At least he wasn't a fan of Warren Sapp, #99.

"A 27-year-old man demanded extra prison time because he wanted to honor his basketball hero, Larry Bird.

"A lawyer for Eric James Torpy reached a plea agreement with Oklahoma City prosecutors for a 30-year jail term on two charges of shooting with intent to kill and one count of a weapons violation, District Court Judge Ray Elliott said in a telephone interview.

"Torpy then insisted on getting 33 years to match the uniform number Bird wore when he led the Boston Celtics to three National Basketball Association championships during the 1980s, Elliott said. The judge on Oct. 18 accommodated his request.

"'He told his attorney that Larry Bird was his long-time hero, and that if he was going to go to prison he wanted to go down with that number,' Elliott said. " (HT: Bloomberg.com: U.S. via The Volokh Conspiracy.)

Imagine if he worshipped Warren Sapp, who plays adorned with number 99.