The mini-rivalry between Larry Bird and Chuck Person was one of the most entertaining subplots of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Bird was already a three-time champion when the Indiana Pacers drafted Person fourth overall in 1987, and that’s when things got interesting.
According to “The Rifleman,” Larry Legend initiated the “animosity” by giving the then-rookie forward advice about playing in the NBA. In typical fashion, Bird included elements of trash-talk that evidently ruffled Person’s competitive feathers.
Advertisement
“I don’t know if Larry remembers, but my first game in the pros was against him in Terre Haute and he said, ‘Young fella, when you come out to play, play hard every night or you’ll get embarrassed — especially by me.’ That gave me extra incentive to play hard against Larry,” Person recalled.
From that point on, Person had Bird in his crosshairs. Chuck never got to the point of becoming an All-Star, but against Larry, he showed he had another gear he could get to.
“The thing about Chuck,” Bird said. “No matter if it was the regular season or the playoffs, he came to play. I think he played harder against me than anybody else, but it was good. In this league, a lot of times, the players don’t give you any resistance. But when you played against Chuck, you knew you had to play and you had to play hard — and if you didn’t play well, they’d probably beat you.”
Advertisement
Larry and Chuck went at each other
Since Bird and Person played in the same conference, they see each other at least four times in a season. Moreover, Larry was from Indiana, so he naturally had an added incentive to show off in front of his home state.
And of course, Bird’s idea of performing included talking smack, especially targeting his younger foe. One of those trash-talking moments that regularly made the rounds of NBA lore was when Larry shot a lookaway 3-pointer in front of the Pacers bench and yelled, “Merry F–ing Christmas, Chuck!”
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Person also had some fine personal moments against Bird. A rookie Chuck had 24 points, four rebounds and four assists in the Pacers’ lone win against the Celtics in 1986-87. He also played a huge role in three Indiana wins over Boston in the 1989-90 season series, dropping 37 points in 37 minutes of action in their November 21, 1989, meeting.
While it never reached the level of a generational rivalry like Bird and Magic Johnson, the back-and-forth between Larry and Chuck added spice to their matchups. Both players were known for their confidence and weren’t shy about letting the other hear it. It was competitive and always entertaining — exactly what fans hoped for whenever the Celtics and Pacers faced off.
The 1991 playoffs
Although Bird and Person’s competition was never mean-spirited, it was full of in-your-face action. This all culminated in a 1991 postseason meeting between the No. 2 seed Celtics and the seventh-seeded Pacers.
Advertisement
The first-round matchups then were only a best-of-5, so the lower seeds had better chances of pulling off an upset. Needless to say, that’s precisely what Indiana was looking for against an over-the-hill Boston core. Using their young, spry legs, the Pacers looked to outgun and outrun the Celtics at every turn.
After the Celtics won a tight 127-120 contest, the Pacers took two of the next three to force a winner-take-all Game 5. Person had a combined 69 points in the two victories, including nine made threes in 14 attempts. That said, playing the C’s in such a pressure-packed game was no joke.
The Celtics jumped out to a 10-point lead after the opening quarter, but by halftime, the Pacers had clawed their way back to tie the game at 58. Just before the break, Bird took a hard fall chasing a loose ball, his head slamming against the iconic Boston parquet.
Advertisement
The sight of him lying motionless sent a wave of concern through the Garden crowd. As the third quarter began without Bird on the floor, speculation quickly grew — would he be able to return, or was his night over? Larry’s back problems were well-documented, and adding a concussion to his list of injuries would be a deathblow.
Of course, Larry eventually returned in the third period and led a 33-14 Celtics run. Despite a nasty headache on the right side of his head, Bird made shot after shot and finished with 32 on a 12-for-19 clip.
The Pacers made it interesting by coming within one after a Person 3-pointer, 122-121, but Brian Shaw’s free throws sealed the final score.
Advertisement
“The only thing that beat the Pacers that was probably the years we had been in playoff situations. We knew where to get the ball at the right time. But from that point on, we always felt like the Pacers were an up-and-coming team and they’d probably win 50 games every year,” Bird exclaimed.
While the Bird-Person rivalry never reached legendary status, it surely added real flavor to Celtics-Pacers matchups that otherwise wouldn’t have been there. It was built on mutual competitiveness, a few well-placed verbal jabs and consistent effort on both sides. Larry always welcomed a challenge, and Chuck made sure to give him one, which was all either of them wanted.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.