Larry Bird was a class apart when it came to shooting. The Celtics legend was an incredible scorer. Though at first glance, Bird wasn’t deemed to be the most athletic player, he was almost unstoppable when it came to finding his spots on the court and pulling up. Bird’s competitive edge and his desire to be the best made him the elite player that he was, and he spent years honing his craft to become a master at it.
Some players throughout history have shown the ability to adapt to whatever situation they are in and still consistently drop immense performances. One of the Top 10 players in NBA history, Larry Legend, fits in that category. His confidence in himself was second to none, the stories of him trash-talking his opponents and backing it up are legend. His three-point contest win was also an excellent example of this.
Larry came into the league the same season the three-point line was implemented, and even though his attempts were limited to under 2 per game for his career, he shot an excellent 37% from beyond the arc. In his rookie season, he shot a whopping 40% from three as well. And his high school coach believed that if he had always played with the three-point line, Bird would have enjoyed limitless range.
Larry Bird’s High School Coach Knew Larry Could Have Made Any Spot On The Court His Own
Playing in Indiana, Larry Bird had already become a well-known name long before he came to the NBA. His duel for the NCAA championship with his rival Magic Johnson was the stuff of legends, and his high school coach Gary Holland knew just how special he was, talking about his prowess in an interview with Golf Digest.
(starts at 2:00 minutes):
“If we had had a three-point line… anywhere on the court would be Larry’s spot. I mean, anywhere!”
There was no real ceiling on just how good Larry Bird was or could have been. It was simply a matter of the era that he played in. The fact that he became such a reliable shooter from beyond the arc despite never really playing with it growing up is a testament to how good Larry Legend was.
Ultimately, the conversations about how past greats would have fared in the current era of NBA basketball are endless. But names like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving, would have all been as great now as they were then. Watching prime Larry Bird, in particular, would have been a proper treat for today’s basketball fans.
