Spike Lee Was Nervous To Meet Larry Bird After Making Fun Of Him In A 1986 Movie
Famous director Spike Lee has crossed roads with basketball legends many times. As a passionate New York Knicks fan, he has many stories around his NBA courtside experiences.
One incident involved Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird. In the 1986 film “She’s Gotta Have It,” Lee’s character called Bird the “ugliest m***********” in the NBA.
“The first time I met him was at a Capital One commercial,” Lee said in an interview with Charles Barkley. “I saw it was Larry Bird, so I was really nervous. I made a point that when Larry comes to the set, I would go to his trailer. So I knocked on his trailer, and it was just him alone. I said, ‘Mr. Bird, can I come in?’ I said, ‘Larry, I apologize for anything that you might have taken offense to.’ He said, ‘Spike man, forget about that,’ and then he dapped me up.”
Bird was one of the biggest trash talkers of all time, so he was used to dishing and receiving insults that were much worse. He is also among the most accomplished players in league history, so a line about his appearance in a movie probably didn’t move him that much.
Plus, Bird was too busy cooking Lee’s Knicks anyways.
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Jayden Armant is a contributor to Back in the Day NBA. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on TikTok @jaydenarmant.
