More often than not, even the best rookie of each class needs a little time to truly get their bearings once they get to the NBA level from college or overseas. That was most decidedly not the case for Boston Celtics legendary small forward Larry Bird, however, who kept pace with the biggest stars of the league at the time when he was a rookie.

If you’re a little skeptical, we already have you covered with a clip showing just how deadly of a player he was while in his inaugural season, with The Hick From French Lick going to town on the New York Knicks.

Watch the video embedded below to see a young Bird break down players with ease courtesy of our friends at CLNS Media, some of whom had years of experience on him.

They call him Larry Legend for a reason, and the former Indiana star wasted no time at all showing the league exactly the sort of play that would grace him that nickname later in his career.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!