When dissecting the game of basketball, there are a lot of aspects in which one player may excel and be considered the greatest at. Whether it is playing defense, shooting three-pointers, or dunking the ball, there is always one player whose name pops out in everyone’s mind when a certain aspect is mentioned. Now, when it comes to the art of trash-talking opponents and backing it up on the court, there is no one quite like the Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird.
The Hick from French Lick was a nightmare to guard, not only because of his god-given scoring ability but also because he would try to demoralize or even make a fool out of you while doing it. Although there are many stories of Bird giving hell to the opposing players, Robert Parish , his teammate from his days in Boston, recalled a special story where Larry was so confident he claimed only the Almighty God could guard him.
“One thing you gotta give Larry Bird, he could be red-hot or ice-cold he never stopped talking trash, ever! Ever!” Parish revealed in the episode of Michael Cooper’s Showtime Podcast .
“Great story. We were playing the Phoenix Suns, their main man was Tom Chambers, and Chambers was guarding Larry. So, in the jump ball circle, Larry walked through myself and Chambers and then came back and told Chambers, ‘I know you guarding me, and I want you to know something, there is only one man that can guard me, and that’s God.’ Now think about that for a second...”
The Suns did not have a great time
Tom Chambers , a lengthy 6-foot-10 forward, was the guy who got himself “caught” at the wrong time at the wrong place. Playing against Larry Legend at the peak of his powers was not an easy task, and when he starts the game talking straight trash, you know you are in for a treat.
Even though Parish did not disclose exactly which game he was talking about, by the system of elimination, we can strongly point out to a two-year period between 1988 and 1990 when Chambers was at the peak of his powers with the Suns, having notched back-to-back All-NBA second-team nods. Meanwhile, Larry was still doing Larry things. In four contests during that two-year span, the C’s legend averaged 28.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per contest, and he even dropped an incredible 49-12-7 performance. Safe to say, whichever game Robert was talking about, the Suns did not have a great time.
Great leader above anything else
Apart from his basketball brilliance, Bird was known as a great leader and a teammate. Three straight MVPs and three championships in his iconic white and green jersey only add to his incredible resume.
He indeed brought the old glory back to Beantown and is by many considered a Top 5 player of all time. But more than that, his teammates loved playing with him, which is a testament to his larger-than-life persona.
“Once in a lifetime player, a franchise-changing player, that’s the category that Larry is in. Not to mention, I like the way he led us as a team. He wasn’t in your face talking trash to you. He led by example. No matter how poorly you playing, he never got on you,” he added. “He always spoke with encouragement to you, never tried to put players down. And I always respected it about him.”
Related: Michael Jordan made the Bulls follow one rule when facing Larry Bird: "Not a single person. Not one word"
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