In today’s era of sports, athletes often undergo rigorous recovery and rehabilitation protocols to ensure a swift return to their peak performance levels after sustaining injuries. However, it may come as a surprise that more than three decades ago, Larry Bird took a rather unconventional approach to healing from a back injury.
During the 1990-91 NBA season, the iconic Boston Celtics player found himself sidelined for a few weeks due to a compressed nerve root in his back. Instead of adhering to a strict dietary regimen conducive to recovery, Bird indulged in a plethora of sweets, causing a slight increase in his weight.
Reflecting on this period, Bird humorously recounted his indulgence, as documented by Jack McCallum in his book, “Unfinished Business.” He confessed, “I was so bored, I’d sit around the house, drive my wife crazy, and eat and eat… In two and a half weeks, I was off. I ate ten gallons of ice cream and seven wedding cakes. Why them? I ate wedding cakes ’cause you knew they were gonna be good. I mean, who would mess up a wedding cake?”
Unfortunately, Bird’s injury coincided with a pivotal juncture for the Celtics, who had amassed an impressive 29-5 record just before his absence from the lineup. This setback was particularly untimely considering Bird’s history of back issues, which initially arose from a decision to undertake physical labor, such as paving his mother’s driveway, during the offseason of 1985.
