"This is the lowest I've felt since I've been here" - Larry Bird after being humbled by the New York Knicks

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As the ’90s began, injuries plagued the Boston Celtics, signaling a decline in their storied basketball legacy. It wasn’t just the fans, but even the players could sense the diminishing relevance, and things became apparent when the Bean Town team was eliminated by the New York Knicks in the first round, forcing Larry Bird to admit that it was the lowest he felt with the team.

Frustration peaked in the 1990 playoffs

After previously suffering a clean sweep at the hands of the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 1989 playoffs, the Celtics were desperate to find some success in the postseason.

Despite securing victories in the first two games of the series, the Knicks were able to level the series thanks to Patrick Ewing’s heroics. In Game 3, he scored a game-high 33 points and 19 rebounds, and in Game 4, he continued his dominance, dropping a game-high 44 points and 13 rebounds.

With the decisive Game 5 in Boston, Bird & Co. had the home crowd between them. They entered the halftime with a 6-point lead. However, after being outscored 71-60 in the second half, despite each of the starters scoring at least 17 points, the Celtics lost 121-114.

Despite scoring a game-high 31 points (tied with Ewing), Bird struggled in the last quarter, shooting only 1-of-6 from the field. His missed reverse dunk with 4:17 left could have brought the home team within one, but it wasn’t to be.

After the loss, the three-time MVP owned up to his mistakes, not shying away from expressing his disappointment for letting his team down.

“I made some real bonehead plays down the stretch,” Bird said. “I’m as shocked as everyone else. This is the lowest I’ve felt since I’ve been here.”

Bird didn’t throw dirt at coach Jimmy Rodgers

Boston’s lack of bench depth was obvious, highlighted by them scoring just 4 points in Game 5 against the Knicks. Furthermore, with Reggie Lewis being the sole young player in the starting lineup and the aging superstars having to log heavy minutes every game, it was evident that the Celtics were on the wrong path.

At the time, while some sections of the media were blaming coach Jimmy Rodgers for the Celtics’ inability to advance past the first round in his two years as coach, the 12-time All-Star didn’t participate in the blame game. Instead, he emphasized his good rapport with Rodgers.

“Some press started it all. I respect the man. I respect all the coaches I ever had,” Bird added. “Of course, I don’t agree with everything, I agree with 95% of it.”