"The one thing that always bothered me when I played in the NBA was I really got irritated when they put a white guy on me"

In this quote, previous NBA player Larry Bird reveals his frustration with being guarded by white players throughout his time in the league. As a highly skilled and dominant player, Bird typically faced hard protective matches, but it appears that being secured by a white gamer was especially annoying to him. This might be due to the stereotype that white players are not as athletic or experienced as their black equivalents, leading Bird to feel insulted or undervalued. It also speaks to the racial characteristics within the NBA and how race can contribute in on-court matchups and understandings of players. In general, this quote clarifies the intricacies of race in expert sports and the effect it can have on players.