NBA legend Larry Bird and greatness go hand in hand. Not only is he one of the greatest players ever, but his vibrant personality also makes him larger than just the game.
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Apart from being exceptional on the court, Bird was known for a lot of other things. One of them is being an elite prankster. Former teammates have talked about his habit of playing pranks on multiple occasions. During an interview, Bird revealed why he pulls off pranks and also who was the biggest prankster on the team.
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Larry Bird reveals the importance of pranks
The NBA has some of the best players in the world. Playing 82 games along with the postseason can sometimes be very hard and also stressful. This was tackled effectively by Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird.
Talking in an interview, the former NBA champion labeled the NBA season as ‘boring’ especially when the team is on the road. In order to keep the environment lively, he and some other players resorted to pranks.
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Bird said, “You gotta stick together and you gotta have fun because it is a long season, and it’s a very boring season at times when you are traveling. So, you gotta do things that keeps everybody loose.“
Interestingly enough, during the same interview, Bird revealed that Celtics legend Kevin McHale was one of the biggest pranksters in the group. Alongside McHale and others, Bird helped the Celtics reach new heights.
Bird’s trash-talking skills were impeccable
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It wasn’t only basketball and pranks Bird was good at, he was an exceptional trash talker. Prior to the 1987 three-point contest, Bird said, “I hope all you guys in here are thinking about second place, because I’m winning this.”
When the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Celtics on one occasion, Magic Johnson was sidelined with an injury. Bird came over to the bench and said, “Don’t worry, Earvin. I’m gonna put on a show for you.” He ended up scoring 40 points that night before arguably his greatest rival.
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What is your favorite memory of Larry Bird? Let us know in the comments down below.
