The Tribune

By INIGO 'NAUGHTY' ZENICAZELAYA

I GOT into an interesting debate in the barber shop the other day.

With a ‘millennial’ ‘Bronsexual’ no less!

Bronsexual - (definition) is a term used for a fan who has bandwaggoned LeBron James so much, from teams, to game jerseys and sneakers, to social media.

Consumed by their ‘King’, Lebron has become the basis of their sexuality and life.

A ‘Bronsexual’ is literally the most annoying sports fan ever. (yes, even more annoying than Dolphin fans.)

The youngster was waxing poetic about LeBron James being the best basketball player ever (not with a 3-6 Finals record) and that he’s also the most clutch.

Even going as far to say he’d want LeBron shooting the final shot of any game for the win, over Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant (RIP MAMBA) Larry Bird, Reggie Miller and Steph Curry.

As much as it pained me to the core of my Laker existence, no disrespect to Kobe, nor anyone else on that list, but if I’m coaching and I have one shot to win the game, the ‘Hick from French Lick’ Larry Joe Bird will be taking it. There is no denying ‘Mr Icewater’ in his veins Larry Bird.

Bird’s individual numbers alone place him among the most skilled basketball players ever.

Over the course of 13 seasons, Bird playing forward averaged 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.

He also maintained an impressive efficiency, shooting 49.6 per cent from two-point and 37.6 per cent from three-point range during his career, and the three-point line was further back than it is today.

Bird led the Boston Celtics to three National Basketball Association (NBA) championships (1981, 1984, and 1986) and is considered one of the greatest pure shooters of all time, inside or out. One of Bird’s nicknames is “Mr Clutch” because of the sheer magnitude of clutch shots he took and almost always made.

He ruled the 1980s with three MVPs and three titles, and everyone in every game he played knew he would take the last shot, and most probably make for the Boston Celtics.

Each of Bird’s buzzer-beaters came in games in which the Celtics were trailing at the time of the shot.

Before Bird, no one else had more than two such shots.

But perhaps the most astounding thing about Bird’s buzzer-beaters is that they came in games that he dominated. He averaged 41.3 points in these four games - 38 at Phoenix in 1983, 48 vs Portland in 1985, 32 vs Detroit two days later, and 47 at Washington in 1987.

No other player has multiple 45-plus-point games with a buzzer-beater.

And no other player has ever won consecutive games at the buzzer like Bird did on January 28 and 29, 1985.

Larry Bird was truly a legend!

• Naughty presents ‘Mischief and Mayhem in da AM’ from 6am to 10am, Monday to Friday and ‘The Press Box’ sports talk show on Sunday from 10am to 1pm, on KISS FM 96.1.