As Larry’s personal bodyguard, Katie Smith watches for potential threats. The highest risk situations are when the 14 ½-pound Larry, so shiny he acts as a mirror of sorts, is around toddlers.
During a photo opportunity in Tbilisi, Georgia, last month, a young boy — no older than 4 years old — gave Larry a shove. Smith hopped onto the stage. Someone had already caught the tipping Larry, but it was a scary enough run-in to still resonate with Smith four weeks later.
“I feel like he’s a member of my family,” said Smith, a Warriors event coordinator.