"Wrong and reflect the tint of racism" - When Sidney Moncrief defended Larry Bird from people who questioned his natural ability
Milwaukee Bucks legend Sidney Moncrief was best known for his defense. He made five All-Defensive selections in an era when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird dominated the league. Interestingly, he began his professional career in the same season as the famed rivals.
Naturally, he has received questions about his fellow Hall of Famers over the years. For instance, SLAM asked Moncrief in 2000 about the apparently "accepted wisdom" that Bird was more of a hard worker who had to overcome the absence of natural ability, while Johnson was born a great player. He pushed back on the notion.
"Anyone who says that Magic was a natural and Larry worked to get everything would be wrong and reflect the tint of racism, either conscious or unconscious," the two-time DPOY said. "It's just not an accurate way to describe the two players."
Moncrief's connection with Bird and Johnson
If there is someone who knows both players, it is Moncrief. After all, he played against Bird in the NCAA Elite Eight in 1979 and even defended the former Indiana State University standout on the game's last possession. Larry couldn't get his hand on the ball and could only watch as his teammate Bob Heaton hit the game-winner to eliminate Sid's University of Arkansas 73-71.
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Had the Razorbacks ended Bird's NCAA tournament run, the basketball world wouldn't have witnessed an epic championship game between the Boston Celtics icon and Johnson.
Magic also shares a connection with "Sir Sid," as the Arkansas native was apparently the prospect who almost stopped him from going to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 draft. While Jerry West wanted to select Moncrief, the ownership preferred Johnson.
Imagine how their careers would have turned out had West had his way. While Moncrief would have teamed up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, and Norm Nixon, Magic probably would have ended up with the Chicago Bulls, who had the second pick.
Moncrief gave Bird his flowers
As it happened, Sidney still fell into a favorable situation because he helped transform the Bucks into a perennial playoff contender. Unfortunately, he couldn't lift his squad to the NBA Finals, as the Philadelphia 76ers and Celtics (twice in the conference finals) usually stood in their way in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Moncrief commended Bird for not just having natural abilities but also intangibles and incredible work ethic, the product of which he saw in their playoff battles. Larry Legend also once praised the five-time All-Star, echoing Michael Jordan's description of him as a hound on defense.
If it weren't for Bird stopping him in the playoffs, people would likely be seeing Moncrief in a different light, and Milwaukee probably would have met Johnson and the Lakers in the Finals at least a couple of times in the 1980s.
