NBA: 12 players whose skills ideally match today’s uptempo play style

Larry Bird, Forward (1979-1992)

Team: Boston Celtics

Career best stat line: 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 42% 3PT (1984-85)

Larry Bird might have been slow and unathletic, but he made up for it with his elite fundamentals and skill level. The 1980s was a period when teams didn’t shoot many 3’s and players who had 3-point range were considered an anomaly.

In the Players Only interview with Kevin McHale, last year, Bird admitted:

"“We wouldn’t even guard guys at the 3-point line. We would stay way underneath, going under every pick.”"

Under the 80s standards and the limited times he chose to shoot them (he shot around 2 a game and was in the 40 percentile for multiple seasons), Bird was considered one of the league’s best 3-point shooters. Though he played both the 3 and 4 positions, throughout his 13-year career, in this era, Bird would have served solely as a stretch four.

As a result, not only would his 3-point usage rate increase but his already impressive high scoring seasons (points that came from the mid-post area, layups, and limited amount of three-pointers) would have spiked.