What is the most important part about being an athlete? Getting paid, of course. What are we talking about when we say ‘getting paid’ in sports? Money, you say? In a way. However, players get much more than money from their sport; they gain skills that can help them with careers and even make it into other industries like film or music. This article tells the story of how one player had to pay for his college education by playing football so he could become a professional ballerina later on in life.
“i’ve learned it the hard way” is a phrase that people often use as an excuse for their mistakes. The meaning of this phrase, however, changes depending on who says it.
When Larry Bird retired from the Boston Celtics in 1992, he was one of the best players in NBA history. In 1998, he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Larry Legend had the ability to score or assist from wherever on the court.
Bird had an unquenchable desire to be at his best every night. Over the course of his career, such laudable tenacity eventually contributed to the collapse of his physique.
The three-time MVP stated that he understood that perseverance would lead to an earlier-than-ideal conclusion to his NBA career, but he couldn’t bring himself to let go. Larry was precisely like that.
Larry Bird has one of the most successful NBA careers of all time.
Bird was a 12-time All-Star in his career. He was selected to an All-NBA Team ten times, including nine times to the All-NBA First Team. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1979-80.
From 1983 through 1986, he was named MVP three times in a row. Larry Bird won three NBA titles with the Celtics and was awarded Finals MVP in two of them.
The 6-foot-9 sniper was not just an offensive force, but he was also named to three All-Defensive Teams.
With a scoring average of 24.3 points per game, the Hick from French Lick ranks 17th all-time in the league. He placed in the top 20 on ten occasions. Among terms of rebounds, assists, and steals, he is in the top 55 all-time.
Four times he was first in the NBA in free-throw percentage, and seven times he was in the top eight in 3-point %.
Larry has an impressive resume. But what makes it even more incredible is how little time Bird spent on the field to build up those massive figures.
He only appeared in 870 games, which is 30 less than Al Horford, 100 fewer than Jerry Stackhouse, almost 150 fewer than Grant Hill, and 202 fewer than Marvin Williams.
Bird said, however, that he was aware that his career would be limited.
Injuries cut short the Legend’s career.
On the bench during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs in 1992, Boston Celtics player Larry Bird chews his nails. | Getty Images/Lane Turner/The Boston Globe
In the 1987-88 season, Bird set a career best with 29.9 points per game. However, during that year’s playoffs, the beginning of the end occurred.
The Detroit Pistons kept him to 10 points a game in the Eastern Conference Finals that season, according to Bleacher Report.
The Indiana State Sycamores legend then underwent surgery to remove bone spurs from both of his heels six games into the 1988-89 season. He’d finished for the year.
The Celtics stated in December 1990 that Bird would miss time due to a strained back. His career was cut short by a back ailment less than two years later.
In an interview with ESPN, Larry stated that he realized he “wasn’t going to live long.”
That clock in my body was telling me it was time to get up and go. You run when it’s time to run. That was simply how I was.
But I was aware of it. I knew I wouldn’t be able to survive much longer. I was on the verge of collapsing. It’s simply the way things are. I had this strong drive to win every game, and I believed that the only way I could do that was to be in the finest physical condition possible.
That night, I kept thinking, was the most important game in the world. That one game drew the attention of the whole globe. And I had to be the greatest player on the court that night in order to win the game. That was my mindset, and it stayed with me throughout my career. But knowing that, I knew I’d have to pay a high price for it.
Larry Bird discusses his mindset and how injuries hampered his career.
Anyone who has seen Bird play can testify to the fact that he accomplished just that.
Bird’s professional path resembled that of a rising star.
It was magnificent to the point of blindness, and then it vanished much too fast. That’s what a shooting star does, and Bird accomplished just that.
He was one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball and left an everlasting impression on the game.
It may have ended sooner than everyone expected – maybe too soon.
Larry Legend’s career, on the other hand, will be remembered for how fantastic it was rather than how long it lasted.
Basketball Reference provided all statistics.
Larry Bird’s ‘Best Teammate’ RELATED Before joining the Boston Celtics, he worked as a federal prison officer before becoming the legend’s personal on-court bodyguard.
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The “i’ve learned my lesson the hard way” is a quote from an article about how athletes often have to pay for their mistakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you use hard way in a sentence?
A: If you use hard way in a sentence, it means that the author of the sentence is suggesting something difficult or even impossible.
What is the meaning of the hard way?
A: The meaning of the hard way is an action or process that requires a great deal of effort and often results in failure.
What does 3 the hard way mean slang?
A: To do something with difficulty as if it were difficult; to prove a point or show power.
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