Larry Bird is the legend of the Boston Celtics who had a picturesque NBA career and here are some famous quotes of him on basketball, life, success, and inspiration.
The only person in the history of the NBA to win Most valuable Player (MVP), Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year, Larry Joe Bird, without a doubt has an impressive resume.
Using basketball as an escape from family troubles, the 64-year-old spent thirteen seasons with the Boston Celtics where he won three NBA Championships, three NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), two NBA Finals MVP, one Olympic gold medal, and multiple other awards.
Bird retired as a player in 1992 and quickly made a comeback as a coach. He became the head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 1997. He was an incredible coach who led the Pacers in some of the franchise’s biggest moments as well as an NBA Finals appearance.
After retiring as a coach in 2000, Bird joined the Pacers once again as the President of Basketball Operations. He ultimately stepped down from his President’s role in 2017 due to ill health. However, he continued to stay with the team as a special advisor.
A wildly successful player, coach, and executive, there is plenty to learn from someone with so many years and types of experiences behind him in life and business.
10 most inspirational Larry Bird quotes that are full of inspiration
- “Practice habits were crucial to my development in basketball. I didn’t play against the toughest competition in high school, but one reason I was able to do well in college was that I mastered the fundamentals. You’ve got to have them down before you can even think about playing.”
During his playing and coaching career, Bird has repeatedly said that he was ahead in his game because of his excellent grasp of the fundaments of the game. So, know the basics and you can go on to excel in other areas more easily.
2. “Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.”
Imagine Larry Bird quitting or giving up. There’s no doubt that he would have never become a professional basketball player. He had a rough childhood, but he never gave up. Just as he put everything on the line on the court, he’s done the same in other areas of his life as well.
3. “I always know what’s happening on the court. I see a situation occur, and I respond.”
This quote really says much about Bird. It is one of the reasons why Bird was so successful on the court as a player and coach. It seems that he has applied this same line of thinking in his personal life and business affairs. He’s never been afraid to make the moves that he thought were necessary, and he’s proactive rather than reactive.
4. “It doesn’t matter who scores the points, it’s who can get the ball to the scorer.”
Crisp wisdom like this has made Bird an iconic basketball player. It is very natural that situations will not always be on your side. So, even if you’re not getting the accolades you want, it’s important that you play your role in any situation to the best of your abilities.
5. “I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.”
Time and again it is proven that very few people fail if they give their absolute best at any moment. Half-hearted efforts do not help in reaching the top. Adding efforts effectively will help you achieve your goals easier.
6. “Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a teammate you’re ready to play as tough as you’re able to, you’d better go out there and do it. Players will see right through a phony.”
It’s undeniable that Larry Bird is a consummate leader. He gained that reputation as a player and has only made it stronger during his years as a coach and executive. He shows he’s worthy with his actions rather than just running his mouth, and he has the same attitude in situations outside of basketball as well.
7. “I knew I was as good as anybody. That’s not really bragging; it’s just that I’d put the time in.”
Bird has always been a humble star, but he’s not the type to downplay his own hard work and effort. That’s because he had a long journey of achieving the success that he now enjoys, and it was all about motivating himself to do his best and to do what was right.
8. “A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.”
You can have all the incredible talent in the world, but if you don’t develop it to reach your full potential and then put that talent to use, you’ll never get the most that you can out of life.
9. “Once you are labeled ‘the best’ you want to stay up there, and you can’t do it by loafing around. If I don’t keep changing, I’m history.”
This quote best explains why Larry Bird won’t settle for retirement and keeps working to maintain his status as one of the best in the game. In life, one should never settle, as change is constant and one needs to adapt accordingly.
10. “I really don’t like talking about money. All I can say is that the Good Lord must have wanted me to have it.”
It is a common incident that many pro athletes end up broke after accumulating massive amounts of wealth, but Bird clearly does not fall in that category. It is clearly evident because he now has a net worth of more than $75 million even after more than two decades of his retirement from basketball as a player and coach.
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