A Young Chuck Person Received a Warning From Larry Bird Regarding Li…
Despite the potential for generalization, NBA players possess a great deal of confidence. There is no place for self-doubt when your ability to perform under pressure is what makes your livelihood possible. Furthermore, Larry Bird had confidence in his own talents despite having a lot of talent (he wasn’t just talking a big game).
The well-known striker repeatedly assured defenders throughout the years that he would score and then delivered, even when they made every attempt to stop him. In 1986, though, Larry Legend employed a different tactic to produce a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Bird warned the Rifleman that he had to play hard every night or suffer the consequences when he ran across a young Chuck Person. Soon after, the star player for the Celtics demonstrated to him the potential in the Association.
Chuck Person and Larry Bird got into a bit of a feud over time. The Celtics and Pacers battled it out in the 1991 postseason, and in 1990, Bird handed the Auburn product an unforgettable Christmas present. On the other hand, their initial engagement occurred a few years prior.
The Rifleman recalled in 2004 to the Indiana Pacers’ official website, “I don’t know if Larry remembers, but my first game in the pros was against him in Terre Haute, and he said, ‘Young fella, when you come out to play, play hard every night, or you’ll get embarrassed – especially by me.” “I was even more motivated to play well against Larry because of that.”
Even though that is already a well-known Bird tale—rather than acting maliciously, he consistently linked events to his own performance—it didn’t stop there. As predicted, Larry Legend made a full loop to demonstrate to the newbie what would happen in a professional setting if caution was lacking.
“I had to come out and play as hard as I possibly could every night after Larry had something like 40 points, 20 rebounds, and 15 assists in our first regular-season game against each other,” Person said.
And while the stats don’t precisely line up with the box score—which is to be expected in these kinds of stories—No. 33 definitely lived up to expectations. The forward scored 38 points in 32 minutes of play on November 5, 1986, shooting 14 of 20 from the field. For good measure, he also added two steals, a block, eight assists, and eleven rebounds. Person, on the other hand, went 5-for-12, scored 12 points, and grabbed eight rebounds.
And the Celtics prevailed 133-102 on the balance of play.
Was there any shame in that? You can make that decision by yourself, but keep in mind that the Person didn’t exactly have to limit Bird’s success—he just came off the bench. Nevertheless, the novice gained knowledge from the encounter nonetheless.
