“You shouldn’t even show your face” – Larry Bird was still mad at his high school point guard for missing free throws deep into retirement
Bird and people from his hometown remained mad at his high school point guard for years.
Even though Larry Bird honed his skills as he grew older, his desire to win was evident from his high school days. The sting of being unable to carry his team to victory was bad enough for him, but it was worse if someone else was responsible.
This sentiment was evident during the Indiana native’s appearance on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ as the Indiana Pacers executive. While discussing his early basketball experiences, the three-time MVP couldn’t resist criticizing his high school point guard for missing key free throws in 1974.
Bird couldn’t let go of the past
Larry grew up in a small town called French Lick, with little exposure to the broader basketball world. His only opportunity to showcase his talent in front of a large audience came in the Indiana High School Basketball Tournament, a prestigious state-wide event. Moreover, his Spring Valley High School team, already having limited talent, required all players to be at their best to stand a chance against top-tier teams.
However, Bird saw this as impossible because his point guard had a glaring weakness, the inability to knock shots from the charity stripe.
“We tried to maybe be good enough to maybe have an opportunity one day to play against the Crispus Attucks or Jeffersonville or New Albany,” Bird said. “But, unfortunately, I played with a kid that kept missing free throws at the end of the game, and we didn’t get there.”
The host burst out laughing, recognizing that the three-time NBA champion still held a grudge against his high school teammate, and Larry even confirmed this sentiment.
“Never!” Bird exclaimed about not being able to let go. “A loss is a loss, and (it was) a big loss.”
Even his townmates wouldn’t spare the point guard
If anyone thinks Bird’s competitiveness is unique, and that’s why he couldn’t let go of his grudge against his former point guard, they’d be wrong. Many in the town of French Lick felt the same way.
The 12-time All-Star recounted a story about attending a cookout party where the host, after all these years, still couldn’t help but remind the same player of the missed free throws from 1974.
“This lady in her 70s, she looked at my friend and says, ‘What are you doing here?’ And he goes, ‘Well, I’m coming to the cookout,'” Bird narrated. “She goes, ‘After missing them free throws back in ’74, you shouldn’t even show your face.'”
It’s safe to say that this story underscores how deeply basketball was ingrained in the veins of those hailing from French Lick, where they took the game more seriously than anything.
