“I ain’t used to the basket” – Larry Bird’s explanation for struggling with shooting the ball in his Boston Celtics debut

Whenever the greatest shooters in basketball history come up, Larry Bird’s name still finds its way into the conversation.

Read more Fulham Draw Leaves Man Utd With Serious Questions to Answer During International Break

Even decades after his career ended, the Boston Celtics legend remains the epitome of what elite shooting looked like in the so-called golden era of basketball. It’s a testament to how skilled Bird was and how far ahead of his peers he was as a scorer and player in general. However, Bird’s reputation as one of the game’s greatest shooters did not come overnight.

His accolades, records, and opponents’ testimonies of their clashes may seem to paint a picture of a player who was always in complete control – that he was a killer the moment he first set foot on an NBA court in 1979. Larry’s NBA debut against the Houston Rockets, however, told a very different story.

Bird had a poor shooting night on his debut

By the late 1970s, Bird had already become one of the most talked-about young prospects in basketball. The forward from French Lick, Indiana, had turned heads during his college career at Indiana State, building anticipation surrounding his eventual arrival in the NBA.

Selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 draft, Bird was supposed to join the Celtics that season, but he decided to remain at Indiana State and finish his senior year in college. The wait finally ended in 1979 as Latrry signed with the Celtics, officially beginning his NBA career.

In his NBA debut on October 12, 1979, the Celtics went head-to-head with the Rockets, led by Moses Malone. Houston brought the fight to Boston, but the Celtics ultimately won, 114-106. Bird finished with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds and five assists. During the game, the 6’9″ forward struggled with his long-range shots.

After the game, Bird offered a blunt assessment of his debut performance to reporters, explaining the key reason for his struggles.

“My outside shot I felt wasn’t there tonight because I ain’t used to the rim,” he

Read more Rangers shelve Cal Quantrill (lat) for rest of regular season

Felt good. Always feel good when I’m playing basketball. Just couldn’t get it going tonight. But we won, that’s what it’s all about.”

Related: “Why are girls mad? That is literally what she does” – Sophie Cunningham defends Sydney Sweeney amidst women hating her nude gambling ad

Bird went on to have a Hall of Fame career

Bird said he struggled because he was still getting accustomed to the NBA’s standard rim. However, he quickly settled in, putting together a much stronger performance in his second game.

Facing the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 13, 1979, Bird led the Celtics to a 139-117 victory with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field, along with seven rebounds and five assists, a significant improvement from his NBA debut.

Larry Legend finished the season shooting 40.6 percent from deep and 47.4 percent from the field. That second outing offered a glimpse of what was to come. It did not take long for him to establish himself as a bona fide NBA star. And the rest, as they say, was history.

From struggling with his outside shot to building a Hall of Fame career. Through 13 years, Bird shot a career 24.3 points on 49.6 percent shooting and 37.6 percent from deep, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists.

Bird won three championships, two Finals MVPs and three MVPs, while earning the Rookie of the Year honors, 12 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA nods and three NBA Three-Point Contest titles. These accolades all cemented his place in NBA history and his reputation as a winning player – and that’s the story of Larry that people now remember and tell.

Related: “I bet he’s a little bit more fun off the court” – Sophie Cunningham compares Caitlin Clark’s personality to Larry Bird’s

Read more 4 Not-So-Good, 2 Good Things From Steelers Loss to Patriots

Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published September 20, 2026 at 4:06 PM.