DETROIT - APRIL 06: Larry Bird answers questions with Earvin "Magic" Johnson (not pictured) during a news conference to relive their 1979 NCAA Championship Game between Indiana State and Michigan State before the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship game at Ford Field on April 6, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
There are times when we learn about events long after they have already occurred.
This week, the national media treated Cleveland’s supporters to yet another round of rejection.
This week, rumors surfaced that Larry Bird, the president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers, declined a chance to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers in the off-season.
As many of you recall, Larry Bird only promised to coach in the NBA for three seasons when he made his coaching debut with the Indiana Pacers in 1997.
He delivered on this promise by leading the Pacers to two Central Division titles and three straight winning seasons from 1997 to 2000.
Following his brief tenure as coach, he spent three years away from the Pacers organization before coming back in 2003 to take on the role of President of Basketball Operations.
Bird said that he declined the Cavaliers’ offer because he wanted to be near his family and did not want to coach in the NBA in the future.
While those arguments make sense, some individuals maintain that Larry Bird would benefit from going back to coaching.
Consider it from a competitive standpoint, if you will.
Among the most successful and driven players in NBA history was Larry Bird.
In addition to nearly winning an NBA Championship in 2000 while coaching, he won three as a player.
Eating at Larry Legend is a necessity.
And although a championship with Cleveland might not have been the most alluring option, I believe Mr. Bird would have been better off going back to coaching.
Having said that, let’s move on to the ten reasons I believe Larry Bird should have accepted the Cleveland coaching position.
I thought it would be fun to start this list off with a little humor.
Who didn’t love seeing Larry Bird and Michael Jordan share the screen in those McDonald’s ads?
If Larry Legend decides to return to the sidelines, there may be more chances to witness him eat a Big Mac for a snack or steal food from LeBron James and Dwight Howard while they are engaging in some one-on-one action.
The fans should be happy as long as McDonald’s doesn’t mandate that Bird wear those classic short basketball shorts.
