This was the 10th to the last regular season game Larry Bird would play in the NBA, when he scored the 49 point triple double against Portland. He'd spent the previous offseason having a Hail Mary back surgery that ultimately didn't work. According to his teammates, Larry had to wear a hard shell back brace just to be able to play. I got curious and checked. After Larry Bird played this game and retired, no one in the NBA would have this high of a scoring triple double again until Russell Westbrook finally tied it in 2015. That's 23 Years! AND that's after the NBA spent 2 decades, over and over, changing rules and officiating with the STATED PURPOSE of making it easier for shooters to score. And it still took 23 years! That made me look backwards. And it turns out that in the early years of the 90's and across the entirety of the 80's no one scored that high of a triple double either. Twice during that span, 2 guys came close with 47 point triple doubles. One of those guys was Michael Jordan and the other one was...Larry Bird. You have to go all the way back to 1975, in the prior era, before the ABA merger when not all the best players were even playing in the same league against each other, when Kareem scored a 50 point triple double to find one better. Not only was Larry on his last legs, playing in pain when he did this, he had also lost his love for basketball because Magic had been forced to retire before the start of this season because of his HIV diagnosis. But, his team needed him to do it to win this game to try to make it to the playoffs one more time. So, he did it. Old, broken down, ruined back, broken hearted Larry Bird held the highest scoring triple double across a 40 year span of modern NBA. I feel like if this had been any other superstar, this would be a big deal and talked about a lot more. Thank you for the video.

Jordan, Magic, and Bird. My top 3 players of all time.

Been a Lakers fan since the 60's but Larry Bird was the man, 3 MVP's in a row, say no more.

I was there! There have been many greats, including Bill Russell, Kareem, Magic, and Jordan, but I’ll always start my dream team with Larry Bird.

😢that is the Real NBA.

Remember watching that game. Bird was so injured at this point. Unreal that he could even PLAY much less be great. Goat. Legend.

Legend has it Larry can still drop 40 if he wants to.

I remember watching this on NBC, it was nationally televised.

2 things to keep in mind. Larry was one of the very few who could do All this in pain and maintain focus. Other point is how great Clyde was to counter him much of the game. There weren't 5 stars at the time who could've hung with what Larry did that game. Clyde one of the precious few.

LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE *TRUE* GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️

Larry Legend is simply underrated. They say KD and LBJ were the best SF, but in their peak I pick LB anytime of the day.

I remember watching this game like it was yesterday

RIP Reggie Lewis

Rest in peace Clifford Robinson, Kevin Duckworth and Jerome Kersey.

Larry-true GOAT

Anyone who saw Lebron choke against Denver last night knows that Bird is the greatest small forward to ever play the game. Game for game, point for point, Larry is the Legend.

Imagine if he had been able to play 4-5 more years. But the dude just hustled so hard and his body broke down

BIRD THE GOAT.

People mistake raw athleticism for skill. Bird is one of the most skilled hoopers to ever do it.

Thank you for posting this it’s so refreshing to see actual basketball with contact, proper defense, and elite shooting. The Glide was solid in this one too thought Larry Legend went off.

i forgot all about ainge on the trailblazers, him guarding bird is hilarious

If not for injuries that would have ended the careers of most, Bird would be the one in the GOAT debate with Jordan. With that said, his peak was as good as any great in NBA history, including Jordan.

This was his best game ever played!!! The fact he did this on an awful back is insane!!!

Now that's how a legend with a bad back plays. Imagine if Bird was in his prime.

For those who don’t know much about Birds play style. He’s best described as a hybrid between Jokic and Luka, superior defender than either and shoots the ball like KD. He played in the wrong generation. One of the greatest shooters ever but only ever took 2 threes a game max because the 3 point line came the year he entered the league so it was still taboo at first. In today’s NBA with the spacing, pick and roll play, and emphasis in 3 point shooting his game would have thrived even more than he did in the 80s

Two of my favorite players. Bird could do it all. Nobody could run the court better than Clyde the Glyde.

IMO the GOAT SF 🐐 Zero athleticism, but was a beast on the court.

As a kid without cable television it was rare to see Celtics games so I definitely remember watching this on a Sunday afternoon. Lost my god damned mind when hit that buzzer beater!

His 3 championships were more like 6 championships.

Watched it live and it was awesome! Was too young to enjoy the prime so this was really cool to watch.

Bird all around game is a thing of beauty

This game was nationally televised on a Saturday. My area had a heavy thunderstorm that day, and it knocked out the cable tv in my house. By the time it was restored, the game was going into overtime. This was long before the internet…

Larrys Bird is the Michael Jordan of all Larry Birds

Best player Nba everytime Larry Bird ❤️

If I could create a basketball player I'd take Larry's brain for sure

That 3 pointer to tie the game was ridiculous!

I remember watching that game when I was 13.

Bird played 9 years in the NBA, that is a very short career,Bird would have shattered every NBA record if he would have stayed healthy and he would have been the GOAT

Best clutch and all around player to have ever played the game.

Players back then were tough but professional in defense.

There are many greats but only one Legend!#33

Almost forgot Rick Fox played for the Celtics.

Great breakdown.

Great video. I watched this game live. It was one heck of a battle

No one will compare.

Greatest ever, Larry Joe bird

Would have been so interesting to see Len Bias out there w/ A Larry Bird that never paved that driveway

Best game ever.

The Fucking Legend

RIP Cliff Robertson, Jerome Kersey, Kevin Duckworth, Reggie Lewis and Celtic head coach Chris Ford.

We don’t need the unneccessary commentary over the game. This game is good enough to be shown by itself….

An obviously limited Bird was still incredible. That 3 as time was running out says it all.

Clyde The Glide!

Bird with a bad back is better then anyone today.

I don't think I've ever seen a player make more pure swishes than Bird. He would have five or six a game. They were often rainbows, too.

LETSSSSSSSSS FFFFFFFFFFIN GOOOOOOOOO

Ainge was one of the best Blazers ever.

🗣️LARRY BIRD 🐦 IS THEE BEST SMALL FORWARD EVER . PE👤PLE ST🛑P , SAYING LARRY BIRD 🕊️ WASN ' T ATHLETIC . LARRY 🕊️ BIRD WAS ATHLETIC . L ARRY 🐦 BIRD JUST WASN ' T SUPER ATHLETIC . BUT , SO . MOST PLAYERS⏯️ AREN ' T SUPER ATHLETIC ANYWAY . BUT , I ' LL TAKE LARRY ' S GAME OVER A STRICTLY ATHLETIC PLAYER▶️ . LARRY CAN PLAY▶️ THIS GAME OF BASKETBALL . .MY TOP 4 OF ALL TIME IS : 1. MICHAEL J🔴RDAN ( THEE G.🐐.A..T. ) 2. HAKEEM 🦖 OLJAW🚀N 3. ✨MAGIC ✨ JOHNSON 4. LARRY 🐦BIRD🕊️ >🎤 🏀🗑️🤾⛹️

Portland couldn't touch Boston's Bird.

I hated Larry Bird because he would stick that dagger 🗡️ deep into the heart when the Celtics would beat my team, the Portland Trail Blazers. I remember this game well and consider Larry Legend the greatest.

Ainge against the C's.......that tough to watch

Now there is a new operation called ADR/Artificial Disc Replacement. Going in from the front they replace discs with new artificial ones like they do hip replacements. Tiger Woods had it.

We've discovered

God he just had to try putting a new floor for his mom by himself and break his back. We could've had at least 5 more years of Bird's greatness.

0:45.

It looks like Rick Fox should have been called for traveling, was that about 5 steps he took?

As usual, Rick Adelman was out coached. Why would you have Danny Ainge , who is a great free throw shooter, on the bench when you are inbounding the b-ball, up 3 with 10 seconds to play? Instead, they leave Kersey and Buck Williams on the court, who are notorious bad free throw shooters. The ball should have been thrown in to either Terry Porter, or Danny Ainge, with Drexler being a 3rd option. Blazers win at least 1 title with good coaching in this era.

Reggie Lewis, Cliff Robinson, Jerome Kersey and Kevin Duckworth have died since that game.

Tall brother 48

Kobe Bryant could never.

Portland wearing Rebock and Boston Converse. 2 brands gone from the NBA because of the GOAT Jordan and NIke.

2 Blazers missed 2 free throws each.

Did Larry Bird eventually have to have surgery for the back?

You have no idea how good the 86 team was. Only three losses at home all year including the playoffs. Get a life

I tell you, I miss these Old Days! REAL BASKETBALL, REAL STARS! Not like the flopping cry baby LeBron James.

larry did this to shut danny ainge mouth shut.

All I want to know is why can't we see more good video quality like this of Larry usually looks like crap.

That was a travel and a 2 point shot at the end of regulation. Bird got the homer call, twice in one play. Regardless, from this PTB fan and season ticket holder at the time, an epic game.

I think Bird is underrated because he didn’t look real athletic and wasn’t that pretty

No offense but with a good looking wife like Larry Bird has, it's no wonder he was suffering from back problems. LOL😅😅😅

no disrespect but the 08 celtics were nowhere near as elite as the 77 blazers led by star bill walton let alone the 81 84 and 86 celtics led by legend larry bird

Bill Laimbeer was much better than Bird.

Sadly he only can blame himself to do something dangerous non basketball related. Back injury is cause when he fell of the roof when he was cleaning snow