead of him. That series we saw where Wade tries hard. Probably the only guy playing now that plays the whole game at a blistering pace is Nash but remember Magic, Bird and Jordan played it on defense also. They never rested. People forget how good Jordan was on defense. He was very good. On those great Philly teams, Moses Malone played with them also. He was good. In the interview with Walton, he hurts now. He has had back surgeries and hurts daily but he said that is ok, he wouldn't take none of it back and was happy the way he played. He just doesn't talk of his body pain these days. One thing he said if he had a chance to do over and he second gueeses himself would be his college team, In State was 33 - 0 and i remember that game as Bird was a good player and he didn't have anyone else that good and Mich St had Magic, Greg Kelser and and another good player but Bird said histeam had to have him to score. He said he shot so bad that game like 7 for 21 or something. He wishes he could have now practiced so much harder on his shot and play that game again. He wanted to win for IN and he want's IN pro team to win and give back to IN. That Mich St was so good on defense also. That had alot to do with Bird shooting bad. If you want to watch some other video on guys back then and see how good the nba was, watch Moses Malone, Barkley, Bobby Jones(Philly), J, Cooper, Dumars, Thomas, Laimbeer, Sikma, Alvin Adams, Elvin Hayes, Wes Unself and Jeff something on that Bullets team, Bernard King, Dominique, all of LA, plus it is so many more. I enjoy watching footage back then, even if Bird, Magic and Jordan wasn't playing because the guys was so good and played hard. Do not get me wrong, i like it now but it is alot softer now and we do not have the sheer complete talent like we did then. The nba then was so deep and some of the common guys back then would be stars today. Many of today's bench players could not make the nba back then. Maybe some that even start today. I was watching and never knew one year, Bird's team only lost 1 home game all year. It might have been when they won the title. I think he won 3. Bruce Bowen comes to mind and a throw back to back then. He plays hard or has always. In all fairness to today's players, the coaches and management probably doesn't want the superstars to play as hard as they did back then, risking injury and if the superstars get hurt today it could kill the nba, of fans watching on tv. So money and the business of it maybe they do not want them to play as hard. You are right, the nba stopped the physical play like back then and they want more of a Suns play. Run and gun and maybe less defense. In the end, still it is defense. Look at the Spurs shutting down Lebron. That is why the Spurs are a threat to win every year, of the defense. Then Miami beat us with defense, plus who knows now, the cheating ref was back then as well. One last funny thing on Bird, when McHale was a rookie and McHale was going to jump Elvin Hayes for the ball at the start of a game, Bird said out loud where ever one could hear him, Kevin tell Hayes what you told all of us. Hayes was listening. You know, tell him how bad you are going toi kick his ass tonight. McHale was like oh no, why me? Finally he just played the part, ok i said it. Robert Parrish laughed so hard but with the joking, it was still mind games being played. Bird knew how good McHale was and Barkley said he was the hardest man in the nba ever for him to guard or stop. He said he couldn't. Bird also knew McHale came in very soft but so talented. So people feared Bird, they would not fight with Parrish but he had to let other teams, you better fear McHale plus put McHale in situations where he had to fight. It made Mchale very good. McHale was not a softy after this also. He complained all his life to the refs, like Kobe does. I feel Bird knew it was one man that had the mental toughness he had that he played with. He would not back down from a freight train and that was Dennis Johnson. Bird really liked him and talked as if this was the best player he played with. Bird would set Johnson up at the end of the game and dish off to him, because he knew Johnson had ice water in his veins also and he would win the game. In the off season i like watching some of the old footage.