Iona coach Tim Cluess paid Georges Niang what might be the ultimate compliment for a basketball-loving kid from Boston.
“A little Larry Bird like,” Cluess said, “maybe not quite as athletic, but does all those things.”
Bird, a hall of famer, starred for the Celtics in the 1980s, winning three MVPs, three NBA championships and the hearts and imagination of New England sports fans. Niang may have been born a year after Bird’s 1992 retirement. The comparison stems from both players’ versatility and knowledge of the game.
“He passes the heck out of the ball,” Cluess said, “handles the ball, shoots the ball, posts you up.