Bird, Having His Best Season, Is in High Gear

The rookie found out quickly who was in control.

In the Boston Celtics pre-season practice, the young forward was working hard on defense against Larry Bird, watching the All-Star’s every move.

After the rookie’s team scored, Bird moved downcourt, followed by his first-year shadow. At mid-court, Bird looked up over his shoulder and started sprinting toward his basket, the rookie chasing him. Bird’s eyes charted the flight of the ball and he stretched out, reaching, watching the ball into his hands and the rookie gave a final lunge.

But nothing happened--there was no ball, there had been no pass. Larry Bird stopped and smiled, the point was made: the rookie knew who was in charge.

Going into his sixth All-Star game, Bird, the 1983-84 MVP, is having his best year. He’s averaging over 27 points per game, 10-plus rebounds, is 91% from the free-throw line and leads the NBA in three-pointers, hitting 48%.

“It’s unheard of, a 6-foot-9 power forward leading the league in something like three-pointers,” says Bob Cousy, the former Celtic guard. “You would assume that a guard would lead the league in shooting from 21 or 22 feet.

“No one’s found a way to play him, he has an answer to whatever teams might do. This year he’s not going to the line that often, because they are giving him the outside shot, which is considered the weakest part of his game.

“He’s just taking what they give him, but the problem is that the weakest part of his game is better than what 90 percent of the other players can do,” said Cousy.

Bird also leads the league in minutes played, averaging more than 41 per game.

“Larry Bird likes to play,” said Utah coach Frank Layden. “A lot of guys in this league are here for the money and really don’t enjoy it, but Larry does and you can see that in the way he plays.

“I think he’ll be around for quite a while. And one reason is that he doesn’t get injured very much, which is because he’s going all-out all the time.”

Bird believes that his skills are dependent upon his degree of effort.

“My game is all-out. If I don’t play like that, I’m not going to play that well. If you don’t go all-out, but just play half-way, it will catch up with you.

“Otherwise, you’ll start playing with just half the ability you can use,” said the best player ever to come out of French Lick, Ind.

Bird is now the clutch Celtic, when a last-second shot is needed, he is the one who takes it.

“When the game is on the line, I want the ball in Larry’s hands,” said Boston Coach K.C. Jones, who will be coach of the East team at Sunday’s All-Star game in Indianapolis.

The classic’s coaches were decided by who had the best record in each conference as of Jan. 27. It was a 20-foot jumper by Bird, fired as he drifted over the baseline with time expiring in the final game, which sent Jones to Indianapolis.

For Bird, the win-or-lose shot is to be savored, not avoided; he has no fear of failure.

“You shoot millions of shots and do the things so many times, there isn’t any situation that I haven’t been in before in other games,” he said.

“Everybody, when they are growing up, imagines the last-second shot--you shoot thousands of shots thinking that. It’s always fun to be in the situation where you have the chance to win the game. There’s no pressure on you, either it goes in or it doesn’t. I’ve never felt pressure on a basketball court.”

Good shooting is the result of concentration and good health, said Bird, currently shooting 52 percent from the floor.

“When you’re in a good flow, you watch the ball all the way in to the basket. But to keep shooting well, I have to keep concentrating and stay away from those little injuries.

“For example, if you hurt an ankle you start coming off it differently or leaning and that will affect your shot. I haven’t been hurt this year, but the injuries will come and I’ll have some slumps.”

Julius Erving of the Philadelphia 76ers, with whom Bird had a much-publicized fight earlier this season, says the demands on his multi-talented rival have shifted.

“He’s still Mr. Everything for their team, but now he’s taking the shot as the first option instead of the second or third. Which makes it tougher on anyone playing him. Larry’s playing as well now as he ever has.”

Fifteen championship banners hang over the parquet floor of Boston Garden, yet no Celtic has ever won a scoring title. Bird believes the two facts are related.

If a team becomes too dependent upon one scorer, it weakens the team, according to Bird, who firmly believes, “No one player wins a game or loses a game.” If he were to average over 30 ppg, he believes it would hurt the Celtics’ drive to repeat as world champions.