Bird’s Back but Celtic Fans Still Have a Wait

BOSTON —  The good news for Boston Celtics fans is that Larry Bird, sidelined since mid-November with bone spur surgery on both heels, has participated in his first 90-minute workout with the team since his operation.

The bad news is that his right heel was in pain throughout the practice, and team officials say he is not yet ready to see game action.

“It wasn’t a hard workout,” Bird said Monday. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow, see how it feels and go from there.”

“Larry was rusty out there,” center Robert Parish said. “But he looked pretty good, considering how long he has been out. He was tentative. But that’s to be expected.”

There is no set date for Bird’s return. On Nov. 19, the date of his surgery, speculation centered on a comeback sometime in late March.

“If he continues to make progress like this, I would expect him back in the near future,” coach Jimmy Rodgers said. “But this is just a checkpoint.”