“Will be here long after Larry Bird’s gone” - When Larry Bird's bold declaration proved to be massively wrong

The 1989-90 season was a humbling campaign for the Boston Celtics , who quickly realized how their supremacy in the Eastern Conference was rapidly coming to a halt. While Larry Bird was battling injuries, his frontcourt duo, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, were also in their mid-30s and showing signs of age. With uncertainty about the team's future worrying fans, the three-time MVP made a bold prediction that eventually proved to be heavily inaccurate.

Bird had high expectations from coach Jimmy Rodgers

Since his rookie year in 1979, Bird had witnessed Jimmy Rodgers as an efficient assistant coach for the Celtics. Ultimately, in the 1988-89 season, Rodgers was promoted as the head coach to replace KC Jones. In his first year, he led Boston to a 42-40 record, a decline of 15 wins compared to the previous season. As the team entered the playoffs, they were clean-swept by the Detroit Pistons in the first round.

While the performance was disappointing, fans weren't too critical of Rodgers, considering how Larry Legend was ruled out of the season after the first six games.

The following season, despite winning 52 games in the regular season and ranking as the 6th best offensive team, the Celtics were outplayed by the Knicks, who overcame a 2-0 deficit in the five-game series. With uncertainty looming over the franchise, Bird made a bold prediction about Rodgers and the Celtics' potential, which would soon fall flat on its face.

"Jimmy Rodgers will be here long after Larry Bird's gone," the 12-time All-Star said . "Other players will come in here and win championships and they'll forget about me."

Rodgers didn't survive long

Although Bird believed in Jimmy, the Celtics' front office did not share his sentiment, as Jimmy was fired before the start of the 1991-92 season. On the one hand, where Rodgers departed, the Indiana native 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 a toll on the two-time Finals MVP, leading to his retirement after the 1991-92 season.

Rodgers might have made a positive impression on Larry as an assistant coach, but he lacked the potential to lead the team to success as their head coach. This was evident when he became the head coach for the relatively new Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1991-92 season, managing only a 15-67 record and a 6-23 record in the '92-93 season before he was replaced by Sidney Lowe.

It's safe to say that some individuals thrive in supporting roles but struggle to replicate the same success when thrust into the spotlight, and Jimmy Rodgers exemplified this phenomenon.

Related: When Larry Bird threatened to retire if Michael Jordan scored 77 points