NBA Rumors: 10 Reasons Larry Bird Should Have Taken the Cleveland Coaching Job
Sometimes we find out about things way after they already happened.
This was the case in Cleveland this week, as fans were treated to yet another form of rejection by the National media.
Rumors were leaked this week that Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird turned down an offer to coach the Cleveland Cavaliers this off-season.
Larry Bird, as many of you can remember, made his coaching debut in 1997 with the Indiana Pacers and vowed that he would only coach in the NBA for three seasons.
He made good on this promise, leading the Pacers to three consecutive winning seasons and two Central Division championships from 1997-2000.
After his short coaching stint, he left the Pacers franchise for three years, only to return in 2003 with his current title of President of Basketball Operations.
Bird stated that he turned down the Cavaliers offer because he does not wish to coach ever again in the NBA, and that he wanted to remain close to his family.
Those reasons are understandable, but there are still people out there that think a return to coaching might just be a good thing for Larry Bird.
I mean think of it from a competitive point of view.
Larry Bird was one of the most accomplished and determined players in NBA history.
He won three NBA Championships as a player, and almost won one as a coach in 2000.
That almost HAS to be eating at Larry Legend.
And while Cleveland may not have been the most attractive championship option out there, I think a return to coaching would have been perfect for Mr. Bird.
With that said, let's get on to the 10 reasons why I think Larry Bird should have taken the Cleveland coaching job.
As always....sit back, relax, and don't forget to comment!
10. More McDonald's Commercials
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I figured we could get this list started out with a little bit of humor.
I mean, who didn't enjoy Larry Bird starring with Michael Jordan in all of those McDonald's commercials?
A return to the sidelines could mean more opportunities to see Larry Legend snacking on a Big Mac, or snatching up LeBron James and Dwight Howard's food while they are playing a little one-on-one.
As long as McDonald's doesn't require Bird to rock those old-school short basketball shorts, everything should be all right for the fans.
9. Dan Gilbert's Money
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I know what you are thinking.
After all of those years playing, collecting endorsements, and collecting a salary from the Indiana Pacers: why would Larry Bird need money?
Well in short, you can never have enough personal money.
But the money I am talking about is basketball money.
Dan Gilbert has it, and isn't afraid to spend it.
He has shown over the last five years that he has no problem going over the salary cap and paying the luxury tax in order to put a team capable of winning a championship on the floor.
This is quite the opposite of what Bird has had to work with in Indiana over the years, as the team is often looking to put out younger, cheaper options on the floor and save for the future.
Dan Gilbert would give Larry Bird all of the money possible to build a championship team with here in Cleveland, and that could have been exciting for Bird.
8. The Chance to Coach LeBron James
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I know LeBron has already left Cleveland and has taken his talents to South Beach.
But if, and I'm talking a huge IF, LeBron James would have stayed to be coached by Larry Bird, it could have been a great experience for both of them.
Imagine one of the game's most vocal players in Bird teaching LeBron James how to take it to the next level?
Larry Bird would call out players during the game, tell them where he was going to hit game winning shots from, and even get ejected for fighting on occasion.
If Bird had the opportunity to teach LeBron half of that intensity for the game, they could have been one of the greatest coach-player duo's in history.
I'm talking Phil Jackson-MJ/Kobe great.
The development of LeBron's missing piece in his game could have been Bird's claim to fame as a coach, and could have allowed him to go down as one of the greatest coaches of all-time if they won championships together.
But now, none of that will ever happen.
7. An Opportunity To One-Up Michael Jordan
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We all know that Larry Bird and Michael Jordan were quite competitive during their years playing against each other.
MJ holds the edge in Championships as a player, but Bird has the edge in the NBA front office.
Could you imagine what would happen if Larry Bird won an NBA championship as a coach?
The very site of Bird hoisting an NBA Championship would probably drive MJ insane and make him appoint himself as the next coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.
Renewing the Jordan-Bird rivalry would be great for the game.
I think it would be great to see two of the greatest players to ever play the game go at it as coaches.
6. The Chance to Bring Toughness Back
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Hard fouls, trash talking, players not afraid to mix it up inside.
That was the era of basketball that Larry Bird played in.
Many of the game's greats have been on record saying that today's brand of basketball is weak and that the players need to toughen up.
Bringing toughness back would be Larry Bird's "legend" as a coach in the NBA.
He could have brought back the tough style of basketball by making the Cleveland Cavaliers one of the most feared teams in the league.
Any time a player drives to the hole....hard foul.
Every time Daniel "Boobie" Gibson spots up for a three, he would be trash-talking any opponent around him.
And when J.J. Hickson would go up for a rebound, elbows would be flying.
Oh what a game that would be.
Larry Bird had the chance to bring toughness back the way that Justin Timberlake claimed to be "Bringing Sexy Back."
But instead, Bird decided to stay in the front office.
5. A Fresh Start After Years of Losing
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The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers are completely different organizations.
The Cavaliers have been among the league leaders in wins for the past five seasons.
The Indiana Pacers haven't played .500 basketball since 2005-2006.
Bird's tenure with the Pacers' organization has been a rocky one to say the least.
He has developed underrated star Danny Granger amidst a cast of players that is less than appealing to the rest of the league.
Things seemed very different when he took over in 2003, as the Pacers won 61 games and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The next two seasons were marked by early playoff exits, and the last four have been a progressive downward spiral.
Things are looking up with their recent off-season acquisitions, but the longer the Pacers continue to miss the playoffs, the more I think Larry Legend might be wanting a change of scenery.
4. A Chance to Give Kobe a Taste of His Own Medicine
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In 2000, the Lakers ruined Larry Bird's coaching finale.
Bird had a three-year plan.
It was build a winner and win a championship, that simple.
Well when Bird's Pacers ran into Kobe and Shaq's Lakers, that dream bubble was burst.
Young Kobe Bryant decided that he would personally ruin Larry Bird's dreams the way that MJ ruined them years before.
The Lakers defeated the Pacers, and Larry Bird left the coaching ranks.
Oh how sweet it would've been to go out on top.
If Bird would have returned to coaching, he could have built a team capable of beating Bryant one last time before Bryant leaves the game for good.
Since Kobe will be around for a few more years, it would have given Bird a few years to develop an Eastern Conference team worthy of defeating the Lakers, and he could have been at the center of Bryant's final memory as a player.
3. To Become a Legend in Another City
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Larry's legacy was created as a member of the Boston Celtics.
The city of Boston loves him for what he did there as a player.
Just like Boston, the city of Cleveland loves their sports icons.
If Larry Bird came to Cleveland to coach, he would become an icon and leave a legacy on the city much like he did as a player in Boston.
The city has not won a professional sports championship since 1964, and if Bird would have led the Cavaliers to a championship, he would have been forever remembered in Cleveland as "Larry Leader."
2. To Prove To LeBron James That a Championship Can Be Won in Cleveland
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As we all know, many of the greats frowned upon what LeBron did to the city of Cleveland.
They were quoted as saying that was something they just didn't think about doing back in their day.
Joining forces in order to create a super team was not something that Bird, Magic, or Jordan ever wanted to do.
They wanted to beat the hell out of each other.
I think that if Larry Bird could have come to Cleveland and built a winner there, it would have been a slap in the face of LeBron James.
When James left for Miami, he was essentially admitting he wasn't the type of player that could win a championship in Cleveland.
He couldn't lead a team the way MJ and Bird did.
Bring a franchise up from the ashes like MJ did in Chicago and create one of the greatest legacies of all time.
And if Bird came to Cleveland won a championship, it would only have proven that LeBron wasn't as great as everyone thought he was.
1. A Chance to Define Himself As Mr. Basketball
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Larry Bird will go down in history as one of the greatest players to ever play the game; that's already set in stone.
His tenure as an executive for the Pacers hasn't exactly been the greatest, but he has proven that he can do it.
And his coaching career, well...147-67 in three years is pretty good.
Throw in a Coach of the Year award, two division championships, and a trip to the NBA finals and you are talking greatness.
If Larry Bird could have came back and coached in this league for five to ten years and won two championships, he may have gone down as the greatest "Mr. Basketball" of all time.
He would be known as more than just a great player, he would have been a great basketball mind.
A man that showed everyone that it takes more than just athletic ability to be a basketball player, you have to know the game inside and out.
He would have set a new standard for basketball players growing up.
Instead of just learning how to shoot the jump shot or dunk the ball, they would have wanted to learn how to coach and build teams as well.
The creation of this type of desire in a basketball player would create a league of future coaches and executives instead of a few here and there.
Larry Bird had the chance to set a new standard in the NBA.
Players who can coach, direct, and be more than just an athlete.
But instead Bird has chosen a life of being a front office executive for the Pacers and maybe making the playoffs sometime in the next five years...Maybe.
