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When I was a player, I didn't expect my teammates to play the way I did. I did expect them to work hard every day and get better. And I never learned anything by losing.

Larry Bird

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Larry Bird
Age: 67
Born: 1956
Born: December 7
Basketball Coach
Basketball Player
Coach
Larry Legend
The Great White Hope
The Hick from French Lick
Larry Joe Bird
Mr. Wonderful
Kodak
Way
Learned
Never
Didn
Anything
Better
Teammates
Play
Teammate
Hard
Expect
Work
Losing
Every
Player

More quotes by Larry Bird

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Anytime you've got an opportunity to play for your country and win a gold medal, I think that takes it all. That's the greatest thing you could ever achieve in your sport. So, I have been very fortunate to play on great teams, but the gold medal was probably the best.
Larry Bird
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Michael Jordan is God disguised as a basketball player.
Larry Bird
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When I go to the line I'm thinking 'All net.' When I don't think that, I'm likely to miss.
Larry Bird
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You know when I played, you had me and Kevin (McHale) and some others throughout the league. I think it's good for a fan base because as we all know the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited.
Larry Bird
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What's better? Dogs or broomsticks? I mean will the world really ever know?
Larry Bird
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A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.
Larry Bird
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The best basketball announcer is one who allows you to close your eyes.
Larry Bird
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It makes me sick when I see a guy just stare at a loose ball and watch it go out of bounds.
Larry Bird
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If there was a payment to the bank due, and we needed shoes, she'd get the shoes, and then deal with them guys at the bank. I don't mean she wouldn't pay the bank, but the children always came first.
Larry Bird
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Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. It's being able to take it as well as dish it out. That's the only way you're going to get respect from the players.
Larry Bird
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I wanted to compete at the highest level again - and that's the NBA.
Larry Bird
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Eminem. My son was listening to that and I was like, “What is that junk?” Then I started listening and I thought, You know, that kid is pretty good. It's the storytelling.
Larry Bird
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I don't think that once you get to one level, you can relax. You've got to keep pushing.
Larry Bird
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I wasn't real quick, and I wasn't real strong. Some guys will just take off and it's like, whoa. So I beat them with my mind and my fundamentals.
Larry Bird
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The best player I ever played with was Dennis Johnson.
Larry Bird
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I knew I was as good as anybody. That's not really bragging it's just that I'd put the time in.
Larry Bird
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You can make all the excuses you want, but if you're not mentally tough and you're not prepared to play every night, you're not going to win.
Larry Bird
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Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a teammate you're ready to play as tough as you're able to, you'd better go out there and do it. Players will see right through a phony. And they can tell when you're not giving it all you've got.
Larry Bird
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I always know what's happening on the court. I see a situation occur, and I respond.
Larry Bird
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Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.
Larry Bird