Larry Bird shares his honest take on Bill Russell - "He set it too high, but he set the bar"

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Larry Bird is not one to always express his admiration for his fellow NBA legends, but when he does, he does it with such sincerity. For instance, “Larry Legend” shared his honest thoughts on Bill Russell back in 2011.

According to Bird, Russell winning 11 NBA championships put a lot of pressure on not only his fellow Boston Celtics but also the entire league. Atop that, Larry also acknowledged that Bill’s impact goes beyond basketball, which truly made him an inspirational sports figure and person.

“Bill Russell is one of my idols; I adore him,” Bird told CBS News in 2011. “He’s done so much for the game and so much for the world. He means so much to all of us in this game. He set the bar; he set it too high, but he set the bar.”

Larry recognizes his late Celtics teammates’ contributions as well

As far as the greatest Celtics players of all time go, it’s safe to say that Russell and Bird are 1 and 1A. However, “The Hick from French Lick” also recognizes the contributions and impact of other Celtics legends, including some of his teammates.

For Bird, Bill indeed laid the groundwork for the Cs, but he would always pay homage to the greats who also gave it all they had for the franchise, especially his teammates who have already passed away.

“I looked up there and paid my respects to DJ (Dennis Johnson) and Reggie (Lewis),” Bird said of his late teammates. “I know how important it was to them to have their numbers up in the rafters. DJ, with the fine career he had, and Reggie’s, was cut short. (I was) just thinking of them.”

Bird and Bill set the bar for Tatum

Russell and Bird have already etched their names in the Celtics lore. Bill would always be honored for starting the Celtics championship culture, while Larry would always be remembered for uplifting it during his time.

At present, Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum is eager to carry the torch and hopefully join Russell and Bird in the Celtics Mount Rushmore. To do so, Tatum knows that he needs to lead the C’s to a championship, too.

“I would love to be on the Mount Rushmore of Celtics,” Tatum once said. “[Larry] Bird, [Bill] Russell, Paul Pierce and those guys. They paved the way. The one thing all those guys have is chips. I have to get to the top of the mountain even to be considered as one of those guys. I want to be an all-time great, I want to be known as a winner, and I believe I will be.”

In conclusion, being a Celtics player is one thing, but being a legend like Russell and Bird is another. As it stands, only time will tell if Tatum can also join their ranks.