Larry Bird Greatest Games: 31 Points vs Knicks (1985)

[@emilyt6925]

Todays NBA could literally go away. I’d be happier watching LB videos from here out. Not kidding.

[@pilgrimpassingthrough2228]

That shot off the very top of the glass at 5:55 was simply amazing! Bird was and always will be the GOAT!

[@BasketballJones48021]

Bird was amazing at reading the play even before it happened, and his instant passes are crazy. Larrry's skill-level is just unmatched, poor Ewing.

[@TheMimetolithman]

Bird was My Fav' GOAT ForEver.

[@euroamerican5189]

Bird's crisp passes are ridiculous. Greatest passing forward of all time and it aint even close.

[@stanjanusas2885]

Pssht. Lebron...switching teams to improve his chances. It didn't work did it...5 titles????? Big deal, overrated.

[@jjs777fzr]

trha2222 - Lebron is great. Bird is better. Bird would have passed the ball between Lebron’s legs for two. Just to make him question his ability.

[@sportsfanatic1936]

Y’all don’t know basketball.

[@sportsfanatic1936]

Stan Janusas Wtf does that have to do with passing ability? Are you dumb?

[@dwightlove3704]

Euro American You never saw LeBron drop dimes obviously.

[@bigdill_3922]

A pleasure to see his entire career.

[@valojaillangasinghe1478]

Thankyou so much... just to watch this man play is a lesson in balance, poise, anticipation ...it's pure genius. He has elevated his ability above and beyond what is relatively possible. Most can't imagine doing what he freely does time and again... "The best small forward to ever play the game"

[@keithlauderjr1691]

No modern teams ever moved the ball like the Big Three Celtics Teams did. Bird rubbed off on them all. A thing of beauty. ❤🍀

[@susanstamboulian646]

The 2023-24 Celtics did it extremely well too. So did the 2014 Spurs. Both teams, not surprisingly, won the NBA Title, rather easily!

[@davidallenspeaks9548]

These young ppl talking about LeBron so much need to watch how Larry played with hustle, smarts, skill and defensive awareness , I mean its like watching an NBA team against a HS team. Ewing is a HOFer and he couldnt do shit. Bird was so dominant and that version of the Celtics was a true beast of a team.

[@sportsfanatic1936]

Why wouldn’t they talk about LeBron? He’s currently playing.

[@joshuasussman4020]

For those who don’t understand what “talking about” means in this context: Myopically focusing on Lebron as a the great small forward in history without doing some research into Bird and his skills which were better than some of Lebron’s.

[@emilyt6925]

I saw or heard LB say When asked ; when did he first realize he was really good? Can’t remember how it was said but, during his first season, of course, he’d played several games and went on a west coast trip, not sure Seattle maybe. But after a certain game and looking back to games played he said to himself… “ self, I’m a lot better than many of these guys”. I thought it interesting. He was at least, a little better than all. Haha

[@pretorious700]

Bird had such ball control, and amazing spin.

[@andrewbaroch2141]

Larry never gives up, which is the MAIN reason he's revered.

[@charliekennedy2545]

Unreal how good he was at every single part of the game.

[@usx06240]

Very few athletes can make what they do look so simple. The reason Larry got the rap of being slow is that he only moves as fast as he need to at the moment. He was always looking and positioning. Watch his eyes. He had very quick hands and his footwork was good, if not fast.

[@33crowdog]

Lot of people asking if bird could play km today's nba. Just his low post game alone would make him a hot commodity, especially with how spread today's nba is. Then his passing as everyone mentioned. Look at how everyone this year fawned over jokic. Larry was twice the player he is.

[@mikemartin354]

Larry was so good he didn't have to score many points to help win the game. He did so many other things quietly when the other team wasn't paying attention to him.

[@cindyknudson2715]

True

[@joemartin1253]

Wow some real basketball!

[@juanperez-ni2iw]

I was thinking the same thing..

[@gogetter5137]

"Pass me the ball...I've got this guy in the torture chamber!" - Larry Legend. LOL.

[@seagullpoet]

5:50 behind the back driving forward bank shot.

[@frankdascoli709]

Perhaps, the most skilled player of all time

[@susanstamboulian646]

*Definitely* the most skilled player of all time.

[@pilgrimhere652]

Yea, Look at Larry Bird, He played so cool, , And he played with the team, Noticed he helped the team , always looking to work with his team mates , He was special, HIS NAME IS IN HISTORY AS THE # 1 BEST WHITE BOY BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME. and dont give me controversy, He is #1 , I wont admit a substitude.

[@deborahbrick8679]

RACIST!!!!!

[@lawrenceschramm4661]

Best all around player ever.

[@gregoryphillips3969]

No matter what anyone thinks if an all time starting 5 for basketball exists there will always be a spot for Larry Bird on that team. No matter who has played in the past or who will play in the future Larry Bird will be at small forward.

[@cindyknudson2715]

Agreed

[@scottcarroll9201]

The Celtics second team in 85-86 was better than a lot of other team's starters.

[@cindyknudson2715]

They were well and truly a team. From hearing interviews, I think they all would have liked to have the season just continue. They were having a lot of fun.

[@jjs777fzr]

I always liked Ewing. I liked hi even more knowing that when the Dream Team played, guess who became great friends ? Ewing and Bird. I think it was Charles that said in an interview if you had told him a guy from Queens was gonna be best friends with a white dude from French Lick he wouldn’t have believed it. I think the Dream Team was special for Bird not just for the pride in playing for ones country but also he finally had a chance to let his guard down with his peers. So many greats played in the 80’s.

[@JAMESGANG-f5u]

Bird took certain shots (and made them consistently) that no player has ever even taken. Before or since. Some of those high arc bank shots. Underhanded left hand hook shots off the board. They often just look ridiculous yet they go in over and over again.

[@Defender80s]

5:54 Larry Legend Vintage!

[@guillaumea5527]

Ah ah just making fun of young Pat Ewing, he did that on purpose

[@cards1985]

Bird made the opponent look stupid in those years.

[@MerkinMuffly]

Lol, Gerald Wilkins on Bird? What were you thinking Hubie? I'm surprised Bird didn't get 30 rebounds.

[@edmundtam4155]

MerkinMuffly hey its Gerald Wilkins the "Jordan stopper" that's what he called himself....lol he couldn't stop anybody .

[@onlyfacts3178]

@@edmundtam4155 he was a great defender..with great athleticism...but great athletes cant stop players with fundamentals simple as that ..JORDAN and BIRD arent normal players...

[@bigdill_3922]

Poetry in motion.

[@datsie14]

Freaking wilkins was so frustrated. Not only he had to guard Larry bird but the whole celtics offense and defense was taking it to him lol. No where for wilkins to even hide!

[@cindyknudson2715]

Gerald Wilkins, Dominique's younger brother.

[@deere3321]

This is how basketball is supposed to be played. A pass is much quicker than the quickest man on the planet.

[@jasonbird5060]

Great game.

[@jjs777fzr]

@1:28 the brother can’t handle the fact he got the whistle against him hold both McHales arms. What a turd muffin.

[@colderbeer]

For sure.....he couldn't stand being THAT embarrassed on a basketball court.....

[@KH-pr5qb]

The Real GOAT

[@irishgrl]

Is there anything Larry can’t do? My sources say NO.

[@mikegulliver4885]

at 01:10 you can see a classic Bird sequence. He battles Ewing for the rebound, at a disadvantage but outhustles him to the loose ball, immediately passes to mchale, gets the ball back, gets met at the hoop by the NY bigs so quickly passes to ainge for the open j, cummings gets the rebound but bird sneaks up and slaps it out of his hand while the other NY players are racing up the court, collects the ball and quickly passes back to a cutting mchale for the foul. It all happens without hesitation - typical Bird "intangibles" that today's fans won't be able to appreciate when comparing him to modern players.

[@cindyknudson2715]

True

[@cindyknudson2715]

And beautiful.

[@cindyknudson2715]

Thank you for the video. ☘️ Larry Legend 1986 season

[@jorgemontefusco650]

This is why Ewing had great respect for Bird.

[@DaWon-cb4nb]

I would not be surprised to learn 50% of Parish's points came as a result of a Bird assist.

[@cindyknudson2715]

Parish has actually said as much.

[@marzilyas]

nice quality video, too

[@gabrielking1247]

2:09 should be in more highlight reels 😍

[@cindyknudson2715]

2:03 too

[@toscodav]

How many brothers wanted to kill themselves after playing Bird?

[@cflo1386]

It's a shame we will never know how good the Celtics would've been with Len Bias.

[@jasoncamp483]

They would have been unstoppable.

[@jasoncamp483]

Absolutely. I'll never forget the day he died. Tragic.

[@Colstonewall]

I heard Bird say in an interview with Dan Patrick that had Bias not died, he would've "shut it down". Meaning he would've retired that year.

[@tombstone1111]

Yeah, Larry said that but we all no it's bullshit. They would've won a minimum of 3 more titles had Bias lived and there's no way in hell, Bird walks away from that.

[@cindyknudson2715]

@Colstonewall I think Bird would have stayed at least thru the 88 season. If for no other reason than to give Bias a rolling start. Give Bias time to benefit from becoming part of that Celtic "team." Who knows, Bird's achilles might not even have been an issue on 88/89 if he'd been able to play less minutes.

[@gavinothegreat5765]

love how in 80s you could play D, none of this every contact is a foul kobe bs

[@o.i.c.uvanish9169]

I think Larry would have made a very good QB.

[@Jondsmusic]

Beating the knicks was always a pleasure! I hate NY abs everything about it. Bird is was and will always be the best!

[@veritasreperio5391]

The Celtics were outstanding.

[@marzilyas]

5:52 Awesome, for lack of a better word

[@marzilyas]

I'm sure you made lots of fast break high bank shots over a leaping 7-footer during your junior varsity high school intramural basketball career. also, intramurals have varsity distinctions? don' you have to be on a real team for that accolade.

[@marzilyas]

trha2222 there were four seven footers at your high school at one time? that's literally unbelievable.

[@JayMil365]

the knicks to this day have the same body language , they look beat before jump ball.

[@JAMESGANG-f5u]

2:24 - 2:35 Typical 80’s Celtics sequence. 🤣

[@georgearturoperez2054]

vintage celts

[@MrYoumitube]

Bird was amazing given he non athletic ability. He used every tool at his disposal and was also a great compeitor.

[@pretorious700]

"Non athletic ability"? You're an idiot.

[@tombstone1111]

If he was black, they would say he had "unbelievable athletic ability" It's just a way to put the white boy down although we all know he was the greatest all around player to ever take the court.

[@arautus]

He couldn't have been that unathletic while being so great.

[@whackamolechamp]

He was actually quite a good athlete. He just knew when to use it and when to save his energy.

[@majorkade]

outmaneuvering everybody on the court

[@Alphasports576]

Larry bird had everything off the charts basketball wise except slow feet that's the only reason I rank jordan ahead of him he is second best player ever and my favorite athlete ever

[@cindyknudson2715]

I don't see slow feet.

[@lordhelpus2326]

3:44 " GOTCHA AGAIN! " IS THAT BIRD TALKING SHIT! ANYONE HEAR THAT AM I WRONG?

[@JAMESGANG-f5u]

1:25 So Walker drapes McHale to stop the basket THEN wants to fight McHale ?? 🤔 If anything I’d expect the guy who got draped to be mad. Some folks are confused AF 🤣 Like if I walked up and sucker punch someone then I get pissed off at them because.... 🤔 I sucker punched them ? 🤷🏼 🤷🏻‍♂️ OK

[@johnjenkins5854]

How many steals did LB have? Also, Chief, better than I remember. I never missed a game then.

[@cindyknudson2715]

The stat breakdown is in the description. 👍

[@majorkade]

one word: touch

[@Alphasports576]

Lebron in his prime vs bird it's kinda close but bird was better ask pat riley who he would rather have guarantee its bird bird also does not run all his coaches off and play gm

[@joshuasussman4020]

I’m sorry, cut the crap. LJB the GOAT.

[@bradbeazley9998]

Larry Legend would Dominate today's NBA with probably a 30 ppg average and alot more trips to the free throw line...he's My forever favorite player

[@Kickingit06]

Wilkens played against the greatest.

[@onlythewise1]

were is the bird statue

[@Jondsmusic]

Larry legend are Wilkins lunch routinely!

[@michaelmcgillicutty639]

Great time when they allowed blocks without calling a foul on everything

[@gorkajames6475]

5:37 Bird looking like a regular Steph Curry here

[@gorkajames6475]

1:37 very interesting comment here. Didn’t know hack-a-shaq wasn’t allowed before

[@sha9infinite450]

🤦🏿‍♂️wow.

[@jorgemontefusco650]

Anybody know what Heisohn said about Wilkins in the sentence that was cut out.

[@sugarnads]

Wake me up...did i just see kevin mcHale pass the ball?????

[@nathanc5621]

Lebron who?

[@bradbeazley9998]

If Larry Bird played today and the younger generation Could see him play......LeBron James would never be in the same sentence as Larry Bird and would no longer be a question who is better....LeBron is talented,smart,explosive but he's no Larry Bird.

[@DonkeyKongBMAC]

Tom Heinsohn came 3 times this game.

[@ireneduke5022]

Another great video - time goes by so quick. Too many fouls called in this game.... Let them play ball. When I played in the 70s in high school, if one was sitting on the gym floor with the ball, you were called for walking. I suppose this wasn't a rule in the NBA.

[@cindyknudson2715]

If you moved while sitting, yup, it was a travel. Was in the NBA too. Still is, they just don't call traveling now. Or palming / carrying the ball.

[@CLewey44]

Jeez, if Bernard had been around in that timeframe, the late 80s would have been a different story. Not sure it would have been Detroit emerging out of the east in 88, 89 or 90. They may could have beaten BOS in 87 even with a healthy King.

[@MrAitraining]

Yeah. this was the sad time with the injuries. But you're right. Few people know the Knicks took 84' celtics to 7 games before they won the NBA title. King was a great leader and still the best offensive player in Knick history. Unstoppable.

[@NBaBall3r26]

haha 1:25

[@specialoperator8902]

New drinking game: You heat the phrase “OH WHATTA SHOT” well, slam that shit down. You’re welcome.

[@jorgemontefusco650]

How did Cummings ever stay in the league.

[@ramdel7818]

Modo GOAT.?

[@jorgemontefusco650]

Walker always wanted to fight! Unfortunately he couldn’t fight for sh*t.

[@pretorious700]

Terrible Knicks team that year. Cummings? Coffield? Celtics made them look silly.

[@Mrd9960]

Although somehow they beat them on Christmas day, the Celts had a 25 point lead and blew it, ohhh! That game hurt, but they used that game as motivation that year.

[@davanmani556]

The great Louis Orr who played that game.

[@cindyknudson2715]

@@Mrd9960 Took their foot off the gas for an "easy" game? 🤷‍♀️

[@captainbluegill3357]

tell me again after you watch him kick jordans ass and everyone else's for that matter how he wasn't the best ever

[@MichaelSevilla97]

yeah a 23 year old jordan with zero help put jordan on that 86 celtics team and bird on that sorry ass 29 win bulls team and surely bird is losing bird even said jordan was better than all of us including himself 🤡 ✌️

[@justinirvin5649]

I love Bird but 31 is basically Jordan’s career average...

[@73Trident]

How many 31 pts 15reb games jordan have? jordan shot the ball a lot more than Larry because Larry played within the team framework. Larry could have averaged as many pts a game as he wanted but winning was more important than averages.

[@colderbeer]

Getting Patrick Ewing really made the NY Knicks a great team.....ha ha ha ha ha ha.....listless, slow, confused....somebody needs to make a highlight video of the top 50 games Patrick Ewing was not a factor in the 4th quarter !!!!

[@Youve_GotABeard]

Poor Gerald Wilkins. What a clinic Bird ran on him 😳