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When Mark Pope recalled Larry Bird crying in the locker room before Pacers faced Michael Jordan's Bulls in 1998 ECF Game 7: "Wanted it so bad for us"

Kentucky coach Mark Pope recalled a moment from the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals when three-time NBA champion and former Indiana Pacers coach Larry Bird cried in the locker room before the Pacers faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Pope made the revelation on the "Titus and Tate Show" on April 21, 2020. At the time, Pope was coaching the BYU Cougars but reflected on his time with the Pacers, playing under the legendary Bird. As a rookie, Pope was part of an Indiana team that was up against a Bulls team that was trying to win its sixth NBA championship.

Bird, in his first year as coach for Indiana, helped the Pacers, led by Reggie Miller, reach the Eastern Conference Finals and stretch it to a Game 7.

"I'll never forget we're Game 7 in Chicago," Pope said. "Every single game is just so dramatic and we're in the locker room before the game and Coach Bird, in his rookie season as a coach, maybe the smartest most intuitive player to ever play the game, and he's doing his pregame and he starts bawling.
"I'm talking about tears. Just remembering his experience when he was trying to make it to his first Finals because this Pacer team hadn't been yet and and he just wanted it so bad for us." (3:57).

Mark Pope said that at that time he was lucky to be part of the Pacers team that was one victory away from making it to the NBA Finals (Indiana lost a close game to Chicago in Game 7, 88-83).


Kentucky coach Mark Pope seeks to continue surprising start against Ohio State

More than 25 years after that moment, Mark Pope, now coach of Kentucky, is looking to continue his winning ways against Ohio State in a CBS Sports Classic doubleheader on Saturday at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

Pope hopes to guide the No. 4-ranked Wildcats (10-1) to their 11th win in the 2024-25 college basketball season against the Ohio State Buckeyes (7-4).

Kentucky is fresh off a 93-85 win over Louisville last Saturday. Guard Lamont Butler sizzled for 33 points on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting from the field to lead the Wildcats to a big victory over their fierce rivals.

On the other hand, Ohio State is coming off a 95-73 win over Valparaiso. Devin Royal put up a career-high 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Buckeyes, who had lost three of their last four games to Pittsburgh, Maryland and Auburn before defeating the Beacons.


What do you think about Mark Pope's revelation about Larry Bird in the 1998 ECF? Let us know your insights in the comments section.

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