"Not only was he skilled, but he was mentally tough. He was not afraid to fail" - Greg Kite on what made Larry Bird stand out in the NBA

Greg Kite 's 12-year NBA career spanned seven different franchises. Still, his initial five-season spell with the Boston Celtics proved to be most fruitful, yielding two championship titles. Moreover, this period coincided with Larry Bird 's ascendancy as the best player in the league.

Put simply, the 6'11" center shared the court with Larry Legend when he won both his Finals MVP titles, and that gave him the right opportunity to see the true character and traits of the Indiana native. As a result, Kite once decided to set the record straight on one of the biggest myths about his former teammate.

Greg Kite on Larry Bird

While no one ever disputes that the Indiana native had elite game acumen, dominant scoring and rebounding prowess, and exceptional playmaking vision, there is a common belief that the 12-time All-Star lacked athleticism. However, this is where Kite set the record straight.

"It's just wrong to say he wasn't athletic, and you hear it a lot," Kite said . "Everybody in the NBA is athletic. Maybe he wasn't as fast as certain guys, but he was a good, solid athlete. He had adequate speed and quickness, but everybody in the NBA is athletic."

Furthermore, the Texas native asserted that skills weren't the only trait that made Bird arguably the greatest player to wear a Celtics jersey; even his mental toughness helped immensely.

"Not only was he skilled, but he was mentally tough, " Kite added. "He was not afraid to fail."

The utmost respect for the legendary Celtic

Although the 6'11" center never consistently stole the spotlight during his five seasons with the Celtics, starting only 8 games, he did have a notable moment in Game 3 of the 1987 Finals against the Lakers. In that game, he grabbed 9 rebounds in his 22 minutes, contributing to the team's first win in the championship round. However, Bird was characteristically blunt, remarking that Greg ' doesn't have a lot of talent .'

Despite such harsh comments, the two-time NBA Champ never lost an ounce of respect for the Celtics captain. Rather, he emphasized that even though they didn't spend much time together off the court, he greatly valued Larry for who he was as an individual.

"We didn't do much together off the court. He was a great guy and a great teammate. I have a lot of respect for him, " Kite concluded. "He was a guy who didn't want all the attention, but he thrived in the spotlight."