Trash talk is a necessary part of sports. When you’re the best in the world at anything, you are justifiably confident. Dominique Wilkins was not known to speak it, but he sure received it. His superstar status had opponents trying to get under his skin every game. On a recent episode of the Nightcap podcast, when Wilkins was asked about the best trash talkers he faced, he named Chuck Person, a surprising pick, and the guy everyone expected, Larry Bird.
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Wilkins quickly moved on from his focus on Person. But his words about Bird made it abundantly clear that his memories of playing against the former Celtic still haunt him. People talk about Michael Jordan like he was a specter coming to steal your soul. There was something similarly supernatural about Larry Bird.
After giving credit, Wilkins mythologized Bird, framing him as a borderline sociopath, fully devoid of emotion and set on destroying his competition.
“Larry Bird, if you wasn’t ready, he took your heart,” remembered Wilkins. “Larry was number one because everything he said, he did it. He backed it up.”
The iconic memories of Bird’s epic one-liners started with the first three-point competition in NBA history, in which Bird infamously asked, “Who’s coming in second?” It was his playoff battles, though, that showed just how crazy he was when chasing a win.
Notably, it was against Michael Jordan that the fireworks really flew.
Jordan gives credit
In a special 2020 article for The Athletic, former players were asked about Larry Bird. Dozens of opponents of the Boston Celtics legend came out with quotes for this piece, detailing their fear of the superstar.
A quote from Michael Jordan may have been the most damning proof that Bird was a monster in his prime.
“Larry Bird is the greatest trash talker and mind-game player of all time,” said Jordan. “He taught me everything I know about getting in folks’ heads.”
Trash talk is remembered best by those who faced it. It’s not surprising that Jordan had so much respect for Bird when he heard so much of his chirping.
