Larry Johnson Dishes on Getting Back at Larry Bird Over Humiliating Trash Talk

In the 80s and the early 90s, Celtics legend Larry Bird was arguably one of the most competitive NBA  players. But he was also a master of trash-talking, using his razor-sharp tongue to skewer opponents. While Bird typically crushed his targets, there were times when the tables were turned.

Larry Johnson recently shared one such moment on the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast. Johnson recounted an instance when he got back at Bird for the humiliation he endured during their first matchup.

The two-time All-Star, using Bird’s bad back to his advantage, finally made up for the toasting he suffered. Johnson said it was no small feat to get back at the three-time NBA Champion. “He was a slow, bad motherf***er, man. He could play and he was old cuz he had a bad back, cuz two weeks later I gave it to him,” he said.

Their first matchup on November 1st, 1991 was in Bird’s final career season. But Bird still led the Celtics to a 111-108 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Bird contributed 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists while shooting 35% from the field. Just 15 days later, the two teams met again on November 16th.

“He had a bad back. No, no, no, I’m 19, I’m 20, don’t come out here with that cuz you just toasted me first game, how about that? You just outscored me in the first game, how about that?”  Johnson said.  The rookie had just one thing in mind: to get revenge for what Bird did to him. Johnson led his team with a 27-point performance with 15 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks while shooting 52.6% from the field.

The Hornets won the game 118-109. Although Bird tried his best with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 50% from the field, he couldn’t secure a victory for the Celtics.

Bird’s Trash Talk Was a Staple of Bird’s Game

Trash-talking was a big part of Bird’s game.  But the difference between him and most other trash-talkers was that he was able to back it up pretty well every time. Before their first meeting, Johnson recalled Bird taunted Johnson with what he would do to him and the Hornets.

“He was at practice,” Johnson recalled. Bird said, “This [hitting shots over him] is what I’m doing to your boy first game,” Johnson recounted. Bird’s trash-talking is the stuff of NBA legend. He didn’t just talk; he would call his shots before they happened.

Byron Scott shared a similar story on “The Dan Patrick Show,” recounting Bird telling him exactly how he would end the game. “He’s saying, ‘I’m gonna go right over to that corner, catch the ball, shoot it, and tie or win the game.’ They take the ball out, Bird curls to the corner, cocks a shot, shoots a 3, game over. I’m just like, ‘Are you f’in kidding me?’ ” Scott recalled.

Bird did the same to Xavier McDaniel, telling him that he’d shoot the ball in his face and then did it. Bird even called the spot where he would shoot the ball from and bragged later about the fact he had two extra seconds left on the clock. Bird’s trash talk and ability to deliver remain an epic part of his basketball legacy.