Danny Ainge on Larry Bird dropping 47 points with his left hand: "I mean, Larry was… left-handed"

Every player from Larry Bird 's era agrees that the Boston Celtics legend could talk trash with the best of them. But that wasn't his only talent—Bird was a true powerhouse throughout the 1980s. He made the All-Star game in every full season of his career, racked up three NBA MVP awards, and led the Celtics to three championships.

Larry delivered performances that question logic, and a prime example of his legendary status was Boston's game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Valentine's Day in 1986.

The C's were in the midst of a grueling west-coast road trip, with a showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers on the horizon. But before they took the court in Portland, Bird casually mentioned to his teammates and the media that he planned to play the game left-handed.

Former Celtics player Danny Ainge remembers how pumped the team was, especially after a stinging loss to Portland a few months prior. And nobody was more fired up than Bird, ready to back up his bold claim.

"Portland, they just caught us," Ainge began on "Pardon My Take." "We weren't our best, but they were a good team. That was the legendary story when we went back to Portland when Larry was going to beat him with his left hand, and he had like 32 points with his left hand that night. [He said before the game] 'I'm saving my right hand for the Lakers tomorrow night,' he did it."

Bird's left-handed game

The Celtics rolled into Portland on a hot streak, having claimed victories in 14 of their last 15 games. Their only recent slip-up was a 121-103 home defeat to the Trail Blazers on December 6, 1985, so Bird decided it was time to challenge himself.

He ended up with an astonishing 47 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in 49 minutes, leading to a 120-119 overtime win. Bird attempted (at least) 10 of his 34 shots with his left hand and hit 21 overall.

Interestingly, Larry found himself more comfortable with his left hand during the game. Once a few shots started falling, the legendary forward kept going.

"I mean, Larry was… left-handed, " Ainge continued. "He did a lot of things left-handed, but he played basketball right-handed, but it was still an amazing feat."

Related: Phil Jackson once shared why Larry Bird was a better player than Magic Johnson: "I think I'll probably go with Larry"

Saving the right hand for the Lakers

Bird had a simple reason for his left-handed showcase in Portland: The next game was against his old rival, Magic Johnson , and the Lakers. True to his word, Larry led the C's to a 105-99 victory against the Lakers two days later, scoring 22 points, grabbing 18 rebounds, and dishing out seven assists.

By this point, the Celtics and Lakers had forged a fierce rivalry throughout the 1980s, facing off in two NBA Finals, with each team taking home a championship. The Lakers were the reigning champions, and Bird was hungry for revenge. Larry didn't just get it in February; he led the Celtics to yet another NBA championship that season, once again dethroning the purple and gold.

Related: "Once I got started making a few, I just kept going" - Larry Bird recalls his iconic left-handed game