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It's about Bird! And my best starting five of all-time
A few months ago I picked my best all-time starting five basketball team.
Well, I picked Bird first, Chamberlain, second and the almighty MJ third.
I had to change my mind and here is why: I was afraid someone else would pick Larry B. first on their top five team, so I grabbed him while he was on the shelf, so to speak.
Not the smartest pick I soon learned, after watching hour after hour of MJ, and also, Bird's feats, on Youtube videos.
I have to take the Black-Panther now, the one so gifted athletically and that one kind of Panther like, who will tear your head for a scrap of raw meat tossed onto the basketball floor.
But only because I get first choice of super-basketball players. I had to take the all-time greatest, before someone else grabs him. And, right, 95% would have taken MJ first, too.
Do I believe MJ is the greatest-all-around-fundamental-basketball player, ever--this is the most important question--when those great player's were in their prime playing, and also, at their healthiest, physically.
No.
Hugely important, that last scenario, plus, it is the top most important requisite.
I take Larry Bird, who could do every fundamental basketball skilled required to be rated the best, most sound, and with the all-around fundamentals, most skilled basketball player in the world, and yes, the NBA, too.
Now, don't think it didn't help him to beat MJ out by being about 4 inches taller? Yes, no doubt about that.
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Here is some old high school excerpt's about LB, back in his junior year at Springs Valley. This story so much like the Frog who turned into a Princess, practically overnight. Both stories are simply unbelievable. Well one is and the other one is completely true.
1, Junior year in high school:
“His passing, from that sophomore to junior year, just became unbelievable. The vision, seeing the floor was just remarkable,” said Tony Clark, a senior at Springs Valley when Bird was a junior.
Clark said Bird must have averaged five assists per game to go with nearly 10 rebounds.
“He was always passing, rebounding, [and was our] second-leading scorer. Of course our scorers were close,” Jones said.
But no one was working harder than Bird.
“Basketball was king and you worked on that year ’round,” Clark said. “Between that sophomore and junior year, even between the freshman and sophomore year, he’d be playing on the elementary school playground courts. When other people were thinking of dating and girls, he’d be up there in the rain shooting baskets,” Clark said.
Clark was a 6-5 center on the team, while Steve Land was another 6-5 big man on that squad. Bird was essentially a 6-3 small forward and one of five double-figure scorers on a Springs Valley team that went 19-3 after a loss in the sectional.
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The senior year
Former Sycamore coach Bill Hodges, an assistant at Tennessee Tech at the time, recalls seeing Bird play as a junior when he was recruiting the 6-7 Gilstrap. Hodges was among the majority of programs that weren’t interested in Bird’s potential … yet.
**“He was a good player — he was a ‘tweener’ — but you don’t jump out and start recruiting a 6-3 wing player,” Hodges recalled. “I liked their [point guard] Danny King [and] eventually ended up recruiting him to Indiana State [from junior college].”
Bird transformed himself into one of the state’s elite players before his senior year thanks to continued work on his game, some weightlifting and a growth spurt of nearly a half foot.
His senior year:
“He was an above average player with a lot of talent and here I am 25 or 26 years old,” new coach Holland said. “Jones’ [style] was 20 passes and a layup. I was ‘let’s get out and go.’ It wasn’t a coaching miracle or nothing like that, but it fit Larry’s style.
“I knew Larry was playing in between his junior and senior year on the outside courts, was growing and getting better, but I had no idea he was going to be the player he would be,” recalled Holland.
The town was still feeling the pain of the sectional loss from the previous year, but Bird made that seem like ancient history with some outstanding individual performances. Basketball fanatics around the state began to hear about a 6-7 guy named Bird who played like a guard.
High school basketball fans all around the area were flocking to see Bird play.
“Our gym holds 2,700 people. Loogootee came here and both were undefeated. I think there was probably 5,000 people in the gym,” Weikert said. “They were sitting up by the window ledges. It was the game of the year. I think we got beat. If the fire marshal came, it would have been tough to run ’em out. They wanted to see a ballgame.”
Jones had never seen anything like it.
***“The night he got 55 points and 38 rebounds. Gary gave him a lot of freedom, allowed him to expand his game, and he just took it to another level,” Jones said. “He averaged 30 points a game-plus. He averaged 20 rebounds a game-plus. He had some kids that really played well with him. He took care of them, they took care of him.”
Jones, who has returned to live near Springs Valley after climbing Indiana’s all-time wins list after many years at Terre Haute North Vigo, said Bird’s one-year improvement was his physical tools catching up to a complete understanding of basketball.
“He just became much bigger and stronger. He always had the qualities,” Jones said. “He thought the game just a little bit higher. I don’t know why, God-given or what. He just always had a feel for the game. It’s something you don’t teach. He just really understood the game.”
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Now I think you know why Bird is my pick for the all-around category?
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Okay, my starting five and do not forget the stipulations, if you dare try to match my staring all-time five?
* To be fair, you may pick 3 of my same picks, but only three.
ABE knows:
1. M.Jordan at small guard;
2.W.Chamberlain at center [don't believe me] check his NBA records that few, if any, will ever be broken.
3. Small forward; L.Bird, the freaky skilled basketball genius.
4. Strong forward {Surprise, surprise} 6-11 inch Bill Walton. The other very best all-around player over 6-10.
You must first look at his college fundamentals--when injuries were not making him lame, and that was often. * Do not forget the injury rule i warned you about.
Then, his first healthy year for the Portland Trailblazers; winning the title and surprising everyone who thought they knew the NBA basketball at that time.
He dominated throughout that season, yet still had some serious aches and pains.
Later after his career, he stated he had 40, maybe 50 or more surgeries in his career, starting in high school.
His skills as I remember? The best outlet pass of any center; The best team player, playing the center position. A superb shot-blocker and inside scorer/rebounder.
And ran the floor with some of the best center's, too.
5.Point Guard. The Big O.
need I say more?
* Now beat my staring five if you dare!
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Originally Posted by BGS 9.5
Thank's for the clue.
