In the summer of 1992, Larry Bird made one of the most difficult decisions of his legendary basketball career. Shortly after winning gold at the Barcelona Olympics as a member of the Dream Team, Bird finally opted to retire.
After learning about Bird’s retirement, New York Knicks superstar big man Patrick Ewing joked about how he would miss torching the Boston Celtics legend on the court. At the time, Ewing was quoted saying, “I will be sad. I won’t be able to bust his a** on the court anymore.”
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Knowing “Larry Legend” and his relentlessness as a trash-talker, such remarks wouldn’t be left unnoticed. Sure enough, the Indiana native clapped back at his fellow Hall of Famer with an equally, if not a more savage, response.
“As far as Patrick, he’s had eight years to bust me. He hasn’t done it yet. I couldn’t stay around a lifetime & wait on him,” the three-time champion responded.
Bird was the one who used to dominate Ewing
Taking a quick trip down memory lane, it appears that Bird’s response to Ewing was more than just trash talk. Their history of head-to-head matches shows that there was some truth to it.
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In the years that “Hoya Destroya” and “Larry Legend” took on each other on the hardwood, it was Bird who often beat Ewing. They clashed in a total of 30 games, and Bird holds a winning record of 22-8 over Patrick, 17 in the regular season and five in the playoffs.
Individually, their numbers were almost identical, though. Bird averaged 25.6 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.0 steals in all of his games against Ewing. On the other hand, “Big Pat” logged 25.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks in those showdowns.
A late yet genuine friendship
The two Eastern Conference superstars joined the Dream Team as rivals in the NBA, but they became close friends by the end of the Olympics. Their intense rivalry made them natural opponents, but during this unique Olympic experience, the two, then-future Hall of Famers, discovered a bond that went beyond basketball.
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Despite their competitive nature, Ewing and Bird shared mutual respect for one another on and especially off the court. This newfound connection laid the groundwork for a friendship that would withstand the test of time.
“Larry and I; we got very close during the Olympics. At first, during New York against Boston, I used to hate him, ’cause he talked so much trash,” Ewing once reflected on the Arsenio Hall Show. “But once we finally got to sit down in a relaxed atmosphere, we got to be very good friends.”
“I remember a couple of times when he drove to the hole and I tried to block his shot and he was like, ‘You better sit down, you going to pop your arm out of your socket before you get this,'” he recounted with a laugh.
All told, it’s always quite fascinating to discover a beautiful bond between two competitors. Larry and Pat’s friendship shows that while competition is an essential part of the game, the relationships formed along with it can be just as valuable.