Who plays Larry Bird in Winning Time? Everything about actor who called it a 'dream come true'

As Magic Johnson's biggest rival, Larry Bird, is a common fixture in the HBO series "Winning Time." Here is a breakdown of the actor taking on the role of the Boston Celtics legend.

Sean Patrick Small is the actor tasked with playing Larry Bird. He has appeared in a handful of movies and TV series, but "Winning Time" is one of his biggest gigs. So far, Small has popped up in seven episodes.

After he landed the role, Small touched on how it's a "dream come true" for him to get to play the NBA legend in a show.

“I get to act, play basketball and get paid to do so, while being one of, if not the, greatest [basketball players] of all time,” Small said.

Even before he landed the role, Small was well informed about Bird and his journey. While in high school and college, he worked on a miniseries that focused on the life of the Boston Celtics legend. Little did he know, it would later help him land an opportunity to portray the Hall of Fame forward on TV.

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Sean Patrick Small had one challenge while playing Larry Bird in "Winning Time"

Another factor that has helped Sean Patrick Small play Larry Bird is that he played basketball in high school. That said, it didn't fully prepare him for what he had to do on set.

In one episode, Bird is playing while sporting a pair of blue jeans. Small later admitted that this was one of the major challenges he faced while filming.

“It was something that I made sure to practice. I don’t think anyone ever actually thought I was going to come to rehearsals in jeans, but I knew that I had to do that in order to make sure that it felt real the day of,” Small said.

Playing in jeans might have been tough, but Small has got to have his fun on set. He was admant about how much he's enjoyed re-creating some of Bird's most iconic moves.

“I just love shooting those scenes where I’m doing the no look, slap passes and I’m hitting one legged shots over two or three different people and just showcasing who Bird was as a player back then because he was unstoppable,” said Small.

Overall, Small has loved getting the chance to play this role. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson's rivalrly is one of the biggest in NBA history. Now, he gets to be fully submerged in it.