56+ Larry Bird Quotes (Inspiring, Innovative And Legendary.)

Larry Bird was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Boston Celtics from 1979 to 1992 and was the head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. He is a three-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, and a 12-time NBA All-Star.

Top 10 Larry Bird Quotes

1. Push yourself again and again. Don't give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.
2. A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.
3. I've got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.
4. You're all playin' for second place.
5. I hate to lose more than I like to win.
6. I don't know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody -- somewhere -- was practicing more than me.
7. I don't know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody - somewhere - was practicing more than me.
8. First master the fundamentals.
9. You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you'll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.
10. You can make all the excuses you want, but if you're not mentally tough and you're not prepared to play every night, you're not going to win.

Larry Bird Short Quotes

• Michael Jordan is God disguised as a basketball player.
• Maybe it's God disguised as Michael Jordan.
• I just shoot until I feel good.
• I used to love the feeling of running, of running too far. It made my skin tingle.
• My opinion about basketball, the way I was taught, was when you step on the court, you play to win.
• The best basketball announcer is one who allows you to close your eyes.
• I always know what's happening on the court. I see a situation occur, and I respond.
• My name's been on this check for a week now.
• I'm a firm believer in that you play the way you practice.
• When I go to the line I'm thinking 'All net.' When I don't think that, I'm likely to miss.

Larry Bird Famous Quotes And Sayings

Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a teammate you're ready to play as tough as you're able to, you'd better go out there and do it. Players will see right through a phony. And they can tell when you're not giving it all you've got. Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It's being able to take it as well as dish it out. That's the only way you're going to get respect from the players. — Larry Bird

Practice habits were crucial to my development in basketball. I didn't play against the toughest competition in high school, but one reason I was able to do well in college was that I mastered the fundamentals. You've got to have them down before you can even think about playing. — Larry Bird

My coach told me, "Larry, no matter how much you work at it, there's always someone out there who's working just a little harder - if you take 150 practice shots, he's taking 200." And that drove me. — Larry Bird

When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro. — Larry Bird

I really don't like talking about money. All I can say is that the Good Lord must have wanted me to have it. — Larry Bird

I have always been confident in my skills and once the game got going I knew I was probably the best player on the floor most of the time whether it was junior high, high school or college. I knew I had control of the game. — Larry Bird

Coaches can talk and talk and talk about something, but if you get it on tape and show it to them, it is so much more effective. — Larry Bird

If you tell a teammate you're ready to play as tough as you're able to, you'd better go out there and do it. — Larry Bird

You know when I played, you had me and Kevin (McHale) and some others throughout the league. I think it's good for a fan base because as we all know the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited. — Larry Bird

There are many times when you are better off practicing than playing; but most people just don't understand that — Larry Bird

I learned what my weaknesses were and I went out the next day to turn those weaknesses intro strengths. — Larry Bird

Guys like Larry Bird -- he played so hard, he wants everybody else to play hard. That's not unreasonable. Any coach would want that and demand that. — Larry Bird

My goal was just to try and be the best player on my high school team, and look where I am now. And that was still my goal as a young kid, just to try and be a little better than my brother was. — Larry Bird

Eminem. My son was listening to that and I was like, “What is that junk?” Then I started listening and I thought, You know, that kid is pretty good. It's the storytelling. — Larry Bird

Strength is not nearly as important as desire. I don't think you can teach anyone desire. I think it's a gift. I don't know why I have it, but I do. — Larry Bird

Basketball has been my life and I worked at it so hard because I enjoyed it so much. — Larry Bird

Don't let winning make you soft. Don't let losing make you quit. Don't let your teammates down in any situation. — Larry Bird

When I was a player, I didn't expect my teammates to play the way I did. I did expect them to work hard every day and get better. And I never learned anything by losing. — Larry Bird

It makes me sick when I see a guy just stare at a loose ball and watch it go out of bounds. — Larry Bird

I like being by myself. — Larry Bird

I was always making decisions and they were easier decisions because I had control of the game, I had control of the ball. As a coach you sort of put the ball in other player's hands and let them make decisions for you. But I still get a kick out of winning basketball games and that's what I'm in this for. — Larry Bird

What's better? Dogs or broomsticks? I mean will the world really ever know? — Larry Bird

Who in their right mind wouldn't listen to what Larry Bird tells them? He knows what it takes to be a successful player, and he's letting us do the things to have the success. — Larry Bird

Anytime you've got an opportunity to play for your country and win a gold medal, I think that takes it all. That's the greatest thing you could ever achieve in your sport. So, I have been very fortunate to play on great teams, but the gold medal was probably the best. — Larry Bird

I think you have to work very hard and dedicate yourself and have the respect of your teammates before you're about to go out and just try to take a game over by yourself. — Larry Bird

In the closing seconds of every game, I want the ball in my hands for the last shot - not in anybody else's, not in anybody else's in the world. — Larry Bird

But it is a black man's game, and it will be forever. — Larry Bird

The more you win, the better you're gonna get. It grows on itself. — Larry Bird

Basketball was always a game to me. One of the greatest things in life for me was to be able to play what I loved dearly and get paid for it. So it was always a game to me and that's how I perceived everything. — Larry Bird

I've always been interested in jobs in the NBA. But I've been in this for 20 years and it might be time to do something else. — Larry Bird

I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and that's the NBA. — Larry Bird

I knew I was as good as anybody. That's not really bragging; it's just that I'd put the time in. — Larry Bird

Before every game I used to go out and shot the same shots over and over and over. In the summer time I spent a lot of time just shooting. So really it just came natural. Whether it's a tie game or down by 1 or up by five, it was always the same shot. So I always felt comfortable with the ball in my hands because it was in there a million times before. — Larry Bird

The nature of competition is such that any number of people invariably have their eyes on the same prize you do. Recognize your assets and employ them to the best of your ability. — Larry Bird

I can see why fans don't like to watch pro basketball. I don't, either. It's not exciting. — Larry Bird

I don't think that once you get to one level, you can relax. You've got to keep pushing. — Larry Bird

Life Lessons by Larry Bird

1. Larry Bird's career is a testament to the power of hard work and dedication; he was not the most talented player on the court, but he worked harder than anyone else to become one of the greatest players of all time.
2. His success was also due to his willingness to learn and adapt; he was always open to new ideas and strategies, which helped him become a great coach as well as a great player.
3. Finally, Larry Bird's life is a reminder that success comes from believing in yourself and never giving up, no matter how difficult the challenge may be.