Larry Bird achieved everything basketball has to offer from a team and individual perspective. However, his career was relatively short compared to other greats, having spent only 13 seasons in the NBA.
But it turns out some saw it coming.
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Artis Gilmore, a Hall of Famer and one of the league’s best centers in the late 1970s, predicted the Boston Celtics legend’s career would be short-lived very early into his iconic NBA run.
“I remember my second year in the league, we were in the All-Star Game in New Jersey, and Artis Gilmore told me, ‘Man, you’re really a good player, Larry. You’re going to be great. But if you keep playing the way you’re playing, you’re not going to last long,” Bird told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.
Bird and Gilmore started for the East in the 1981 All-Star Game. The latter was in the middle of his 10th season at the time.
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Gilmore was the epitome of consistency during his era. He played in all of the games for nine years until a knee injury sidelined him for 34 contests in 1979-80.
Soon enough, Gilmore’s words proved to be prophetic.
Bird wouldn’t change
Bird had not missed a game yet at that point. Still, he knew deep inside that there could only be so many loose balls he could chase until his body gave up. Until then, he had never planned to change that approach.
“I said, ‘I can’t play any other way. That’s the way I play,'” the legendary forward said.
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For seven more seasons, that playstyle became Bird’s signature. He kept diving for loose balls, taking charges and throwing his body around without hesitation. Soon, the injuries piled up, with the end looking more inevitable by the day.
By the late ’80s to early ’90s, chronic pain had become part of his daily routine, so much so that he was lying on the locker room floor before games just to loosen up. He also had to lie on his back during games instead of sitting on the bench like everyone else.
What Bird would have done differently
Three MVPs, three championships, two Finals MVPs, 12 All-Star selections and an Olympic gold medal are nothing to scoff at. That kind of resumé is the stuff most athletes spend a lifetime chasing, but Bird made it a reality in 13 years.
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Still, looking back, he thought he could probably squeeze a few more years if he had not run and ridden his bicycle almost daily for miles.
Also, Bird wished he had borrowed a page from teammate Robert Parish’s book as far as offseason regimens went.
“​​The one thing I would’ve liked to have had was core strength,” he reflected. “I remember [Robert] Parrish never touched the ball in the summer, but he did yoga. That’s a major part of it — stretching and breathing. But me, I had to run my 3 miles to warm up. I had to ride my bike 12½ miles. I had to sprint. I always felt that I had to do more, more, more. That’s why I broke down.
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“That core strength, I think, would’ve taken care of most of that, other than the conditioning,” Bird added.
Although Bird’s career was relatively short, his influence was undeniable. He may have worn himself down faster than most, but playing hard every night was never negotiable. That playing style defined him more than any stat ever could.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.