Larry Bird was not only a legendary player, he was also Pacers Executive of the Year . A fine strategist behind the scenes of the league, he had also declared in the past that LeBron James’ teammates should be avoided by all means…

Playing with LeBron James is a pretty unique opportunity in a basketball player’s career. The mere presence of the winger in a squad practically guarantees fighting for the title every year, especially if he is surrounded by players whose profile goes hand in hand with his own. Especially since his desire to serve his teammates as much as possible, the King always makes sure to keep everyone involved.

Many people have seen their careers take off after working alongside the four-time champion, particularly on a financial level. However, be careful not to forget that LeBron’s presence is also a double-edged sword, according to Larry Bird. Former Pacers Manager of the Year, he had adopted a very strict rule regarding the superstar’s teammates: never give them a contract.

Recruiting LeBron’s teammates, a bad idea?

 

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Larry Bird refused to trade for any of LeBron’s Cavaliers teammates when he was with the Pacers: “I said, ‘You don’t understand, son. These guys playing with LeBron James, they look way better than they really are.’ »

A fairly divisive argument, but not necessarily meaningless.

Indeed, you only need to see the team that LBJ took to the Finals in 2007 to understand Larry Legend’s reasoning. Žydrūnas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao were good interiors, but the rest of the roster clearly didn’t look like a team playing a leading role in the title race. The Hall of Famer’s distrust was therefore not unfounded, although it displeased some.

Maybe that’s why he never won anything with the Pacers

Playing alongside LeBron James can do wonders for your career, especially in terms of results or even salary. On the other hand, the King tends to influence the level of his teammates a little too much according to Larry Bird, hence his reluctance to sign them after good seasons.