A while back I set my trusty DVR for a special on Larry Bird called "The Legend at 50", which actually turned out to be Bill Walton, pulling a borderline Chris Farley, in a 1-on-1 interview with Bird.
The highlights:
- Great Passers Bird saw or played with - Magic, Andrew Toney, John Stockton (upon Walton's suggestion).
- Bird on the best team he ever played for: "Not because you was on the team in '86. We probably would have been better without you. But that was probably the best team I played on."
- Walton told a story about having Bird, Kevin McHale, Scott Wedman and their wives over to watch the Super Bowl. They actually watched a replay of one of their Celtics games prior to the Super Bowl. And Bird stormed out and left with his wife because Walton was named player of the game, despite inferior stats to Bird's that game.
- "The play that Kevin McHale made on Kurt Rambis was right on time. I mean it was something that needed to be done." - Bird on the time McHale did this.
- "He's been a winner all his life." - Bird on K.C. Jones.
- A classic exchange in the Celtics locker room between Red Auerbach, Bird and Bill Russell, with Russell acting as a reporter.
"Yeah but you kind of brought the guys here that scored the points." - Russell
"So you're overpaid." - Bird
"Outrageous laughter." - Red, Russell (in particular) and Bird
It has actually reached the point that it makes me uncomfortable to hear Walton talk about Bird. Keep that in mind the next time you hear Walton speak. I say that because there is at least a 33% chance of him praising Bird.