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Larry Bird Says He Hopes Russell Westbrook Wins 10 MVP’s In a Row

By Jalen Bishop

May 24, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird watches the game against the Miami Heat in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 99-87. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
May 24, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird watches the game against the Miami Heat in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 99-87. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pacers president Larry Bird praises the Oklahoma City guard and says he hopes Westbrook wins 10 MVP’s in a row.

While Larry Bird patiently monitors the playoff race and Paul George’s recovery status, he’s dishing out his thoughts on the NBA world. These are always good. In an interview with Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com, Bird gave his opinions on the MVP race, the state of the Pacers, his thoughts on tanking and timeless stories.

He also praised one Oklahoma City guard that is playing out of his mind.

"ESPN.com: Russell Westbrook has been averaging nearly 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds per game for over a month now. You’ve put together similar stretches during your career. What do you think of what he’s been able to accomplish?Larry Bird: Here’s a young man that has had serious injuries — bad knee injuries throughout his career — yet every time he walks on the court, you know you’re going to get 100 percent from him. He attacks, he’s fearless and he plays the way it should be played, so I’m all for him. I hope he wins 10 MVPs in a row. I just love players that compete on a nightly basis and really take the challenge to their opponents."

It appears Bird is a huge Westbrook fan. I doubt Westbrook needs anyone to affirm his confidence on the court but to read that kind of praise from one of the toughest competitors to ever log an NBA minute probably feels nice.

He also followed up that up with an answer about the comparison of Westbrook’s competitiveness and his own.

"ESPN.com: You and Russell obviously play two different positions, but does he remind you of yourself in terms of his competitiveness and will to win?Bird: I don’t know. I just think that my opinion about basketball, the way I was taught, was when you step on the court, you play to win. Now, if you’re not supposed to play to win, then they shouldn’t keep score. If they didn’t keep score in these games, I wouldn’t have played as hard as I did. But I do think this is our job. We know that we’re going to be hurting years down the road. He knows that he’s going to be hurting years down the road, but he can’t help it. He has to play that way to be effective, and he knows that."

It’s no surprise that Bird has a basketball crush about the way Westbrook plays. He has praised Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett for having similar competitive traits. I assume other 80’s and 90’s NBA players share the same feelings.

The rest of the interview is spectacular and you can read it here.

Next: Twitter Reacts to George Hill's Game-Winning Layup vs. the Wizards

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