Larry Bird’s life-threatening eating habit could have spelled doom for any NBA star today

The league has evolved tremendously over the years and has been improved in every way imaginable. The dietary requirements of the players are no exception. Due to advances in research and technology, the science behind every important aspect of player health and fitness has been elevated to new heights. Modern players follow strict training routines and diets, leaving no room for error. However, this Larry Bird fact from the ’90s is sure to wow modern NBA fans.

The standards of the 90’s were wild west compared to today’s standards. Despite being one of the best players in the league, three-time champion Larry Bird was also a victim of the lamentable health and fitness practices of the time. Bird suffered a terrible back injury throughout his career. The injury sidelined him from most games in his later years. During one of these periods away from court, Bird incessantly gorged himself on extraordinary amounts of food that nearly proved fatal.

Larry Bird once fell miserably out of shape during injury

Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Larry Bird faced various challenges on his path to success. However, Bird’s toughness and determination saw him overcome the toughest challenges. But one of the hills Bird never made it down was his back injury. In the early ’90s, the Celtics legend was sidelined for most of his games due to the severity of his injury. During this time away from the game, Bird developed a life-threatening habit.

DIVE DEEPER

Larry Legend has never found himself out of shape in his illustrious career. However, during his extended time out of the game, out of character, Bird put on a few pounds on the back of a food spree. The three-time MVP confessed to eating all day. According to his own testimony in a 1991 Sports Illustrated article, “I was so bored that I would sit at home, drive my wife crazy and eat and eat.” In addition, Bird also revealed his embarrassing career statistics, “In two and a half weeks, I was free, I ate 10 gallons of ice cream and seven wedding cakes.” However, her unusual appetite for a wedding cake stood out in her diet.

Bird’s diet would never have happened in the modern NBA. Advances in food science and a better understanding of physiology have enabled today’s chefs to maximize nutritional content. The teams spend a lot of money on high-end kitchens and world-class chefs. The bird’s diet at that time is extremely unhealthy and dangerous even for the average human being, let alone a professional athlete.

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