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

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

But it is a black man's game, and it will be forever.
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 mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American.
Larry Bird

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

I've been around a while. I kinda know these things.
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

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

It doesn't matter who scores the points, it's who can get the ball to the scorer.
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

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

Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.
Larry Bird

Push yourself again and again. Don't give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.
Larry Bird

The best player I ever played with was Dennis Johnson.
Larry Bird

The best players will play. That's the way it will always be.
Larry Bird

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

What's better? Dogs or broomsticks? I mean will the world really ever know?
Larry Bird

When it gets down to it, basketball is basketball.
Larry Bird

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