Larry Bird: Current era might be basketball’s greatest
Get breaking news and SI’s biggest stories instantly. Download the new Sports Illustrated app (iOS or Android) and personalize your experience by following your favorite teams and SI writers.
NBA Hall of Famer and Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird toldThe New Yorker that he thinks the current era of professional basketball might be the game’s greatest .
“It’s funny how the game has changed, and my thinking about it,” Bird said. “I was really worried—back sixteen, seventeen years ago—that the little guy didn’t have a spot in the NBA anymore: it was just going to be the big guards like Magic Johnson. But then players started shooting more threes and spacing the court, and everyone wants small guards now.”
Bird’s views are much different from those of NBA analyst Charles Barkley, who recently said he believes the league is “watered down” following Stephen Curry’s unanimous MVP selection.
• GARDNER: Booker’s bond with Suns fan is bigger than basketball
“Watching these kids play now, I’m like everybody else: Wow, man. They can really shoot!” Bird added. “They have more freedom to get to the basket. The ball moves a little better. These kids are shooting from farther, with more accuracy. Now some teams shoot up around thirty threes a game. My era, you always think that’s the greatest era. But I’m not so sure anymore.”
