When the Game Was Ours - Larry Bird [96]
With the physical therapist Dyrek a new (and permanent) member of Bird's inner circle, Larry was able to shake off his back woes and submit the most complete season of his career. He averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists a night, picked off a career-high 166 steals, and led the league in free throw shooting with an .896 percentage.
The 1986 All-Star weekend featured a new event, the Three-Point Shootout. Bird walked into the locker room and asked, "Which one of you guys is going to finish second?" After he blew away the competition and was handed an oversized check for the victory, he cracked, "This check's had my name on it for weeks."
Bird's demeanor was emblematic of the Celtics team as a whole. They were young, loose, cocky, and together.
"It was the best time of my life," McHale said. "Of all the things we did, what stands out is how naturally we gave of ourselves to the team. No one person was bigger than the rest of us."
Although Bird was still the Celtics' headliner, his teammates garnered their share of praise. The Big Three was universally recognized as the most frightening front line in the league, and Walton's resurgence became one of the NBA's most endearing stories.
One night when Parish was sidelined with an ankle sprain, Walton arrived at the Garden three and a half hours ahead of time. He was about to make his first start ever for the Boston Celtics and wanted to be prepared. As he stretched on the parquet, Bird stood over him.
"Now, look," Bird said. "Just because you are starting instead of Chief, don't think for a minute his shots are yours. Those are my shots. You just get to the weak side and rebound the ball."
As his popularity increased, Bird was inundated with endorsement requests. Everyone wanted him to hawk their products, but he judiciously picked his spots. When Lay's potato chips made him a lucrative offer, Bird agreed to appear in a commercial with Kareem.
The ad began with Larry about to open a bag of chips.
"Betcha can't eat just one," Abdul-Jabbar deadpanned.
"Bet I can," replied the cocky forward, who popped the single chip into his mouth.
As the camera panned back around, Bird sat greedily eating the whole bag of Lay's—with a completely shaved head to match Kareem's bald pate.
Mindful that his success was tied directly to his teammates, Bird often tried to incorporate them into his good fortune. When a local eatery near the Garden asked Bird to be their spokesman, he agreed and quietly arranged to put his teammates' tab on his docket each time they joined him for a meal there.
The portfolio of three-time champion Earvin "Magic" Johnson also continued to overflow with financial opportunities. The combination of his unique athletic skills and his infectious personality led to new commercials, new business ventures outside of basketball, and lots of new friends. Johnson no longer needed to rely on Buss to score him an invitation to the hottest events in Hollywood. He was atop the A-list with actors, comedians, athletes, and entertainers.
Jackie and Jermaine Jackson from the Jackson Five became regulars at the Lakers games and invited Magic to Hayvenhurst, their gated mansion, where they tried to coerce him into dating their sister La Toya.
One night Johnson was hanging with Jackie when the singer said, "You should come on tour with us."
"What would I do?" Magic asked.
"Hang with the brothers!" Jackie answered.
Johnson joined the Jackson entourage for the "Triumph Tour" in 1980 and the "Victory Tour" in 1984. He ate with them, traveled on their tour bus, even sat onstage while they performed. He was overwhelmed by the number of fans, lined three deep, who clamored for a view of the musical idols.
The Jacksons had it all worked out. They sent out a pair of stretch white limousines with dark-tinted windows an hour or so before the show, and the fans went berserk in pursuit. Hundreds of girls