Today in 1981, Larry Bird somehow anticipated a jumper he’d just released would miss its mark, and managed to collect the errant shot and lay it into the hoop while falling out of bounds in Game 1 of the 1981 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets.
The play was so spectacular, Celtics general manager Red Auerbach said it was the greatest play he’d ever seen.
Boston went on to win the game 98-95 and the series in six games.