3 When Kobe Bryant claimed the 2012 U.S. men’s basketball team could beat the Dream Team, Bird responded on the Pacer’s Twitter feed with his classic understated humor: “They probably could. I haven’t played in 20 years and we’re all old now.”
illustrations: steve kale; dream team: neil leifer/getty images
The Final Act Larry Bird’s 8.4 points per game during the 1992 Summer Olympics may look slight given the gaudy numbers put up by the U.S. men’s “Dream Team”—their average margin of victory was more than 51 points—but it’s important to read that number in context. Bird’s back hadn’t been the same since he first tweaked it shoveling gravel in his yard in 1985. Seven years later, retirement looming, he was literally having trouble just walking some mornings. But Magic Johnson, professional foeturned-friend, famously goaded Bird into joining the team, refusing to even appear on a Sports Illustrated cover announcing the Dream Team without Bird in the shot. In Barcelona, there were still highlights for the 35-year-old Bird—a team-high 19 points in a win over Germany, and an array of no-look passes that bewildered opponents.
The whole experience had a deep personal significance to Bird, who would later tell reporter Jack McCallum, author of the book Dream Team, about how his father was an avid Olympics-watcher, always announcing to his kids that the U.S. had won gold when he heard the national anthem start to play. “So when we stood on that platform in Barcelona to get our gold medals, that was the most exciting thing for me,” Bird told McCallum. “I was thinking back to my dad and remembering that when he heard that anthem he was happy. And I was happy, too.” It also made for one hell of a swan song: 10 days after Bird and the rest of the Dream Team received their medals in Barcelona, he called a press conference in Boston and announced that his playing days were over. —Dan Morrell
1997
2000
2000
2003
Bird takes the Pacers to a 58-24 season and is named NBA Coach of the Year. He’s the only guy in NBA history to have won both the MVP and Coach of the Year titles.
Bird leads the Pacers to their only NBA finals appearance to date as head coach.
Having promised to only coach for three years, Bird takes a break from basketball, and steps down as Pacer’s head coach.
Bird is back and heads to the Pacers front office as president.
Feb. 20, 2007
May 16, 2012
Bird’s number 33 is retired at ISU’s Hulman Center.
Bird receives the NBA Executive of the Year award, making him the first person to become Rookie of the year, MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.
Our oldest son Chris, who was probably 9 or 10 at the time, would go out and shoot before games and be an honorary ball boy at the Garden. Larry would get in a little shooting contest with him.... Chris was competitive, but Larry wasn’t going to lose. —Chris Ford in “Coaching Larry Legend” (NBA.com). Ford served as head coach of the Celtics from 1990 to 1995.
2012
Nov. 9, 2013
Bird contributes to the Dream Team documentary.
A 1,900-pound, larger-than-life, bronze statue of Larry Bird is dedicated outside of Hulman Center at Indiana State and a scholarship is formed in Bird’s honor.
march 2014 • LArry bird tribute issue
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