Navigation Toggle NBA. So much so, that Charles Barkley even admitted that he wasn't 6'6, but . December 7, Bird has appeared in three movies, each time playing himself: Bird's likeness has appeared in several video games. A persons wingspan is the measurement from the tips of one finger to the other. Below is a guide to help you create the best Larry Bird build in NBA 2K22. Prior to Bird's second year, the Celtics acquired center Robert Parrish from the Golden State Warriors and drafted Kevin McHale. Difficult Shots High-difficulty jumpers attempted from the mid-range get an increased shot percentage. Rondo also poses very large hands at 9.5 inches long, and 10 inches wide. A 6-foot 9-inch (2.06-metre) forward, he was known for his unflappable confidence and clutch shooting ability, which together created an intimidating presence on the court. Basketball icon Larry Bird won three MVP awards and three NBA championships during his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics. Bird's basketball prowess earned him an athletic scholarship to Indiana University, where he was to play for legendary coach Bob Knight. Girlfriend / Spouse. Bol is 15th all time in blocked shots with 2,086, but he did that in only 11,698 minutes. [25], In his rookie season (19791980), Bird immediately transformed the Celtics into a title contender. 4. Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope are nicknames for Larry Bird. Or write about sports? He had off-season surgery to remove a disc from his back, but his back problems continued and he missed 37 games during the 199192 season. His other playmaking strengths include quick and flashy passes. [21] He eventually finished runner-up in Most Valuable Player Award voting to Moses Malone. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Although he announced his departure around that time, he reclaimed his post as team president in the summer of 2013. Because Bird was wily in creating space for himself off the dribble, the Shot Creator takeover also sounds like a good option. ", "Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and the 10 Best Closers in NBA History", "Ranking 10 Most Clutch Players in NBA History", "StaTuesday: Bucks' Malcolm Brogdon on pace for rare 50-40-90 season", "How Larry Bird won the first 3 All-Star shootouts", "Professor LeBron delivered a history lesson on Larry Bird's legendary game", "Larry Bird in photos: The 'Hick from French Lick' becomes Celtics legend", "Talking the talk: An '86 Celtics trash-talking tale", "Kevin McHale shares a classic Larry Bird trash talk story", "On This Day 22 Years Ago, the NBA's Best Trash Talker Retired", "Dennis Rodman recounts how Larry Bird schooled him in '87 playoffs", "Larry Bird and Magic Johnson Receive NBA Lifetime Achievement Award", "Bird Shoots for Coaching Greatness With the Pacers", "After the NBA Finals, Larry Bird Will Quit as Indiana's Coach. Unfortunately he's had a difficult time keeping pace with the speed of the NBA, and his limited offensive game has come to light. Larry Bird's wife, Dinah Mattingly, is his high school sweetheart who got engaged and married the former NBA legend in 1989. 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. Larry Bird Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more | Basketball-Reference.com Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (Larry Legend, The Hick from French Lick, Kodak, The Great White Hope) Position: Small Forward and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9 , 220lb (206cm, 99kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 12x All Star Honestly, all of them fit Bird so well. By going for a shooting plus defense/rebounding build, you will have a two-way player at your disposal. 6 ft 9 in or 206 cm. Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. 1. [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. During the early parts of his career, he even started at power forward for Boston. He couldn't miss. He was a great scorer, rebounder, passer, and defender. Despite not being as tall as the Lakers legend, Leonard is just as long. If it goes, it goes.". 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. [74], Bird and Magics presence on the court was only a small part of their contribution to basketball, as their rivalry changed the landscape of the NBA, transforming it from a struggling, barely profitable league into a highly visible, financial and marketing dream for teams and players alike. 14 Dwight Howard 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. To put that in perspective, number 10 is legendary Robert Parish and he put up only 300 more blocks than Bol in his career, but it took him 45,704 minutes. When they reached the NBA Finals, the Celticshampered by devastating injurieslost to a dominant Lakers team that had won 65 games during the season. College basketball games are played with two 20 minute periods, while professional NBA basketball games consist of four quarters of 12 minutes each. As morbid as the subject is, Bird doesn't really duck away from it and what it means for him and his family. Blinders Jump shots attempted with an opponent closing out in the players peripheral vision will not be penalized that much. Falling out of bounds, Bird turned and passed the ball to teammate Dennis Johnson, who converted a game-winning 2-point layup with less than a second left. 2. 3. He is a 66 player, and he's held his own thanks to a 260 pound base and a 73 wingspan. Lastly, the wingspan can be reduced to around 83.0 inches. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Coming into the league, many pundits wondered if Mourning could be a starting center at only 69. 1. Bird won 3 MVPs in a row, 2 rings, and 2 finals MVPs in that stretch, plus was 2nd and 3rd in MVP voting in the 2 years he didn't win MVP in that stretch. Height: 6'9" (206 cm) Weight: 220 lbs (100 kg) Position: F High School: . [46] At the conclusion of the year, Bird was named MVP for the second consecutive season behind averages of 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. [21] In the Conference Finals, Boston was eliminated by the Philadelphia 76ers. Kareem's father, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Sr., was fairly tall at 6'2". In eight games, Bird averaged 8.4 points. Have you heard of the 50-40-90 club? That is 6.5% greater than his height. Biyombo stands 68, but has a wingspan that stretches out to 76. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not state or reflect the views of PEx Online Community Corp. i remember when duncan and kg had an altercation, tim was looking up at KG. This will give your shooting attributes a bit of a boost. Many people following the NBA would love to see Bird play in todays era of basketball. Bird is universally regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. For that, we have developed the best Magic Johnson build in NBA 2K22. He complemented his all-around game with accurate outside shooting and unmatched bravado. [59] The Celtics fell short in 1988 losing to the Detroit Pistons in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Pistons made up from the heartbreak the previous season. West only stood 62 which would make his wingspan 9.5% greater than his height. Howard makes up for his height with an elite wingspan that measures 75. That wingspan is the same size that the 75 Shawn Bradley had. 6'9" (2.06m) WEIGHT. [83] While he was relatively slow, Bird displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, making him a strong team defender. He is a 6'6 player, and he's held his own thanks to a 260 pound base and a 7'3 wingspan. There is no denying the greatness of Wilt Chamberlain and a superior length was a major reason he was unstoppable. With Wilt being the most dominant force of his era, it lends to the theory that his wingspan was truly elite. Here's what the science reveals. [133], Bird married Dinah Mattingly in 1989. Unless you allot more points to finishing attributes, you will only have one potential upgrade for finishing badges. [71], Journalists speculated that Bird and Magic represented different contrasts, such as clashes between Celtics and Lakers, between East and West, and between Blacks and Whites. A 1980s Converse commercial for its "Weapon" line of basketball shoes (endorsed by both Bird and Johnson) reflected the perceived dichotomy between the two players. 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. The reason the Bobcats took a risk on this extremely raw player was due to his freakish wingspan. There are a couple of pictures showing Wilt out stretched, and he certainly looks to possess a wing span in the range of 80. Bird knows all about the problems with 7-footers and their health, and despite his wife's aversion to wanting to hear about it, reaching 75 years old isn't something Bird, 59 and now president of the Pacers, necessarily expects to accomplish. [49] The risk paid off; Walton's acquisition helped Boston win a league best 67 games. [39][41], Bird was named MVP of the 198384 season with averages of 24.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Ganyan naman talaga, you usually take off 1 1/2 to 2 inches off their published height - and you get their real height. He is also the last player to win three straight MVP awards. During the 1980s, either Boston or Los Angeles appeared in every NBA Finals. Biyombo has been playing center for Charlotte over the course of the past 3 years, and at 69, is one of the smaller centers in the league, but the wingspan more than makes up for the height deficiency. After retiring as a player in 1992, he was appointed as the coach for the team the Boston Celtics. [22] He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. The Celtics failed to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in five years, losing to the Pistons in six games during the Eastern Conference Finals. Over the course of his 13-year Hall of Fame career, the sharpshooting forward led the Celtics to three NBA titles and claimed three MVP awards. Whether it be to reach for a block, getting into passing lanes, or poking balls away, extra length is a determining factor for a great defender. Their rivalry continued on in the revived CelticsLakers Rivalry in the NBA. In the piece, Bird theorizes that the big men who played the hardest and ran the most are the most susceptible to passing away early. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, Bird shot 9 of 10 from the floor in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 points in that quarter and lifting the Celtics to a series-clinching victory over Atlanta. I've not seen that much of Chrichton reallycompared to seeing Bird, who can look taller than his listing at times. What that actual measurement was, we may never know. However, by then his formerly relentless attack on the court had been slowed by a bad back. [110], The Celtics employed Bird as a special assistant in the team's front office from 1992 until 1997. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Celtics won their first NBA title with Bird (and 14th overall) in 1981; they repeated with title wins in 1984 and 1986. Your submission has been received! Some pundits consider Bird as one of the best outlet passers in the history of the league. KG Living Legend Don Nelson Posts: 8383 A persons wingspan is the. . Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. ", "LeBron James: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Julius Erving Are 3 Best Players Ever", "Who Has Made The Most NBA All-Star Game Appearances of All-Time", "NBA MVP award: Steph Curry on list of multiple-time winners", Sporting News: James Harden joins exclusive group with third MVP runner-up finish, "Who is the most clutch player in NBA history? His name is imprinted twice in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and besides being named Player of the Year frequently, he has received coach for the Year and Executive of the Year awards. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. Menu. During the 1992 Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bird missed four of the seven games due to recurring back problems. [11] Bird has said that being poor as a child still motivates him "to this day". Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films. 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. [29] On November 23, Bird recorded his first 30-point scoring game (along with 11 rebounds and 3 assists) in a 118103 win over the Indiana Pacers. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. Weight. [105][106] He was known for telling his opponents how and where in the court he would score against them; Xavier McDaniel recounted that Bird predicted a game-winning shot against him, then "shot a shot right in my face and was like 'Damn, I didn't mean to leave two seconds on the clock. [84], "Larry, you only told me one lie. He was also quite adept at looking for the open man from the post. [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. They remained married for less than a year. [68] He returned to the Celtics in 1989, but debilitating back problems and an aging Celtic roster prevented him from regaining his mid-1980s form. But dont let Birds efficient scoring distract you from the fact that he was proficient in the other aspects of his game. Only eight other NBA players have achieved the rare feat. What is so impressive is that he has maintained those percentages despite the heavy volume of shots he takes. A 6-foot-9 forward who could dribble, pass and shoot the way Bird could made him one of the greatest NBA players. For these reasons, the other badges you should consider upgrading are Bullet Passer, Post Playmaker, and Special Delivery. Brand thwarted the pre-draft analysis that claimed he would be too small to have a sustainable career in the NBA. Takeover The game will provide you with three takeover options. Bird was rated the greatest NBA small forward of all time by Fox Sports in 2016. It is that length that has sustained Brands career. Many NBA bigs, including Larry Bird and Bill Walton, believe there's a negative relationship between height and longevity. On the opening night of the 2014 season, he went for 26 points, 17 boards, 3 steals, and 9 blocks.
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