Larry Bird was one of the best forwards in NBA history. Larry Legend is a three-time MVP, three-time champion and two-time MVP of the finals.

However, Bird won all of these achievements without having the same athleticism as his contemporaries at the small outpost. Players like Dominique Wilkins contrast sharply with players like Bird.

Former NBA Rookie of the Year Terry Cummings has revealed why Bird has managed to dominate the NBA despite his lack of athleticism.

“It’s not over respecting him, it’s just to be honest. He could play, he was sort of playing intermediate speed. He wasn’t fast, he wasn’t slow. And the way he played the game, in that in-between, gave him an edge over a lot of us, whether we’re playing either a fast realm or a slow realm. You know because he played right in the middle. He didn’t jump over a phone book most of the time, but he aggressively got what he wanted to do. Defensively, he was more of a wanderer than a defender.

Larry Bird: Where does he rank among the smallest forwards of all time?

People have argued for years that the player on your wing is the most important player on the pitch. However, Bird played at a time when the most important player was the center, but he dominated.

It could have been argued that Bird was the greatest little striker in the NBA until the rise of players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. It’s fair to say that LeBron has surpassed Bird with his accomplishments. A choice between KD and Bird might simply come down to a matter of preference. A championship in Brooklyn would definitely put him above Bird.

Bird would rank higher than some of the game’s other legends like Julius Erving, Scottie Pippen, and Dominique Wilkins. However, this is just a testament to the greatness of Larry Legend, who led one of the greatest franchises in NBA history to great success in its heyday.