As someone who was always known to be fiery, Larry Bird went after David Stern after the Lakers lost game six of the 1984 NBA Finals.
It was always Larry Bird’s habit to speak up when it mattered. One of his more outspoken moments was in 1984, when Bird chose to confront David Stern at the height of his powers, together with the Celtics and LA Lakers.
Larry Bird lost his cool as the Celtics fell to the Lakers in game six. Following the Lakers’ victory in Game 6, the NBA and then-commissioner David Stern were accused by Larry Bird of consciously promoting a decisive Game 7 in order to profit financially from the series’ outcome.
How did Bird respond to the Game 6 loss?
The Lakers, knowing they would lose, threw everything at the Celtics in Game 6, making it a brutal contest. With three of its players (Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, and Gerald Henderson) in foul trouble, the Lakers outscored the Celtics 36-21 in the fourth quarter. This infuriated Bird, who then made a point about how stronger teams are ardently seeking a Game 7.
Bird said: “Stern informed a fan that the NBA need funding and a seven-game series. You know things are going to be difficult when the commissioner says something like that to a fan.”
Bird claims that if an NBA commissioner makes remarks of this nature, the subsequent events will always have his imprint. The great Bird said there was no possibility to close the game in six games once that declaration was made.
Stern did not address the purported charge.
Stern remained silent in the face of the grave accusations. His spokesperson, Brian McIntyre, described Larry’s assertions as “ridiculous” and hinted that if the NBA Commissioner discovered them, he would simply laugh them off.
