Larry Bird’s “mayhem” Oscars commercial gets mixed reactions

Matthew Legros
Larry Bird on stage at an award show.

Basketball Hall-of-Famer Larry Bird starred in an Allstate commercial that aired during the 96th annual Academy Awards last night. The ad got mixed reviews on social media after its premiere.

Bird teamed up with actor Dean Winters in the insurance company’s “Mayhem” advertisement series.

Allstate made a play on words of the former three-time NBA MVP’s name with a cat-and-mouse chase that left Bird suspended through the floor of his attic.

Larry Bird wreaks havoc in Oscars All-State ad

The 67-year-old showed he still has some life in his legs well past his playing days.

Winters, the star of the “Mayhem” commercials, played a “bird” in Larry Bird’s house that was just too elusive for the Indiana native to catch, which can be seen here per Fox News.

Bird utilized anything he could find to try and smash the famed demolisher, but ended up being the one on the receiving end of destruction.

Some Oscars viewers laughed at its humour, while others laughed at the Boston Celtics great for what they felt was a failed attempt at being funny:

Bird’s been in his fair share of ad that stole the hearts of basketball enthusiasts and commercial connoisseurs alike. His most famous was a McDonald’s ad with Michael Jordan in 1993, as one X user shared.

Unlike then, Bird didn’t flawlessly score. However, he did manage to spark reactions on a night that didn’t break the internet for its creativity during its breaks.

If you click on a product link on this page we may earn a small affiliate commission.

Related Topics

About The Author

Matthew graduated from Brooklyn College in 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in Communications. In the past, he's written for Heavy Sports, Sports Illustrated, and SB Nation. On top of penning scripts for Empire Sports Media, Matthew covers the latest NBA, NFL and Boxing news for Dexerto. His expertise lies in basketball, with a personal passion for track-and-field. You can contact him at matthew.legros@dexerto.com.