“All He Did Was Deliver the Food”: Not in Favor of Celtics Teammates Tipping Waiter, Larry Bird Snatched Away 20% Tip and Paid the Chef

The Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird always deeply disdained dining at overpriced restaurants and paying extravagant tips. Despite being among the most popular and highest-earning athletes in the NBA, during his era, Bird did not like spending money on trivial things or in places that didn’t deserve it. One such incident is vividly mentioned in the book When the Game Was Ours, co-written by Bird and Magic Johnson.

The book first highlights an incident of Larry Bird visiting a bar in New York along with Celtics teammate Rick Robey to have a brew during his rookie season. However, upon glancing at the prices listed on the menu, Bird seemed utterly disappointed and walked out.

A few years after this incident, Bird visited another trendy New York eatery with his Boston teammates. This time, while collecting money for the bill, the other players decided to tip the waiter 20 percent. However, such extravagant tips remained a disdainful and distasteful affair for the 3x NBA champion.

Surprised about why the waiters were being tipped for delivering the food, Bird grabbed the tip and handed them to the cook by storming into the kitchen instead. Here is an excerpt from Bird’s autobiography, which describes the incident well.

“Years later, while dining with his teammates in a trendy New York eatery, the players began collecting money for the bill. Told they were going to give the waiter a 20 percent tip, Bird said, “What for? All he did was deliver the food.

He stood up, grabbed the tip money, and strode unannounced into the kitchen. He handed the astonished cook a fistful of bills, then walked out.”

While Larry Bird might have his aversion towards tips and paying extravagantly for restaurants, he was always up for charity. Bird has regularly contributed to charities for issues of his concern. Bird has shown a knack for philanthropy since the early days of his career, and to this day, he continues his efforts.

Larry Bird still counts charity as a big part of his life

Larry Bird has dedicated a major portion of his life’s earnings to charity since the early days of his career. The 3x NBA champion and Celtics legend has a net worth of $75 million and has earned significantly from his NBA contracts and endorsement deals.

However, retaining his humility, Bird still prefers to continue his philanthropic efforts without seeking the limelight. According to an article by FOX 59, Bird said,

“All my donations are sort of made under the table. I don’t need the publicity-I’m not doing it for publicity. You try to do as much as you can. It depends on timing but my wife and I try to do as much as we can. You never do enough. Playing in Boston, I get requests. Living in Florida part-time and here and even back in my home town. So spread pretty thin at times but you’ve got to give back.” 

The retired NBA legend supports several prominent foundations, such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and CharitaBulls. Rather than spending on a lavish lifestyle like most NBA players, Bird has made the most of his earnings to become one of the most loved and adored figures in the league’s history.