When you hold this Larry Bird autographed score book page from the night of his 60 point game in your hands you and your basketball friends will be falling all over each other like players on the Atlanta Hawks bench that night! Note that is the original score book page, in a pre-digital world, with a hand written log of every statistical nuance of the game, highlighted by Bird scoring in bunches with his finely penned autographed scribbled in black ball point ink.
Larry Bird had some gaudy scoring nights throughout his storied career, but his team-first mindset and versatility typically led Bird to doing whatever it took to win on any given night the Celtics did battle. However, on this particular night, Larry was “feeling it” and torched the helpless Atlanta Hawks for 60. Bird’s teammate and friend Kevin McHale likely fueled Bird’s fire for a scoring outburst, as just nine days earlier McHale dropped 56 points on the Pistons, then a Celtics franchise record, so it gave Larry something to shoot for, literally and figuratively.
Somewhat strangely, the game was played March 12, 1985 at Lakefront Arena on the campus of the University of New Orleans. The Hawks were trying to establish more fans in the region and in 1984-85 scheduled 12 home games in New Orleans, so this Bird milestone was not in a typical NBA arena, similar to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game in 1962 that was played in out-of-way Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Larry scored from all over the floor on the way to his career and Celtics franchise-high 60 points (sorry, Kevin!). The game is famous in NBA lore not only for Bird’s on the court exploits, but for the reactions of the opposing Hawks players on their bench to Larry’s mind-blowing performance. This is a very unique collectable from one of the most memorable games in NBA history.
(Note that the score book page, marvelously signed by Bird in bold ballpoint, is laminated, but in no way impacts the beauty of the piece) – Accompanied by a Full Letter of Authenticity by Beckett