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“Larry Bird Came In, Hit 10 3s, Walked Off”: Lance Stephenson Was Amazed by the Former Pacers President’s Shooting Decades After Retiring

Advait Jajodia
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“Larry Bird Came In, Hit 10 3s, Walked Off”: Lance Stephenson Was Amazed by the Former Pacers President’s Shooting Decades After Retiring

Larry Bird is often known for his nasty trash talk. However, while his trash talk might provide us with several hilarious anecdotes, people tend to forget that the former Boston Celtics legend was an incredible shooter.

Apart from being the first person to join the famous 50/40/90 club, Larry Legend even won the 3-point contest 3 consecutive times, and recorded 649 shots at 37.6% from beyond the arc at the conclusion of his career.

Also Read: Larry Bird Once Shot an Airball From Steph Curry Range to Illustrate His Superstar Power to a Rookie

Even after hanging up his boots, Bird continued to impress us with his accurate jump shot. According to Lance Stephenson, the 3-time MVP put on a shooting clinic several decades after retirement.

The Indiana Pacers were marvelled by Larry Bird

Sometime in the early 2010s, during his stint as a member of the Pacers’ front office, Bird entered practice while the players were stretching.

According to Stephenson, the Hall-Of-Famer went on to knock down 10 straight three-pointers, leaving everybody in disbelief.

In an appearance on the “Setting The Pace” podcast, Lance narrated the story:

“So we were stretching, right? The whole team is just stretching. And Larry just walks onto the court, grabs the ball, and started jacking threes. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.”

“I’m like, I’m looking at everybody, ‘Do y’all see this right now?’ He made at least 10 in a row, threes. Just walked in, came in, looked at us, looking at us stretching and hit 10 threes in a row, walked off then sat like he ain’t do nothing. I like, ‘Yo! This guy is nice. That’s a legend right there’.”

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Clearly, shooters shoot.

A look at Larry’s illustrious career

Bird, along with his long-time rival Magic Johnson, is responsible for popularising the NBA at a global scale.

A member of the Boston Celtics for the entirety of his 13-year career, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged a staggering 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists for his career.

Apart from being a 12-time All-Star, the Hick from French Lick was even selected to the All-NBA team 10 times. Winning all major accolades, the icon’s trophy cabinet included 3 MVPs, a ROY, 3 championships, and 2 Finals MVPs.

Also Read: Ahead of Michael Jordan Inspired “AIR”, Ben Affleck Recalls Driving 1000 Miles to Find Larry Bird’s House

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, a seasoned NBA journalist, has had a passion for the game for over a decade. His journey from admiring Kobe Bryant's precision to being in awe of Stephen Curry's long-range mastery instilled a profound understanding of basketball. With a background as a two-time National-level player, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 21-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 3,700+ articles.

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