In the history of the NBA, few players have matched the confidence and skill of Kobe Bryant. He was known not just for his dominance on the court but also for his mental warfare. Recently, former NBA champion Corey Brewer recalled how Bryant, much like Larry Bird, would tell defenders exactly what he planned to do—then execute it flawlessly.
Advertisement
Larry Bird was infamous for his trash talk, often informing opponents of his next move before making them look foolish. The psychological advantage was undeniable. It got inside defenders’ heads and made them question their own abilities. Similarly, Kobe Bryant, a student of the game, adopted this approach, using it to assert his superiority over defenders.
The former forward recalled facing Kobe for the first time and how the Lakers icon would warn him of his next move each time down the court. Even with the initial heads-up, Brewer was unable to defend one of basketball’s greatest scorers.
“Man, I was down there and [Kobe] was talking to me,” Brewer reminisced on his earliest experiences guarding Bryant. “He was like, ‘You know I’m about to go left fade young fella’. Left fade? What’re you talking about? He went left fade.”
Like all snakes, the Black Mamba was cold-blooded
Corey Brewer says Kobe Bryant told defenders what his next move would be, but it didn’t matter…Kobe still picked up the bucket! ️#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/vEy4XRRQvR
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 25, 2025
Brewer shared how Kobe would warn his defenders, “Watch out for the pump fake, and then hit you with the pump fake. Kobe was no joke.”
Larry Bird was known to utilize this strategy throughout his Hall-of-Fame career, as well. Known as one of NBA history’s greatest trash talkers, Bird was able to get into his opponents’ heads in more ways than one.
Several of his teammates and opponents have fond – or not-so-fond – memories of Bird’s best trash-talking moments. Former guard Butch Carter recalled one such moment against New York Knicks legend, Bernard King. King was a gifted scorer himself, but he was no match for Larry Legend that night.
“Bernard King is guarding Larry, and Larry said, “Bernard, the next one is coming from right there.” Carter shared. “And then he’d catch it, shoot it, make it, and he’d run down the court and Larry would talk cash-shit to Bernard King: “Hey, B, how you like that jumper? Ain’t that the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen in your life?”
Even Michael Jordan, who was also known to rattle his opponents’ psyche on occasion, admitted to learning from the Celtics great.
Michael Jordan learned his trash-talking tricks from Larry Bird
When Michael Jordan first entered the NBA, he was a dominant scoring force, but he wasn’t nearly the outspoken talent he would eventually become when the Chicago Bulls became champions. It was a process for MJ to gain that level of confidence in himself, a process he attributes mostly to Larry Bird’s breadth of trash-talking knowledge.
“Larry Bird is the greatest trash-talker and mind-game player of all time. He taught me everything I know about getting in folks’ heads,” Jordan told The Athletic back in 2021.
Some overlook the greats who dominated the league before Jordan stepped onto the scene in 1984. However, without Bird’s help, Jordan may not have become the cold-blooded killer on the court many came to know and love.
