If you give me $5, I will” – Larry Bird banked a 3-point shot during the game after being told he couldn’t
At that moment, an NBA trainer realized Larry Bird wasn’t like any other player.
During his playing years in the league, the legendary Larry Bird had proven time and time again that he could perform a wide array of things on the court. You name it, “Larry Legend” could do it. That’s what a former New York Knicks trainer realized when he questioned Bird for practicing bank shots from the three-point line ahead of the game.
To this day, Boston Globe sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy still vividly recalls how the epic exchange between Bird and Knicks trainer Mike Saunders went down. According to Shaughnessy, Saunders asked the Boston Celtics star why bother banking treys when there’s no chance he would be able to do it in the game later.
Saunders’ comment triggered Bird’s competitive drive and playfulness. He decided to bet on himself and told Saunders to give him $5 if he could sink a banking three-point shot. Unsurprisingly, what happened next was another vintage “Larry Legend” moment.
“He was banking 3-pointers in New York during practice one time,” Shaughnessy told WBUR in 2021. “And the Knicks trainer Mike Saunders said, ‘What do you do with that? You couldn’t do that in the game.’ [Bird] says, ‘Well, if you give me $5, I will.’ Late in the game, the Celtics are riding the Knicks. Bird banks a 3-pointer [and] runs by the Knicks bench with his greedy hand extended, looking for the $5 bill. I mean, he was thinking about that while he was playing.”
Bird could perform at a high level while his mind was somewhere else
As a tenured writer in one of the best sports towns in the world, Shaughnessy was no stranger to witnessing athletes with special abilities. But despite covering the Celtics during the team’s golden years, Shaughnessy found it truly difficult to identify which classification of special athletes Bird belonged.
It’s common knowledge in the world of basketball that Bird possessed remarkable skills, a strategic mindset, and dedication to the game. However, Shaughnessy said it was Larry’s extraordinary ability to execute plays during games exactly as he had envisioned them in his highly creative mind that made him a cut above the rest.
Decades have passed, but every time Shaughnessy looked back at those years, he couldn’t help but still be in awe of how Bird unbelievably translated his thoughts into actions on the court with incredible precision. To this very moment, Bird’s rare talent is still a puzzle to Shaughnessy.
“I was so nervous before them games. I couldn’t wait until they start,” he added. “But once I stepped on the court, and go shoot layups, everything just calmed down. I mean, I was very fortunate that that happened.”
Never give Bird a chance to prove you wrong
Over the years, we’ve heard accounts about the unbelievable things Bird did during his career that somewhat resembled that of Shaughnessy’s. At the end of the day, those stories convey one thing: Never pose a challenge to Bird, or you’ll be in for some rude awakening.
