Is Sue Bird related to Larry Bird? The connection between these two basketball legends.
In the world of basketball, Sue Bird is a legend and household name. The Seattle Storm point guard is a four-time WBNA champion and the WNBA's all-time leader in assists and career starts. She also is a five-time Olympic gold medalist and played on U.S. teams that won four World Championships.
With so many accolades, it’s hard not to associate Bird with an NBA counterpart who shares her surname – Larry Bird, known as “Larry Legend” or “the Great White Hope.”
Besides sharing an affinity for basketball, are the two Birds related?
Is Sue Bird related to Larry Bird?
Despite the shared last name, Sue Bird is not related to former pro basketball player Larry Bird.
The Celtics Hall of Fame forward played with the Boston team from 1979 to 1992. The Celtics retired his iconic number 33 jersey following his retirement from basketball.
In an interview with Insider, Sue Bird actually revealed that she used to fib about being the niece of Larry Bird when she was younger.
Bird told WNBA.com, “Since I’ve been five, people asked me if we’re related. It is usually the third question in a line of questions. What’s your name? Sue Bird. Oh, what do you do? I play basketball. Are you related to Larry Bird? That’s how it goes.”
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Is Sue Bird married?
Bird is engaged to American professional soccer player Megan Rapinoe, who gained global attention for her activism for equal rights. Rapinoe was the first openly gay woman to pose for Sports Illustrated.
The pair have been together since fall 2016, according to NBC Sports, and they met at a 2015 media summit ahead of the Rio Olympics. Bird and Rapinoe got engaged in October 2020.
Where did Sue Bird go to college?
Bird played at the University of Connecticut from 1998 to 2002, where she also studied communications, she said in an ESPN interview. Upon graduating, she was the No. 1 pick in the 2002 WNBA draft. Her UConn teams won two national championships, and she was the 2002 Division I woman's player of the year.
Is Sue Bird retired?
Bird retired at the end of the 2022 season. In June 2023, the Seattle Storm retired the No. 10 she wore during her 21-year career.
"To feel seen and safe here, whether it was with the ball in my hands on the floor, or me out in the community, I could always be my ever-evolving self,” Bird said in her speech at the ceremony. “As I’ve said, Seattle wasn’t always home, but that’s exactly what it became.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Sue Bird related to Larry Bird? Her relationship, retirement, more.
