Not taking anything away from his spectacular, awe-inspiring scoring ability, Larry Bird’s trash-talking is perhaps the thing he is remembered for the most. Several NBA legends and greats have spoken about how Larry would just badger them with brutal insults on his quest to beat them.
Even Michael Jordan has professed that he picked up his ability to talk trash from Bird. Larry was just a menace when it came to getting under an opponent’s skin. Being highly competitive, Larry was never going to allow his opponents to get the better of him and would say anything to get the last laugh.
Craig Hodges learned his lesson the hard way. After winning the NBA’s three-point contest, Hodges was asked whether his win had an asterisk next to it as Larry Bird was not a part of the contest. Hodges responded by seemingly inviting Bird to a separate contest, saying he knows where to find him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb_fBuUyVXw
In response, Larry mercilessly mocked Hodges, saying that he can find him on the bench for the Chicago Bulls, pointing to the fact that Hodges wasn’t even a starter, and Bird himself was a superstar in the league.
Hodges: “When Bird is healthy, he knows where to find me.”
Bird: “Yeah, at the end of the Bulls’ bench.”
Larry Bird was the perfect prototype for the elite NBA players of his era. Talented, gifted, and excellent performers who would also use their verbal skills to mess with their opponents. Larry never had a problem letting his opponents know how good he was and how bad he thought they were compared to him.
Dominique Wilkins has spoken about how Bird’s trash talk left him flustered, as Bird told him he would get 40 on him despite liking him. Clearly, Bird didn’t care who was in front of him and just did everything in his power to rattle his opponents, while simultaneously backing up his words with his incredible play.
