How to shoot a basketball like larry bird

USA Basketball - 3 Cues for Better Basketball Shooting

If you're a good basketball shooter, the coach will find a spot for you on the floor, especially at the high school level. Thus, it becomes extremely important to learn the correct basketball shooting technique, and to practice various shooting drills over and over and over again. Larry Bird didn't become one of the greatest shooters of all-time just because he had a pretty shot. He practiced relentlessly too.

It's amazing how many kids don't know how to shoot a basketball correctly. They can't even explain the correct shooting technique, let alone demonstrate it. So we use a couple of cues to correct even the most horrid shooter's shots.

Once again, we use the Wooden approach to improving a basketball player's shot: quick, short cues not long explanations, as well as showing the player how to do it correctly, showing them how they are doing it, and then showing them how to do it correctly one more time.

Here are three cues for better basketball shooting:

Start Small End Tall

We actually stole this one from Ganon Baker. Very few kids actually explode into their shot. They start way too tall and never get their legs involved. They may shoot fine 8-10 feet from the basket in stationary drills, but once we move them to the 3-point line or it comes to the 4th quarter, every shot becomes short. And if it isn't short, it's on a line drive with little hope of going in. Plus, a tall shooter coming off the screen is a slow, poor shooter.

So we use the cue "start small, end tall." Originally, we would use cues like "bend the knees", "push the hips back", "sit back", or "hip hinge." We like "start small, end tall" better because it not only reminds the shooter to explode into their shot by pushing their hips back, but it also reminds them to end in an extended position with a great follow-through. Essentially, it gives us the best bang for our buck in the fewest words possible. We quickly found out that the fewer words we use, the more likely the athletes will remember it.

Snap the Elbow

This is one of the biggest basketball shooting mistakes we see with players: not extending their follow through. They will continually short-arm their shot. That almost always results in a line drive.

Once again, we used to use "snap the wrist", "hand in the rim", "up and out", and "shoot out of the telephone booth." However, we like "snap the elbow" better because it solves multiple problems with one cue. It reminds the athlete to extend the follow through. It also reminds them to shoot up and then out as it's almost impossible to really snap your elbow without extending your arm up first. And it indirectly reminds the athlete to snap their wrist on the follow through because once you snap your elbow, your wrist will automatically snap.

The result: a beautiful arching shot that touches nothing but the net.

Middle to Middle

This is another wrist/elbow problem we see often with basketball shooters. Either the shooter will snap their wrist to the inside/outside of the rim, or they will have their elbow sticking out and not lined up towards the basket. Although the shooter can make adjustments for these and still be a good shooter, he/she will never be a great shooter without thousands of hours of practice to compensate for the error in technique.

We used to use cues like "center of the rim", "back of the room", or "grab the rim", but we like "Middle to the Middle" better. Once again, it attacks two problems with as few words as possible. Players are reminded to take their middle finger to the middle of the rim (where the middle finger goes, the hand will follow), as we as line up the middle of their elbow to the middle of the rim. Thus, their accuracy should be improved tremendously. If they miss shots, they should always be missing long or short, never right or left.

All three of these cues are absolutely useless unless you explain the meanings behind them. You always have to speak the same language as the athlete. What you say may not always be what they hear. Thus, we usually make the athletes repeat it back to us in their own words just to see if they are hearing what we're saying. Plus, it also gives us the opportunity to find a cue that may be a better fit. Once we're both on the same page as far as cues are concerned, shooting drills become a lot more efficient and effective with as a little talking as possible.

'That, to Me, Changed Everything'

It takes decades and a goal of absolute perfection to develop a jump shot like Larry Bird’s. The Hick from French Lick was much more than just a shooter, but his ability to rise and fire over any defender was one of the Hall of Famer’s greatest strengths. It helped lead the Boston Celtics to NBA supremacy in the 1980s.

Bird had plenty of mentors during his 13-year career, but it was his sixth-grade coach, of all people, who taught him a trick that shaped one of the greatest jumpers of all time.

Larry Bird is one of the greatest shooters in nba history

Bird was a 49.6% shooter for his career and a 37.6% shooter from deep over his 13 seasons. When he played in the ’80s, 3-pointers hadn’t quite caught on yet — especially not to the level they have in the last few years.

The most 3-point attempts Bird ever averaged in a single season was 3.3. He only had three different years in which he averaged more than three attempts per game. Still, he shot better than 40% from deep in six different seasons.

Extrapolating that to today’s NBA when Bird would probably be taking at least seven 3s per game, if not more, and assuming he still shoots at least his 37.6% career average, the three-time NBA champion would have scored closer to 30.0 points per game rather than 24. 3.

One of the prettiest jump shots of all time would certainly translate to the league in 2021 and make Bird an even more dangerous offensive player. The threat of more spacing because of his ability to stretch the floor would make a player who averaged more than six assists during his career even more of a playmaking threat as well.

Bird’s jumper began to take shape in sixth grade

In a sit-down interview with ESPN, Bird talked about some of the shooting secrets he picked up over his career that helped turn him into such a deadly marksman. One of those tricks was a simple one he learned from his sixth-grade coach.

Bird said an exercise that strengthened his wrists helped him develop his signature jumper. It was the straightforward, old-school move of twisting a roller with strings and weights attached, he explained:

“So my coach said, ‘You’re going to get your wrist stronger. ’ He was the varsity coach. So I did that all the time. And I still think today that’s one of the reasons I was able to shoot the way I shot. That, to me, changed everything. I was in the sixth grade — what, 10, 12 years old.”

Bird on what he learned from his sixth-grade coach that helped develop his jump shot

The three-time NBA MVP said that move helped develop a wrist-centric jumper that he called a “slingshot.” Kevin Durant — another one of the deadliest shooters in NBA history — reportedly uses the same exercise.

“More than anything, I [worked] on my wrists. I don’t know why.

“And I would tell kids, when they start, 8, 9, 10 years old, I would do wrist exercises. … It’s interesting hearing that [Durant] did that, because to me, I always thought that was the key for me when I was young.”

Bird on hearing that Kevin Durant does the same shooting exercises he did as a young player

That stroke led Bird and the Celtics to three NBA championships

The Celtics won three championships with Bird at the helm — 1981, 1984, and 1986. Bird was just 24 and in his second season when Boston won the 1981 title, but he averaged 24.9 points over 17 games in those playoffs, shooting 47% from the floor and 89.4% from the free-throw line.

In the 1984 postseason, when Bird began to slowly incorporate the 3-point shot into his arsenal, he averaged 32.2 points with a 52. 4/41.2/87.9 slash line. In the 1986 playoffs, he took a career-high 3.5 3s per game and shot 41.4% from long range.

Larry Legend began to shoot more 3s as the seasons went on, especially once some of his athleticism left him as his back began to give out. Bird’s stats in 2021, with the league’s emphasis on 3-point shooting, would be wild to look at.

And it all began with an extraordinarily simple wrist exercise Bird learned while playing middle school basketball.

All statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference.

RELATED: Larry Bird Had Glowing Praise for Reggie Miller After the Pacers Star Beat Michael Jordan’s Bulls on One Foot in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals: ‘He Put Everything on the Line and Stepped Up’

9 tips from Jay Wolf

Hello, dear visitors of the website basketball-training.org.ua ! In this article, we will talk about one of the most important basketball elements - the throw. And not just about throwing, but about how to achieve a significant increase in the accuracy of your throws, while not radically changing their structure, that is, without retraining.

Of course, the correct throw, or, more precisely, the “classic throw from the forehead” is cool, correct and beautiful. However, it seems to me that what matters is not how you throw, but how effective these throws are. If your shot is difficult to cover and it regularly hits the basket, there is no need to change anything drastically: look at the throwing technique Larry Bird , Michael Jordan , "Magic" Johnson and Ray Allen . They all shot differently, which did not stop them from scoring well; so - draw your own conclusions.

The tips you read below are recommendations from Jay Wolf - Shot Improvement Specialist, Summer Camp Organizer, Owner of StarShooter , you can read more about him on his website - starshooter.net . Well, now, in fact, advice, divided into 2 parts: how to improve throws from close range; how to improve mid-range and long-range shots (3-point shots).

Improving close and under hoop shots

• All short range shots both to the right and to the left of the basket must be taken with a bounce off the backboard and a point of aim.

In principle, nothing new, this is where all throw training begins in every sports school: they learn to throw from the backboard, while the ball must touch the upper corner of the “square” drawn above the ring. The ball should softly touch this corner (remember about reverse spin of the ball on throw) and bounce into the basket. In order to focus the thrower's attention on the aiming point, you can stick a dollar sign or a picture of the sight there. Remember: the shield is your best ally, be sure to learn how to bounce off it.

• Practice clean throws from under the hoop and clean throws off the backboard from the second tendrils.

So, let's figure it out. A clean throw is a throw where the ball is dropped into the basket without touching the ring itself. To achieve such a throw, you need to throw very softly, with reverse rotation, finishing with a brush. Such throws require the maximum concentration of attention from the basketball player and a change in the trajectory. So, we make 5 throws from under the ring in a row, 3 of which must be clean. If it's very easy, then add the number of throws up to 10, trying to get everything clean. Throws can be made with a rebound from the backboard, but the ball must not touch the ring hoop itself. Challenge yourself - and pass this test with honor!

Improvements to medium and long range shots

• Again perform clean throws : 5 shots in a row from one spot.

By the way, for me, clean throws are a big problem: the peculiarity of my throw is that I sort of load the far bow, “striking” which, the ball falls down. But here's the problem - if the ring is a little higher than usual, then almost all the balls go into the near bow, and while I get used to it, I smear a lot.

This job allows develop stable throw accuracy . Five throws in a row help improve accuracy, because the shape of the throw, the effort applied, the trajectory - all this must be the same and repeat all the time. Clean shots make the trajectory “lift up”, which is also good: they are more difficult to cover and, as a rule, when the ball touches the ring, the ball will fall into the basket. And one more thing: a high trajectory gives rise to a short rebound, for which it will be easier for partners to compete.

• Make multiple free throws in a row before leaving the court (practice).

Such a move will allow you to repeat all the elements of the throw again and develop self-confidence. After the shot, you pick up the ball yourself, return to the free-throw line - and shoot again. It is important to repeat all the routine that occurs before the free throws in the game. In order to recreate the game situation even more realistically, simply add jerks to the exercise: throw the ball, perform a jerk after the ball (to the middle of the hall, etc. ), return to the line again - throw it. Players can be stimulated by some kind of competitive effect: who spends more time on 5 (7, 10) executed free throws in a row - runs, pushes up, carries a partner to the locker room, etc.

• Shoot 200 free throws daily for 5 days, or 500 on the first day and 200 on the next 4 days. Goal: 25/25 rolls, of which 15 will be clean.

Here you need to understand that you will need at least 1 partner who will “bring the cores”. In America, of course, this is not a problem, there are personnel who receive money for this kind of service. But with us it will be more difficult, we will have to look for like-minded people. According to Jay Wolf, such a series of shots will help to hone the form of the shot, the moment of release of the ball and the trajectory; and also - they will increase the accuracy of 3-point shots. Again, according to Wolf, 100 throws will take 15 minutes.

I once tried to throw such a series of free kicks. My execution technique is as follows: I squat a little, then straighten my legs and straighten my body at the same time I straighten my arms. As soon as the body is fully unbent (I also stand on my toes), the ball is released. It turns out - as if one movement. So, the calves quickly began to hurt from such lifts, the hands got tired, and the hand refused to twist the ball. But some results did appear, so the exercise is useful, even very useful.

• Find out where you most frequently shoot from in games – and practice your “signature points” by shooting at least 5 clean shots in a row from those points.

I already wrote about this in an article about how to develop a shot ( Shot training in basketball ), it turned out not quite the way I imagined it in my head, but still it is very informative and useful.

• Practice throwing on a correctly marked area , in a correctly labeled shield. The court must have a correctly drawn 3-point line.

And again I will complain a little: why in our country do people who have no idea how it should be do everything? Why are basketball markings applied by people who have never played basketball and do not know what the front line is? As a result, it passes under the front bow of the ring. And the “three-ruble note” - why is it 6 meters on the right, and more than 7 meters on the left? Why?

So - try to choose good sites with correct markings. And another note: at first it is very difficult to throw with a rebound from the backboard, if the backboard is streetball, i.e. much less than standard.

• Hold hands after throwing , as if guiding the ball into the basket until it reaches there.

Here it should be noted that in his video about the throw, the legendary Pete Maravich (lessons from which will soon appear on the site) recommends not to hold a fixed hand, but rather to wave 2-3 times after the ball , repeating the final stage brush work.

• And once again about the type of throw: a good throw is the one that in 60% of cases is not covered by the opponent and reaches the basket.

The point is that by doing this kind of throwing training you can develop confidence and improve your throwing stability. And the belief that now you can score is a very cool thing.

Another little piece of advice from me: visualization is a thing that really works (I'll write about it someday in the context of developing shooting skills, dribbling, muscle development, etc.). So, if, when releasing the ball towards the ring, you mentally imagine how it will sink into the ring, pleasantly rustling with the net, the percentage of sales may increase. The main thing is to believe!

And this is where I end, I wish you successful training and accurate throws! Good luck, and see you soon on the pages of our site.

Larry Bird's Career Thrash Talk Highlights

Complex recalls Larry Bird's Career Thrash Talk Highlights.

Original: Viral Hoops , Complex

When it comes to the kings of thrash talk, Larry Bird's name is one of the first to be mentioned. His mouth practically did not close, but, being a great player, he always backed up his words with deeds.

1) “From coaching knees”. Byrd scores 60 points for Atlanta

Remember the game against Atlanta when Larry scored 60 points.

Doc remembers it too:

“Bird spread out and started telling us what he was going to do, like “I'll score from the shield”. In that game, he tormented Dominic.

He saw him as a rising star and tortured him, psychologically tortured. He seemed to mock us all, saying: “From the shield”, “Who is next”, “Where do you want this time from”, while continuing to score one after another. When he had 55 points on his account, it became clear that something special was happening.

We lost so much that evening that even though we ourselves are immersed in the game, there is time to realize what is happening, and this rarely happens. Before the last shot, he said, "From the coach's knees," implying that the shot would be a long-range three-pointer, and added, "Who wants to?" I don’t remember who exactly, like Reggie Brown ran out on him, Larry threw the ball in a very high trajectory and scored, Reggie accidentally flew into Larry and knocked him down and he fell right into our coach’s knees.

So he said, it was, of course, an accident, but as if it could not be otherwise. We shot Cliff Livingston and Eddie Johnson on our bench dealing fives, it was fun.

Later that evening it wasn't so fun anymore. Instead of dinner, Mike Fratello called the team to a meeting, started the video and said: "It's one thing to admire the game, it's quite another to cheer for someone else's team. " And twisted the moment again and again. It was fun."

2) “There is nothing to talk about here, you know who will win.” Bird in a 3-Point Contest

This story was shared by Michael Cooper:

“Larry comes in and says, 'I hope you guys are looking for second place because I'm going to win today.

He starts shooting and seems to be unable to miss.

And, of course, he wins by giving a thumbs up before the last ball flies into the basket without even bothering to take off his tracksuit.

The next year, Dale Ellis told reporters that Byrd, on the contrary, was not so verbose. He simply said: "There is nothing to talk about here, you know who will win."

Later, after Craig Hodges won the contest in Larry's absence, he was asked if the victory was detracted from Larry's non-participation. "He knows where to find me!" Craig snapped. Upon learning of Hodges' challenge, Byrd retorted, "At the end of the Bulls bench."

3) "You can't stop me." Larry Bird vs. Clyde Drexler

And Clyde has a story about Larry.

“I defended against him once during my first season in the league, he looked at me and said:“ You can’t stop me, ”I’m like“ Damn it, boy, how are you so sure? to which he replies, “Why? You're a beginner, you don't know anything!

"And scores 10 points in a row through me, the coach puts me on the bench, Larry walks by and laughs at me."

4) "Fly, birdie." Larry vs. Brad Doherty

Brad Doherty also has something to remember:

“Larry Bird catches the ball in the corner, I take off for him, he prepares to throw, I jump out, he fakes and I fly past him, and he says me: "fly, birdie," and scores.

5) "I'm putting on a show for you today." Larry vs Magic

The Magic couldn't play one of the games against Boston because of an injury, but that didn't stop Larry from saying a few words:

“I pulled my hamstring and couldn't play. He comes up to me and says: “Man, it’s a pity that you don’t play, but I’ll tell you what, you are here, so I will organize a show especially for you today, just relax and watch,” then I answer him: “You fucked up? I don’t even want to hear about it,” but that didn’t stop Larry from looking me straight in the eye after every goal scored.”

6) “You said you were going to kick his ass” Larry vs. Elvin Hayes

Kevin McHale says:

“The game is about to start, getting ready to fold, and all of a sudden Larry says, “Come on, Kevin, tell Alvin Hayes the same thing he told me." And I didn't say anything to him. Larry adds, "Come on, you said you were going to kick his ass." Alvin looks at me, it is clear that he will not turn away, and I say: “Well, yes.”

7) “Tomorrow I am going to play with my left hand”

Bill Walton remembers: “By the end of one of the away tours, Larry did everything he wanted, we never lost, and he said to all of us, players and journalists: “Tomorrow is the last game away, and I'm going to play with one left hand, at least three quarters.

The next day in Portland by the end of the third quarter, he scored 27 points against poor Jerome Kersey. Incredible game."

In the end, Byrd finished the game with 47 points (21-34 from the field) and 14 rebounds, while also posting 11 assists. Let's not forget that Larry, with his throw, turned the game into overtime, in which he scored the decisive goal.

8) “They have suffered enough as it is.” Byrd vs. Utah

February 18, 1985 Larry managed to record a triple-double (30 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) and 9 steals in three quarters of the game against Utah. After the game, the journalists asked him if he wanted to play in the last quarter to earn a quadruple-double, to which he replied: “Why? They've suffered enough as it is."

9) "42-6". Larry vs. Julius Irving

The famous fight between Larry and Dr. Jay was supposedly due to one single phrase that Bird repeated during the game. The phrase is "42-6", corresponding to the number of points scored by Bird and Irving in a game confidently won by "Boston". Byrd was not too lazy to voice these figures to Irving after each goal scored, which, apparently, acted on the latter's nerves, which, in the end, could not stand such a brazen mockery. And then he pushed everything in his autobiography onto ML Carr, as if shouting it all from the bench.

10) "Son, I'm the fucking best shooter in the league." Larry vs. Reggie Miller

Reggie Miller, in his book I Love Being the Enemy, writes that he somehow tried to stop Byrd from taking free throws in the final minutes of the game. Larry gave him a stern look, took the first free kick and said, “Son, I'm the fucking best shooter in the league. In the LEAGUE, you understand? And are you fucking trying to tell me something here? And scores the second.

11) Merry fucking Christmas. Bird vs. Chuck Person

Before the game against Indiana, Bird told Chuck Person that he had a Christmas present for him. Already during the game, when Chuck was on the bench, Larry threw a three-pointer right in front of him, and as soon as he released the ball, he turned to Chuck and said: "Merry fucking Christmas", after which the ball naturally flew Add to cart. This was no doubt in response to Person's (nicknamed "the gunslinger") statement: "The gunslinger is on his way and he's about to go bird hunting."

12) “Ben Pockett? Are you fucking kidding me or something?" Larry vs. Bulls

When it came to basketball, Larry Bird didn't care about race at all, maybe just a little. Larry said, “I don't care who's got my back. Red, yellow, black, whatever. The main thing is that the white guy does not play against me, because it offends me, offends my game.

In 1987, the Bulls messed up with Bird's free tickets, so before the drop, Larry approached Bulls coach Doug Collins and told him about it, and also asked about the record for points scored by an away team player, promising to beat him. The game began, the Bulls put Ben Pockett, a white forward, on defense against Larry. Byrd, who took this as an insult, laughed and said to Collins, “Ben Pockett? Are you fucking kidding me or what?"

Byrd scored 33 at half-time and 41 in the match.

13) “I will sign the fastest. Spot it.” Bird vs. Dream Team

In the Dream Team documentary, one of the guys tells this story:

“I had about 80 balls in Barcelona, ​​all the players had to sign them. Byrd, who was the last one, asks: “How much did they sign for?”, I say: “From 8 to 20 minutes.” He replied: “I will sign the fastest. Spot it." Everyone signs, and the last one throws me: “How much is there? 4.30! YES!" That's the competitive spirit, from start to finish."

14) “While you guys are having a good time, I work in the gym”

Grant Hill shares his impressions of Larry: “I remember after training we all went to the beach, and on the way back, we ran into Larry Bird in the elevator . He was the oldest player on the team and had just left the gym to practice shooting. He started saying something like: "While you guys are having a good time, I'm working in the gym." The next day he showed us all, he just couldn't be stopped."

“That's when I realized, that's the reason he's Larry Bird. Summer, long training, but it's not enough for him.

15) "Who's taking care of me, Chuck?" Larry vs. Dennis Rodman

After hitting Rodman four times in a row, Larry ran up to Chuck Daly and asked, “Who's got me, Chuck? Does anyone actually take care of me? You better put someone against me or I'll score 60."

Dennis confirms this story: “I didn't stick to him, I prevented him from getting the ball, and Larry just shouted to his people: “I'm free! Faster, before they notice that no one is protecting me, ”then he will go to my jaw with his elbow and throw, and then he starts with the coach:“ Coach, you better change the guy for someone who will play defense, it’s just very easy when I'm constantly free. "

16) “Maybe you can find someone who even has a chance.” Larry vs. George Macleod

When Indiana put rookie George Macleod on defense against Larry in the closing minutes of the game, Byrd yelled at the Pacers' bench, "I know you're desperate, but maybe you can find someone who even has a chance."

17) “Did you understand everything?” Bird vs. Dallas bench

One day in 1986, Bird decided to taunt the Mavericks bench: “Listen here guys, when the timeout ends, Ainge will throw the ball to DJ, he will pass me right in the corner, I will do it” step back” and score three. Did you understand everything? I'll stand right here, I won't move, they'll give me the ball and the next sound you'll hear will be the rustle of the ball passing the net.” After Larry's plan was implemented, he winked at the Dallas bench as he returned to defense.

18) “You don't belong here, boy.” Larry vs. Dominic Wilkins

During his rookie season in 1982 against Boston, Dominic Wilkins first faced Larry Bird, who was in his fourth year in the league. “At the beginning of the game, before the ball was dropped, I went up to Larry and just wanted to shake his hand. Larry looked at me with a completely calm face, while holding his hands behind his back and said: “You don’t belong here boy.” I just couldn’t believe it, everything happened so quickly that I didn’t even know what to say.

This, of course, did not end there. When Dominic started patronizing Bird, Larry said, “I really don't understand why the fuck they put you in to play with me. You won't stop me." After Bird immediately hit a three-choker, and in the very next attack, before another three-shot scored, Larry said: "They made a big mistake by putting you in defense guy."

However, Dominik still got the opportunity to take revenge on Larry, scoring through him in several attacks, in one of which Larry jumped out unsuccessfully, fell and hit the base of the ring structure and said: “I like you newbie, you have balls ". Dominic was delighted for a second, but after Larry added: “But anyway, I'm going to score 40 today through you.

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