A side story to the Warriors 103-82 victory in Cleveland last night is the flop fall LeBron James took into the photographers’ row that resulted in a couple of nasty cuts on his head.
This incident reminded me of a famous moment in Celtics history – the decisive Game 5 of the 1991 series vs the Pacers where Larry Bird smacked his head on the parquet floor.
Legend didn’t flop around like a fish out of water like LeBron, but that’s probably because he had a legit concussion and didn’t know what has happening.
After spending some time in the lockerroom, Bird returned to the court:
Chuck Person: (When Bird came through the tunnel) “I thought, ‘Well, here’s the second coming.’ He definitely played ungodly the rest of the way. For a guy who could’ve broken his neck or fractured a jaw or something, he really came out and performed at a level he’s accustomed to playing at.”
Larry Bird: “I kept hearing the crowd oohing and aahing, and I kept asking what the score was. I had this massive headache on the right side of my head but finally I decided, ‘This could be your last game ever, so you’d better get out there and give it all you can.’ ‘’
I still get goosebumps. With the Celtics trailing by 3 in the 3rd quarter, Bird returned and fueled the Celtics 33-14 run. The Pacers kept it close but Larry (32 points, 12-19 FG, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) was not going to go out a loser on this day.
One other note: Bird spent the night before the game in traction at a Boston hospital.
PS – Is there a bigger a-hole that that guy in the suit who chastised the photographer for Lebron’s injury? Turns out he’s some Nike big shot who handles LeBron’s deal. What a jerk.
