Isiah Thomas Reveals How Larry Bird Was ‘Forced’ Into Drunkenness By Bulls Cheerleaders Amidst Playoff Series

The NBA of the past was a very different world compared to the tightly managed, hyper-disciplined league we see today. It wasn’t uncommon for players to hit the bar the night before a big game, sometimes even hours before tip-off. No one embodied that gritty, old-school spirit quite like Larry Bird.

Recently, NBA legend Isiah Thomas shared a throwback story on his Instagram, highlighting how Bird got drunk before a Bulls game. The story was told by Rick Robey, a former Celtic.

He revealed that the night before their playoff matchup against the Bulls, they went to Rush Street to have a few beers. However, the Bulls cheerleading squad was also there, and they were sending beers for Bird and Robey. Bird, adamant on not backing down, continued drinking one after the other.

“Before we knew it, it was late at night. We’ve had a few too many and we got in a cab and they got us back to the hotel. In about six hours later, we had to be up because we’re playing a…game that afternoon,” he recalled. Robey admitted that they were a “little tired” before tip-off, but had to play well in the game.

After the initial struggles, Bird managed to put up 40 on the board and won the game for his team. The Celtics also won the series against the Bulls. And right before he walked off the court, Bird, in his classic style, looked at the cheerleaders and thanked them for sending the beers.

Zeke has been a lifelong fan of the Celtics legend. Despite their rivalry, he has had nothing but great things to say about Bird. He once claimed that if Bird played in today’s era, “he’d still be the MVP of the league, and his team would still be winning championships.” Zeke believes that Nikola Jokic plays a lot like Bird, and we’ve seen what he has done in the league in the last few years.

Larry Bird was a “two-fisted drinker”

Cedric Maxwell, Bird’s teammate during the 80s, once revealed what it was like to party with the Celtics legend. He recalled going out with Bird and Kevin McHale one night. He said, “I’m trying to drink with Larry, who is a two-fisted drinker. So, I drank till I couldn’t drink anymore.”

After a few drinks, they decided to eat, but Maxwell wasn’t feeling too good about having all those drinks. He asked for some water as he wanted to come back to his senses. What he didn’t know was that Bird had mixed his water with vodka.

He said, “What Larry had done was put this whole little mini bottle of vodka in the water, and that just sent me over the edge.” After tricking his teammate into drinking more after he thought he had hit his ceiling, Bird enjoyed watching Maxwell feed the animals outside.