Because of his greatness, Larry Bird once had to deal with an unusual request from the referee.

Because of his greatness, Larry Bird once had to deal with an unusual request from the referee.

For most basketball fans, getting to meet the legendary Larry Bird would be an amazing experience. No matter how much you dislike the Boston Celtics, you can’t ignore what Larry Legend accomplished on the court. It’s not necessarily the case that those who work in sports would be less amazed by famous sportsmen or, at the very least, a little more jaded.

Take one match from the Tournament of the Americas, which was held before the 1992 Olympics. Bird was in the Dream Team, but because of his bad back, he didn’t play much. One referee, though, found that fact difficult to accept.

According to the report, the official approached the forward who was relaxing on the sidelines and asked if Bird may kindly enter the game. And he did, following some prodding from Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.

Seem unreal? Let’s investigate it, then.

Larry Bird was requested to enter the game by a foreign referee so he could inform his family about it.

There’s nothing like witnessing professional athletes compete live, as anyone who has attended a sporting event after years of TV watching will attest. It seems that this is also the case for players who are in the game.

The Dream Team went to Portland for the Tournament of the Americas before to the 1992 Olympics, and then they went to Barcelona. Larry Bird saw little involvement because of the team’s talent and his back discomfort; he passed some of his time attempting to get comfortable by lying on the floor close to the bench.

But there was one time he got an odd request to join the fight. However, it wasn’t from the coaching staff.

In his 1999 book Bird Watching, the forward said, “I was in my normal spot on the floor during one of those games when this Latin American official ran by our bench.” “He said, ‘Mr. Bird, Mr. Bird, please, you must come into the game,’ as he ran by. I hadn’t played the entire game. I was observing him and trying to figure out what he was talking about. “I have to be able to tell my family that I officiated a game that featured the legendary Larry Bird,” he uttered.

Even though Bird didn’t typically give in to peer pressure—his summertime attire selections serve as a testament to that fact—his teammates were instrumental in bringing him onto the floor.

Naturally, I was lucky. The living great went on, “Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were sitting on the bench with me at the time. “The next thing I know, they’re telling Chuck Daly to get me in there and removing my warm-up jersey.”

Even while it’s impossible to know for sure what transpired after that, we do know that the forward participated in two games throughout the tournament. Even though Larry Legend only had modest stats in those games (19 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists), hopefully he made an impression on the referee.