A Novice Larry Bird Put an end to Cedric Maxwell without…
If there’s one thing that everyone knows about Larry Bird, it’s that he has unmatched trash talk. The star player for the Boston Celtics dominated the NBA for 13 seasons, combining amazing verbal insults with a diverse skill set.
Nevertheless, when Bird, then 22 years old, signed with the Celtics prior to the 1979–80 campaign, he wasn’t exactly bragging about his skills. Many new colleagues questioned the rookie’s place on the squad when he first arrived at training camp because he was an outsider. But without saying a word, the Hall of Famer received the final laugh by the end of practice.
Bird, an Indiana native from French Lick, made a big impression at Indiana State. He led the Sycamores to their first-ever NCAA Tournament and championship game in 1979, a year after the Celtics selected him sixth overall. However, they were defeated by Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans in the game.
Not everyone was convinced by Bird, even after he led unknown Indiana State to the NCAA National Championship. Several of his new colleagues were dubious, but Red Auerbach, the president of the Celtics, knew what kind of player he could be.
When Bird arrived, one of Boston’s better players was Cedric Maxwell. After scoring a career-high 19.0 points per game, Ced gave an explanation for why he and his colleagues didn’t think highly of The Hick from French Lick.
Maxwell previously stated in an interview, “He didn’t impress me any more than any White guy I have ever seen play” (h/t: AllBasketballTV). “I believe you would argue that the majority of Black athletes at the time were racist in the sense that we didn’t believe a White man could outplay a Black man on the field.”
Bird was the highest-paid rookie in sports history, and his five-year, $3.25 million contract did not assist his cause to wow his teammates in addition to the hue of his skin.
Rookies typically arrived at training camp as outsiders looking in. However, Bird received greater suspicion than most.
“On the first day of camp, I stroll in. “Here comes this White savior, here comes this, here comes that,” the boys were saying while stretching on the ground. Bird once gave an explanation. It was kind of enjoyable. as I was aware that I would be fighting them all day.
