Basketball fanatic Letterman hangs 'em up for good

Farewell, Mr. Letterman. It's been real.

With the final episode of "Late Show with David Letterman" airing Wednesday evening, it's now time to kick our feet up and reminisce about our favorite moments from the iconic talk show over its 33-year run.

For basketball fans, the "Late Show" was a forum that sometimes bridged the gap between the world of comedy and the sport they love.

It's no secret that Letterman is a die-hard sports fan - NFL quarterback Peyton Manning was invited to chip in on the show's final Top 10 list - and he would often profess his love of Indiana-based teams (he was born in Indianapolis). Naturally, one can imagine how pleased the host was to have Indiana Pacers GM and Indiana State University alum Larry Bird on his show a few years ago.

As many salute the late night legend, the NBA has compiled a list of the best player appearances on Letterman's show from the past few decades, which includes the likes of Reggie Miller, LeBron James, Dennis Rodman and Michael Jordan.

Here is a particularly humorous clip featuring Steve Nash acting as Letterman's sideline reporter at the 2009 NBA Finals: