Mr. Bird Speaks

["Greg Odegaard" <gmodegaa@longvred.rmc.com>]

Here is a snippet from a current article on the CBS Sportsline page about
Larry Bird coaching the Pacers in the playoffs.  The last line reminds me
of the remarks MJ had about the UpperDeck commercial that ran for a number
of years, with MJ, Gretzy, Montana, etc. and their great games.  He noted
that he wanted UD to change the ad that although he did score 63 in an OT
playoff game, his team LOST the game and there was nothing to proud of
about that.  One cool customer for sure.  

Good luck Larry and the Pacers!


"BUT BIRD IS DIFFERENT than any coach the championship-era Bulls have
faced, plus he has the loyalty of a talented, veteran team. The Bulls
should still be concerned. 

"That's why they call it a series," Bird said after Sunday's defeat. 

If Jordan is a hustler at heart, so is Bird. It takes an MVP to know an
MVP. As a player, Bird was famous for drawing people into little bets about
whether he could make a certain number of shots in a row. Once, as the
story goes, a foolish reporter accepted the deal. 

"There's one born every minute," Bird said before sinking shot after shot. 

Bird played with Jordan. He played against him. He doesn't need M.J.'s
approval. Nothing Jordan could ever say would lay a glove on Bird's
reputation. If Bird was not Jordan's equal as a player, he was as close as
they get. Boston swept both of its playoff series against the Bulls when
Bird's career overlapped with Jordan's. When reporters last week talked up
Jordan's 63-point performance in one of those games, Bird had a ready
comeback. 

"HEY, I WON THAT GAME," he reminded the scribes. "


Bird also reacted to that loudmouth Chuck Person in the same way after he
lit up the C's in a 91' playoff game, "We won the game".  There is no I in
the word TEAM.

Greg