Latest news with #LarryBird
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
"Just became the biggest Magic Johnson fan" - Ice Cube said legendary 1979 NCAA final between Magic and Larry Bird made him fall in love with basketball
"Just became the biggest Magic Johnson fan" - Ice Cube said legendary 1979 NCAA final between Magic and Larry Bird made him fall in love with basketball originally appeared on Basketball Network. Los Angeles has always been a city of glamor, reserved for the biggest stars in sports and entertainment like Magic Johnson. However, the two most influential movements in both scenes emerged between the late '80s and early '90s. In the Forum arena, a new generation was rising and its face would become the ever-smiling kid – Magic. Johnson was made for the shine lights of the City of Angels and he had everything that the sparkle of this city demands. A few years later, one of the biggest icons of the rap scene, Ice Cube, started making waves with his group N.W.A, as gangsta rap became more popular than ever. Cube came from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles – Compton – where basketball was sacred. The young men from that neighborhood lived for the Los Angeles Lakers and promoted the West Coast through their rap in the heated battle against the East Coast. However, the moment that made him fall in love with basketball happened in the most-watched NCAA final ever, played in 1979. Michigan State and Indiana State faced off, led by Magic and Bird. Ice was there as he was only 10 years old then. That game sparked his love for basketball. "I never really watched college basketball, you know," Cube said on the "Games With Names" podcast. "I was like 10 years old and my brother CJ was like, 'You gotta watch tonight. You got to see this player, his name is Magic Johnson.' So the word Magic made me think of magic. Damn, I'm thinking he's gonna pull a rabbit out of his hat. And he's playing against some guy named Bird and I'm like, damn, I never heard of a person named Bird." "So I watched it and I'm happy Magic won 'cause he got a cooler name. And then my brother came a few months later, 'Guess who we got on our team, the Lakers? Magic Johnson.' Wow. I was like all the way turned on to the game and just became the biggest Magic Johnson fan," he added. Ice became a megastar, while Magic was already at his peak About a decade later, Cube became a mega-popular star, while Magic was already at his peak. It didn't take long before Ice found himself courtside again, this time at a Lakers game, watching his idol Magic. Cube was still a kid and he had a moment that left a childhood memory when Magic slapped his hand. "I was like, 'Hey Magic!' He was like, 'Hey, young dude,' and he slapped my hand and kept going. I just remember he had the softest hands I'd ever felt from a man. I was used to feeling my daddy's rough-a—s, hard-working calloused hands. Magic's hands were soft as a baby," the rapper in the making Two icons of L.A. were, in those moments, legends in the making. They elevated L.A. culture to a new level after that. But their styles were completely different. Magic was playful and always smiling and his game was flashy and elegant. Cube, on the other hand, brought something never-before-seen to the scene – raw reality that directly confronted the political system through his lyrics, at a time when the African American community was facing heavy oppression. He and his group gave a voice to the Black working class, a complete contrast to what Los Angeles represented. But everything that followed became history. Some things started to shift, and Cube became a legend, just like story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"No, you're not a 25-point scorer" - Larry Bird recalls getting brutally honest with Paul George about his game
"No, you're not a 25-point scorer" - Larry Bird recalls getting brutally honest with Paul George about his game originally appeared on Basketball Network. One aspect of Larry Bird's greatness that he doesn't get much credit for was his ability to maximize his players' full potential. In fact, he was very honest with Paul George about how he viewed his game during his time as Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations. Unlike other NBA team executives, Bird played an active role in guiding the players. He maintained open communication with them, especially with George. In the process, "PG-13" also got comfortable sharing his views and opinions directly with Bird. At one point, George even let Bird know his plan to score more points. As expected, he got a quick and candid response from his boss. "Paul's an exceptional player. He plays both sides of the ball," Bird told in 2017. "I remember a few years ago, he said, 'I think I need to score 25 this year.' I said, 'No, you're not a 25-point scorer.' He scores a lot of points when he gets to the line a lot. I think Paul can be a 20-, 22-point scorer and still get it done on the defensive end. That makes him be a complete player." "If he scores 26 and his man gets 22, he's not as effective – then he's not the player everyone thinks he is," he explained. "He's an exceptional two-way player." Bird wanted PG-13 to learn something important about leadership Bird had always believed in George's qualities as a player. He was the one who drafted him, as he was convinced George had the skill set to become an all-around player and make use of his length as an advantage. It didn't take long before George proved Bird right. In just his third season with the Pacers, "PG-13" was already an All-Star and an All-Defensive Team member. Apart from the game, Larry Legend also recognized George's ability to lead a team. "Guys come into this league and say, 'I want my own team one of these days,' and then sometimes they get it and look around and say, 'I don't know about this.' It's a little harder than it really looks. It's demanding," Bird pointed out. "Paul's going to be fine in any situation," he assessed. "But this is a little different. This is his team." Why George and Bird's working relationship deteriorated Bird and George's relationship was rooted in honesty and mutual respect. In fact, they were so honest about their thoughts on one another that they also had no issues sharing it to the public. Admittedly, George once did not appreciate Bird's remarks about him during a media scrum. At the time, the Pacers chief was eager to move George to the power forward position. For Bird, "PG-13" wouldn't have a problem switching positions as he could play different roles on the court. While George was pleased with Bird's acknowledgement of his versatility as a player, he wasn't confident about playing power forward and had no interest in the idea. The conflict of interest itself was already stressful for George. However, he felt that Bird made the situation worse by publicly putting it down. "It was starting a crack in our relationship 'cause I came back and [then Pacers president of basketball operations] Larry [Bird] made a comment of, 'Paul doesn't get to make decisions around here,'" George once confided. "When I wanted to come back as a [small forward]. I'm a wing, I'm one of the best two-way players in my position, and I'm just coming back from breaking my leg, and you gonna tell me I got to play the [power forward]?" "I think that's where a fraction started with the organization," George further divulged. "It's not like I wanted to make decisions, I thought I'm coming back to play my position … I love Larry; it's not that me and him don't have a relationship… He took me under his wings, gave me a lot of gems. But it was definitely a pivot from that point forward."Bird and George's run with the Pacers came to an end Despite their discord, Bird and George maintained their respect for each other. They managed to coexist professionally and George still played his natural position. In 2017, the Pacers encountered a very challenging situation. George only had one year left in his contract and his issue with the front office wasn't helping. The Pacers caught wind that the All-Star forward would prefer to join the Los Angeles Lakers as soon as he becomes a free agent after the following season. That same year, Bird decided to resign from his position as a Pacers executive. Bird's sudden departure was critical for the Pacers as he was one of, if not the only one, who would have the last say on George's free agency situation. Shortly after Bird left the front office, the Pacers were prompted to trade George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. In OKC, George finally became the type of scorer he wanted to be with the Pacers. In his second season with the Thunder, Paul averaged a career-best 28 points per game and finished the campaign as an MVP story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird on why the world is catching up to USA basketball
The sport of basketball has seen a long dominance by players from the United States, which probably should not surprise given the origin of the sport in the US as well. But in recent years, the rest of the world has been catching up, and doing so very quickly as well. With many of the NBA's top players now having been born abroad, a sea change is coming to the sport and league. Hall of Fame Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird recently took some time to talk about why the world is catching up to USA basketball in particular, and as a member of the original Olympic Dream Team, the man is qualified like few in history have been on the topic. The folks behind the "Basketball Network" YouTube channel put together a clip of Bird's thoughts on the matter. Check it out below!
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird on why the world is catching up to USA basketball
The sport of basketball has seen a long dominance by players from the United States, which probably should not surprise given the origin of the sport in the US as well. But in recent years, the rest of the world has been catching up, and doing so very quickly as well. With many of the NBA's top players now having been born abroad, a sea change is coming to the sport and league. Hall of Fame Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird recently took some time to talk about why the world is catching up to USA basketball in particular, and as a member of the original Olympic Dream Team, the man is qualified like few in history have been on the topic. The folks behind the "Basketball Network" YouTube channel put together a clip of Bird's thoughts on the matter. Check it out below! This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics icon Larry Bird on why the world is catching up to USA basketball
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What happened to Boston Celtics forward Reggie Lewis?
What happened to Boston Celtics forward Reggie Lewis? The Celtics dynasty of the 1980s that started under Boston Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale looked poised to continue with the rise of Lewis after the Celtics drafted him out of the NCAA ranks. But a hidden health issue would take the young Boston star from his family, friends, team, and fans far too soon, Lewis collapsing on a court with a rare heart issue that would ultimately take his life. Celtics beat writers from that era Bob Ryan and Dan Shaugnessy took some time on a recent episode of the "NBA History and Storytellers on CLNS" show to talk over his untimely loss. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about what was lost -- and what might have been. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: What happened to Celtics forward Reggie Lewis?
