Larry Bird got bored with basketball so he had to make it interesting
Larry Bird got bored with basketball so he had to make it interesting
Sports Illustrated has a great archived piece up today to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of Larry Bird’s retirement from the NBA. It’s simply chocked full of wonderful tidbits and stories on Bird, but one of my favorites is this excerpt that goes into how he’d actually get bored with the game and try to make it more challenging:
It’s someone who, though disciplined and studious in his approach to the game, lives for its spontaneity and freshness. “I think Larry gets bored out there sometimes,” says teammate Danny Ainge. “I notice that he passes up these incredibly easy shots, and you can sense him thinking, ‘Well, why don’t I drive down the lane, get a few guys on me and see what happens?’ ” Bird confirms that. “It happens. I do get bored. Then I look for a way to make it interesting,” he says.
So towards the end of his career the NBA difficulty level was set on “Rookie” for Larry Bird and he got creative to keep his interest piqued. But that was actual, real life and not a video game. #Legend
