Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird is among the most skilled players ever to grace the NBA. In addition to being one of the finest players ever, he was also a seasoned trash-talker and did not let up even during the All-Star weekend.
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One of the most memorable stories involving Bird’s trash-talk is from the inaugural three-point shooting contest during the 1988 All-Star weekend. Before the event, he walked into the locker room and asked,
“Man, who’s coming in second?”
There have been different stories about how things went down when Bird said that iconic line. Hall of Famer Reggie Miller asked the Hall of Famer about that hilarious moment during an interview on NBA on TNT, and the Celtics icon cleared the air, saying,
“I walk into the locker room and guys were sitting. And they were nervous. Now you gotta understand, all these [other competitors] came off the bench. And all of a sudden, they got out there in the front, 20,000 people, 40,000 eyes on them shooting the basketball. That’s gotta be intimidating.”
Bird added that he understood there was more pressure on his fellow competitors than him, and hence, he tried to lighten the mood by teasing them. However, when he asked the iconic question, the players in the room remained silent. Bird said,
“Nobody said a word. It was really a joke but then I had to go out and win it!”
Bird was so confident about winning that he participated in his warm-up jacket and still posted the highest score to win his third-straight three-point shooting contest title.
LeBron James shared Bird’s revelation on his Instagram stories with laughing emojis and a caption that read,
“LARRY LEGEND! Love this guy!”
The Celtics have been James’ arch-nemesis throughout his career. However, he has nothing but admiration for arguably the greatest player in the franchise’s history.
Larry Bird gives LeBron James the ultimate compliment
The respect between LeBron James and Larry Bird is mutual. During the same segment with Reggie Miller and Isiah Thomas, the Celtics icon called out the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s detractors. He said,
“I tell people, quit whining about LeBron. Enjoy him while he’s here. He’s unbelievable. He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest ever.”
Bird has lived through every era of the NBA and has seen every icon play in their prime. The Celtics icon crowning James as the greatest player in NBA history is more validation than the Lakers superstar could hope for. The four-time NBA MVP also holds Bird in high regard. When he equaled the three-time NBA champion’s career triple-double tally, he gave everyone a history lesson about his greatness. James said,
“He’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game.. He just played until he literally couldn’t play the game no more. He gave everything he had… And for young guys that don’t know him, they think of Larry Bird as a jump shooter. But he was so much more than that. He was a passer. He averaged double-digit rebounds. He defended. He took charges… I’ve always been a fan of Larry Bird.”
While fans and analysts bicker about which player is better, it’s endearing to see how highly James and Bird rate each other. Their mutual respect should serve as a lesson to detractors that it’s better to enjoy both players’ greatness rather than compare and diminish their accomplishments.
