Writers’ Memories of Bird

Times staff writers remember Larry Bird, basketball player, on parquet and elsewhere:

The game ended two hours before, but Larry Bird sat on a table in the middle of the Celtics’ dressing room at the Boston Garden patiently fielding questions after the Celtics defeated the Lakers in Game 3 of the 1987 NBA finals.

Unlike some star athletes, who are as fond of the media as they are of having a root canal, Bird always tried to accommodate reporters. He’d answer the same questions from wave after wave of interviewers.

After the Lakers won the series in six games, Bird was gracious in defeat, coming over to the Laker locker room to congratulate Magic Johnson.

Bird usually drew a crowd wherever he went.

During their early seasons in Los Angeles, the Clippers often played before empty seats at the Sports Arena.

But they sold out every ticket for Larry Bird’s annual appearance. Although the Sports Arena provided extra security for Bird, he usually managed to accommodate a few autograph seekers as he was being escorted away after the game.