Quote Originally Posted by smokefan View Post
I dont know about Indiana being king in basketball, but I put them right up there for one reason. Larry Joe Bird, the hick from French Lick. My all time favorite basketball player, hands down. No one today plays with the heart and hustle that he did, of course he had to, he wasnt the fastest and couldnt jump-I heard him say that in a interview once.
I heard Bird say one time that he was the only basketball player that needed his vertical jump measured on the horizontal scale, pretty funny. Defineately one of the best if not the best White Basketball player that has ever lived and along with Magic Johnson pretty much saved the NBA to where it has grown to be what it is today. Every single player since Bird and Magic should send them a monthly check for royalties because the MILLIONS that they are getting now is in a large part to Bird / Magic Celtics / Lakers. Put not only the playoffs but regular season games on TV and the dollars started rolling in because of these 2. I remember watching the Indiana State Michigan State National Title game back in the late 70's. I think Bird's Indiana State team was undefeated but Bird had one of his worst games of the year and Michigan State and Jud Heathcoat (sp) cut down the nets.

The new Mcdonalds commercial where Lebron James is about to eat his lunch and Dwight Howard says he will play him for his lunch. Lebron says ok and Dwight says "No Jumpshots". A play on the old McDonalds commercial where Michael Jordan and Larry Bird are playing for the lunch and Bird says "No Dunking". After James and Howard are done there is Bird clapping and says "thanks for lunch" as he walks off and Lebron and Dwight look confused and ask "who is that".