7mo ago. [53] On March 10, 1986, Bird scored 50 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 5 assists in a 115116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Bird was one of the greatest players ever in crunch time, making four buzzer-beaters throughout his career. Great height does not necessarily equate elite wingspan. 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. 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. For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, from 1979-80 through 1991-92, Bird personified hustle, consistency and excellence in all areas of play as a scorer, a. That is 6.5% greater than his height. Reggie Miller 6'7" 6'11" wingspan What players could were elite shooters with a wingspan ratio better than 10% of height Yenohb Robert Williams Posts: 345 Tommy Points: 73 Brandon Ingram would definitely be an exception. 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." 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. That season, the Celtics posted a 61-21 record and defeated the Houston Rockets to take the first NBA championship of Bird's career. His Competitiveness Has Taken Its Toll. [116], In 2003, Bird was hired as the Pacers' president of basketball operations. That wingspan is the same size that the 75 Shawn Bradley had. Bird, Johnson, Michael Jordan and other NBA stars formed the American men's basketball team, which would become known as the "Dream Team." [21] He eventually finished runner-up in Most Valuable Player Award voting to Moses Malone. [21] Boston advanced through the playoffs to earn a rematch with the Lakers, this time losing in six games. Nicknamed Larry Legend or The Hick from French Lick, Bird played the small forward and power forward positions for the Boston Celtics in his entire career. 7. That is 4x the amount of time it took Bol to put up roughly the same amount of blocks. College basketball games are played with two 20 minute periods, while professional NBA basketball games consist of four quarters of 12 minutes each. Pippen could pass like a point guard, rebound like a power forward, and score like a shooting guard. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. [2] Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star, won two NBA Finals MVP awards and received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (19841986), making him the only forward in league history to do so. He was a great scorer, rebounder, passer, and defender. He is a four-time All-Defensive team member, and he led the league in steals in 2009-10. Height: 6'9" (206 cm) Weight: 220 lbs (100 kg) Position: F High School: . Larry Bird was born in West Baden, Indiana. Despite many peoples belief, Bol was not solely a freakshow, as he sustained a 10 year NBA career, playing for 4 different teams. [75] It was the first time in the United States' Olympic history that the country sent NBA players to compete. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are known to be "one of the greatest rivalries in sports. Larry Bird played the small forward and power forward positions at a height of 6'9" (2. . Special Delivery Improves the chances of connecting with an alley-oop pass and increases the shot percentage of teammates who receive a flashy pass from the player. They each had charisma, deft shooting touch, extraordinary passing skills, and team-oriented mindset that ignited their team and the crowd. This is a player who has shot 50% from the field, 40% from 3 point land, and 90% from the line. Although there are only 48 total minutes of time on the clock in an NBA game, the regulation time is stopped often for fouls, timeouts, and when the ball is out of bounds. In 2003, Bird was named president of basketball operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012. [42] Bird was named Finals MVP behind 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. '"[107] When playing against Dennis Rodman, a player known for his defensive abilities, in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Bird continually belittled Rodman's ability, at one point asking the opposing head coach to send in someone up to the task of guarding him. Because Bird was wily in creating space for himself off the dribble, the Shot Creator takeover also sounds like a good option. Any data prior to that is not a guarantee, and much of it is urban legend that grew a life of its own. Rajon Rondo is currently one of the best point guards in the league. [56] Bird averaged 24 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game for the championship round. That length helped him become one of the most prolific shot blocker in league history. You will often hear basketball pundits state that a player has great length. He says they build their hearts up so much that when they retire, the hearts just sit there. An option for your characters secondary skill is playmaking. Bird was rated the greatest NBA small forward of all time by Fox Sports in 2016. A confirmation email has been sent. [83] While he was relatively slow, Bird displayed a knack for anticipating the moves of his opponent, making him a strong team defender. Bird had an uncanny ability of reading and anticipating opponents passes that helped him record 1.7 steals per game throughout his career. Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird. Best Known For: Basketball icon Larry Bird won three MVP awards and three NBA championships during his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics. Shooting badges will allow you to convert more field goal attempts from anywhere outside the key. In 1999, when he won his first Defensive Player of the Year, he had an insane 3.9 blocks a game. KG Living Legend Don Nelson Posts: 8383 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. His shotblocking prowess is also noted as he has led the league twice in this category, and has a career average of 2.2 blocks. After all, Bird dished out 6.3 assists per game for his entire career. [4] After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. When in his defensive stance, Price looks almost impossible to get around, and his long arms allow him to play off players while contesting every shot. The problem for Bol was his offensive game was non-existent. Lastly, the wingspan can be reduced to around 83.0 inches. Indiana State University, High School: Davis stands 610, and, at the 2012 pre-draft combine, was measured to have a 75 wing span. Break Starter Deep outlet passes attempted immediately after grabbing a defensive rebound are more likely to connect. 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. Some pundits consider Bird as one of the best outlet passers in the history of the league. 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. Maxiell shows how an undersized player can keep pace with taller guys when they possess elite wingspan. Tayshaun Prince broke out in the Detroit Pistons championship run of 2004. "[70] Their rivalry began in college, when Larry Bird and Indiana State lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game. [21][38], At the 1982 All-Star Game, Bird scored 19 points en route to winning the All-Star Game MVP Award. Find out more. Boston Celtics, 1st round (6th pick, 6th overall), 1978 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1998 (Full List), More Larry Bird pages at Sports Reference. The following top 15 will look at the most impressive wingspans in NBA history. Larry Bird's wingspan is 86.9 inches. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Anthony Davis is one of the leagues biggest stars. Bird was also a member of the gold medal-winning 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team known as the "Dream Team". Bird's basketball prowess earned him an athletic scholarship to Indiana University, where he was to play for legendary coach Bob Knight. Below is a guide to help you create the best Larry Bird build in NBA 2K22. [7], Bird was born in West Baden Springs, Indiana, to Georgia (ne Kerns) and Claude Joseph "Joe" Bird, a veteran of the Korean War. Alonzo Mourning had a decorated NBA career as a seven-time all-star who had two Defensive Player of the Year awards and one NBA title. Bird entered the NBA for the 19791980 season, where he made an immediate impact, starting at power forward and leading the Celtics to a 32-win improvement over the previous season before being eliminated from the playoffs in the Conference Finals. The Hick from French Lick was the first ever to join the club. As for the weight, you can lower it by one pound (219 lbs) to give your player an additional point in acceleration. Positions: Small forward, power forwardYears Active: 19791992, Drawings include:Larry Bird standing, shooting, dribbling, NBA - National Basketball AssociationWikipedia - Basketball. [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. 30 on ESPN SportsCentury's list of 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th century. West only stood 62 which would make his wingspan 9.5% greater than his height. 6-keys: media/spln/nba/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Despite not being as tall as the Lakers legend, Leonard is just as long. Larry Bird starred at Indiana State University before joining the NBA's Boston Celtics in 1979. [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. 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. 2022 Dimensions.com |All rights reserved. Bird is one of the best shooters in the history of the sport. 5.