Bird gave his personal endorsement to a nearby eatery.
In contrast to players today who will take part in any promotion or endorsement for financial gain, three-time MVP Larry Bird refused to seek attention or spotlight despite being a generational talent and one of the NBA’s most recognizable figures in the 1980s. One famous instance of this is when he agreed to endorse a restaurant, but only on the condition that all of his Boston Celtics teammates could eat there for free.
In “back from the dead,” Bill Walton wrote a captivating account of the relationship between the biggest sports star in Boston, Bird, and a restaurant owner named Harry. However, Bird declined to appear in the book’s commercial for the restaurant. Walton recounted how Bird continued to reject Harry’s insistence that he sign the 12-time all-star for an advertising to promote his restaurant.
Larry finally consented to an advertisement for Harry after much hesitation. It’s interesting to note that he turned down money in favor of asking the restaurant owner to give all of the Celtics players and their families free meals anytime they came.
“Larry said that the only thing that he wanted was for each of his teammates, there were eleven of us, to be able to come into the Scotch’ n Sirloin anytime, bring their families, and eat for free but that we would all leave a cash tip,” wrote Walton. “And if the tip wasn’t big enough, to be sure and tell Larry, and he would take care of it.”
Rick Carlisle was not the only one who ate there every meal all season long. Bird’s agreement was fully utilized by the other Celtics players as well; Walton disclosed that they would have dinner at Harry’s restaurant following each game. But the native of Indiana made sure his teammates abided by his commitment.
Walton went on, “Every player and their family would have their own table.” “And at the end of the night, Larry would quietly check to make sure that the plates were clean and the tip was the right size.”
Larry never really paid heed to his celebrity.
Bird was a nationally recognized athlete who was aspired to be by young athletes, even in his early years at Indiana State. However, Jim Jones, his high school coach, claimed that he had little interest in doing newspaper interviews
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“He gets embarrassed when people make a fuss over him,” Jones stated. “You have to understand him.”
Soft-spoken and content to let his skills speak for themselves, Bird avoided the spotlight and concentrated on perfecting his trade, which turned him into a basketball legend and gave him the greatest nickname in history—”Larry Legend.”
