Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching the Game I Love

Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching the Game I Love





With extraordinary candor, passion, and insight, basketball legend Larry Bird talks about the incomparable sport that made him an international superstar and one of the most respected figures in the game.Larry Bird captured the imagination and admiration of basketball fans throughout his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics with his trademark style of creative, intelligent, exciting, and hard-nosed play. And last year, in just his rookie season as head coach of the Indiana Pacers, he remarkably managed to turn around a slumping franchise, lead the team to the conference finals, and was subsequently named the NBA's Coach of the Year. Now, this beloved sports legend shares his thoughts on the game he loves: From dissecting offensive and defensive strategies to assessing the talent of NBA players and coaches to describing how he manages today's temperamental and overpriced players, it's all here, a must-read for every fan.Larry Bird's autobiography, Drive (Doubleday, 1989), sold more than 300,000 copies in hardcover and more than 350,000 copies in paperback. It spent over two months on the New York Times bestseller list, and foreign rights were sold in six countries.Before Michael Jordan, there was Larry Bird. Arguably the best player of his generation, Bird led the Boston Celtics to three NBA titles, was a 12-time NBA All-Star, and a 12-time member of the ALL-NBA First Team. He was also a member of the original Dream Team which won the Gold Medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.Also available as a Time Warner AudioBook.The first sentence of Larry Bird's candid post-player memoir begins blandly enough: "On August 18, 1992, I announced my retirement from the Boston Celtics." It's the one that follows--"It was one of the happiest days of my life"--that sets the tone for the book. Most stars have to be pulled off center stage, but as Bird Watching makes clear, the former Celtic legend who returned home to eventually coach the Indiana Pacers is certainly a rare bird. He's not afraid to ruffle feathers. And he's not afraid to tell his truth.

Perhaps the most striking revelations concern his heart. On top of the back pain that plagued him through much of his career, from time to time Bird experienced the feeling--and disorienting flush--of an irregular heartbeat, which he kept hidden from the Celtics. Even now, in the stress-filled world of coaching, Bird has almost passed out on the bench a couple of times--but he remains a fierce competitor. "I'm not going to be stupid about this heart condition, but I'm not going to live my whole life in fear of this thing either. If it goes, it goes."

Bird Watchingspends virtually no time with Bird the player; he's not one for looking back. He's more interested in explaining his evolution and thinking as a coach, examining the current state of the NBA, and picking apart the Pacer's disastrous 1999 playoff loss to the Knicks. He does, however, reminisce about his amazing connection to Magic Johnson, comparing it to the bond between Ali and Frazier. "I knew it was going to be like that forever after I played him in college for the national championship," Bird writes. "I never came up against anyone, other than Magic, who could challenge me mentally. Magic always took me to the limit." From Bird, it's hard to imagine a more heartfelt compliment. --Jeff Silverman









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