Larry Joe Bird is an American former professional basketball player, former coach, and former executive who most recently served as President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association. Profoundly inspirational Larry Bird quotes will get you through anything when the going gets tough and help you succeed in every aspect of life.
Famous Larry Bird Quotes
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
I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.
I really don’t like talking about money. All I can say is that the Good Lord must have wanted me to have it. Larry Bird
The more you win, the better you’re gonna get. It grows on itself
You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you’ll miss too. I make 110% of my shots. Larry Bird
I always know what’s happening on the court. I see a situation occur, and I respond.
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
I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody somewhere was practicing more than me.
Once you are labeled ‘the best’ you want to stay up there, and you can’t do it by loafing around. Larry Bird
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.
Don’t let winning make you soft. Don’t let losing make you quit. Don’t let your teammates down in any situation. Larry Bird
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.
The more you win, the better you’re gonna get. It grows on itself. Larry Bird
It doesn’t matter who scores the points, it’s who can get the ball to the scorer.
My opinion about basketball, the way I was taught, was when you step on the court, you play to win. Larry Bird
There are many times when you are better off practicing than playing; but most people just don’t understand that.
You’re all playing’ for second place. Larry Bird
I knew I was as good as anybody. That’s not really bragging; it’s just that I’d put the time in.
The nature of competition is such that any number of people invariably have their eyes on the same prize you do. Recognize your assets and employ them to the best of your ability. Larry Bird
You never make any of the shots you never take. 87% of the ones you do take, you’ll miss too. I make 110% of my shots.
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
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. Larry Bird
I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end. Larry Bird
Once you are labeled ‘the best’ you want to stay up there, and you can’t do it by loafing around. If I don’t keep changing, I’m history.
Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds. Larry Bird
My opinion about basketball, the way I was taught, was when you step on the court, you play to win.
I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody somewhere was practicing more than me. Larry Bird
I don’t think that once you get to one level, you can relax. You’ve got to keep pushing.
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
I hate to lose more than I like to win.
While day by day the overzealous student stores up facts for future use, he who has learned to trust nature finds need for ever fewer external directions. He will discard formula after formula until he reaches the conclusion: Let nature take its course. Larry Bird
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.
When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro. Larry Bird
When I was young, I never wanted to leave the court until I got things exactly correct. My dream was to become a pro.
Practice habits were crucial to my development in basketball. I didn’t play against the toughest competition in high school, but one reason I was able to do well in college was that I mastered the fundamentals. You’ve got to have them down before you can even think about playing. Larry Bird
Don’t let winning make you soft. Don’t let losing make you quit. Don’t let your teammates down in any situation.
There are many times when you are better off practicing than playing, but most people just don’t understand that. Larry Bird
It makes me sick when I see a guy just stare at a loose ball and watch it go out of bounds.
As far as playing, I didn’t care who guarded me red, yellow, black. I just didn’t want a white guy guarding me, because it’s disrespect to my game. Larry Bird
I’m a firm believer in that you play the way you practice.
The one thing that always bothered me when I played in the NBA was I really got irritated when they put a white guy on me. Larry Bird
I was always making decisions and they were easier decisions because I had control of the game, I had control of the ball. As a coach you sort of put the ball in other player’s hands and let them make decisions for you. But I still get a kick out of winning basketball games and that’s what I’m in this for. Larry Bird
The best players will play. That’s the way it will always be. Larry Bird
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
When it gets down to it, basketball is basketball. Larry Bird
This is a silly place. Half the world has no clean water. The other half has so much that they pooh in it. Larry Bird
The best player I ever played with was Dennis Johnson. Larry Bird
I’ve got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end. Larry Bird
It’s been a journey, the NBA. It’s taken me a lot farther than I ever expected. Larry Bird
In the late seventies and early eighties, the home NBA team was required to provide the road team with a case of cold beer in the locker room after each game.
I always know what’s happening on the court. I see a situation occur, and I respond. Larry Bird
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
In the closing seconds of every game, I want the ball in my hands for the last shot not in anybody else’s, not in anybody else’s in the world. Larry Bird
About all our good high school players are going out of stateThat’s something that probably hurts more than anything. It’s very important to try to keep our kids in state. That’s how you have an identity. Larry Bird
I just shoot until I feel good. Larry Bird
Any time you deal a player, you would like him to go out of the conference. We’re looking at the West, but if it’s the East, that’s how it’s going to be. Whether we get a draft choice or a player, we’re going to make sure it’s the right deal. We’ve done enough to back Ronnie. We’re in a position where we have to protect the franchise now. Larry Bird
I have always been confident in my skills and once the game got going; I knew I was probably the best player on the floor most of the time, whether it was junior high, high school, or college. I knew I had control of the game. Larry Bird
As a coach, it drives you crazy. Larry Bird
When I was a kid, like 14 or 15, I played with the waiters from the hotel, ’cause that was the best game. And these guys, they’d let me play. And they were black guys. Larry Bird
As far as playing, I didn’t care who guarded me red, yellow, black. I just didn’t want a white guy guarding me, because it’s disrespect to my game Larry Bird
It makes me sick when I see a guy just stare at a loose ball and watch it go out of bounds. Larry Bird
Believe me, he’s going to help us. Larry Bird
When I go to the line, I’m thinking ‘All net.’ When I don’t think that, I’m likely to miss. Larry Bird
But it is a black man’s game, and it will be forever. Larry Bird
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
Consistency has been one of our biggest problems. I don’t see anybody on our team that you can depend on every night to do the same thing. One night they’re up, and one night they’re down. If you know what you’re getting from each player, it’s pretty easy as far as coaching. When it’s inconsistent, you don’t know what you’re going to get and it makes it hard to substitute. Larry Bird
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
First master the fundamentals. Larry Bird
I’ve been around a while. I kinda know these things. Larry Bird
He was clearly frustrated. Ronnie thinks if we lose, we would have won the game if he had the ball every time. The offense bogs down at times, but it’s still a great offense. He held the ball a lot of times. Nothing frustrated me more than him not rebounding, but I didn’t go out in the public and say anything. Larry Bird
I’m a loner. Larry Bird
He’s got great length and he’s one of the best shooters in the league. He gives us another dimension on the outside and hopefully that opens things up in the middle. Larry Bird
I like being by myself. Larry Bird
He’s made as many clutch shots as anybody who has ever played this game. Larry Bird
It doesn’t matter who scores the points, it’s who can get the ball to the scorer. Larry Bird
Hoosiers love this place. The high school game has produced a lot of legendary stories, and those stories get told here. Larry Bird
I think a lot of blue collar people related to me because a lot of people work for their money. Larry Bird
Push yourself again and again. Don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds. Larry Bird
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
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
I was always making decisions, and they were easier decisions because I had control of the game, I had control of the ball. As a coach, you sort of put the ball in other player’s hands and let them make decisions for you. But I still get a kick out of winning basketball games, and that’s what I’m in this for. Larry Bird
But it is a black man’s game, and it will be forever. Larry Bird
Coaches can talk and talk and talk about something, but if you get it on tape and show it to them, it is so much more effective. Larry Bird
Don’t let winning make you soft. Don’t let losing make you quit. Don’t let your teammates down in any situation. Larry Bird
When I was a kid, I never thought about anything. Never had to think about where I was going to school or what I was going to do. I just lived minute to minute. Larry Bird
First master the fundamentals. Larry Bird
What’s better? Dogs or broomsticks? I mean, will the world really ever know? Larry Bird
I always know what’s happening on the court. I see a situation occur, and I respond. Larry Bird
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
I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody somewhere was practicing more than me. Larry Bird
I used to love the feeling of running, of running too far. It made my skin tingle. Larry Bird
I just shoot until I feel good. Larry Bird
I don’t think that once you get to one level, you can relax. You’ve got to keep pushing. Larry Bird
I hate to lose more than I like to win. Larry Bird
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
First master the fundamentals. Larry Bird
I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African American. Larry Bird
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
I used to love the feeling of running, of running too far. It made my skin tingle. Larry Bird
I learned what my weaknesses were and I went out the next day to turn those weaknesses intro strengths. Larry Bird
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
Strength is not nearly as important as desire. I don’t think you can teach anyone desire. I think it’s a gift. I don’t know why I have it, but I do. Larry Bird
I’m a firm believer in that you play the way you practice. Larry Bird
