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From: plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson)
Newsgroups: net.sport.hoops
Subject: Re: HOOPLA
Message-ID: <1418@panda.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Feb-86 12:21:32 EST
Article-I.D.: panda.1418
Posted: Tue Feb 18 12:21:32 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Feb-86 20:10:52 EST
References: <33500031@ISM780.UUCP> <98800003@haddock.UUCP>
Reply-To: plw@panda.UUCP (Pete Williamson)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 48
Summary: 

>
>	Okay ... you got me!  First, I will apologize to all you Larry Bird
>	lovers out there.  Yes, he is a great OFFENSIVE player capable of
>	doing great things with a basketball.  Yes, he has those intangibles
>	that a coach and most fans like to see in a competitive ballplayer.
>	Yes, he recently won the NBA 3-point title and underscored the fact
>	that he is a great shooter.
>
>	What I was trying to address is that basketball (and all other sports)
>	is composed of THREE things: offense, defense, and those intangibles.
>	Great players seem to possess ALL those things, in varying components.
>
>	It is not "pea-brained" to see more in a basketball game than the
>	number of points scored. It is not "pea-brained" to also look at the
>	defensive play, and at who plays at the end of the game.
>
I really disagree.  The thing that makes Larry great is HIS ENTIRE GAME
not just his offense.  There are far better offensive players in the league.
Kareem of course.  English, Dantley, and Thomas aren't bad either.

But Larry is a pure basketball machine.  No one matches him for overall
basketball intelligence.  No one matches him for overall competitiveness.
No one plays better overall team basketball.  His one on one defense is
perhaps the weakest part of his game, but he more than makes up for that
with his team defense.  He always tries to run his man into the traffic
by overplaying him on one side.

He is a truly great defensive rebounder. I'd love to see a second set of
cameras isolated totally on Bird.  His play is truly a thing of beauty.

The most impressive thing about him in my opinion is the total basketball
arsenal he has.  He can find a way to beat you on any given night: either
by scoring inside, left handed, right handed, three point land, the FREE
THROW LINE, rebounding, or his passing game.  He never stops taunting his
opponents either.  Not because he's mean guy; because it is an intangible
that just might make the difference between winning a game or losing one.
And that is ALL THERE IS for Bird.

Finally, he makes all his teammates better than they really are and he
is THE REASON why the Celtics have been sold out.  Sellout crowds generate
dollars.  Dollars if used wisely can keep a franchise competitve forever.
Larry is the very BEST THERE IS.  I'm sure glad he's in BOSTON !!

 

-- 
						Pete Williamson
"By hook or by crook, we will !!" ... #2