Larry Bird Quotes: Famous Words of the Celtics 3 Time NBA Champion!
We always love reading Larry Bird Quotes because the man was a relentless, passionate talent that fully earned his right to be called one of the greatest. From the time he was young, Bird knew he what he truly wanted. To be amazing. To be the best.
For instance, regarding his mindset as a youth, Larry reveals,
“When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro.”
And his dream definitely came true! The 6’9 Celtics forward aka “Larry Legend” went on to win three titles, be a 12 time NBA All Star and 2 time NBA Finals MVP. Additionally, Bird is literally 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. Crazy!
One other thing that completely rocks our sports world. Is that Bird is a three time NBA MVP (1984-1986). This is significant because these three consecutive regular season MVP awards; as of 2020, other than Larry, the only other players to accomplish this feat are Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
How did Larry sum up leaving basketball after 13 dominating seasons with the Celtics? Bird explains, “It’s funny. When I retired, I thought I’d really miss it. But I really feel like there was a weight lifted off my shoulders. I couldn’t believe it. When I got done with that press conference, I walked out of there and I go, ‘Well, now I’m just a normal citizen. My career is over and it feels good.’”
Larry Bird Quote
Therefore, Larry Bird is deserving of all the flowers. So let’s appreciate his achievements and some of his memorable sayings. Enjoy!
It doesn’t matter who scores the points, it’s who can get the ball to the scorer.
I used to love the feeling of running, of running too far. It made my skin tingle.
But it is a black man’s game, and it will be forever.
Once you are labeled ‘the best’ you want to stay up there, and you can’t do it by loafing around.
I always know what’s happening on the court. I see a situation occur, and I respond.
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.
It’s been a journey, the NBA. It’s taken me a lot farther than I ever expected.
Don’t let winning make you soft. Don’t let losing make you quit. [Also] don’t let your teammates down in any situation.
You’re all playin’ for second place.
In the closing seconds of every game, I want the ball in my hands for the last shot—not in anybody else’s, not in anybody else’s in the world.
It’s unbelievable. But I’ve never been to a pro football game. I’ve never been to a pro hockey game, either. I guess I’m not much of a sports fan.
We like to take guys that have had a lot of college experience and that had good coaching, and been good kids along the way, but you just never know until you’ve had them for a couple years because you never know how they’re going to turn out.
Quotes From Larry Bird
Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a teammate you’re ready to play as tough as you’re able to, you’d better go out there and do it. Players will see right through a phony. And they can tell when you’re not giving it all you’ve got.
I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody – somewhere – was practicing more than me.
When I was a kid, I never thought about anything. Never had to think about where I was going to school or what I was going to do. I just lived minute to minute.
It makes me sick when I see a guy just stare at a loose ball and watch it go out of bounds.
Well the kids are so young now. I mean, there’s a lot of kids that come out that have great talent, but they’re so young you don’t know how they’re going to mature of the years and I think it’s really just a guess. You know they have the talent, you know they have the fundamentals, it’s just about whether they’re going to get better and better. That’s probably been the hardest thing.
I think a lot of blue-collar people related to me because a lot of people work for their money.
You can make all the excuses you want, but if you’re not mentally tough and you’re not prepared to play every night, you’re not going to win.
I was always making decisions and they were easier decisions because I had control of the game, I had control of the ball. As a coach you sort of put the ball in other player’s hands and let them make decisions for you. But I still get a kick out of winning basketball games and that’s what I’m in this for.
Larry Bird Basketball Quotes
Before we keep the Larry Bird Quotes coming; here’s another interesting fact. How much is a Larry Bird basketball card worth? On average, the not so rare is $50.
However, more valuable cards easily range from $700 to over $40k. In fact, the 1980-81 Topps Scoring Leaders features three HOFers and is regarded as Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s true rookie card… worth a whopping $850k!
I love the game now, I like where it’s at. I like where it’s going. A lot of people say, ‘Well, they don’t have to guard, you can’t touch anybody.’ Well, yeah, that makes a difference because you can show everybody your skills.
It’s easy for me to say, ‘Our era is the best, and I was the best,’ and all that. But in my mind, I think we could compete and do really well, but you never know until you’re out there. And I say that because I played against guys that I thought were really good when I came in the league, and after playing against those guys I’d say, ‘Well, he’s not that good.’
The best basketball announcer is one who allows you to close your eyes.
I know companies like to have successful people who are “winners” or “champions” endorse their products, because it portrays a positive image, but just because I like a certain mower, or hamburger, or whatever, what does that matter to the guy on the street?
Larry Bird Stats + More Larry Bird Quotes
Let’s talk Larry Bird stats! NBA HOFer Larry Bird played 13 seasons for the Celtics. He averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 897 regular-season games. Also, Bird shot 49.6% from the field and 37.6% from the three point range.
Thus, making some 8,591 shots out of 17,334 tries. Moreover, Bird has earned 8,974 rebounds in total in his career; plus 1,556 steals, as well as 755 blocks and 5,695 assists. That’s a bad bad man!
A wristband should not be worn on your biceps. It should be on your wrist. A headband should be on your forehead, not on top of your head, cocked back. That bothers me. It’s a professional league. The baggy shorts hanging down, I have a problem with that. But that’s the way I am. I always had my shirttail tucked in. I always tried to look professional… When I coached, our guys used to do a big dance routine during warm-ups. Used to turn my back on them. I couldn’t stand watching them. I went to them and asked if they’d put a stop to it. They asked me why, and I said I thought it was embarrassing–not just to me but to our fans. And they quit doing it. We went to the NBA Finals that year. Did it have anything to do with it? I think it did.
I don’t worry about ratings. I’m trying to win a ballgame right now. Whatever it takes to win a ballgame, we’re going to do it. If it takes a four-hour game, that’s what we have to do.
You know, over 30 years, I’ve seen a lot of things happen. I’ve seen the League go from power players to pound it down inside, to really incorporating the three-point shot in the last eight to 10 years. So it’s really been interesting to watch the game as it’s progressed throughout the years.
Larry Legend- An NBA ICON
It wasn’t long after I joined the Celtics. The team was going through drills in training camp, and it didn’t seem like everyone was going all-out. And then we started playing exhibition games, and I was able to get my shots, make my cuts, things like that. When the season started, the game slowed down for me. I was able to think my way around the court and see plays develop before they actually happened. That’s when I realized I could play at a high level and be successful.
You can’t take anything away from a champion.
I know companies like to have successful people who are “winners” or “champions” endorse their products, because it portrays a positive image, but just because I like a certain mower, or hamburger, or whatever, what does that matter to the guy on the street?
It happens all the time, even with people you know. You have all these people who call themselves friends and they figure, “Hey, Larry’s rich, what’s a couple hundred bucks to him?” and expect me to give them whatever they need, just because I have money. What those people have forgotten is I worked for everything I’ve earned. Nobody handed me anything. I had to go out and prove I was worth it. It’s pretty easy to spot a guy who wants something from you, as opposed to real friends who don’t want a dime. The guy that never asks for anything is the one I’m going to end up helping out.
Quotes About Larry Bird
There is nothing better than being out there when the game is on the line.
I always thought the whole idea of being paid to play pro basketball is ridiculous. I mean, think about it. You are taking that ball, running down the court, and you’ve got somebody on you. You’ve got four guys out there on your team, and five from the other team, and some people on the bench, and you look up and the place is packed, and all you are trying to do is make that ball go through the hole. It’s just crazy to me. After all these years, it still doesn’t make sense.
My thoughts were always that that night was the most important game in the world. Everybody in the world was watching that one game. And I had to be the best player on the court and win that game that night. That was my mentality, and it stuck with me all the way through my career.
I hate to distort history by saying the wrong thing. But that’s just what happens with time. Your own thought in your mind how it happened 30 years later, but it really didn’t happen that way.
The key to being a good shooter is balance. Everything follows balance.
I was always driven on the basketball court. I always wanted to win every game I played in, sometimes too much. When you’re out on the playground just playing, and you’re scraping, fighting, and do whatever you can to win the game. When it’s all over with, you’re friends, and I’d think, ‘Why did I get like that?’ That’s the way I’ve always been.
To me, Boston is just a hardworking, tough town that loves their sports.
Larry The Legend -And More of His Best Quotes
Obviously losing is very difficult, but when you’re rebuilding you know you’re going through stages, it’s going to be tough, but as long as you draft the players and you see a bright future, I think it’s going to be lights at the end of the tunnel, it’s going to be very good, not only for me, but for the franchise and that’s what’s most important.
It’s a long season. Sometimes you’ve got to keep things interesting.
lt takes guts to play defense, because you can loaf out on the court and nobody will know it. Only you will know if you did your best to grab a loose ball, or stop your man from scoring.
Well, I’ve been in them locker rooms after tough losses. There is no telling what’s said off the record, heat of the battle. Stuff like that never bothered me. Everybody is going to have their opinion, they’re going to say what they’re going to say, you just go on about your business.
I can’t tell you how many ex-teammates have asked me for money. It’s heartbreaking for me to say no, but I do, because I warned them. I told them to save.
I don’t think it’s changed that much. A lot of people talk about the change, but to me, everything changes, teams change, one year it’s the Celtics, next year it’s Philadelphia. It changes all the time…. [But] it’s still basketball. The games are played different ways. Coaches influence a lot of it. But overall I think it’s a great game and I still love it.
Larry Bird Inspirational Quotes
Need to feel pumped up? Well, Larry is definitely your guy for that. Throughout his career and life, Bird has dropped plenty of inspirational thoughts for us all to ponder on. Here’s a few them.
A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.
I hate to lose more than I like to win.
The more you win, the better you’re gonna get. It grows on itself.
The nature of competition is such that any number of people invariably have their eyes on the same prize you do. Recognize your assets and employ them to the best of your ability.
Life is great when you’re winning.
I learned what my weaknesses were and I went out the next day to turn those weaknesses intro strengths.
Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.
I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.
While day by day the overzealous student stores up facts for future use, he who has learned to trust nature finds need for ever fewer external directions. He will discard formula after formula, until he reaches the conclusion: Let nature take its course.
Practice habits were crucial to my development in basketball. I didn’t play against the toughest competition in high school, but one reason I was able to do well in college was that I mastered the fundamentals. You’ve got to have them down before you can even think about playing.
Larry Bird Quotes: Famous Words of the Celtics 3 Time NBA Champion
I knew I was as good as anybody. That’s not really bragging; it’s just that I’d put the time in.
When I was a player, I didn’t expect my teammates to play the way I did. I did expect them to work hard every day and get better. And I never learned anything by losing.
I just shoot until I feel good.
You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you’ll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.
My opinion about basketball, the way I was taught, was when you step on the court, you play to win.
I’m a firm believer in that you play the way you practice.
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 have always been confident in my skills and once the game got going; I knew I was probably the best player on the floor most of the time, whether it was junior high, high school, or college. I knew I had control of the game.
When I go to the line, I’m thinking ‘All net.’ When I don’t think that, I’m likely to miss.
It kind of gets to you–all the waste. I can remember playing in the All-Star games, and how they’d have four or five pairs of shoes waiting for you. You go in there, grab a pair, wear them for the game, and leave the other four pairs lying there. How many kids in America could have used those shoes?
Larry Bird Famous Quotes
I wasn’t real quick, and I wasn’t real strong. Some guys will just take off and it’s like, whoa. So I beat them with my mind and my fundamentals.
The best player I ever played with was Dennis Johnson.
When I was a kid, like 14 or 15, I played with the waiters from the hotel, ’cause that was the best game. And these guys, they’d let me play. And they were black guys.
Retirement is fine for some people, but I got bored. I’m used to more of a fast-paced life.
What’s better? Dogs or broomsticks? I mean will the world really ever know?
Basketball has been my life and I worked at it so hard because I enjoyed it so much.
Coaches can talk and talk and talk about something, but if you get it on tape and show it to them, it is so much more effective.
Eminem. My son was listening to that and I was like, “What is that junk?” Then I started listening, and I thought, You know, that kid is pretty good. It’s the storytelling.
Strength is not nearly as important as desire. I don’t think you can teach anyone desire… it’s a gift. I don’t know why I have it, but I do.
Maybe it’s because growing up in Indiana we didn’t have very much, so I never got used to counting on having things. I guess we were poor, but we didn’t know that. We were just like all our other neighbors in West Baden and French Lick–just trying to get by.
Quotes by Larry Bird
Time for our final round of best quotes from the legendary Larry Bird. Let’s go!
When it gets down to it, basketball is basketball.
I like being by myself.
Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It’s being able to take it as well as dish it out. That’s the only way you’re going to get respect from the players.
I really don’t like talking about money. All I can say is that the Good Lord must have wanted me to have it.
I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American.
If there was a payment to the bank due, and we needed shoes, she’d get the shoes, and then deal with them guys at the bank. I don’t mean she wouldn’t pay the bank, but the children always came first.
There are many times when you are better off practicing than playing; but most people just don’t understand that.
**Want Even More Sports, News, Hot Takes, Stats as well as Athlete Celebrity Sighting Updates; Insights as well as Trends? Well, be sure to join all of us Sports Feens over on Youtube to get an additional sports fix; and also don’t forget to check out all of our new Podcast topics and episodes. Plus, get fast highlights and trivia daily by following us on TikTok. Just Click HERE**
Thoughts on Phillies Introduce The SchwarBurger- A City Melding Brotherly and Burgerly Love!? Well let’s connect then you Feen! We are always around on social media posting as well as chatting away; and we would love to hear some POV from you. Therefore, join the discussion and talk all things Sports Feen; athletics as well as breaking industry news related with us by dropping a comment or two. Get into our comment section on YT; or also hit us up on our TikTok page or tweet us @SportsFeen.
