NBA Hall of Famer, Larry Bird, had quite a few stories to share before the NBA All-Star weekend. Bird sat down with fellow Hall of Famers, Reggie Miller and Isiah Thomas to talk about the 3-point contest and Indiana. During the conversation, Bird was asked about his famous comment during the 1988 All-Star 3-point contest. The comment, which is folklore among the older players, was confirmed by Bird. This confidence-filled quote from Larry Bird drew a round of laughter from superstar LeBron James on social media.
Reggie Miller asked Bird to revisit how he mentioned that line in front of all the other competitors. Bird mentioned that his competitors were mostly bench players, so he said the line as a joke. He said:
I was really just teasing. I looked around and said, “Who’s coming in 2nd?”
Larry Bird via TNT
Larry Bird then said that the room fell into silence after that. Bird’s teasing shows the confidence the already 2-time 3-point contest winner had. But he knew that now he had to win the contest to back up that comment.
He went out and started the initial rounds with his usual efficiency. But in the final round, Bird jumped to a slow start. He was already lagging behind Dale Ellis by the time he was in his final two racks. Ellis had won the toss, elected to go first, and put up 15 points, all to put the pressure on Bird.
“I was really just teasing and looked around and I go, ‘Who’s coming in 2nd?’… Nobody said a word… It was really a joke and then I had to go out and win it.”
Larry Bird recalls his infamous question before the 1988 3-Point Contest 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lGWARRPxh4
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 17, 2024
Then in the closing two racks, Bird rebounded, and with the last money ball of his last rack going in, Bird won his third consecutive 3-point contest. He later revealed to Miller and Thomas that ‘Thank God’ he won the contest, or else his quote would have bit him back badly.
Larry Bird changed the way big men scored
Larry Bird is credited with changing the way big men shot the ball in the NBA. Most big men his size were usually post-up players. Bird with his deft touch and shooting range changed the landscape of how big men could develop a 3-point range. The 3-time champion was the pioneer in how big men in the league have added 3-point shooting to their game.
LeBron James cannot help himself but laugh at Larry Bird’s quote as to who’s coming 2nd (image via King James/NBA/IG)Miller mentioned how Bird’s shooting motion was copied over the years by many players. Bird mentioned that with his height, the shooting was better with his hands to the side of his head. Bird’s fadeaways are the staple of someone like LeBron James. The height advantage of bigger players using Bird’s fadeaway to score has made the move unguardable.
There is a reason why Larry Bird said that quote before the contest. It was the superior confidence that even allowed one to make jokes like that. But even LeBron James knows that the quote was cocky at its best.
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