LARRY BIRD IN ISRAEL

YES, TWO OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TOGETHER AT LAST.

Ex-NBA star Bird in Israel: Legendary Boston Celtics basketball star Larry Bird to be guest of honor at Maccabi Tel Aviv European League game Thursday evening By Itay Shenkman and Yigal Walt

TEL AVIV - Legendary NBA star Larry Bird landed in Israel Thursday evening and is expected to be the guest of honor at a European League game between local powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv and Cibona Zagreb.

Bird, who won several NBA championships with the Boston Celtics and cemented his status as one of basketball's all-time greats, is currently the Indiana Pacers' President and often watches European basketball games in a bid to identify promising European prospects.

During the European National Championship two years ago in Sweden, he attended several games in the framework of his scouting efforts.