Bird, now 67 years old, is a 10-time All-NBA selection, three-time MVP, three-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, Olympic gold medalist and Basketball Hall of Famer. He is one of the basketball’s greatest players.
He kept captive an audience full of C-suite executives with stories and one liners – thoughtful, insightful and humorous.
Former Indiana Fever player Tamika Catchings (from left), Larry Bird, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) and Mike Epps talk to a crowd Thursday during the NBA All Star Tip-Off ceremony at the Bicentennial Unity Plaza in downtown Indianapolis.
Here are snippets from Bird’s conversation with Costas:
◾ Bird was regarded as an elite trash talker. At the 1986 All-Star Weekend in Dallas, Bird participated in the first 3-point contest. He walked into the locker room and saw his competitors: Dale Ellis, Sleepy Floyd, Craig Hodges, Kyle Macy, Norm Nixon, Trent Tucker and Leon Wood.
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“Nobody’s talking, nobody’s saying anything,” Bird explained. “They’re just sitting there. They sort of put their heads down. I said, ‘Hey, I’m just looking to see who’s coming in second.’ I did it for a joke, but they didn’t like that very well. Then, they’re all rooting against me. ‘Somebody beat him.’ “
