http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/i ... ginal-trio
"Red [Auerbach] used to say 9 out of 10 great players end their careers ungraciously," said McHale. "It's true."
As the NBA's March 15 trade deadline approaches, the Celtics are again charting the diminishing returns of a Big Three, a championship trio that is aging, battling injuries and trying to hang on for one more run. And, like they did with the original Big Three, most prognosticators have declared Boston's title window closed.
"What we went through is similar to what those guys are going through now, but I would say they are more banded together than we were," McHale said. "When I watch them I still see three guys saying, 'Let's do this. Let's win some games together.'
"Their final run has brought out the best in them. Our final run really brought out the worst in us."
In retrospect, Bird said, he should have retired as far back as 1986.
"The injuries I had made it impossible for me to put in the time on a daily basis to prepare," said Bird. "It was frustrating. Preparation was everything for me.
"It struck a chord with me," said Parish. "They had two of the best work ethics I've ever seen, and their bodies just failed them. I hated it."
The problem was compounded by Bird's demeanor, which habitually soured when he was hurting.
"Larry could be a real pain in the backside when things weren't going his way," Parish said.
"I have no problem with that [description]," Bird said. "My concern at the end was, 'How's my back going to be when I get out of here?' I played two years in total agony."
In their final two seasons together, Bird and McHale grew increasingly distant, even mildly antagonistic. The pain and disappointment of their suddenly limited skills wore on both of them.
"At that point Kevin was the healthier of the two, and he felt Larry should have deferred to him more," Parish said. "That's when the relationship really started to deteriorate."
So Larry Bird was like Batman.
Bonus! Another proof that Jordan is indeed the jerk he always is...
In one of his first practices with the Bulls, Parish botched one of the plays and was amused to find Jordan jawing at him just inches from his face.
"I told him, 'I'm not as enamored with you as these other guys. I've got some rings too,' " Parish recalled. "At that point he told me, 'I'm going to kick your ass.' I took one step closer and said, 'No, you really aren't.' After that he didn't bother me."
