"I don't think I've dropped that much" - When 34-year-old Larry Bird ranked himself as still one of the NBA's most dominant players

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"I don't think I've dropped that much" - When 34-year-old Larry Bird ranked himself as still one of the NBA's most dominant players originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Larry Bird was turning 35 ahead of his final NBA season, but not one bit had changed in his mentality as a player. Despite being plagued by injuries, Indiana native remained confident that he was still one of the best players in the league.
Bird played through the pain in the 1990-91 season, having dealt with a chronic back injury. Nevertheless, Larry Legend still averaged 19.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.8 steals in 60 regular-season games.
The Boston Celtics finished second in the East but were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern semifinals. Despite that, the aging yet fierce Bird did not waver. Instead, he approached the following season with remarkable competitive spirit and self-assurance.
"There are five or six guys who I think are dominant players in this league," Bird said at the time. "And I'd say I'm about sixth or seventh. I don't think I've dropped that much."
Everybody knew Larry still got it
It was no secret that Bird had been nursing a back injury since 1985. Moreover, he also underwent surgery on both his heels to remove the bone spurs that had been bothering his Achilles tendon.
Everybody in the NBA was well aware of Bird's age and condition. However, not one person in the league ever doubted what Larry Legend was capable of whenever he stepped onto the hardwood.
"If anybody can do it, it would be Larry Bird," said then-Houston Rockets coach Don Chaney before this season.
"I don't think Larry will be as dominant as he was earlier, because of his age and the surgery," he further assessed. "It's tougher for him to beat people with fakes off the dribble. But he'll use more picks and figure out a way to get from point A to point B just as effectively with assistance from his teammates. He won't allow his game to suffer, because his mind will overcome what has happened to his body."
Even with him hurt, the Celtics were still viewed by many as championship contenders that season. However, some also couldn't help but notice that Bird had been dwindling as the season unfolded. Knowing Larry, what naysayers say about him was unsurprisingly the least of his concerns.
"I don't get up every day and worry about what people say," Bird pointed out. "All I care about is playing basketball, doing my job the best I can, and trying to live with it."
Bird's love for the game was stronger than aging
The three-time MVP lived up to his assessment and still averaged 20.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game in his final NBA season. However, he was limited to just 45 games. This was the fewest games he has played in his entire career, barring the 1988-89 season, when he missed almost the entire year due to surgery.
At 35, Bird knew that he was already approaching the twilight of his illustrious NBA career. However, that thought did not bother him. His love for the game remained intact and potent.
For Bird, it was just another challenging season he had to endure, having overcome a series of obstacles in the past. Furthermore, Larry Legend implied that as long as he still enjoyed his job, he would still suit up and play his heart out on the court every single night.
"I still get the same enjoyment playing when I'm pretty healthy," Bird said. "This year was probably the best training camp I had because of the fact I was pain-free, I was moving well, I was feeling good. I knew I had to work on my game. Shooting and work on my passing because I missed all summer and didn't play all summer, so I was really enjoying it. I was going along fine, and all of a sudden, I took a couple of falls, got banged up a little bit, and tried playing through pain, and it all caught up to me. It's not fun where I'm sitting right now, but it's fun when you play pain-free."
"It doesn't matter how old you are, if you love to do something and you love to work out, and you love to play basketball, it really doesn't matter what is your age or how old you are," he added.That final run was legendary
Bird and the Celtics proved that they were still at the top of the food chain in '92. They won 51 games and finished second in the East once again.
Even though he missed almost half of the regular season, Bird recovered and returned to play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. Unfortunately, things did not play out the way Bird and the Celtics faithful had expected. Instead, Larry Legend experienced a rude awakening.
In that hard-fought seven-game series against Cleveland, Bird only played 26 minutes per outing and logged a playoff career-low 11.3 points in six games. The Celtics ultimately lost to the Cavs. The devastating defeat and the recurring back pain helped Bird decide his future. For him, it was time.
Just when he thought he was out, basketball pulled him back in. In the summer of '92, Bird was recruited to join the legendary Dream Team and represent the USA in the Barcelona Olympics.
The Dream Team run became Bird's one last hoorah before finally calling it quits. Sure enough, he officially retired after winning the gold medal for his country.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.