'And this Bird guy is really good, too' - Kevin McHale reflects on his first practice with Larry Bird and the Celtics

Sometimes, all the pieces in life fall perfectly into place, creating a mosaic for the ages. While it sounds poetic, such was the case for the Boston Celtics at the turn of the 1970s. Before the 1980 NBA Draft, Boston traded the No. 1 and No. 13 first-round picks to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Robert Parish and the No. 3 pick, which ultimately turned out to be Kevin McHale, the super-talented forward from Minnesota.

The man pulling the strings was none other than Red Auerbach, and when he informed McHale that he would be joining one of the most storied franchises in the history of the Association, Kevin was ecstatic.

"Man, what a blessing. Unbelievable. Got there and just started playing. Larry was in his second year; in training camp we had Tiny Archibald and Dave Cowens, Pete Maravich, a bunch of veterans. It was a phenomenal experience the whole time," the Hall of Famer recalled in an interview with SLAM.

McHale didn't know Bird was gonna be that good

The C's had 13 titles by that point, mostly from the Bill Russell era, and were looking to return to the championship map. A roster featuring names like Tiny Archibald, Cedric Maxwell, Parish, and M.L. Carr was more than capable of battling for the very top of the NBA's food chain.

However, one name rightfully stood in its own category—Larry Bird. Though only in his second season (as he was drafted in 1979), "Larry Legend" had already shown what kind of player he was. Winning the Rookie of the Year award just a campaign before and finishing fourth in MVP voting, Bird had put the league on notice. However, when McHale joined the squad, he didn't quite grasp the All-Time legend potential that "The Hick from The French Lick" possessed.

"I didn't know how good he was. When I called home, I was telling my buddies, 'Man, Tiny Archibald is unbelievable! Playing with Dave Cowens, and Pete Maravich and Tiny—you're always open!' And I said, 'And this Bird guy is really good, too.' At that time, nobody knew that Larry was going to end up being what he was," the "Black Hole" added.

A part of the iconic dynasty

Even though he was still getting over his early season jitters, "Herman Munster" proved to be a vital piece for the iconic green-and-white franchise. Everything clicked into place during his rookie season, and the title returned to Beantown.

Although his impact on the floor was limited that season, averaging just 4.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in six games in the 1981 NBA Finals, McHale became a key part of a dynasty that went on to win three championships.

And it is safe to say, while he didn't realize the kind of player Larry was at first, Kevin quickly understood that the Indiana native was truly one-of-one.