“I’ve been staring at him” - Larry Bird’s aura forced Jalen Rose to call him ‘God’ when he took over as the Pacers head coach

For basketball fans of the 1980s, Larry Bird was an iconic figure whose arrival at the Boston Celtics organization revived their status as the most competitive team in the Eastern Conference. His reputation and aura grew to such an extent that when he assumed the role of head coach for the Indiana Pacers , players who had only known him through his stories of legend were awestruck by his presence. Jalen Rose , for instance, was so overwhelmed that he likened the three-time MVP's aura to that of a basketball god.

Jalen Rose on Larry Bird's impact and aura

Following a disappointing 1996-97 campaign, during which the Pacers achieved a mere 39-43 record and failed to secure a playoff berth, the organization replaced Larry Brown with Bird as the head coach. While the two-time Finals MVP's exceptional basketball acumen was widely acknowledged, expectations for significant improvement were tempered due to his lack of prior coaching experience. The general consensus was that Bird's leadership alone might not be sufficient to alter the Pacers' fate.

However, contrary to those beliefs, Bird's impact was immediate and profound. Not only did he lead Indiana to a 58-24 record while being a top-5 defensively and offensively rated team in the 1997-98 season, but he also lost a tough Game 7 to the Chicago Bulls in the EC Finals.

Rose, who experienced a personal improvement in both playing time and efficiency under Bird's tutelage, found himself occasionally mesmerized by the latter's presence, to an extent where he would zone out and only stare at the 12-time All-Star.

"We've seen him perform, you've seen in the NBA what he's done for basketball. His word is like coming from a basketball God," Rose said as quoted by SportsCasting. "To me, I've been staring at him, more than listening to what he was saying."

Bird did have a God-like impact as a head coach

Leading the Pacers to the Conference Finals in his debut season was just a sign of what was to come. Over the next two seasons, Larry Legend turned the Pacers into the best offensive team in the league, taking them to the Eastern Conference Finals again in 1999 and to the NBA Finals in 2000.

He didn't just improve the team's overall cohesiveness; he also greatly impacted young players like Rose. Interestingly, before Bird arrived, Rose averaged only 7.3 points per game but ultimately shot up to 18.2 points per game and won the Most Improved Player of the Year award in the '99-00 season.

Even though the Indiana native couldn't win a championship with the Pacers, he brought out the best of each player and made them the most lethal team in the league during those three years. So it's safe to assert that Bird, by all means, did have a god-like presence for the Pacers.

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