There is a saying in the NBA, ‘Good offense will always beat the good defense.’ There is no better example of this than watching the biggest stars in the league operate on a nightly basis. It doesn’t matter what kind of looks the defense throws them, the greatest in NBA history has shown that they can get their buckets regardless. And when elite scorers in this context are mentioned, Larry Bird’s name has to be there right at the top.
Larry Bird was the last NBA player to win 3 consecutive MVP trophies. He also had 3 championships with the Boston Celtics during the 1980s and is widely considered one of the greatest to ever play the game. So when it came time to try and stop Larry Bird, all opponents could try to do was double-team him. This became clear in the 1986 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, which his Celtics would go on to win. And he revealed to Sports Illustrated at the time how he would deal with double teams.
“I’m always looking for a double-team and trying to get myself into a position to pass the ball first. If the clock gets to around 10, I’m just gonna try to get a shot up because we haven’t got time to move the ball around two or three times.
“If they send their big man over to double me, then our big man just follows him to the basket and I give it to him. That’s easy. If a guard comes over to pick me up, maybe I can shoot over him. If we cut a man through to the basket and nobody picks him up or his man stops to double-team me, then I can make the pass to him.
“If the defender goes on with our guy, then they might have to send someone else over. Then I either have the guard that went through on the low post or the other guard coming over from the top of the key for a jump shot.”
Larry Bird is one of the greatest basketball minds of all time. He was thinking at a high level when he was on the court, and his skill meant that he always had more options available to him than anyone else on the floor. And he showed out in that series against the Rockets as well, there was no doubt that Larry Legend was the man for the big moment.
Larry Bird Won The Finals MVP In 1986 Against The Houston Rockets
The Boston Celtics took on the Houston Rockets in 1986 on the biggest stage, and Larry Bird showed out, nearly averaging a triple-double for the series. He managed 24 points per game to go along with 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists. Larry was instrumental in helping the Celtics win their 3rd championship in 5 years.
Larry Bird took on the greatest players on the biggest stages and outshone them multiple times. He won Finals MVP in 1986, just as he had in 1984, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Modern offensive stars have learned a lot from the way the great Larry Bird played.
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