Although he was a three-time NBA champion and a 1992 Olympic gold medalist, many remember Larry Bird mostly through the prism of being a trash talker. So many stories have already been told about him, but what really stands out is the confidence with which Bird engaged in a war of words. Regardless of who was on the other side, the Boston Celtics legend was up for the challenge.
Bird didn’t care if you were the 12th man in the rotation, an assistant coach, or an MVP candidate — he would talk smack and back it up like very few were able to do throughout the history of the NBA.
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John Salley witnessed that firsthand, recalling an epic anecdote from a Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons game when Bird was left open at the 3-point line.
“The ball went to Larry, and Isiah was all out of whack. He had the ball at 3-point range and goes, ‘Hey, hey, hey, who’s guarding me?!’ I looked around. He just stood there holding the ball. Isiah said, ‘Aww,’ ran out there, he shot it, 3-pointer. Too late,” Salley recalled.
Celtics vs. Pistons rivalry in the ’80s
The 80s were the era when the NBA began breaking onto the big stage. Although that period is most often described through the Los Angeles Lakers and Celtics duels and the rivalry of Magic Johnson and Bird, Isiah Thomas and Bird also had some epic duels during a five-year stretch.
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It all started in 1985 when the Celtics defeated the still-young and upcoming Pistons in a five-game Eastern Conference semifinals series. It was the same outcome the following season, this time in the Conference finals. In their third straight postseason matchup, again in the ECF, the Pistons were finally mature enough to challenge Bird and his squad, but after seven close games, they lost again.
The key moment came in Game 5 when, with the Pistons up by one, Thomas turned the ball over on an inbound pass after Bird intercepted it and dished to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup with just seconds left on the clock.
In Game 7, Boston pulled out a narrow 117-114 win. Despite finishing with 25 points and nine assists, Thomas only shot 10-for-28 from the field, ultimately fouling out. Bird, on the other hand, delivered 37 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, sending a message to the world that he still wasn’t ready to give up the title of best player alive to anyone.
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All that didn’t bother the young and upcoming squad led by Chuck Daly, and on their fourth try, they finally managed to get past the Celtics with a 4-2 series win in the ECF. It was a passing-the-torch moment where Bird played one of the worst shooting series of his career, while Thomas was outstanding, ultimately leading his team all the way to the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Bird never wanted to admit that Detroit was a better team
Even though it was clear that big things awaited the Pistons, which they eventually confirmed with two straight titles, Bird never wanted to admit they were better. On the court, he often played mind games with them without any fear at all.
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His confidence struck fear into the young Pistons, as Thomas himself admitted years later.
“He didn’t do nothing but we was like, ‘Oh, he got it. He got the basket,'” Thomas said. “And the type of fear he puts into you… that type of fear makes you do something stupid defensively. Like you’re not supposed to double team, ain’t nowhere in the scouting report that says you got to double team. But Bird caught the basketball, he’s standing there, and it’s like, ‘Hell, I got to double team.’ And you break down.”
That just shows how much sense Bird’s trash talk had. It was never without reason or backing it up. He knew that with his words, he was getting into the minds of his rivals, and as Thomas himself confirmed, it forced teams out of their usual schemes, which almost always created chaos for opponents.
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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.