“If he stays healthy, we’ll continue to be successful” - Larry Bird knew the Boston Celtics’ success in the late ‘80s depended on one player

While it’s commonly believed that a franchise’s future depends on young talent, Larry Bird had a different perspective after winning his third MVP award and championship. The Indiana native publicly stated that the Boston Celtics ’ future success hinged not on two-time 6MOTY Kevin McHale, 9-time All-Star Robert Parish, or 9-time All-Defensive Team selectee Dennis Johnson but on a 33-year-old veteran.

Larry had high expectations from Bill Walton

When the Celtics won their third championship in six years, six of their eight players had turned 30 or older, making them the most experienced team in the league. Larry Legend recognized that the Big Three of him, McHale, and Parish couldn’t single-handedly secure more titles.

On the other hand, the 12-time All-Star also recognized his team’s desire to win more championships, and that is why he emphasized the importance of having top-notch contributions from the bench, in particular Bill Walton , whose arrival had given coach KC Jones’ team the strength to contain teams with multiple big men.

"This team is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, I've ever been associated with, especially over the long season. They just continued to produce, day in and day out," Bird said . " The success of this team depends upon how healthy Bill Walton is. If he stays healthy, we'll continue to be successful."

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Walton’s health was key

Although Big Red’s role wasn’t extensive, his impact was crucial. In his first season in Boston, the former Finals MVP averaged just 19.3 minutes, 7.6 points, and 6.8 rebounds per game. This was enough to fill the Celtics’ gaps and uplift their defensive rating from fifth-best in the ‘84-85 season to the best in the ‘85-86 campaign.

However, in the 1987 season, the 6’11” center struggled with injuries, playing only 19 games in the regular season. Though he returned for the playoffs, Walton had minimal impact in the Finals, averaging just 1.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in 24 total minutes across five games.

Safe to say, Bird’s assessment seems accurate. Had Walton been healthy, regardless of how small his contributions were, he might have given the support off the bench that the Celtics required to win another title in their last appearance in the championship round in that decade.

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