In an interview with The Undefeated, Larry Bird said he had a C- in basketball as a young player.
But did his grade really surprise him? Or was it just something that came out of nowhere to make headlines.?
Larry Bird is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, and he was also a terrible basketball player when he first started out. However, Larry has given himself a surprising grade for his performance as a young player. Read more in detail here: larry bird 2021.
Larry Bird was a self-assured basketball player, but he was also a perfectionist. The three-time Most Valuable Player of the Boston Celtics was one of the finest players of his era, if not the best of all time.
In just his second season in the NBA, he won the first of his three titles in 1981. The 6-foot-9 big assigned himself a letter grade as a player at the time, and the outcome was unexpected.
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ToggleLarry Bird and the Boston Celtics had a fantastic season in 1980-81.
Red Auerbach, general manager of the Boston Celtics, chuckles when Larry Bird steals his cigar during a victory party after the Celtics upset the Houston Rockets to win the NBA title in 1981 | Getty Images.
Bird didn’t spend any time in the NBA, making an immediate impression. He was named Rookie of the Year with the Celtics after a dramatic 1979 NCAA final game against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Bird started all 82 regular-season games in his first season, averaging 21.3 points and 10.4 rebounds.
With newcomers Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, he established perhaps the finest frontcourt in NBA history the next season, guiding Boston to the NBA Finals. The Celtics took care of business in six games, beating Houston Rockets’ Moses Malone.
Bird maintained his stellar play in his second season in the NBA, averaging 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. He also earned his second NBA All-Star appearance in a row.
Under Bird’s guidance, Boston won three championships in a row. He also won the league MVP award three times in a row, from 1984 to 1986. Bird went on to play 13 seasons in the NBA, 12 of which he was named to the All-Star team.
In 1998, Bird was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
During the early stages of his career, Larry Bird rated himself.
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Bird was one of those guys who was constantly striving to improve. He put in long hours at the gym, knowing that some of his opponents were considerably faster and more athletically endowed. Bird had the loose ball if there was one. He was a complete player, but he was also a perfectionist who was harsh on himself and his colleagues.
Bird’s basketball intelligence, work ethic, and performance were the topic of a Sports Illustrated feature in November 1981. He pretended to be a teacher at the time, assigning himself a grade based on his basketball performance. Surprisingly, he wasn’t as harsh on himself as he had been.
“I’m not the sharpest man in the world,” he added, “but on a basketball court, I consider myself an A-plus.”
It’s a remarkable grade coming from one of the most self-critical sportsmen.
However, he wanted to explain his remark about not being the sharpest man in the room.
“It’s not that I’m stupid,” Bird said. “I can keep up with 90% of the people on the planet.” I just do not explain myself to others. I want to keep them on their toes. They’re going to take me the way they’re going to take me.”
Bird was Boston’s biggest star, but he never desired the attention.
Bird was the top player on some terrific Celtics teams for 13 NBA seasons. He was treated like a celebrity by the media and spectators, but not by his teammates.
“I prefer it that way, too,” he responded.
Instead, he praised men who may otherwise go unrecognized.
“I could be out there if it weren’t for Tiny (Archibald), Max (Cedric Maxwell), and Robert Parish, but we wouldn’t have won anything,” he remarked.
While he received a lot of accolades, one of the finest comments he received was from McHale, who described him as a dedicated teammate.
McHale noted, “I’ve never encountered another player that is so loyal.” “If you’re a teammate of Larry’s, you’re one of the most important persons in his life.”
Bird came out on top. He was a superstar and the epitome of teamwork.
A-plus seems to be a good estimate.
Larry Bird Took His Team to French Lick, and Bill Walton Left With a Souvenir and an Odd Impression of the Town
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“Larry Bird, son” is a term that Larry Bird gave himself in his younger years. He was not the best player when he first started playing but he grew into one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Reference: larry bird, son.
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