Happy Birthday Larry Bird

He showed the world that white men could not just jump, but shoot, pass, and talk trash. He's considered basketball's greatest white man to play the game and holds records in both college and professional levels of basketball. But his legacy is not his statistics or his attitude, it was the way he viewed the game of basketball.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the National Basketball Association was in its greatest downfall. "I wouldn't have been surprised if the league were to fold," said Erving Johnson, a guard for the Philadelphia 76ers in the late 70s. Due to excessive fighting and bad language by the players, games began to be run with tape delay of almost five minutes. Articles were being written about the racial side of the game, saying the league was "too black" and had lost its since of competition. Teams were becoming readily available and incredibly cheap.

Larry Bird was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1979 from the Indiana State University. He was considered "the great white hope for basketball." His rookie year brought him mounds of media attention for his rough attitude and country looks. "But this guy could play the game," said William Nack, a writer for Sports Illustrated. Bird had a gift.

But for every Ali, there is a Frazer, and Bird met his match in 1984 when he played Magic Johnson. This rivalry would save the NBA because of its fierce competitive nature. The Lakers hated the Celtics and every Celtic hated the Lakers. The two men brought a rich sense of competition to a dying game. The 1980s and early 90s were considered the NBA golden years. You could watch these highlights for days; Bird vs. Magic, Jordan vs. pretty much everyone. Larry Legend is credited to sparking this type of game play, and is something that you rarely see in a sport.

When I look at those tapes with the Boston Garden packed to the nosebleeds even on a pre-season game, I wonder about the state of the NBA now. Who's saving the game? It should be realized that it has gone through an immense depression with drug use and egotism. The NBA needs a savior, and I'm not saying he's not there yet. But the game is played completely different than it was in the golden years. With hardly any defense, some games are in the 120s. Everyone wants to hold a record and go for personal achievement instead of great competition and a good team.

So cheer's to Larry Bird today on his 50th birthday, the man deserves everything he has.


PS. I found this great Larry Bird montage set to John Mellencamp's "Smalltown"...absolutely fantastic. Oh children this is basketball.