Here at HHSR, we often like to recognize the giants of both arenas, especially on their bornday. We did it for Ghostface Killah, we did it for Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, and earlier this week, we did it for Jay Z.
Today is Larry Bird’s 57th birthday. A basketball lifer who was tough as nails, Bird often goes underappreciated when conversations about the game’s very best crop up. But do yourself a solid and consider for a moment his resumé as a collegiate and professional player and — perhaps more importantly — the respect he’s earned from his peers, most of whom are black and nearly all of whom were better athletes (“athlete” being used in the traditional sense— running, jumping etc). Then consider that the kid from French Lick, IN has more swag (blue collar, country boy swag, but swag nonetheless) and talked more trash than just about any basketball player in history. And that he is arguably the most prolific shooter, best passing forward and greatest crunch time player of all-time.
Take it a step further and factor in Bird’s off-the-court accomplishments. While most legendary players flounder in their seoncd careers as coaches (COUGH, Jason Kidd, COUGH) or executives, and in some cases both, Bird posted a career .687 win percentage as an NBA head coach, and is the chief architect behind the team with the NBA’s best record today.
Over the last 33 years, #33 was named the Naismith Player of the Year in college basketball, the NBA MVP three times, the NBA Finals MVP twice, the NBA Coach of the Year and the NBA Executive of the Year, and won gold in the Olympics— that list of accomplishments may never be duplicated.
When it comes to all things basketball, you had better respect Larry Bird. Nobody has ever done more to earn it.