“Dennis Rodman would be all over Larry Bird, but he’d talk as if he was open!”: When the Worm recalled how he tried extra hard to defend the Celtics legend amidst trash talks

Nithin Joseph | 28/05/2022
"Dennis Rodman would be all over Larry Bird, but he'd talk as if he was open !": When the Worm recalled how he tried extra hard to defend the Celtics legend amidst trash talks

Dennis Rodman is one of the best defenders in basketball history. However, for Larry Bird, it was almost like no one was guarding him!

In 1978, the Boston Celtics picked one of the greatest players in NBA history, Larry Bird. The young forward from Indiana State was widely regarded as one of the best prospects in his class.

However, Bird’s rookie season would only come in 1979 as he chose to return to college for his senior year. The following year, he would re-ignite his intense college rivalry with Magic Johnson in the NBA.

The story of the 1980s was Bird vs. Magic. The latter playing for the Boston Celtics and the former for the LA Lakers. The duo would face each other in three respective NBA Finals, with Magic coming out on top 2-1, much like he did in his college days.

Also Read: “There’s no way we would let Larry Bird bully us like Michael Jordan did!”: Robert Parish passionately broke down Celtics and Bulls legend’s leadership qualities

Nevertheless, Bird had a legendary career, hence his nickname “Larry Legend”. He would retire in 1992 with three NBA Championships, two Finals MVPs, and three regular-season MVPs to his name.

Larry Bird felt like no one was guarding him when he was being defended by Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman is widely considered to be one of the greatest defenders the NBA has ever seen. The Worm was known for his rebounding, tight man-to-man defense, and his hustle off the ball.

This however meant nothing to Larry Bird. Despite Rodman giving it his all to defend Larry, the Boston Celtics legend would not stop trash-talking him.

Dennis recalled how Bird boldly demanded the ball from his teammates, stating that there was nobody guarding him!

Also Read: “Magic & Bird played with Hall of Famers, Luka Doncic is playing with 2nd round picks”: JJ Redick fends off Max Kellerman’s narrative of Mavs star being a bad teammate

There is no end to the amazing stories surrounding Bird’s ability as a trash talker. Something only bettered by his ability to play basketball.

Post Edited By: Raahib Singh
Dennis Rodman Larry Bird

About the author

Nithin Joseph

Nithin is a content writer at The SportsRush. Like his favorite athlete Kobe Bryant, the company has helped Nithin elevate his writing skills to a whole new level, especially as an NBA content writer. With over 1500 articles to his name, Nithin's love for the sport knows no bounds. And, as he continues to watch the sport on a daily basis, he hopes his fascination with the NBA, especially the Miami Heat will inspire more and more readers to give the sport a chance. Perhaps, one day making basketball in India as big as it is in the United States.

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