"Who's coming second?": Larry Bird recounts being jokingly cocky with rival 3-Pt Contest participants and how it backfired

In the 13 seasons he played in the NBA, Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird established himself as one of the greatest shooters in league history. From his technique to his tough shotmaking ability, Bird was a marvel to behold. Hilariously, however, he recalled a time when he got too confident about his chances in a 3-point contest and it nearly cost him.

Larry Bird finished his NBA career with three 3-point contest championships, adding to his reputation as a marksman from deep range. However, his story about a tightly contested 3-point shooting contest is a great reminder of not getting ahead of yourself, as he told on NBA on TNT's "Basketball Stories."

"A lot of these guys came off the bench," Bird said (1:43). "Then all of a sudden they're going to go out there in front of 20,000 people. ... For me, I liked that because I knew the pressure was on them more than me. ... I looked around and everybody's looking at me, I go, 'Who's coming second?' ... It was really a joke. Well then I had to go out and win it."

At the time, Bird sized up his competition and made a quick assumption that it was going to be light work for him, compared to the fresh faces who were not that accustomed to the bright lights and being under pressure.

However, those players made it to the NBA for a reason, which the Celtics legend forgot to factor in when he was dissecting each one's capability. With each of the contestants proving that they belong in the league and the 3-point contest, all of a sudden, Larry Bird had to show up and prove his place as well.

In that 1988 NBA All-Star 3-point Contest, Larry Bird went up against Craig Hodges, Trent Tucker, Detlef Schrempf, Dale Ellis, Danny Ainge, Mark Price and Byron Scott.

Be that as it may, Bird was able to remind everyone of his excellence from 3-point range and not many could come close to what he was doing at the time.

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Larry Bird talked about perfecting his 3-point shot

The league has seen numerous 3-point shooters who could convert deep shots as if they were still in shooting practice. Larry Bird's shooting was so effortless that defenders struggled to slow him down or make it difficult for him at the very least.

His 3-point marksmanship didn't come as a gift, however, as he talked about how he had to work hard in mastering the shot, as per Basketball Network's Nicole Ganglani.

"When I'm with myself, before a game or during the summer, I always try to start from 15 feet from the basket, and then work my way around the perimeter," Bird said. "Just so I can get loose and then maybe go further out and a bit closer."

Playing 13 seasons in the NBA is not a walk in the park as Larry Bird finished an impressive career by averaging 37.6% from 3-point range. In an era where the 3-point shot wasn't utilized or valued as much as today's standards, that shooting efficiency is impressive and can stand tall with other elite shooters' efficiency from beyond the arc.

Whether one still considers him the greatest shooter from 3-point range or not, the fact remains Bird solidified his place among elite company.