Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird has gone down as not just one of the greatest players of all time, but also one of the greatest trash-talkers. Legendary trash-talking stories about Bird have been shared over the years, but a controversial one went viral recently.
During an appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, former NBA player Vernon Maxwell claimed that Bird called him and his former teammate Buck Johnson, “N****s.” That caused a stir, and Maxwell was asked on the All The Smoke podcast whether he was actually speaking the truth there.
“Ain’t nothing but the truth,” Maxwell said. “Yeah, he did, he called me and my brother a ‘N***a.’ Yeah! Larry Bird, he did that. I’ve said this s*** a bunch of times. That’s the first time y’all heard me say that s***? I said that s*** a lot of times.”
Co-host Matt Barnes wanted to know why Bird used a racial slur, and Maxwell had a simple explanation.
“I mean Larry Bird, that motherf****r from French Lick, Indiana,” Maxwell stated. “So what the f*** we expect?… I’m an old motherf****r, I’m 60… I was in the league in the ’80s. So, I heard a lot of s***… It is what it is. Yes, that’s God heaven f***ing truth. He called me and Buck Johnson, ‘N****s get off the floor.'”
Maxwell claimed that was actually the last time he had crossed paths with Bird. These two only ever played against each other three times in the NBA, with the latter winning all of their matchups. Their final clash saw Bird’s Celtics beat Maxwell’s Houston Rockets 107-95 on Dec. 10, 1990.
While that comment would have rubbed many the wrong way, Maxwell made it clear he has no issues whatsoever with Bird.
“I love you, Larry,” Maxwell said. “I got nothing against Larry… I tell everybody, that’s the best motherf***ing white boy I ever seen and was on the floor with ever.”
Bird was indeed an incredible player. He’d finish his NBA career in 1992 with averages of 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8blocks per game. Bird won three titles, two Finals MVPs, and three MVPs along the way, and he knew he was that good.
Former NBA player Dee Brown once said that Bird savagely taunted Pat Riley for putting a White player on him when he was head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown claims he told Riley, “I’m the coldest white boy in the league. You better put a brother on me!”
Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas also recounted Bird feeling disrespected by the Detroit Pistons guarding him with White players. He wildly asked Thomas if they didn’t have any brothers to guard him.
Former NBA player John Salley has called Bird the blackest White dude he has ever met, and that’s just the kind of character he was. He didn’t discriminate when it came to trash-talking, and there will probably never be another Larry Bird.
Getting back to Maxwell’s comment, you do wonder if Bird will address it at some point. The 69-year-old tends to stay out of the spotlight these days, though, so it seems unlikely.
