Larry Bird doesn't expect to live a long life

[Alleyoopster]

This is the first I've heard of Bird's longevity concerns. Kind of makes sense because of his height and health factors. Rarely do we hear of professional basketball players dying in their 90's.

To be fair most people don't make it to 90. Then again, these players were uber athletes, one would expect most of them to live to age 90 or better. 

http://nesn.com/2016/02/larry-bird-contemplates-own-mortality-doesnt-expect-to-live-to-age-75/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_885052

[Celtics4ever]

I am tall about the same size as Larry in height.   I am 6-8.5 in shoes.   Being tall is hard on your heart, it also puts you at higher risk for cancer.   It is a fact.   

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2013/11/08/is-being-tall-hazardous-to-your-health/

It is nothing one can get treatment for.   I have reaped benefits of being tall, too.   It helps in sports, I am a lot stronger than men younger than me.   People get out of my way, no one cuts in front of me in line and people only mouth off to me on the internet.   I would not trade a thing.

[Emmette Bryant]

I have reaped benefits of being tall, too.   It helps in sports, I am a lot stronger than men younger than me.   People get out of my way, no one cuts in front of me in line and people only mouth off to me on the internet.   I would not trade a thing.

You forgot the part about getting all of the chicks.

[Alleyoopster]

Hadn't thought of this before, either Celtics players or former players have had their share of heart problems, e.g., Pete Maravich, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Reggie Lewis, (Len Bias was never officially a Celtic I believe) Jeff Green...Likely there are more that I hadn't thought about or we don't their status. 

[Clench123]

I have reaped benefits of being tall, too.   It helps in sports, I am a lot stronger than men younger than me.   People get out of my way, no one cuts in front of me in line and people only mouth off to me on the internet.   I would not trade a thing.

You forgot the part about getting all of the chicks.

That only took  two posts lol

[fairweatherfan]

This is the first I've heard of Bird's longevity concerns. Kind of makes sense because of his height and health factors. Rarely do we hear of professional basketball players dying in their 90's.

To be fair most people don't make it to 90. Then again, these players were uber athletes, one would expect most of them to live to age 90 or better. 

http://nesn.com/2016/02/larry-bird-contemplates-own-mortality-doesnt-expect-to-live-to-age-75/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_885052

Also to be fair the NBA hasn't been around long enough for many of the prominent players to have reached 90.  Tommy and Russell started their careers when the league wasn't even a decade old and they're still just 81.

But yeah, extremely tall people usually have some major health issues that go along with it.  Seems more prominent among the real giants though.

[jambr380]

It would probably bode better for him if he would hit the elliptical, do some light weight training, and take up yoga. Obviously anything can happen to anybody, but there are many ways for everybody to give it their best shot - even if it is harder that they are tall.

[BornReady]

This is the first I've heard of Bird's longevity concerns. Kind of makes sense because of his height and health factors. Rarely do we hear of professional basketball players dying in their 90's.

To be fair most people don't make it to 90. Then again, these players were uber athletes, one would expect most of them to live to age 90 or better. 

http://nesn.com/2016/02/larry-bird-contemplates-own-mortality-doesnt-expect-to-live-to-age-75/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_885052

Actually generally pro athletes don't live as long as general population
Though they r fitter than regular people
Being in sports pushes their physical limits and makes them more prone to injuries

[SHAQATTACK]

A lot of the big guy from basketball and football are really going fast .....boxer and wrestlers too.....

The Heath habit s , foods , drugs etc were not good during the 60-80 era in particular . 

All the Moses Malone types seem to be really passing on .   

Tho the euro white males seem to live long,  but men from those Slavic ounties are tall anyway or more natural.to be large of statue

[jambr380]

This is the first I've heard of Bird's longevity concerns. Kind of makes sense because of his height and health factors. Rarely do we hear of professional basketball players dying in their 90's.

To be fair most people don't make it to 90. Then again, these players were uber athletes, one would expect most of them to live to age 90 or better. 

http://nesn.com/2016/02/larry-bird-contemplates-own-mortality-doesnt-expect-to-live-to-age-75/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_885052

Actually generally pro athletes don't live as long as general population
Though they r fitter than regular people
Being in sports pushes their physical limits and makes them more prone to injuries

I always got the feeling that this was because some of them just never really did anything athletic again after retiring from their sport - basically getting 'burnt out' after working so hard for so many years. Have you seen some of these dudes? They aren't just 'big guys', they are quite overweight.

[SHAQATTACK]

I m worried about Shaq he just gets bigger and bigger

[greece66]

To be fair most people don't make it to 90. Then again, these players were uber athletes, one would expect most of them to live to age 90 or better. 

http://nesn.com/2016/02/larry-bird-contemplates-own-mortality-doesnt-expect-to-live-to-age-75/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_885052

Most ppl reading this won't  live to 90.

Larry says instead he won't make it to 75.

He might know something he does not want to say 

Other than that, all I can say is that there is a negative correlation between extreme height and longevity but the correlation is not so strong as to make assumptions based only on this.