2", "Atlanta Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, December 9, 1984", "Relive the Moment: Larry Bird Easily Wins Inaugural 3-Point Contest After Asking Field Who Would Finish Second", "Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics Box Score, November 27, 1985", "Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks Box Score, March 10, 1986", "Larry Legend Bird wins third straight MVP", "Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics Box Score, June 8, 1986", "Converse Commercial (1986) with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson", "Bird's Garden Party: Celtics Make It a Magical Night for Larry Legend", "Against All Those Hawks, One Bird Is Enough for Celtics", "Legendary Moments in NBA History: Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins battle in Game 7", "Bird Bids Farewell, Retires From Celtics", "Dream Team a star-studded sight to behold for gazers on, off court", "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame - Hall of Famers", "10 reasons we still love Larry Bird on his 60th birthday", "PRO BASKETBALL; A Bashful Larry Bird Joins Hall Of Fame", "The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Hall of Famers", "1992 Dream Team Inducted into Hall of Fame", It started in Sacramento: LeBron James, back in NBA Finals, makes our all-time starting 5, "Who's The Best Small Forward Of All Time: Larry Bird Or LeBron James? When Durant drives the lane, his length allows him to finish with greater success, and have less shots contested. As an alternative to relying on badges for in-game boosts, you can target improving many of your attributes as soon as possible. Kevin Durant stands 610 and has a 75 wingspan. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. [8] He returned to French Lick, enrolling at Northwood Institute (now Northwood University) in nearby West Baden, and working municipal jobs for a year before enrolling at Indiana State University in Terre Haute in 1975. [3], A versatile player at both forward positions, he could play both inside and outside, being one of the first players in the league to take advantage of the newly adopted three-point line. Johnson and the Spartans triumphed, but Larry Bird left Indiana State that year with the USBWA College Player of the Year Award, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award. Their rivalry continued on in the revived CelticsLakers Rivalry in the NBA. When he was on fire from the three-point line or mid-range, no one can stop him. Also, make sure to equip the Clutch Shooter badge. Kevin McHale has gone down as one of the 50 best NBA players of all time, and is probably the best example in NBA history of how length can be used to dominate on both ends of the court. Larry Bird was such a player. [82] In 1999, Bird ranked No. Everyone knows that Manute Bol was the tallest player in NBA history, but he also possessed the largest wingspan. At either end of the spectrum, the measurement would be considered elite. He is also the youngest player to reach 1,000 rebounds, and each benchmark from that point through to 9,000 rebounds. I couldn't miss. That is a 12% increase in wingspan from his height. So much so, that Charles Barkley even admitted that he wasn't 6'6, but . Former NBA coach Hubie Brown had this to say about McHale: "He was totally unstoppable because of his quickness, diversification of moves and the long arms that gave him an angle to release the ball over a taller man or more explosive jumper." His most famous steal was in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. Indiana State. Something went wrong while submitting the form. us, College: Data Provided By Rajon Rondo only stands 61, but has a wingspan that stretches to 69. Because of this, you can just focus on what Bird was exceptionally good at. He led the league in rebounds twice and during the 2000s he averaged 10.2 rebounds a game. Biyombo stands 68, but has a wingspan that stretches out to 76. Magic got the upper hand against Bird, beating him in 1985 and 1987, while Bird beat Magic in 1984. The World's Most Entertaining Car Website. The smallest report records it at 78, while the largest account has it at 84 inches. Bird was already known after two years in the league for consistent, clutch scoring and tenacious defense, which seemed especially uncanny as he was not particularly fast on his feet; instead, Bird developed a reputation for not merely responding to his opponents' moves but anticipating how they would unfold ahead of time. However, Bird's height seems to come at a cost -- a cost he's well aware of and doesn't try to hide from. Durant is what is referred to as a hop shooter, something rare for a player of his height. [76] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame called the team "the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet". [60], Throughout the 1980s, contests between the Celtics and the Lakersboth during the regular season and in the Finalsattracted enormous television audiences. [28] On November 14, 1979, Bird recorded his first career triple-double with 23 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in a 115111 win over the Detroit Pistons. 6'9" (2.06m) WEIGHT. Menu. Bird averaged 10.0 rebounds per game in his career. [6] He stepped down again in 2017, but stayed with the team in an advisory capacity. The average NBA basketball game lasts between two and two and a half hours. The game will provide you with three takeover options. Unfortunately he's had a difficult time keeping pace with the speed of the NBA, and his limited offensive game has come to light. [70] Many people realized that the emergence of these two stars were linked with the rise in popularity of the NBA, as the NBA started to market towards these two stars. As for the defense/rebounding class, set the interior defense, offensive rebound, and defensive rebound to around 10 points below the upper limit. 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. 6 ft 9 in or 206 cm. During the 2000s, Brand was one of the better rebounders and defenders. To put that in perspective, his hands are larger than that of LeBron James. [30], With averages of 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game for the season, he was selected to the All-Star Team and named Rookie of the Year. Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Larry Bird, Birth Year: 1956, Birth date: December 7, 1956, Birth State: Indiana, Birth City: West Baden Springs, Birth Country: United States. [93][94][95] In October 2021, as part of the NBA's 75th Anniversary, Bird was honored as one of the 75 greatest players of all time, by being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. Indiana State University, High School: Because that was usually how the Hall of Famer took over games. 7. Considering the troubling back issues Bird has had, which started during his playing days, exercise becomes a much tougher thing to do when you get older. Top 15 Most Impressive Wingspans In NBA History - TheSportster He played most of his career with forward Kevin McHale and center Robert Parish, considered by some to be the greatest front court in NBA history. In his final three seasons with the Celtics, Bird averaged over 20 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists per game, shot better than 45% from the field, and led the Celtics to playoff appearances. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, The Man Behind the First All-Black Basketball Team, 8 Times Brothers Have Faced Off in a Championship, Every Black Quarterback to Play in the Super Bowl, Soccer Star Christian Atsu Survived an Earthquake. at Subscribed! 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. Bullet Passer Increases the velocity of passes and speeds up how quickly the player gets the ball out of their hands. The legend was quite ahead of his time. . The 7'3 wing span is 11.5% greater than his height. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following his junior year, Bird was selected with the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. [56] Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round. However, I suggest going for Spot Up Shooter. Bird's 198889 season ended after six games when he had bone spurs surgically removed from both of his heels. As listed, his height is 6 ft 9 inches (2.06m), and his weight is 220lb (100kg). This is a player who has shot 50% from the field, 40% from 3 point land, and 90% from the line. He was a great post scorer and could dominate the paint like a big man. He complemented his all-around game with accurate outside shooting and unmatched bravado. The Best shooters have shorter arms. [40] Boston's misfortunes continued into the next season, with Bird again finishing second in MVP voting to Malone and the team losing in the Conference Semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks. After protracted negotiations, Bird inked a five-year, $3.25 million contract with the team on June 8, making him the highest-paid rookie in sports history. Thus, you have to upgrade the Break Starter badge. Another badge you must target is Interceptor. Dinah Mattingly (1989-Present) - Larry Bird married his second wife Dinah Mattingly in 1989. Corner Specialist Three-point shots taken near the baseline off the dribble or a pass are given a percentage boost. He is not dating anyone. It's an entirely different game when you're Six-Nine."