Bird Is Always One Step Ahead

George Karl, coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, said his favorite Larry Bird story involves Mike O’Koren of the New Jersey Nets.

“New Jersey was playing at Boston one Sunday, and O’Koren came into Boston Garden two hours before the game,” Karl said.

“O’Koren walked in and said: ‘What’s all this crap about Larry Bird being out here shooting two hours before the game? I’m here two hours before the game, where’s Bird?’

“Just then an usher said, ‘He’s already done. He’s upstairs running laps.’ ”

Add Bird: Said Detroit Coach Chuck Daly, following Tuesday night’s game, in which Bird tore the Pistons apart after he was flattened by Bill Laimbeer and got up with blood on his chin: “I didn’t know he could bleed. He’s not mortal, is he?”

Add Celtics: Said Coach K.C. Jones, when asked if he ever worried that the team was peaking too early this season: “I don’t believe in that peaking stuff. What does it mean, anyway? What are we supposed to do, go out and lose a few games?”

Said Dallas Coach Dick Motta, when asked to rank the playoff teams: “The Lakers are best, with Boston second and Philly third. I won’t go any lower than that.”

Quiz Time: What do Kevin McHale and Ray Williams of Boston and Mychal Thompson of Portland have in common? (Answer below.)

After he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys, Michigan defensive end Kevin Brooks told Jim Dent of the Dallas Times Herald: “I think it will be a real honor to play with defensive ends like Jud Heathcote and Harvey Martin.”

That won’t be easy, because Heathcote is the basketball coach at Michigan State, and Martin has retired.

Brooks had Heathcote confused with defensive end Jim Jeffcoat.

Add Brooks: He stands 6-7 1/2 and weighs 272, so how was he able to run 4.77 in the 40?

“It was wind-aided with roller skates,” he said.

From the New York Times, on the drafting of Kentucky running back George Adams by the New York Giants: “Surprisingly, Jerry Gray, a highly rated defensive back from Texas was available when the Giants made their first selection. However, some scouting reports said he did not always play hard during his senior year. The Giants instead drafted Adams, and two choices later, the Los Angeles Rams chose Gray.”

Quiz Answer: They were teammates on the 1976-77 University of Minnesota basketball team.

Note: The team, coached by Jim Dutcher, had a 24-3 record but was ineligible for the NCAA tournament because of recruiting violations under the previous coach, Bill Musselman.

Among Minnesota’s wins that season was a 66-59 conquest of Marquette at Milwaukee. Marquette, in Al McGuire’s farewell season, went on to win the NCAA title.

Add Dutcher: Of Mater Dei’s Tom Lewis, whom he tried to recruit, he said: “I’d have to say he’s overrated. He’s a hard worker, but he’s not multi-talented. He’s not a program-turning kind of player. He won’t embarrass you, though, and I’m sure he’ll fit in with Stan Morrison’s system.”

Quotebook

Laker Coach Pat Riley, calling James Worthy the heir apparent to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the key to the team’s offense: “The first step was Kareem passing on the goggles.”