The Boston Celtics have been home to some of the most iconic superstars over the years. But even among those, the name of Larry Bird arguably sits alone at the top. Bird was one of the most iconic players of his time.
He went toe-to-toe against Magic Johnson during his prime and gave fans one of the best rivalries in NBA history. Apart from his sensational ability to play the game of basketball, Bird also had a knack for trash talking.
He was considered an amazing trash talker and could get into the head of his opponents with just a few birds. Although Bird has many iconic quotes engraved into fans’ memories, one quote stands out.
In an old interview, Bird once talked about how he felt that the NBA needed more white superstars. But at the same time, he also pointed out he felt disrespected when he was guarded by a white guy during his prime.
Via ESPN:
“Well, I think so. You know, when I played, you had me and Kevin [McHale] and some others throughout the league. I think it’s good for a fan base because, as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited. But it is a black man’s game, and it will be forever. I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American.
“The one thing that always bothered me when I played in the NBA was I really got irritated when they put a white guy on me. I still don’t understand why. A white guy would come out (and) I would always ask him: ‘What, do you have a problem with your coach? Did your coach do this to you?’ And he’d go, ‘No,’ and I’d say, ‘Come on, you got a white guy coming out here to guard me; you got no chance.’ … For some reason, that always bothered me when I was playing against a white guy.
“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.”
That wasn’t the first time Bird openly talked about it. NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley once revealed that Bird was cursing under his breath when the Philadelphia 76ers once put a white guy on him.
These stories about him are why fans nicknamed him “Larry Legend.” And honestly, he lives up to that amazing nickname. Truly a legend of the sport, both with his basketball skills and mouth.
