Larry Bird is known for his incredible shooting, clutch shot making, and legendary trash-talking ability. Even today, former players share stories of Bird’s legendary trash-talking.
Bird had no fear when it came to trash-talking, regardless of a player’s status as a star. In fact, one NBA legend found out about Bird’s trash-talking firsthand, and the player was Pistol Pete Maravich.
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The Boston Celtics were looking to bounce back from three disappointing seasons after their last NBA championship back in the late 1970s. It was clear they were missing a crucial piece.
The Celtics found their missing piece in the 1978 NBA Draft when they selected Larry Bird with the sixth pick. Bird, however, decided not to sign with Boston and returned for his senior year of college.
This decision led to the epic NCAA championship game against Magic Johnson. The following season Bird would join the Celtics and they immediately turned things around.
From winning just 29 games the year before Bird joined, the team soared to 61 wins in his rookie season. Bird wasn’t the only new addition to the roster, however.
The Celtics also added NBA legend Pete Maravich, also known as Pistol Pete, midway during the season. At this point, Pistol Pete had severe knee issues and was a shell of himself.
At one point during a playoff game, Bird, who had a great year, winning Rookie of the Year honors, took a bad shot while being doubled. The player left open was Pistol Pete and he decided to say something to the young rookie phenom.
According to Celtics player Cedric Maxwell, Pistol Pete said to Bird, “Larry, Larry, you’re being double teamed, man. You got to pass the ball.”
Bird responded by saying, “If you’re any fu**ing good, they wouldn’t be double teaming me.”
Yeah, you didn’t want to mess with Larry Bird during his prime, which includes his rookie season. There’s a reason he’s known as Larry Legend.
