He showed range, knocking down 3-of-7 from beyond the 3-point line, where his teammates combined to shoot 2-for-9 on 3s. Instead of packing his bags, Bird instead sent Germany packing with a complete performance. It was Bird’s highest-scoring game in Barcelona and particularly surprising since it came on the heels of the team’s second game, against Croatia, in which Bird labored so much that rumors momentarily swirled he might leave early. On July 29, 1992, Bird had a team-high 19 points in the 111-68 win outplaying Detlef Schrempf, who was Germany’s best player and a future three-time NBA All-Star. Although it probably sells Bird short to label his inclusion as merely symbolic - he was still an elite passer and shooter, and you could make the case that Bird’s presence had as much to do with respect for his place in the game as it did ability with respect to his peers. Bird ranked 43rd in win shares and 20th in PER among players born in the United States. Although he had been an All-Star the previous season, Bird averaged fewer than 20 points per game for the first time in his career, excluding 1988-89 when he played six games and posted the worst player efficiency rating of his career. As longtime NBA deputy commissioner and USA Basketball liaison Russ Granik told GQ in 2012, “He clearly wasn’t anywhere near what his peak had been, but if you were putting together such a historic team, you couldn’t leave him off.”īird was among the 10 players announced to the roster in September 1991. Although he served as a co-captain alongside Magic Johnson, Bird was on his last legs and dealing with significant back issues. When the Dream Team came together in the summer of 1992, Bird was 35 years old and had just finished his 13th NBA season. Twenty-five years ago today, Bird turned back the clock and delivered the last great performance of his legendary career. Our trip down memory in celebration of the Dream Team’s 25th anniversary continues with a nod to Larry Bird.
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