Larry Bird Back Injury: The Unseen Battle Behind the NBA Icon
Larry “Legend” Bird is truly one of basketball’s most iconic superstars ever. But his incredible legacy isn’t defined only by his sweet skills and shots on the hardwood. Larry’s story also shows his awesome mental toughness and resilience in coping with injuries.
Larry Bird back injury changed his life and career.
Join Now and Enter to Win a FREE NBA Basketball Jersey! 👇
The Beginning of Larry Bird Back Injury
Larry Bird’s chronic back issues, which eventually cut his career short, trace back to a nasty mid-air collision.
During a crucial 1985 playoff game, Bird got tangled up with Atlanta Hawks big man Kevin Willis while skydiving for a rebound. He crashed down hard, severely straining those lower back muscles that already endured so much abuse.
At first, Larry downplayed the injury and stubbornly fought through the pain. But it turned out those strained muscles were a warning sign of more serious problems developing, several herniated discs wrecking his spine.
As his back condition deteriorated, Bird dealt with awful pain shooting down his legs and numbness. His flexibility and mobility slowly decreased with all those bulging discs. He ended up requiring multiple back surgeries to repair the damage.
True to form though, Bird never let the crumbling spine sideline his heart and passion for the game. He pushed through rigorous rehab trying desperately to come back strong after each procedure.
But despite his valiant efforts, the injuries inevitably took their career. The pain and cumulative effects sliced Bird’s career shorter than he hoped. Fans never got to witness Larry Legend’s talents at full capacity before the abrupt retirement.
How did Larry Bird Hurt His Back?
Larry Bird’s infamous back troubles didn’t happen because of any single moment or incident. Instead, it was more of a gradual wearing down over years of going full throttle at basketball’s highest level. All that intense play unfortunately caught up to his body over time.
There was one incident in 1985 that made his situation worse. Larry decided to build a driveway for his mom and was out there shoveling gravel, which definitely aggravated his already aching back. After that, his back would frequently slip out of alignment and get locked in painful positions that made playing excruciating.
Basically, Bird was unintentionally doing some serious damage to his back muscles and discs while working on that driveway. Over time, all those injuries really started to add up and take their toll. His back would go out of alignment and cause him a ton of pain, which made it harder for him to play like he was used to.
The specific problems with his back included injured discs and pinched nerves. When the soft inside part of a spinal disc pushes out through a tear in the outer part, that’s called a herniated disc.
And pinched nerves happen when there’s too much pressure on a nerve, leading to numbness and bad pain. Both of those issues made playing his best really difficult for Bird.
So even though Larry Legend kept powering through the pain and injuries out on the basketball court, his messed up back ultimately led him to retire earlier than expected in 1992. His damaged back had forced him to totally change his playing style just to keep competing.
And experts figure those nagging injuries probably cost him an estimated $24 million in potential career earnings. The crazy thing is it all started with Bird just trying to help out his mom with some yardwork.
Battling the Pain
Larry Legend’s back issues caused him some intensely brutal pain and made it real tough for him to keep up his normal pace and domination on the court.
He had several slipped discs in his lower back, specifically between the L4/L5 and L5/S1 vertebrae parts. Those messed up discs were squeezing and irritating the nerves, which caused awful pain and muscle spasms that would even shoot down his legs. Numbness in his legs was common too.
But even with all that, Bird kept on pushing through the pain to keep playing. He went through a bunch of back surgeries trying to get some relief, along with tons of rehab and training.
Towards the end of his career, Bird’s medical crew had to go to extremes to even get him ready to play. His therapist said they’d have to “unlock his spine” and quickly re-align things – changes that might hold for maybe 4-6 hours tops on game days.
With those brief windows of time before the pain returned, Bird willed himself to deliver great performances. But he knew his long-term health was at risk. He wondered about maybe being wheelchair-bound or losing the ability to do simple stuff like taking beach walks with his family.
What type of back surgery did Larry Bird have?
One major surgery Larry had in March of 1993 when he went under the knife for over 5 hours to have back fusion surgery.
In that procedure, the surgeons shaved off strips of bone from Bird’s hip area. Then they placed those bone bits vertically alongside Larry’s vertebrae bones in his spine. The goal was to stabilize and strengthen his spine where it was messed up and causing him so much agony.
The head surgeon, Dr. Wright, was a specialist Larry had used before to try correcting a herniated disc in 1991. But they hoped this multi-hour fusion technique would provide more permanent relief from all the relentless discomfort.
Recovery took time after such a complex surgery drilling into his spine bones. But if it could reduce Larry’s chronic pain to more manageable levels, it would help get his quality of life back.
That 1993 back fusion procedure was definitely a major intervention aimed at addressing the back problems that had plagued Bird’s career. It shows just how severe and life-altering his issues had become.
Bird’s journey highlights how the physical demands of pro sports also require next-level mental strength. His story proves the lengths stars will go to keep chasing greatness, even through immense pain. Truly legendary dedication and resilience from Larry Legend!
What if…
It’s interesting to imagine an alternate reality where Larry Legend didn’t have to battle those nasty back issues during his NBA career. Without that injury slowing him down, Bird might’ve reached even greater heights.
Considering how insanely skilled and dominant he was before the injuries, it’s easy to picture a healthy Bird leading the Celtics to more rings while racking up more MVPs and records. He was already an unstoppable force, so no limits from back pain likely meant solidifying his spot as an all-timer.
At the same time, you can’t take anything away from what Bird accomplished even with a bum back. Dude was still nasty out there, using his long arms, next-level hoops IQ, and slick passing to adapt and overcome. Larry continued impacting games at an elite level, which just shows his remarkable talent and determination.
On a league-wide scale, a healthy Larry Bird might have reshaped some championship outcomes and legacies during that era. If his career lasted longer, some other stars and teams may have seen their histories altered too. Fans definitely wonder what could’ve been if Bird’s back held up.
But even with the back trouble taking away some potential achievements, Larry Legend’s career remains extraordinarily inspirational. His ability to keep excelling through adversity shows why he’s a role model for perseverance and hard work.
Clearly, an injury-free Bird likely reaches even higher peaks. But speculating too much takes nothing away from how sensational his actual career was, back pain and all. Absolute legend no matter what.
Before you go
Check out these articles below, they’ve got some cool stuff you might like.
Join Now and Enter to Win a FREE NBA Basketball Jersey! 👇
Kenya Lee
