Larry Bird set Roy Hibbert up with one hell of an opportunity. (Indiana Star)

Roy Hibbert’s eyes lit up like a 5-year-old on Christmas morning when Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird approached him last spring with an idea for the offseason.

Bird asked the Pacers center if he wanted some help, and tossed out the names of three potential teachers: Bill Russell, Bill Walton or Kevin McHale. All three are Hall of Fame big men.

“He said it would probably be one of those three guys. I just had to give him my summer schedule so he could set it up with one of them,” Hibbert said. “Who wouldn’t want to work with those guys?”

Bird lined up Walton, a former teammate with the Boston Celtics, and he has spent part of the summer working with Hibbert at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Danny Ainge, you’ve gotta hop on your Blackberry ASAP. I know Clifford Ray is seen as one hell of a big man coach, but I’m willing to bet that Bill Walton has a few tricks he could teach the Celtics big men. There’s no reason he should be wasting his tips on stiffs like Roy Hibbert.