“Will be here long after Larry Bird’s gone” – When Larry Bird’s confident prediction turned out to be greatly mistaken.
The 1989-90 season was a humbling experience for the Boston Celtics, who quickly recognized that their dominance in the Eastern Conference was coming to an end. While Larry Bird struggled with injuries, his frontcourt partners, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, were also in their mid-30s and showing signs of aging. With concerns about the team’s future growing among fans, the three-time MVP made a bold prediction that ultimately turned out to be quite inaccurate.
Bird had high hopes for coach Jimmy Rodgers. Since Bird’s rookie season in 1979, he had seen Rodgers serve as an effective assistant coach for the Celtics. In the 1988-89 season, Rodgers was promoted to head coach to replace KC Jones. However, in his first year, he led the team to a 42-40 record, a drop of 15 wins from the previous season. The Celtics were then swept by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite the disappointing performance, fans were not overly critical of Rodgers, given that Larry Legend was sidelined after just six games.
In the following season, the Celtics bounced back with 52 wins in the regular season and ranked as the sixth-best offensive team, but they were upset by the Knicks, who came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the five-game series. Amid the uncertainty surrounding the franchise, Bird made a confident statement about Rodgers and the team’s potential, which soon proved to be misguided.
“Jimmy Rodgers will be here long after Larry Bird’s gone,” the 12-time All-Star claimed. “Other players will come in here and win championships, and they’ll forget about me.”
Rodgers didn’t last long. Although Bird had faith in him, the Celtics’ front office did not, and Rodgers was fired before the start of the 1991-92 season. While he left, Bird continued to play for two more seasons, leading the Celtics past the first round of the playoffs both times under coach Chris Ford.
Ultimately, injuries took their toll on the two-time Finals MVP, leading to his retirement after the 1991-92 season.
Although Rodgers made a positive impression on Bird as an assistant, he struggled to lead the team successfully as head coach. This was evident during his tenure with the expansion Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1991-92 season, where he finished with a 15-67 record, followed by a 6-23 record in the 1992-93 season before being replaced by Sidney Lowe.
It’s clear that some individuals excel in supporting roles but fail to achieve the same success when put in the spotlight, and Jimmy Rodgers is a prime example of this.
