NBA players often recall what it was like to face the all-time greats. Some have funny stories about getting torched on the court, while others still carry the scars of enduring relentless trash talk. Former NBA star Michael Cage recently shared his perspective, revealing how the league’s two biggest legends—Magic Johnson and Larry Bird—approached their verbal battles.
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The Clippers legend appeared on famed analyst Dan Patrick’s podcast to talk about his days going up against Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Patrick asked Cage if Bird ever hit him with his iconic gift for gab—and how could he not?
Bird was as famous for his mouth as he was for his jumper. He didn’t just talk trash for the sake of it—he backed it up every single night, often telling defenders exactly how and where he was going to score on them. Cage could confirm that firsthand. Johnson, however, was a different story.
“Yeah, he [Bird] just looked at me my rookie year and just said, ‘You can’t stop me.’ And I said, ‘I know. There’s nothing left to say. You’re Larry Bird,” said the now 63-year-old NBA vet.
“I got that kind of seasoning from Magic Johnson, too,” he added. “Because I was right there in town. I used to see him at grocery stores around LA and at the gas station sometimes.”
The LA Lakers legend was a different kind of trash-talker. With that big smile and warm energy, he seemed like the nicest guy on the court. But once the game tipped off, he’d lay into you. His trash talk wasn’t mean—just smooth, clever, and effective. He’d laugh while telling you he was running the same play again—and you still couldn’t stop it.
Cage backed this up. “Magic would just come up to me and talk to me then turn around and kick my butt,” he revealed, which made Patrick laugh.
“I didn’t know which one I liked… I liked the quiet ‘Bird kick your butt’ thing more than Magic shaking your hand saying, ‘You know I’m going at you, right?’” Cage concluded, admitting he preferred Bird’s style of trash talk.
Bird once trash-talked a player even though he only dropped 9 points
One Bird trash-talking story is too good not to share. During a Celtics game against the Seattle SuperSonics, the three-time NBA champion was being guarded by Xavier McDaniel. Despite not playing particularly well, Bird was giving X a ton of lip the entire time.
“He was talking s***, “ recalled McDaniel during a chat on No Nonsense with Tim Thomas & Scoop B. “And I said, ‘Larry, look up at that scoreboard.’…He said, ‘Oh, X, it’s the fourth quarter, I’m about to bust your a**. Hey [Dennis Johnson], I’m about to tear his a** up now.”
“And I look right at him and say, ‘Look up there. I’m already busting your a** all night. I ain’t giving you s***.’…I held his a** to nine points,” he added.
Still, Bird knew he could back up his banter most nights. Even on an off night, his mental dominance was unmatched. The game was lucky to have him, not just for his skills on the court, but for his scorching trash talk off it.
