“They asked me if Larry Bird was my uncle ALL THE TIME!”: Sue Bird pranked her school friends with an ingenious bit of name play about the 3-time MVP and Celtics legend

WNBA star Sue Bird often gets asked if she is related to NBA legend Larry Bird.

Sue Bird and Larry Bird are considered to be two of the greatest players to come out of the WNBA and NBA respectively.

Sue Bird was drafted by the Seattle Storm as the first overall pick in the 2002 in the WNBA draft while Larry Bird was drafted by the Boston Celtics as the sixth overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft.

The two American sporting icons have won 7 titles between them – Sue won 4 with the Storm in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020 and Larry won 3 with the Celtics in 1981, 1984 and 1986.

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Sue Bird loved being mistaken for the Celtics sharpshooting legend’s daughter or niece

When Bird was growing up in New York she would often get asked whether the Celtics legend was a part of her family. After being asked many times she decided that she would have a little fun of her own.

“It’s like a famous story in my childhood school and neighborhood that I lied and I would tell people he was my uncle like all the time,” said Bird. “I mean, I was like 6 or 7, so I feel like that’s excusable.”

Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd are back — at least for one more year. But plenty of questions remain before the Storm’s 2022 season begins. Here’s what to watch for as Seattle opens training camp Sunday. https://t.co/ibyjZrixzA

— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) April 16, 2022

Bird today has achieved legend status as a player in the WNBA. Along with winning 4 WNBA titles, she is also a 5-time Olympic Gold medalist.

In 2021, Bird re-signed with the Seattle Storm, the only team she has ever known. It was a one-year deal, which allowed her to play her 18th season in the league, moving her past Milton-Jones for most seasons played in the WNBA.

Now 41, Bird is the oldest active WNBA player and would be hoping that she can a fifth championship in what could be her final season in the league.

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