In 2022, Gary Payton sat down with Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green for a chat. In what was an entertaining conversation on Uninterrupted, GP and Green discussed a number of things. Perhaps, the most intriguing topic of the discussion was that of NBA trash-talkers, and who was the best in the business. According to Payton, Larry Bird‘s trash-talking stood miles above the rest.
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The Glove raved about Bird, somewhat surprising Green. The Dubs forward couldn’t believe that the Hick from French Lick was that good at jawing. However, Payton claimed that Bird was one of the coldest players in NBA history when it came to trash-talking and then backing it up on the court. He went into detail about the kinds of things the Celtics legend would say in the game before destroying his opponents.
“Bird used to tell me, ‘Look here mate, I’m gonna shoot this motherf_ jumper in your face right there in that corner. And it’s gonna be your Christmas present. I’m gonna wrap it up and bust your head open…He was the sh*t!” Payton told Green.
Larry Joe Bird took no prisoners on the court. He cooked players with his game and he cooked them with his words, and GP isn’t the only one who acknowledges it. Kevin Garnett, another legendary Celtic, took to Instagram recently to share Payton’s assessment of Bird, while also paying homage to Bird’s nickname, “Legend”. “Motherf***er nickname is “Legend”…cold game. For real…for real. Respect,” wrote KG, on his Instagram stories.
Over the course of 77 years, very few people can say they had edged out Bird in an NBA contest, except perhaps Magic Johnson. Both on the court and off of it, Larry Legend was an incredible player who cemented his place in the annals of history, thanks to his exceptional skills and his gift of the gab. A legend through and through.
Even Michael Jordan acknowledged Larry Bird’s incredible trash-talking ability
Ask most people in the world and they will say that Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time. In all aspects of the game, he was No.1. Scoring, defending, competitiveness, mentality, and so on and so forth. However, there were things that even His Airness had to learn from the greats that came before him.
As MJ told The Athletic, “Larry Bird is the greatest trash-talker and mind-game player of all time!” High praise coming from the GOAT, who claims that he learned everything about getting in “folks’ heads” from his fellow Hall of Famer.
There are plenty of stories of Bird’s incredible trash-talking abilities. From confidently entering the locker room before the three-point shooting contest and asking who is coming in second to blasting opposing teams for making “white guys” guard him, Larry Legend didn’t hold back. It’s just a shame that today’s generation never got to see his greatness in action.
