http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/news/story?id=6612662 [rquoter] MIAMI -- With the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics out of the playoffs, Pacers president Larry Bird does not deny that he's pulling for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. That's mostly because of his longtime friendship with Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, but also because Bird is an unabashed fan of Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki. "I've always admired the guy," Bird said. ... [/rquoter]
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2004-06-08-bird-interview_x.htm Bird: "I really got irritated when they put a white guy on me. I still don't understand why. A white guy would come out, I would always ask him, 'What, do you have a problem with your coach? Did your coach do this to you?' And he would say, 'No,' and I'd say, 'Come on, you got a white guy coming out here to guard me; you got no chance.' And for some reason, that always bothered me when I was playing against a white guy." Johnson: "Disrespect." Bird: "Yeah, disrespect." Gray: "Did you consider yourself black in terms of a basketball player?" 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."
I'm surprised Bird doesn't hate Dirk and in the back of his mind bring up rhetoric like 'Nazi' and stuff like that. It's surprising how this country can't admire a player without considering his ethnicity.
I think if Larry got roughed up by the likes of Nick Collison and Matt Harpring under the old NBA rules he'd quickly change his tune. Today' sports medicine combined with the freaks of nature we have is why the NBA rules really changed. We all know it.
people compare Dirk to Bird.. in X years they'll be comparing the next great white guy shooter to Dirk Dirk is Dirk Bird is Bird both are unique in their own ways
Dude have you been reading the forums and listening to what gets shouted at Dirk in certain arenas. It's awful stuff and sometimes the so called moderators of the forum let that stuff side. Unbelievable.
There was a better comparison that was out there involving a tall African American player that was closer to Dirk's height and had a more similar game overall. One of the TV analysts or announcers threw that comparison out there years ago.
Could you imagine how deadly a fully healthy Yao with Dirk manning the 4 would be. absolutely indefensible!
I believe that is the true Dirk comparison but suprising McAdoo is only 6'9.. I swear he was 6'11 and my friend's dad who met him sad he was 7 ft.
