Larry Legend - Prejudice Knows No Color

Old-time fans called him 'The Great White Hope' Larry Bird had to 'walk the tightrope' He was no dope; he knew he was special So he focused hard on crossing that threshold By 1980, the NBA had become a black man's jungle Woe to Bird, or any white boy, should he bungle his chance to prove unearned accolades true The league would just spit him out, after a sharp-fanged chew But Bird never backed down; he brawled from start to finish Winning games on raw hustle, desire and 'magic' undiminished by the taunts and elbows he took from those who hated his guts The 'white boy' dished out what he took; the cries no longer heard, 'Bird is a klutz'... When they tallied wins and losses at the end of his first season Bird's Boston Celtics improved by 32 games, and Larry was the reason Everyone who saw him play knew it, including the haters who blew it ~ then grudgingly renamed him 'Larry Legend' ~ 'cos it fit ____________________________________________________________ 'Larry Legend' went on to play 13 years for the Celtics, scoring over 25,000 points, winning 3 MVP awards, was selected to 13 all-star teams, and won the respect of every black superstar who ever played the game. Was he the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time)? That's an endless debate. But I can tell you this: When Michael Jordan, THE MICHAEL JORDAN, played against Bird for the first time in the NBA, he (Michael) asked for Larry's autograph (!) Bird snickered, 'Earn it first, rookie.'... Postscript: Jordan's Chicago Bulls never once beat Bird's Celtics in a playoff game, going 0-6. (And in the last three contests, Bird limped badly before each game due to a horrific spine injury that ended his career). 'Nuff said!