Because as previously discussed, Bird was an outstanding shooter. His length gives nightmares to the NBAs best on a nightly basis as he would be frustrating the likes of Kobe, Melo, and LeBron. Larry Bird's wingspan is 86.9 inches. Bird has been married to Dinah Mattingly since 1989. 2", "Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, December 9, 1984", "Relive the Moment: Larry Bird Easily Wins Inaugural 3-Point Contest After Asking Field Who Would Finish Second", "Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics Box Score, November 27, 1985", "Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks Box Score, March 10, 1986", "Larry Legend Bird wins third straight MVP", "Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics Box Score, June 8, 1986", "Converse Commercial (1986) with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson", "Bird's Garden Party: Celtics Make It a Magical Night for Larry Legend", "Against All Those Hawks, One Bird Is Enough for Celtics", "Legendary Moments in NBA History: Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins battle in Game 7", "Bird Bids Farewell, Retires From Celtics", "Dream Team a star-studded sight to behold for gazers on, off court", "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame - Hall of Famers", "10 reasons we still love Larry Bird on his 60th birthday", "PRO BASKETBALL; A Bashful Larry Bird Joins Hall Of Fame", "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Hall of Famers", "1992 Dream Team Inducted into Hall of Fame", It started in Sacramento: LeBron James, back in NBA Finals, makes our all-time starting 5, "Who's The Best Small Forward Of All Time: Larry Bird Or LeBron James? Bird also led the Celtics in rebounding, with an average of 10.4 per game, as well as in steals and minutes played. He led the league in rebounds twice and during the 2000s he averaged 10.2 rebounds a game. [42], On December 9, 1984, Bird recorded 48 points to go along with 14 rebounds and 5 assists in a 128127 win over the Atlanta Hawks. I've not seen that much of Chrichton reallycompared to seeing Bird, who can look taller than his listing at times. 6. Larry Bird weighed 220 lbs (99 kg) when playing. ", -Magic Johnson, as quoted at Bird's retirement party. [108], At the 2019 NBA Awards, Bird received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Magic Johnson). '"[107] When playing against Dennis Rodman, a player known for his defensive abilities, in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Bird continually belittled Rodman's ability, at one point asking the opposing head coach to send in someone up to the task of guarding him. [11] Bird has said that being poor as a child still motivates him "to this day". Following his junior year, Bird was selected with the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. In his career, he averaged 2 steals a game and was named to the all-defensive team 10 out of 17 years he was in the league. The four-time NBA scoring champ is a player who uses his impressive wingspan to gain an advantage on the offensive side of the court. The 7'3 wing span is 11.5% greater than his height. Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony on February 4, 1993, and emotionally described Bird as a "friend forever".[63]. Best Known For: Basketball icon Larry Bird won three MVP awards and three NBA championships during his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics. Same with Amare who's listed at 6'10 but measured at 6'8 1/2. When you factor in the rest of his all around game, it is no surprise he is one of the NBAs 50 greatest players. [75] It was the first time in the United States' Olympic history that the country sent NBA players to compete. Considering the troubling back issues Bird has had, which started during his playing days, exercise becomes a much tougher thing to do when you get older. Also, make sure to equip the Clutch Shooter badge. The season finished with a national championship game match-up of Indiana State against Michigan State and featured a highly anticipated match-up of Bird against Michigan State great Magic Johnson, thus beginning a career-long rivalry that the two shared for over a decade. An elite wingspan is considered as a measurement that is 6.5% greater than the players height. But, as one journalist would say, They looked different, perhaps, but take a chainsaw to their souls and they were fraternal, if not identical, friends.[72] Watching Bird play was like watching Magic play, as they both shared this talent that the league had never seen before. [21] In the Conference Finals, Boston was eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers. [43] Boston came back to win the game, eventually winning the series in seven. Following an attempted reconciliation, Bird and Condra had a daughter, Corrie, in 1977. "She hates it when I say that. The three-time MVP helped redefine the position and his battles with Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers is the standard for NBA rivalry even today. The following top 15 will look at the most impressive wingspans in NBA history. The summer of 1992 marked the first time the United States sent professional athletes to the Olympic Games. . During the early parts of his career, he even started at power forward for Boston. On the offensive side of the ball, Rondo like to drive with a scooping layup. Bird was also a member of the gold medal-winning 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team known as the "Dream Team". In the commercial, Bird is practicing alone on a rural basketball court (in reality the court was one Bird had made on the property in French Lick that he had purchased for his mother), when Johnson pulls up in a sleek limousine and challenges him to a one-on-one match. Unfortunately he's had a difficult time keeping pace with the speed of the NBA, and his limited offensive game has come to light. The hop shooting style allows him to get his shot off very quickly, and what makes Durant special is his point of release. w/out shoes Ht. Howard makes up for his height with an elite wingspan that measures 75. 1. [2] Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star, won two NBA Finals MVP awards and received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (19841986), making him the only forward in league history to do so. Prior to Bird's second year, the Celtics acquired center Robert Parrish from the Golden State Warriors and drafted Kevin McHale. [101] In recognition of his defensive abilities, Bird was named to three All-Defensive Second Teams. Dinah Mattingly (1989-Present) - Larry Bird married his second wife Dinah Mattingly in 1989. As for the weight, you can lower it by one pound (219 lbs) to give your player an additional point in acceleration. Learn more and register. That length helped him become one of the most prolific shot blocker in league history. Because of this, you can just focus on what Bird was exceptionally good at. Rajon Rondo's length at the point guard position makes him a one of a kind player. On the offensive side, superior wingspan allows a shooter to have less shots contested, as he can get the ball further away from a defender. He is the only player in NBA history to have more blocks than points (2,086 blocks vs. 1599 points). Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Following his retirement in 1992, Bird became a successful head coach and front-office executive with the Indiana Pacers. Larry looks fit and has an athletic body, but he had to go through back fusion surgery, leading him to end his playing career. Many NBA bigs, including Larry Bird and Bill Walton, believe there's a negative relationship between height and longevity. Join our newsletter! In 1999, he was listed at No. Maxiell shows how an undersized player can keep pace with taller guys when they possess elite wingspan. Chew on these numbers for a moment. That's the greatest game I've ever played in or seen played." His elite wingspan has allowed him to dominant the game over the last 10 years, and he has carved himself out a Hall of Fame worthy career. Bird has appeared in three movies, each time playing himself: Bird's likeness has appeared in several video games. This will give your shooting attributes a bit of a boost. [86], Bird was widely considered one of Red Auerbach's favorite players. [40] Boston's misfortunes continued into the next season, with Bird again finishing second in MVP voting to Malone and the team losing in the Conference Semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks. He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.[1]. NBA 2K users have loved playing as Larry Legend not just because of his ability to score from anywhere on the court, but also because of his versatile game. International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. 6'9" (2.06m) WEIGHT. [91] Bird was also a four-time regular season MVP runner-up in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1988. Rajon Rondo only stands 61, but has a wingspan that stretches to 69. The Celtics and Lakers dominated, with one team or the other, or both, appearing in every NBA championship throughout the decade. 14 Dwight Howard Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. That is a 12% increase in wingspan from his height. [86][87][88] He was selected to 12 NBA All-Star teams. [10], Bird received a scholarship to play college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers in 1974. Both Dinah and Larry studied at Indiana State University. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Friday, March 3, 6:45PM. Your submission has been received! [114] Bird resigned his head coaching position shortly after the end of the 2000 season, following through on his initial promise to coach for only three years. So much so, that Charles Barkley even admitted that he wasn't 6'6, but . CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nba | pageType: stories | [62], Despite the intensity of their rivalry, Bird and Johnson became friends off the court. [56] Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round. [83] Universally recognized as an all-time great player, Bird was placed at the power forward position on an NBA all-time starting five roster with fellow superstars Magic Johnson (point guard), Michael Jordan (shooting guard), LeBron James (small forward), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (center) in 2020. This entry could be part of Ripleys Believe it or Not. After leading the Pacers to the NBA Finals in 2000, he stepped down as head coach. Larry Bird, along with "Magic" Johnson and Michael Jordan, is one of the most recognized names in the history of basketball. [4] After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. [54], With averages of 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, and 2 steals per game, Bird became just the third player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP Awards. Larry Bird - College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com [36] Boston fell behind 31 to start the series but won the next three games to advance to the Finals against the Houston Rockets,[37] winning in six games and earning Bird his first championship. [117] After the 20112012 NBA season, Bird was named NBA Executive of the Year, becoming the only man in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year. Anthony Davis is one of the leagues biggest stars. [85], Bird has been described as one of the greatest basketball players and greatest shooters of all time. Tayshaun Prince broke out in the Detroit Pistons championship run of 2004. If Bol had any type of offensive game to merit him more minutes, he would have set the blocks record so high that it would have never been touched. He also had a career high of 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks on March 12, 1985. [39] In the Conference Finals, the Celtics faced the 76ers for the third consecutive year, losing in seven games. Difficult Shots High-difficulty jumpers attempted from the mid-range get an increased shot percentage. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 9. [42] Bird was named Finals MVP behind 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Top 15 Most Impressive Wingspans In NBA History, 10 WCW Character Transformations That Made No Sense, 10 Wrestlers Vince McMahon Signed From The AWA (& Turned Them Into Stars), Dominik Mysterio Speaks About Where His "Prison Dom" Character In WWE Came From. For three consecutive years, from 1984 to 1986, Bird was named the NBA's MVP, and in 1990, he hit a milestone by reaching 20,000 career points. [119] Bird returned to the Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013. Larry Bird attended Springs Valley in French Lick, Indiana and Indiana State University. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Howard is also the only player in league history to have won Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive years. This is a very scary thought for a lot of NBA players, both past and present. Take a look at the great defenders in the NBA, and the one common thread you will find in all of them is an impressive wingspan. Interceptor This significantly increases the frequency of successfully tipped or stolen passes. Despite no previous coaching experience, he led the Pacers to a 58-24 record the franchise's best at the time in the 1997-98 season and was named the NBA Coach of the Year. Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Larry Bird, Birth Year: 1956, Birth date: December 7, 1956, Birth State: Indiana, Birth City: West Baden Springs, Birth Country: United States. Find out more. w/ shoes Weight Wingspan Standing Reach. [8], The game achieved the highest-ever television rating for a college basketball game, in large part because of the matchup between Bird and Spartans' point guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson,[11] a rivalry that lasted throughout their professional careers. Bird's basketball prowess earned him an athletic scholarship to Indiana University, where he was to play for legendary coach Bob Knight. I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.
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