Larry Bird delighted NBA fans worldwide when he agreed to become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 1997. Five years into retirement from professional play, the Boston Celtics icon took on the challenge of guiding his hometown team to unprecedented heights.
Given his stature as a legendary baller, the media bombarded him with questions, trying to decipher how he would fare as a head coach. Would Bird the basketball player be as good or even better than Bird as a coach?
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It was still a matter of wait-and-see. But one thing was clear: “Larry Legend” would not imitate coaches in the 1980s who screamed at their players every single play. He’s the type of coach who would like to give his players free rein.
“This stuff of coaches calling every play, it started back in the ’80s, I guess,” Bird said in 1997, per the Chicago Tribune.
“You get a rebound and start down and you hear the coach screaming. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, but you won’t hear me doing that. If Reggie Miller comes off a pick and hits a three-point shot, we’ll probably go to that again. If not, we’ll run it to the other side. I don’t need to be over there screaming. If our point guard is not smart enough to realize that, we better find a new point guard.”
Tough practices
“The Hick from French Lick” wanted his players to be able to decide for themselves. This philosophy makes sense since they’re the ones who are actually in the game, and they have a good feel of what their foes are doing on the floor.
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One way Larry prepared his team was simply to beat the heck out of them in practice. Center Rik Smits even claimed their practices were way tougher than the actual games. Smits also shared that Larry wasn’t really into the Xs and Os of the game. He was there to spark the fire in the players.
“[When] he came in, he ran the heck out of us,” Smits said. “He said, ‘Hey, you guys know what you’re doing, you’re in the NBA for a reason. I’m gonna make sure you’re in the best shape possible.’ And he did! I mean, our shootarounds on the day of the game were probably harder than some of the practices we had with past coaches. He ran the heck out of us. We were in great shape. But as far as coaching, the assistants did most of the coaching during the game. He was more of a motivator.”
Born to be a coach?
Bird’s appointment as head coach was met with mixed reactions. Some could not fathom how a forward would draw up plays during the timeout, as that job traditionally belonged to a point guard. But those who actually played with the “Hick From French Lick” knew very well he was a tactician by nature. Bill Walton, Larry’s teammate in 1986, says Larry would take over the huddle occasionally and tell his teammates what to do.
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“There always comes that moment of doubt in group situations,” Walton said. “Larry would step up at times like that and say, ‘This is what we’ve got to do. Give it to me over there. ‘He’d take over. Then K.C. (Jones) would look back and say, ‘I’m the coach.’ Then K.C. would say, ‘OK, give it to Larry over there.'”
Bird’s head coaching stint was considered a success by many. In his three years in Indiana, he guided the Pacers to two Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Finals. He didn’t win the NBA Championship, but he proved he could coach and gave the Pacers franchise their best NBA years — a feat only a few former players managed to accomplish.