For those unwilling to cut Glen Davis slack for his early morning fight that resulted in thumb surgery and six weeks on the bench, Shank has a good column today reminding us that Larry Legend had a similar incident.
On the night of May 16, 1985, in the middle of the Eastern Conference
finals between the Celtics and Sixers, Bird was involved in a scuffle
that started at a now-defunct bar called Chelsea’s and spilled out to
the corner of State Street and Merchant’s Row. After the altercation,
Mike Harlow, a bartender/former Colgate football player, claimed he was
sucker-punched by Bird. Nick Harris, a man who was with Bird and Quinn
Buckner on the night of the incident, was treated at Massachusetts
General Hospital’s emergency room that night.
Bird’s right index finger was badly swollen in the days after the
fight. He claimed he injured it May 18 in a game at Philadelphia, two
days after the fight. He shot 46 percent in the ’85 playoffs. In his
other two MVP seasons, when the Celtics won the championship, he shot
52 percent each year.
Granted Bird's injury was less severe, but his fight happened during the conference finals. Can you imagine if that happened now? The media crush would be so intense, Bird never wouldn't have received a free pass.
Hey Glen, we're moving on. Just don't let it happen again.
Random NBA dancer pictures...after the jump.
