Bird was unique only in that his big injury came not on-court but off. In the summer of 1985, he wrenched his back while shoveling gravel for his mother in French Lick. He was never the same. Many of us remember Bird stretched on the Boston sideline, waiting for the spasms to subside. He signed a contract for the 1992–93 season, but returned the money when he realized he couldn’t be effective. He wanted to be remembered as he’d been at his best.
