“I knew they were under stress, so I broke them”: Larry Bird reflects on his 1988 Three-Point Contest in a rare throwback confession

Larry Bird is one of the most celebrated players in the history of the NBA. Known widely for his high psychological intelligence on the court and presence of mind, along with unmatched confidence, Bird’s professional career with the Boston Celtics left a lasting mark on the fans of basketball all around the world. One of his most impressive and talked-about moments came not during a regular game, but at an NBA All-Star event that showed the world not only his physical skills but his mental play as well. And that throwback moment continues to be shared and discussed by fans years after he retired from professional basketball. Larry Bird was a superstar of his generation, and only a few could match up to his mental game. Among the few was Magic Johnson, the one sworn enemy of Bird, the rivalry between them that fans till to this day remember. But Bird’s shooting tactics and playmaking made it difficult for anyone to compete against him, which still reflects in the way fans honor him as one of the greatest shooters in the history of the NBA. In an interview a few years back, Bird reflected back on his famous locker room incident from the 1988 NBA Three-Point Contest. During that contest, Bird walked into the locker room before the competition and asked his fellow participants a simple question: “Who’s coming in second?” What was unique about that question was how Bird delivered that question with a straight face, and it quickly became one of the most iconic quotes in the NBA trash-talk list because Bird ended up winning the contest for the third consecutive time.Today, fans still react to Larry Bird’s “Who’s coming in second?” moment with admiration and respect. Many fans see it as one of the greatest examples of Bird’s confidence and the success he had. Recently, “Larry Legend”, a popular and verified account on X (Twitter), named after Bird himself, posted a video of him, reflecting back on his 1988 Three Point Contest. And fans have been flooded with their comments and reactions to it. “You the best ever played the game”, one fan commented on the clip shared by the account on X. While the other went on to say, “Legend”. A third user wrote, “That's why he was, he IS and he always be Larry Bird”. While a fourth one added, “The heart of a champion, the cold blood of an assassin, and the trash-talking mouth of Joy Behar”. “GOAT”, a fan simply commented on the post. These reactions show how much of a great player he was during his time and how much fans love and admire him even to this day, something not everyone can achieve, which is a proof of how fans love and respect Bird as an athlete. Also Read: Remembering January 13: The day Michael Jordan announced his second retirement from the NBA