Celebs

Larry David makes surprise appearance at TD Garden

"You can stop coaching. The game's over! Stop coaching!"

By Trevor Hass

March 31, 2024

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At Saturday’s Elite Eight showdown between No. 1 UConn and No. 3 Illinois, two sarcastic, unabashed, and balding celebrities drew attention from an enthusiastic TD Garden crowd.

One was Huskies coach Dan Hurley. The other was Larry David. Hurley embraced the spotlight, while David didn’t seem to relish it all too much.

David sat in the first row, seemingly disgruntled, as the Huskies used a 30-0 run to overwhelm the Illini, 77-52, and advance to their second straight Final Four.

The highly regarded comedian, writer, and actor – in town for a live show – cheered briefly for the Illini in the first half. For the most part, though, he watched without clapping.

According to CBS Sports reporter Matt Norlander, David implored the Illini to “Change your strategy!” when guarding Donovan Clingan (22 points, 10 rebounds). David also mimicked Hurley pleading to the refs, according to Norlander.

The Hartford Courant‘s Dom Amore reported that David yelled: “You can stop coaching. The game’s over! Stop coaching!” to Hurley.

When Hurley put Clingan back in, Amore reported that David said: “Don’t put him back in.”

“Shame on you! Take the starters out!” he said, per Amore.

David was visibly frustrated when his picture appeared on the Jumbotron.

At one point, he wanted some extra legroom. This time, he didn’t trip any stars.

David exited early, as a sea of fans swarmed him. Afterward, Hurley seemed to appreciate the guest appearance.

“I’m the Larry David of college coaching with my antics and idiosyncrasies,” Hurley said, laughing. “So I’m disappointed. … No, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ that’s a good show.”