Add Larry Bird to the chorus of ex-NBA players who would never had joined their rivals on a superteam.
Magic and Larry joining forces? Maybe on the Olympic Dream Team but not in the Association, Bird told Mark Boyle and Chris Spatola on SiriusXM Radio.
A few days after Michael Jordan sounded off on Kevin Durant leaving the Thunder to join the Warriors, the team that had just knocked them out of the playoffs, Bird echoed those comments, but didn't go full get-off-my-lawn, saying, "...these guys are different and I understand a lot of it and it’s within the rules so they can do whatever they do."
Larry Legend's full comments, and audio below:
Well, it’s hard, Mark, because when these players get together and go play it just makes them a lot stronger. But that’s why we have free agency. If they stay within the rules I have no problem with it and I’m happy for them but you like to be on a team where you can be competitive. I know back in the day I couldn’t imagine going to the Lakers and playing with Magic Johnson. I’d rather try to beat him. But, you know, these guys are different and I understand a lot of it and it’s within the rules so they can do whatever they do. I can remember years ago we were fighting, when I played, for free agency, you know, pure free agency so there’d be more movement. But I could never imagine myself going and joining another team with great players because I had great players and I was in a great situation.