Larry Bird disclosed his finest accomplishment to date…
As far as his basketball career is concerned, Larry Bird has much to be pleased with. He is a three-time NBA champion, a 12-time All-Star, a three-time MVP, and a Hall of Famer. But none of those, in Bird’s opinion, could ever compare to the sensation of knowing that you are already well past your prime and taking home a gold medal for your nation on the international scene.
“Playing for your country was an amazing experience,” the Boston Celtics legend said in an interview with Yahoo Sports in 2008. “The Olympic Games were the pinnacle. I realized at that point in my career that it was done. The highlight of my childhood for me was being able to watch the Olympics on TV as a little child and witness athletes win gold medals while their nation’s national anthem was playing.”
Recall that Bird’s final NBA season was hampered by persistent back discomfort. Despite this, a wounded “Larry Legend” scored 20 points, dished out seven assists, and pulled down 9.5 rebounds per contest. Bird didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet for the Dream Team, but it wasn’t really necessary given his 18.8 minutes per game, 8.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
Don’t let the stats deceive you, though; even at 35 and suffering from a back issue, Bird was still a fantastic player—especially when someone spoke poorly about him. One of the college basketball stars who practiced with the Dream Team, Jamal Mashburn, could tell.
“We’re not taking it lightly. Magic Johnson probably fed Larry Bird the ball eight times in a row down the floor the day after we arrived. When Larry Bird had the ball in front of Rodney Rogers, he would always tell him what to do before he made a move, Mashburn reportedly recounted.
Of course, every great player gets older and less effective. Some people, like Bird, on the other hand, never allowed age or injury stop them from loving the game of basketball.
Bird said during his last NBA season, “It really doesn’t matter what is your age or how old you are if you love to do something and you love to work out and you love to play basketball.”
Of course, every great player gets older and less effective. Some people, like Bird, on the other hand, never allowed age or injury stop them from loving the game of basketball.
