Due to his iconic achievements with the Boston Celtics and his unique style of play, Larry Bird is often referred to as Larry Legend in NBA circles. But there is more to Larry's legend than just his basketball accolades. Former Indiana Pacers teammates Mark Jackson and Reggie Miller shared one such instance while playing for Bird during an episode of The Mark Jackson Show.
Mark and Reggie recalled a certain game where they were looking for Bird while the Pacers were warming up for a game. "So, Jack and I go back into the locker room," Miller said , "and we're like, where's Coach Bird? They're like, 'He's in his office.'"
Larry Legend was puffing Newports
So the Pacers' co-captains went to Bird's office but could not find him there. They tried going to the shower room, but Larry wasn't there either. And just as they were about to go back out, they found their coach.
"We go around the corner, and Larry Legend is sitting in a chair," added Miller. "He's got a pack of Newports, just smoking away. 'What you guys need?' We're like, 'We're good coach. Don't worry about it. We're good. He's like, 'All right, I'll see you out there in a few minutes.'"
While recollecting the story, the Pacers' former duo joked about the entire situation; however, Jackson said he and Reggie were quite shocked by what they saw. Both players looked up to Larry as their hero and the last thing they imagined him doing was getting sprawled out on a chair puffing Newports. Miller said he couldn't make a shot in the first half of that game, while Jackson declared it was probably their worst first half as the Pacers' starting backcourt. To Larry, however, it was just another day at the office.
Jack and Reggie didn't get the memo from Chuck
Unfortunately for Jackson and Miller, their basketball idol didn't just smoke Newports. He also loved drinking beer. Bird's fellow Hall of Famer Charles Barkley once shared a story about him joining Larry in a drinking session during their time with the Dream Team.
"One thing you don't wanna do is drink beer with Larry Bird," Barkley recalled . "Larry Bird drinks Budweiser, which is the strongest beer in the world, and my head hurt for like two days."
Well, it never mattered if Bird smoked Newports or drank Budweisers. He coached the Pacers for three seasons and posted an impressive 147-67 regular season record. While his coaching stint did not last too long, he led the Pacers to two Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Finals appearance during his tenure as head coach — adding to this all-around NBA career, proving that he is the ultimate basketball savant.
Related: "Well, I can't say the best team ever assembled" - When Larry Bird took a playful jab at fellow Dream Team members
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