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Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching the Game I Love
The first sentence of Larry Bird's candid post-player memoir begins blandly enough: "On August 18, 1992, I announced my retirement from the Boston Celtics." It's the one that follows--"It was one of the happiest days of my life"--that sets the tone for the book. Most stars have to be pulled off center stage, but as Bird Watching makes clear, the former Celtic legend who returned home to eventually coach the Indiana Pacers is certainly a rare bird. He's not afraid to ruffle feathers. And he's not afraid to tell his truth.
Perhaps the most striking revelations concern his heart. On top of the back pain that plagued him through much of his career, from time to time Bird experienced the feeling--and disorienting flush--of an irregular heartbeat, which he kept hidden from the Celtics. Even now, in the stress-filled world of coaching, Bird has almost passed out on the bench a couple of times--but he remains a fierce competitor. "I'm not going to be stupid about this heart condition, but I'm not going to live my whole life in fear of this thing either. If it goes, it goes."
Bird Watchingspends virtually no time with Bird the player; he's not one for looking back. He's more interested in explaining his evolution and thinking as a coach, examining the current state of the NBA, and picking apart the Pacer's disastrous 1999 playoff loss to the Knicks. He does, however, reminisce about his amazing connection to Magic Johnson, comparing it to the bond between Ali and Frazier. "I knew it was going to be like that forever after I played him in college for the national championship," Bird writes. "I never came up against anyone, other than Magic, who could challenge me mentally. Magic always took me to the limit." From Bird, it's hard to imagine a more heartfelt compliment. --Jeff Silverman
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First published September 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 29, 2020
One of my favorite basketball players reflecting back on his career and talking about coaching in the NBA. Great book. Lots of insights. Bought off the shelf the year it was released.
Update 2020: Re-Read this. Still holds up. I enjoy reading Bird’s thoughts on basketball, the League, and now coaching. Great read.
Update 2020: Re-Read this. Still holds up. I enjoy reading Bird’s thoughts on basketball, the League, and now coaching. Great read.
June 11, 2023
B+
Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching the Game I Love was written before Larry Bird's third season as the coach of the Indiana Pacers. Bird explores some of his career as a player in the NBA but focuses more on his coaching career and basketball fundamentals.
Bird Watching is more personal than When the Game Was Ours as Bird's life is the book's focal point instead of his rivalry with Magic Johnson. Bird discusses becoming a father, the death of his mother, and the events that caused him to leave the Boston Celtics.
The book ends after Bird's second season as the Pacers coach. Since he only coached the team for three seasons, I wish he had waited until the end of his final season to write the book so It would have felt more complete.
Bird Watching is the third book about/by Larry Bird I've read in the past month. I'll likely take a break from books on Larry Bird for a while. Ha!
Still, Bird Watching is fun and informative. It's also more personal than When the Game Was Ours and Wish It Lasted Forever, giving a more focused picture of who Larry Bird is as a person.
Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching the Game I Love was written before Larry Bird's third season as the coach of the Indiana Pacers. Bird explores some of his career as a player in the NBA but focuses more on his coaching career and basketball fundamentals.
Bird Watching is more personal than When the Game Was Ours as Bird's life is the book's focal point instead of his rivalry with Magic Johnson. Bird discusses becoming a father, the death of his mother, and the events that caused him to leave the Boston Celtics.
The book ends after Bird's second season as the Pacers coach. Since he only coached the team for three seasons, I wish he had waited until the end of his final season to write the book so It would have felt more complete.
Bird Watching is the third book about/by Larry Bird I've read in the past month. I'll likely take a break from books on Larry Bird for a while. Ha!
Still, Bird Watching is fun and informative. It's also more personal than When the Game Was Ours and Wish It Lasted Forever, giving a more focused picture of who Larry Bird is as a person.
December 9, 2014
Bird Watching
The book I read was Bird Watching, written by Larry Bird with Jackie MacMullan. The book is about how Larry Bird played and coached the game he loved. The theme of this book is unfailing determination. Larry Bird said,”I've got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.” Larry Bird fought through many injuries, and even though he had to sit out some games, the next day he would give one hundred and ten percent. Larry Bird is known for his determination, both on and off the court, and that is a lesson for any athlete to learn.
Larry Bird is one of the most famous players to play the game of basketball. He played for the Boston Celtics. He also enjoyed success off the court. Many people know Larry for how good of a player he was, but he was also a winning coach of the Indiana Pacers. A person can learn a lot from Larry’s actions. He said that before any game he coached he felt like he wanted to die, but once the team started playing he would feel great (113). He also had great ideas as a coach; some that worked and others that didn’t. When something didn’t work he would get over it and start working on the next thing. He wasn’t an individual who played or coached with regret. His drive is an example of motivation for every age. In his last season as a player he had to sit out more than half the year. (11) Despite his personal set back, the Celtics still made the playoffs and Larry supported his teammates through it all.
When Larry was playing the game people would say it was an unbelievable sight to see because he gave so much effort. Every page of this book emphasizes his determination. The book is great because every page captures Larry’s fierce competiveness and his refusal to give up. I recommend this book to anyone who loves the game of basketball or who is looking for motivation to accomplish what they thought they couldn’t. I think the book is a great read.
The book I read was Bird Watching, written by Larry Bird with Jackie MacMullan. The book is about how Larry Bird played and coached the game he loved. The theme of this book is unfailing determination. Larry Bird said,”I've got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.” Larry Bird fought through many injuries, and even though he had to sit out some games, the next day he would give one hundred and ten percent. Larry Bird is known for his determination, both on and off the court, and that is a lesson for any athlete to learn.
Larry Bird is one of the most famous players to play the game of basketball. He played for the Boston Celtics. He also enjoyed success off the court. Many people know Larry for how good of a player he was, but he was also a winning coach of the Indiana Pacers. A person can learn a lot from Larry’s actions. He said that before any game he coached he felt like he wanted to die, but once the team started playing he would feel great (113). He also had great ideas as a coach; some that worked and others that didn’t. When something didn’t work he would get over it and start working on the next thing. He wasn’t an individual who played or coached with regret. His drive is an example of motivation for every age. In his last season as a player he had to sit out more than half the year. (11) Despite his personal set back, the Celtics still made the playoffs and Larry supported his teammates through it all.
When Larry was playing the game people would say it was an unbelievable sight to see because he gave so much effort. Every page of this book emphasizes his determination. The book is great because every page captures Larry’s fierce competiveness and his refusal to give up. I recommend this book to anyone who loves the game of basketball or who is looking for motivation to accomplish what they thought they couldn’t. I think the book is a great read.
December 1, 2017
A good book about Larry Bird. Written in his words, mainly about the end of his playing career and the post playing days. Not as engaging as the Dr J or Michael Jordan books. It does seem when reading it that Larry feels misunderstood by a lot of his peers but you can also see by what he says that a lot of that may have been his fault as he didn't feel he had to explain himself to anyone. Sad circumstances about his relationship with the Celtics at the end. Overall a good read for a fan.
March 23, 2022
My largest problem with this book was that I listened to the audiobook, which was not read by Mr. Bird, and while the reader wasn’t bad, it wasn’t Larry. Whereas had I read the book, my mind could have better heard the words in Larry’s voice.
Anytime Larry Bird wants to talk about Basketball I am up for listening.
Anytime Larry Bird wants to talk about Basketball I am up for listening.
December 14, 2017
Reading this book really gave me a few insights inside one of the many games that i love. Larry Bird stayed true to who he was and conquered the game via playing and coaching, i do wish him luck now that he owns teams.
July 20, 2017
Good story about Bird, I was hoping it would have gone into more detail though.
October 23, 2024
Audible Plus 9 hours 25 min. Narrated by Tom Stechschulte (A) I only wish it could have been read by Larry Bird!
3.5 stars 1/2 star for nostalgia
It must be a coincidence that I happened to finish listening to this book only to learn that the Boston Celtics had won the 2024 NBA championship 14 minutes earlier!
I downloaded this book months ago because my husband followed the Boston Celtics and particularly the career of Larry Bird religiously during the 1980s. I had hoped to convince my non-reading husband to listen with me to avail, so I procrastinated listening. Then I noticed that a number of books I've downloaded will only be available on Plus until October 28. Early this afternoon, I decided to try it to see if I would find it interesting. I guess it was because I only stopped for necessities. I did skip over a few chapters that dealt with Bird's first two years as coach of the Indiana Pacers to complete the last five chapters tonight. This book ends with Bird's disappointment with the team's finish at the end of his second yard of coaching. Larry Bird carried out his promise to coach only three years.
Basketball as only Larry Bird could tell it! This book brought back memories of great rivalries and great players and of the years when a player would spend a whole career playing for a single team. Bird also shares his memories of playing on the Olympic Dream Team.
I noticed on Goodreads that Larry Bird has written a few other books and also two coloring books!
3.5 stars 1/2 star for nostalgia
It must be a coincidence that I happened to finish listening to this book only to learn that the Boston Celtics had won the 2024 NBA championship 14 minutes earlier!
I downloaded this book months ago because my husband followed the Boston Celtics and particularly the career of Larry Bird religiously during the 1980s. I had hoped to convince my non-reading husband to listen with me to avail, so I procrastinated listening. Then I noticed that a number of books I've downloaded will only be available on Plus until October 28. Early this afternoon, I decided to try it to see if I would find it interesting. I guess it was because I only stopped for necessities. I did skip over a few chapters that dealt with Bird's first two years as coach of the Indiana Pacers to complete the last five chapters tonight. This book ends with Bird's disappointment with the team's finish at the end of his second yard of coaching. Larry Bird carried out his promise to coach only three years.
Basketball as only Larry Bird could tell it! This book brought back memories of great rivalries and great players and of the years when a player would spend a whole career playing for a single team. Bird also shares his memories of playing on the Olympic Dream Team.
I noticed on Goodreads that Larry Bird has written a few other books and also two coloring books!
February 18, 2022
One of the things people know about Larry Bird was that he was an incredible basketball player, and captured many young fans in the world. He did it with his creativity and passing, one of the things that he was great at. But, one of the things that was never suspected, was Larry making a book about himself. It didn’t really seem like his personality, making a book about his own life. But it still works. He does talk a lot about his positives in the NBA, like his success in winning championships and winning MVP, but he also talks about his negatives, like his back problems and how the management was falling apart at the end of his career. He doesn’t do it in order though, just in selective chapters he will talk about a specific thing, and it’s quite interesting to hear from his perspective. It’s quite an enjoyable book, to be honest. The way he talks about a subject is very interesting to hear from him. And there are loads of interesting topics from him, from when he was a coach and when he was a NBA player. The only thing that I don’t like is how Larry sometimes goes off track sometimes, which is annoying. Other than that, the book is absolutely amazing and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the opinions of Larry Bird.
July 11, 2024
Books on a cruise review 1: I got this for Father’s Day and enjoyed it. It covers Larry bird’s career from retirement through his first 2 seasons as coach of the Indiana pacers, and he felt free to let fly with all his opinions. I’m curious how this book would fly in 2024 because he is very critical of many people and not all of his takes have stood the test of time. Some of it comes across as “old man yelling at clouds” but I enjoyed bus honesty
March 23, 2022
More towards his coaching years than the playing years (because those had been largely covered already). But still some good tough insights in here. Unremarkable prose and emotionally very withdrawn, but what a legacy still.
November 24, 2022
A first hand account from Larry Bird of his NBA playing career and coaching career, with many interesting observations about his competition, players he played or coached, and what the future holds.
May 29, 2024
Awesome retrospective of the 90s through the eyes of one of the 80s’ biggest stars. Tons of neat stories and a better look into the mind of Bird than anything I’ve seen (including his other book, Drive).
December 28, 2021
very good book
June 28, 2022
I enjoyed it. A lot of interesting thoughts/quotes from Mr. Bird in this book.
July 30, 2022
I enjoyed the story. The book gives you a glimpse inside Larry Birds mind. It is not for those looking for his workout routine even though its discussed briefly.
July 10, 2023
I hav always been a Larry Bird fan. I didn’t know much about his career as a coach, so reading this book gave me a better perspective when he coached.
May 15, 2024
Great book!
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March 28, 2014One of the strategies I used was predicting. I predicted that Larry Bird would go to work for the Indiana Pacers after his final season with the Boston Celtics. He stated " I had been working in Boston's front office for three years at that point, and I was getting more and more frustrated, because Paul Gaston, the owner, and my old teammate M. L. Carr, who was the general manager, would ask my advice about certain personnel moves, then turn around and do whatever they wanted." (pg 41)
The second strategy I used was connecting to the character. Larry Bird ended his career while he was still young because of his bad back. "I woke up the next morning and said, something is wrong. My back was killing me."(pg 11). I too had to end my basketball season a little early this year because of a stress fracture in my lower spine. It was very painful so I dropped out right before the last game, and the final tournament for the end of the season.
The third strategy I used was visualizing. I visualized Larry sitting in the back room taking a break for his back. And the crowd chanting on for Larry at the end of game 5 vs the paces in 1992. "so we sit in the training room some more, and i keep hearing the crowd. They're chanting, Lar-ry! Lar-ry!"(pg 5)
The fourth strategy I used was previewing. I previewed this book before I read it. I looked at the cover and saw Larry Bird on it. Right away I knew it would have to do with him and his life time. And also the most important part of the book, basketball! The words on the book itself said "On playing and Coaching the Game I love."
The fifth and final reading strategy I used was making inferences. I made inferences about Larry's decision to work for the Celtics. Right away I could tell that he wouldn't like sitting in an office with a bunch of old teammates and a horrible owner. He said " I couldn't imagine working for any other team. But over time that changed."(pg 41)
The second strategy I used was connecting to the character. Larry Bird ended his career while he was still young because of his bad back. "I woke up the next morning and said, something is wrong. My back was killing me."(pg 11). I too had to end my basketball season a little early this year because of a stress fracture in my lower spine. It was very painful so I dropped out right before the last game, and the final tournament for the end of the season.
The third strategy I used was visualizing. I visualized Larry sitting in the back room taking a break for his back. And the crowd chanting on for Larry at the end of game 5 vs the paces in 1992. "so we sit in the training room some more, and i keep hearing the crowd. They're chanting, Lar-ry! Lar-ry!"(pg 5)
The fourth strategy I used was previewing. I previewed this book before I read it. I looked at the cover and saw Larry Bird on it. Right away I knew it would have to do with him and his life time. And also the most important part of the book, basketball! The words on the book itself said "On playing and Coaching the Game I love."
The fifth and final reading strategy I used was making inferences. I made inferences about Larry's decision to work for the Celtics. Right away I could tell that he wouldn't like sitting in an office with a bunch of old teammates and a horrible owner. He said " I couldn't imagine working for any other team. But over time that changed."(pg 41)
May 11, 2015
Larry Bird's memoir "Bird Watching" covers the years of Larry Bird's retirement and coaching career, but it also has some flashbacks to times when he was a player. Larry Bird is well known for being a legendary player, a good coach, and a great family man. It includes the 1992 Olympics, His life back in French Lick Indiana, the 1999 playoff debacle, and some important influences and role models in his life. I feel like he could have covered more on his playing career because that is what people will mainly remember him for, but the stuff that they did cover they did a spectacular job on. I really enjoyed this book because he worded his writing just like a regular guy. I would recommend this to anyone who likes basketball and is interested in what happens behind the scenes
October 30, 2015
I thought that the story was kind of bland. Larry was very descriptive in telling his story. to me it was very repetitive. The basic concept of it was that he enjoyed his coaching career and he had medical problems and that is what forced his to retire from being a pro basketball player.
Some topics that i felt that he lacked explaining was his playing career. What most everyone remembers him for is hi playing career with the Boston Celtics. All he talked about was why he retired. I feel like if he would have gone into his playing career that it would have given the book more interest to the readers.
Some topics that i felt that he lacked explaining was his playing career. What most everyone remembers him for is hi playing career with the Boston Celtics. All he talked about was why he retired. I feel like if he would have gone into his playing career that it would have given the book more interest to the readers.
January 5, 2012
This was a great book that really explained who Larry Bird was as a person and his difficulties with coaching and injuries. I liked the way he gave his perspective on things and how he had such a close bond with his teammates. Through and through this book was very good and the subject was very good.
July 2, 2007
Loved reading about all of the personalities and behind the scenes for both the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics, as well as his memories of competing in the Olympics. If you love the NBA, Larry Bird or the Boston Celtics -- this is a must read.
March 27, 2008
A great follow-up to "Drive", Larry takes us into the days following his retirement, and through his coaching journey. Again, well worth the read for basketball fans, but a definite must-read for fans of one of the greatest players in NBA history.
January 15, 2015
One of my favorite Celtics. Written with Jackie MacMullen, one of the great sports journalist out of Boston, this is a must read for any Celtic or Larry Bird fan.
A book about how the game is supposed to be played. By a player who did!
A book about how the game is supposed to be played. By a player who did!
February 10, 2008
A good look into the NBA, but Larry seems a little pompous.
Read
June 4, 2009i love his basketball skills
October 4, 2011
This is a good book if you like the celtics
June 14, 2015
Larry Bird is one of my favorite players and the Pacers my favorite team. Just not much here I hadn't already read elsewhere.
January 28, 2016
It was interesting to read about how an allstar approached the career of coaching.. I respect Larry Bird
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews