The Indiana Pacers legend, Reggie Miller, in his rookie year tried trash-talking his future Coach Larry Bird and instantly regretted his mistake.
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Along with being one of the greatest shooters and clutch players of all time, Reggie Miller is also one of the greatest trash talkers of all time.
The 11th pick of the 1987 draft was not close to the physical attributes of an NBA player at that time. So, he decided to find his place by his terrific perimeter plays and unparalleled trash talking.
But he, like most others, must have learned that art from the greatest trash talker of all time, Larry Bird. Along with being the best player in the league at the time, having won three straight MVPs (84-86) and 3 Championships in that very decade, sometimes Bird belittled his opponents just with his words.
But Reggie, in his rookie season in the NBA, not being on a contending team, though he’d rather talk trash and tell Larry Legend who’s the new sharpshooter in the league. And so, he learned a lesson hastily.
Reggie Miller trash-talked Larry Bird to immediately learn who was master at it
In 1987-88, a close regular-season game between the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics saw a rookie Reggie Miller trying to talk trash to Larry Bird. While taking his free throws, Bird heard some chirruping from the young rook, who himself thought he was a dumb a*s to do that.
Reggie tried to make Larry miss from the line as the Pacers trailed the game by 3-points. But Bird, being a career 89 percenter from the charity stripe, shot both his free throws while giving it back to Reggie.
“Rook, I am the best f*cking shooter in the league. In the league, understand? And you’re up here trying to f*cking tell me something?”, Bird said, before taking his second free throw.
He made both his free throws and the Celtics led the game by five and ended up winning the game. Miller and Bird would play against each other 15 times, the latter came on top 9 times.
Both of them would mend their relationship in coming years when Bird became the Head Coach of the Indiana Pacers 10 years after this incident. Reggie Miller would freeze himself as one of the best shooters in NBA’s record books, where Larry Bird’s name would already be on top.
The pair did wonders in their 3-years together with the Indiana Pacers. They almost spoilt Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson’s Last Dance in 98’ and Kobe-Shaq’s first title in 2000. But failed to win a championship, leaving Reggie as one of the best players to never win a championship.
