"I thought of my dad with his hand over his heart and knew he would be so proud" - Larry Bird's 1992 Olympic gold medal was a bittersweet experience

For basketball fans, Larry Bird ’s legendary career as a player concluded in a manner befitting a fairytale. Not only did he get an opportunity to squash his beef with old rivals on the Dream Team, but he even got to close out his playing days with an Olympic gold medal.

However, while Larry Legend’s time in Barcelona was largely memorable, not every moment was without its complexities. This was evident when, in the excitement of every Team USA player receiving their gold medal, Bird could only recall the bittersweet memory he had experienced with his father.

Bird watched the Olympics with his dad

Though Bird was unarguably one of the biggest and most celebrated players in the ‘80s and ‘90s, he was just a simple man who always kept his family close to his heart, trying to make their dreams come true through him. As a kid, he watched the Olympic festivities with his dad, who indeed took pride in the American national anthem being played every time. Consequently, the injury-riddled 12-time All-Star knew the significance of being part of this star-studded team despite struggling with an ailing back.

"I always watched the Olympics with my dad, and even though I was very young, five or six - I will always remember how my dad stood up with his hand over his heart each and every time 'The Star-Spangled Banner' was played when the USA medaled in an event," Bird said . “(My dad) was bursting with pride."

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Bird knew he had made his father proud

Even though Bird tried his best to stay in shape later in his career, his back never let him get back to his prime form. On the Dream Team, he actually had the second-lowest scoring average among guys who played all eight games, which pretty much shows he was there more for his experience than to help win the gold medal.

Nevertheless, The Hick From the French Lick's moment of triumph when he donned the gold medal and listened to the national anthem elicited memories of his father’s passionate patriotism. Moreover, he was also aware that Joe Bird would be equally proud of him for bringing pride to the country regardless of the role he had played at the age of 35.

"When we won the gold medal, and I heard 'The Star-Spangled Banner' being played, I thought of my dad with his hand over his heart and knew he would be so proud," Bird concluded.

Even though Joe passed away in 1975 and never got the chance to see his son make the country proud, there’s no denying that Larry’s grit and grind mentality to show up for the Dream team despite experiencing pain every single day due to his back would've made anyone, including his father, incredibly proud.

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