Larry Bird’s blunt trash-talk isn’t news, and there have been instances that are well-documented. Now, John Salley has a tale from his vault that adds to the Boston Celtics’ ever-growing list of trash-talk memories.
“Larry’s the blackest white dude I’ve ever met,” he said on Getcha Popcorn Ready with T.O. & Hatch. Salley relived the time he played against the Bird once, where the legend was relentless in his digs.
[Starts 21:57 onwards]
“He goes, ‘Y’all going to double me tonight when I get the ball in the wing?’ I said, ‘No, man. Straight up.’ He goes, ‘Y’all ain’t double teaming me?’ I said, ‘No, I got you, dog.’ He goes, ‘Mouse in the house!’ And he walked me down to the post, got the ball, and said, ‘Better ask for the double team Sal.’ And he would move at his speed. He doesn’t care how fast you think you are.”
It’s worth noting that Bird’s trash-talk was more than just taunting his opponents. It was a mind game that he would use as a ploy to add to his advantage. Most times, it did work.
Bird has been in the news for some time now after Isiah Thomas recollected some of the best ‘Larry stories’ that he was part of when he was playing. Now, Salley pulled one from his archives, much to the delight of fans.
When Larry Bird Trash Talked Magic Johnson: “Sit Back, I’m Going To Put On A Show Tonight”
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics had some savage rivalry, further intensified by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who had ample history even before their NBA journeys began.
Bird’s trash-talking had already begun making the noise, and recounting a tale was Johnson’s former agent, Lon Rosen. Speaking to The Athletic, he recollected how Johnson would tell him that he had never heard someone trash talk as much as the Celtics icon.
“Earvin used to tell me, ‘I’ve never heard anybody talk more trash than Larry.’ Now, Earvin talked a lot of trash, too, but he said there was nobody better than Larry.”
He added: “The Lakers were playing the Celtics at home, and Magic wasn’t playing that game. Larry came up to Magic before the game and said, ‘Sit back, I’m going to put on a show tonight.’ He scored 40.”
The fact of the matter was that Bird was a player who could back up his big talk with bigger performances. Safe to say, he would have been an absolute terror had he played in the modern-day NBA.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
