Larry Bird, one of the top 10 best players in NBA history, was known for his competitiveness and trash-talking on the court. However, he also mentored several players off the court, including Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant. Bryant described a conversation about mental toughness with Larry, while Dirk was starstruck upon meeting him and learned about Bird's approach to the game during dinner. Kevin Durant received practice tips from Larry, who emphasized going through each rep like it was a game. Despite being a private person, Larry was willing to share his knowledge with younger players to help them achieve success.
