INDIANAPOLIS – Pre-match training NBA draft They are usually stressful. Pre-draft workouts essentially function like a job interview, with players showing potential employers what they’re made of and how they would fit within a given organization.
Imagine working out and Larry Bird appears. That’s what happened on Wednesday.
Bird, who returned to the organization as a consultant last June, decided to watch Wednesday’s practice. The Pacers have the 36th, 49th and 50th picks in the June 26-27 draft. (The Pacers’ three picks are scheduled for June 27.)
—Bird on the bench?50 years ago, Larry Bird was left out of Indiana’s high school All-Star Game
The team trained Yongxi Cui (China), Thijs De Ridder (Spain/Belgium), Jack Gohlke (Oakland), Emanuel Miller (TCU), Ajay Mitchell (UC-Santa Barbara) and Tyson Walker (Michigan State) for their third set . of training. For the six draft hopefuls, seeing Bird present added pressure to an already intense situation.
“It’s exciting,” Gohlke said. “Obviously (he is) an NBA legend, a guy who has been with the Pacers organization forever and also a legend with the Celtics. So I think he’s really cool. … I would say it’s almost easier playing in front of a sold-out stadium than having these guys sitting on the court, but it’s still a really cool experience.”
Bird has had an on-again, off-again relationship with the Pacers for decades. The French Lick native was the franchise’s head coach from 1997 to 2000 after spending five years on the Celtics front office. He then served as president of basketball operations from 2003 to 2012 and returned to that role from 2013 to 2017. Bird remained an advisor to the organization until 2022, when he resigned before returning last year.
When Bird, 67, walked into the facility Wednesday, the players quickly took notice.
“Once he walked in, I thought, ‘I recognize him,’” Mitchell said. “It’s amazing to see it here. Working opposite him is a great opportunity and it is a blessing to have him around.”
Star guard Tyrese Haliburton also made an appearance at practice, as did center Isaiah Jackson, in case Bird’s arrival wasn’t enough weight for the players being watched.
Making a strong first impression is always difficult. It’s even harder when a three-time MVP is part of the group evaluating your game.
“Everyone knows he’s a legend, because of what he’s done on the court,” Walker said. “So I want to play the best you can in front of him.”