For my dollar, there has never been a greater competitor than one Larry Joe Bird. Sure, you might be faster (probably) or be able to jump higher (most certainly) but don’t think for a second that you worked harder or wanted it more. Bird’s career accomplishments are outrageous (Rookie of the Year, 12 x All-Star, 3x MVP, 3x NBA Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, 50 Greatest Players of All-time) but then again, lots of guys put up stats and win championships. What set Bird apart was a personal drive that has been virtually unseen before or after his time. The man was an assassin with an uncanny ability to not only seize the moment, but to then wrestle it to the ground and rip out it’s still-beating heart.

One thing I have come to appreciate about Larry as I’ve gotten older- for all his success, he seems very much the same guy he was when he entered the league. I can remember driving by his modest house on my way to school and seeing Larry Legend out front watering his lawn like an average guy. In so many ways, Bird is the embodiment of the American Dream- rising up from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of his profession through an unparalleled work ethic and single-minded determination. Basketball didn’t change Larry Bird, but Bird changed basketball forever. No one summed it up better than Bird’s dear friend and longtime nemesis Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

“Larry, you only told me one lie.” Magic said while speaking at Bird’s retirement ceremony at the Boston Garden. ‘You said there will be another Larry Bird. Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird.”