Larry Bird has asked an artist to remove the tattoos from his image on a large mural in Indianapolis, citing a need to "protect" his brand.
The artist has reportedly agreed, with one notable exception.
The mural, on the side of a building in Indy's Fountain Square district, shows Bird in his powder-blue Indiana State uniform with his face, neck and arms covered in several tattoos, including one depicting rabbits mating. Bird's pose is based on a Sports Illustrated cover published during his college career.
this larry bird mural lmao pic.twitter.com/isdPZjqQFR
— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) August 20, 2019
Bird's attorney, Gary Sallee, told the Indianapolis Star that they requested the artist, Jules Muck, remove the tattoos.
"Larry's position is he has elevated himself from where he began to where he is now through a lot of hard work. He has developed a brand that is marketable and he needs to protect that brand," Sallee said. "The mural, as originally painted, was a departure from that brand.
"All of his friends and 98 percent of his players are tattooed. He doesn't have any problem with tattoos. He just doesn’t want to be seen as a tattooed guy."
Muck has reportedly agreed to the request, although she wants to leave the "Indiana" tattoo on Bird's left forearm. That's acceptable to Bird, says Sallee, who credited Muck for her flexibility on the issue.
Muck told the Star she was inspired to do the mural after someone sent her a photo of Bird on that 1977 SI cover, which bore the headline, "College Basketball's Secret Weapon."
"That’s what motivated me," Muck said. "It was kind of kitsch and retro."
Muck added that she was doing something fun and that the mural was supposed to be entertaining.
"She thought the tattooed Larry had value to Larry and his fans," Sallee said. "She understood why Larry didn’t think that."