The guy likes Legos. That is to say, he’s a builder. Methodical and quietly loud, and like Bird, he has built a heck of a tower.
When Larry Bird drafted Myles Turner in 2015, he said he was the best shooter he’d seen in the league. Shouldn’t that have been enough? At the time, Larry was still doing the Pacers a favor by being around. Any NBA fan with a smartphone knows how popular and often stories of Bird’s head games are.
Introducing Miles (photo courtesy Indy Star)
Every once in a while, you get a take like Dennis Rodman’s, where he said Bird “was just a regular player” if he were of a different race. A, after singing to Boston. Isiah Thomas had to have a whole press conference for, according to him, jokingly being caught on tape agreeing. These days, most of the fantastic Larry Bird stories shared on podcasts come from African-American players. The central theme is “do not underestimate this man.”
Almost all of them are about Larry Legend getting in their heads. And even more consistent with folk history, the truth, regardless of silly race talk (long gone but not enough) there is no mention about how Larry and Isiah did that press conference where Larry swiftly came to his Indiana brother’s aid, squashing an old-fashioned cancel culture push with a swish—the Larry stories follow a path.
He was not tricking you. He’d tell Domique Wilkens he was left, right, and shoot from there. In Myles Turner’s case, he was athletic coming out of Texas after one year. But his scouting report said he ran like an injured horse. When he publicly talked about a sophomore center’s shooting prowess, it is reasonable to say Larry was gaming everyone; Bird was just doing his job as a Pacer boss.
What Larry didn’t do was lie. He knew this: the NBA doesn’t cover the Midwest, unless you are excellent. Apologies to Paul Pierce, but what Myles is doing today is the truth.
Turner had a mild sprain to his ankle in Game 3 of the Cavs/Pacers series, and the Pacers got their butt kicked that game. But watch closely (hard to do for a small market fan), Myles stayed in, blocked the dynamite Donovin Mitchell’s shot, and kept playing. He went out and came back, despite an almost certain looming loss.
The guy likes Legos. That is to say, he’s a builder. Methodical and quietly loud, and like Bird, he has built a heck of a tower.
To the untrained eye, the Pacers’ Game 4 four drubbing of the Cavs on Mother’s Day was an anomaly. Haliburton made the news, but Tyrese had 11 points and five assists. And the Pacers were up 40 at halftime.
Myles does it (graphic courtesy Pacers on X)
When the Pacers got hot, Myles was quietly putting pieces together. He was building over his 10-year stay with Indiana (an accomplishment in itself). A step-back three (for a center!). Then another. He body-checked DeAndre Hunter when Hunter shoved Benn Mathurin two-handed. And did so just enough to protect Benn and not sufficient to turn basketball into a fight.
You only need to watch a couple of Turner’s shots from Mother’s Day to verify Bird’s opinion. No rim. Swish. He built some Legos and iced his ankle. He talked to the guys, a veteran and a leader.
Myles’ real middle name is “Christian.” Take from that what you will, but it seems fitting at least in the Church of Basketball. Shows up, works hard, and builds. Jesus was a carpenter, after all. He’s no God, for sure. But he is way past any critic who wasn’t watching in the first place.
Maybe they’ll tell the stories on a podcast one day, because the best stories about players come later.
