‘Took me three days’ – Larry Bird’s confident prediction on his NBA career to silence Draft doubters
Larry Bird knew he would become one of the NBA’s greatest ever players.
Footage has recently resurfaced of the iconic Boston Celtics legend speaking on how long it took him to realise he would succeed in the NBA.
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Larry Bird went on to enjoy a highly successful NBA careerCredit: GETTYBefore Bird was drafted into the NBA in 1978, questions were asked about whether he would be able to transition from college into professional basketball.
The forward enjoyed three years at Indiana State University, yet experts questioned whether he could keep up with the athleticism of The Association.
It was a view Bird scoffed at as he revealed that it took him just three days to realise that he would dominate the NBA.
“Once I got out of college, I came to the pros, and well they said, ‘How’s he gonna do? He won’t be able to get his jumpshot off in the pros, or he won’t be quick enough, or he won’t be able to rebound,'” Bird said.
READ MORE NBA”I think it took me probably three days after rookie camp, I found out this league is nothing.
“I could play in this league and I would dominate this league.”
Such confidence was warranted as Bird would go on to not only enjoy a successful NBA career but cement himself as one of the league’s greatest ever players.
His accolades and legacy secured by facts like that he is the last player to win three straight NBA MVP awards between 1983 and 1986.
He also averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists five times in his career — the most such seasons in NBA history.
When it came to championships, Bird had plenty of that too as he went on to rebuild a Celtics franchise that was struggling in the late 1970s before his arrival.
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Bird is one of the greatest players everCredit: GETTY
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He dominated basketball in a brutal eraCredit: GETTYWith the Celtics, Bird went on to enjoy three NBA championships and two Finals MVPs as he returned the historic franchise back to glory.
âLarry Bird has helped define the way a generation of basketball fans has come to view and appreciate the NBA,â said former Commissioner David J. Stern about Bird.
Bird even drew immense praise from Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls legend once reminded people that he is a level above all of the current NBA stars we see now.
“I get so many questions about Larry Bird, ‘Was he really that good?’ I say, ‘Yeah, he was really that good,'” Jordan said in an episode of the ‘Icons Club’ podcast.
“When you see a player like Luka [Doncic] or Dirk [Nowitzki], they’re great players, but they’re not Larry Bird, by no means.
“You have to have a great appreciation and play against a guy who athletically every single night was at a disadvantage, but yet, mentally and the way his work ethic was, he was way above the game, way above everybody else.”
Larry Bird recalls the other moment he told Magic Johnson that Michael Jordan was the greatest
Before Bird retired in 1992, he had one more achievement he would want to secure — a gold medal with team USA.
He accomplished the goal as the US built the famous Olympic Dream Team, which dominated the competition at the summer games in Barcelona
On August 18, 1992 Bird announced his retirement as a player and ended his remarkable career.
The all-time great finished with 21,791 points, 8,974 rebounds, and 5,695 assists.
