David Robinson named Larry Bird as his favorite rival: “Wasn’t that great of an athlete, but he had a heart of a lion”

David Robinson fondly hailed Larry Bird as the player he enjoyed facing the most. For “The Admiral,” Bird stood out as someone who defied the conventional expectations from a player his size.

The San Antonio Spurs icon noted that despite not possessing athletic prowess, “Larry Legend” demonstrated an extraordinary ability to excel in almost every aspect of the game. Additionally, Robinson was deeply impressed by Bird’s relentless competitiveness, which made every matchup against him a thrilling challenge, making the Boston Celtics legend a player he always looked forward to competing against.

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“My favorite player that I played against? I didn’t like anybody that I played against. [Laughs]. I would probably say Larry Bird. And I know I lot of you young folks may not really remember Larry Bird that well, but that man was a magician. He was amazing,” Robinson said in a rare interview.

“He was 6’9”, and he had the skill set of a guard. He wasn’t that fast, he wasn’t that great of an athlet,e but he had a heart of a lion,” he continued.

Bird turned David into a monster

Robinson was one of the most talented and dominant players of his time. He quickly emerged as arguably the best center in the league. Still, “The Admiral” expressed that facing off against Bird was a transformative experience.

“The Hick from French Lick” was the first player to truly challenge the legendary center in a way that inspired him to push beyond his own perceived limits. The intensity of their matchups motivated Robinson to elevate his game, driving him to work harder and always strive for excellence.

“And so, playing against him was kind of my real first taste of ‘I wanna do that. I wanna compete against that every day.’ That’s the kind of thing he’s gonna make you a monster… There were a lot of great players, make no mistake. I’ve faced a lot of great players every day, but I think when I came into the league, Larry Bird was at his peak, and he was incredible at what he did,” the Hall of Fame center reflected.

Bird contributed to Robinson’s greatness

During his prime, “The Admiral” was known for being exceptionally athletic and versatile. However, the duels with Bird turned him into an ultimate competitor.

The same goes for facing Larry’s biggest rival, Magic Johnson. D-Rob went from being overwhelmed when facing the Los Angeles Lakers icon to becoming one of the greatest centers the NBA has ever seen. And by his own admission, the legendary Celtics forward deserves a lot of credit for it.