Larry Bird, a celebrated figure in Boston Celtics history with three championships and numerous MVP awards, left an enduring mark on NBA players who followed, including Metta Sandiford-Artest.
During the February 27 episode of “The OGs” with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, the former Los Angeles Lakers champion revealed how a conversation with Bird transformed his game.
“I remember asking Larry things like, ‘I watch you on tape, Larry. You’re not really fast; you’re getting into the basket. I’m like, no disrespect, but you’re kind of, you’re really slow. I told him no disrespect because I’m watching him, and I’m like how he getting buckets when he wants. He said when you see the lane, take it. I’m like, what else? He said that’s it,” Sandiford-Artest recalled.
Sandiford-Artest then explained how this advice revolutionized his approach to the game.
“That opened up my whole game, and you know, back then, they put hands on everybody, so then that’s when I was doing one dribble pull up, one dribble here. So that’s when I was trying to get to the basket or work on my shot where I can just one dribble pull up, one dribble pull up. So I was super sharp and was in the gym every day, and Larry had to do that.”
Although Sandiford-Artest played for the Pacers while Bird served as their President of Basketball Operations, their collaboration in Indiana didn’t yield success. However, Sandiford-Artest later won a championship with the Lakers in 2010.
