“Moses does eat (expletive).” – Larry Bird, 1981.
The first year of the original Big Three – that would be Kevin McHale, Larry Bird and Robert Parish – ended with a title and a memorial rally at City Hall Plaza. During the festivities, Bird noticed a sign in the crowd from a fan offering his thoughts on Moses Malone, who was playing for Houston at the time. Bird’s line simply re-affirmed the thoughts of that one fan – and many others in Boston at the time. It all got started after the Rockets tied the 1981 Finals at 2-2. After that game, Malone infamously said he could get four guys off the streets of Petersburg, Va., his hometown, and beat the Celtics. "I don't think they're all that good," he said. After Boston won game five, he added, “the Celtics are still chumps.” Bird eventually got the last word.
O'Brien, Frank Globe Photo
