Many players feared Bulls legend Michael Jordan, but not all. There were a few select players who didn’t back down from the challenge. One of those players is Celtics legend Larry Bird. He never went toe-to-toe with MJ during the athletic guard’s prime. However, he once stated that he could’ve prevented Jordan’s second-three peat while leading Reggie Miller’s Pacers squad.
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Ahead of the 1997-98 season, Bird took over as the head coach of the Pacers. He looked to push Indiana over the hump and help deliver the team their first championship. The Pacers went on to finish with a 58-24 record. Bird did his job by putting the team in the perfect position to compete for a title.
In the postseason, the Pacers easily defeated their opponents en route to the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, one giant remained in their path. The Chicago Bulls. Both teams threw a series of punches. Eventually, their duel led to a win-or-go-home scenario in Game 7.
In the closing moments, Indiana had the opportunity to put the game away. Instead, the Bulls won the possession from a jump ball, leading to a Steve Kerr three-pointer to tie the game. Unfortunately, Indiana couldn’t recover the momentum, eventually losing by a score of 88-83.
Bird looks back at that game, specifically, that jump ball and how crucial it was to winning the game. In a special feature titled Basketball Stories, he revealed what he could’ve done differently to alter NBA history.
“A jump ball was Jordan and Rik Smits, they weren’t lined up right,” Bird said. “We could’ve stole the tap and went down and scored. I seen it and didn’t call the timeout.”
That jump ball possession continues to haunt Bird. He saw the opportunity to reach the NBA Finals and let it slip from his grasp. Regardless, Miller doesn’t hold anything against him. He loved playing for Bird even though it was immense pressure.
Playing under Larry Bird wasn’t an easy transition for Reggie Miller
Although Larry Bird’s first coaching experience came with the Pacers, his resume spoke for itself. He didn’t tolerate anything less than greatness, which led to players feeling a great deal of pressure. Miller was one of them.
“People have talked about what was harder: Playing against him or being under him as a coach. No question being underneath him. There was so much pressure on us,” Miller said.
Each game was a different challenge, but there was one opponent that stood out. Bird ensured the Pacers won every game against his former team, the Boston Celtics. “To win every game that we had going to Boston, which I think we were 9-1 in those three years, but every game had to be like a Game 7,” Miller said.
Indiana dominated their matchups against the Celtics during Bird’s tenure as head coach. Although there was pressure, the Pacers found a way to perform to Bird’s expectations.
