JOHN WICK OF BASKETBALL? Larry Bird Was The Best TRASH TALKER

[@KingGreatnessKG]

Larry Bird Greatest Passer REACTION kzbin.info/www/bejne/onSQnJh5ebp9rZY

[@MikeStJacques]

James Worthy said, _"MJ made you look slow... Larry made you look stupid."_

[@ordinarybear7037]

A winner knows that you have often won by the acts before the fight/game had even started. Regards all Legends

[@ordinarybear7037]

The Art of War . . . .

[@jasonmccaslin821]

I heard him say he would much rather guard Michael Jordan than Larry Bird.

[@xciteful]

Larry is indeed the 'John Wick' of basketball. Larry is the GOAT.

[@BoomBoom77156]

Man I miss Larry and Magic

[@charlesking4780]

Me too!!!

[@msbolan]

When Larry was on the court, it was fun for him. Yes, it was his job but to him, playing basketball was FUN. He treated nearly all games like they were a playground pickup game because he was doing WHAT HE LOVED for a living. What made his trash talking even better is that he never yelled his trash. He never made it sound like he was bullying; he said his things in a matter-of-fact, normal spoken voice. He said what he wanted to say, then went ahead and did it. Then followed it up with a simple, easy "told you".

[@ordinarybear7037]

truth . . . a Legend & My G.O.A.T. ( player of players) Clutchiest master of the court......... An inspiration to ALL !! Regards good one & all

[@iconadams]

Good reaction! Regarding your Kobe comment, they didn't show the whole clip of Kobe talking about Bird. After he said the "Bird looks slow as shit to me," Kobe proceeded to tell the audience they needed to do their research to see the greatness of Larry Bird. Here's another good Bird trash-talking video you should watch: "Larry Bird Welcoming Rookies To The NBA Was PURE SAVAGE"

[@mk.5706]

Kobe spoke of him in the highest reagrd. He said: "He looked slow as shit to me, so what was it about him? .. audience mumbles and Kobe goes on...You´ve never seen Bird play? (laughs) We´ve got work to do."

[@soramirez5473]

Yea he used psychological warfare on his opponents. he used to run laps in the stands while the other team was shooting warm up drills at boston garden. He did that in front of them to psych them out. it worked. i second reacting to Larry Bird the Greatest Passer of all time re edit with new footage

[@trekkiexb5]

Larry could care less about records. He once was one steal away from a Quadruple double. He took himself out of the game at the beginning of the 4th quarter and refused to reenter the game.

[@alanela6761]

Larry, you have a triple double and 9 steals. You want to go get one more? "No, I've done enough damage to them"

[@marcwhelan9302]

There's a video called "5 times Larry Bird was injured and refused to quit" that is insane and puts everything in perspective.

[@cindyknudson2715]

And _4 Crazy Stories.... Larry Bird_ expands that. Different stories in each.

[@Finnssssss]

The Kobe piece was cut short. He goes on to ask the crowd how many saw Bird. Not enough hands went up and he says you got some catching up to do. Kobe loved Bird and when asked his all-time starting 5 he said Wilt center, Bird and Russell forwards, Magic and MJ guards.

[@patrickreynolds9853]

All the great players were adamant about Birds greatness. They all said that he was harder to guard than Jordan. They all said he was one of the best players ever.

[@alanela6761]

For context, you also have to consider which Larry the glove was facing when he witnessed this... Payton's first 2 seasons were Larry's last two. So he was getting this from the Bird who had a broken back that had to be realigned before every game, and the Bird who just had both achilles repaired, which was a procedure that would end most careers

[@cindyknudson2715]

Truth.

[@bduval9253]

Good take on how the great ones have that drive to do the work when no one is watching, Reminds me of a great line from Joe Frazier: "Champions aren't made in the ring, they are merely recognized there." Great stuff.

[@cindyknudson2715]

Great quote.

[@alanela6761]

I think his trash was absolutely a tool to unnerve people. In my opinion, he did it the most arrogant, cocky way, and it must have been glorious to witness (watching on tv in the 80s, we had no idea that he was constantly doing that) He talked before he did something and then did what he said he would, instead of saying "check that out" or "how'd you like that" afterward, which is the "amateur version" of trash talk. "Larry is the greatest trash talker and mind game player ever. He taught me everything I know about getting in folks' heads" -- Michael Jordan

[@cindyknudson2715]

And one guy said it was like he was a ventriloquist. Quiet like, for your ears only.

[@aramhamparian9641]

Yeah, Bird would psychologically destroy his oponents with not only his on court skills, but his trash talk. Please react to Larry Bird Greatest Passer/New Footage re-edit video!

[@profanepersonality]

Trash talking for Bird was absolutely part of his strategy, not his ego. He knew how good he was, but he also knew getting under their skin was just as important for a win. He played to win.

[@cindyknudson2715]

And at times, it motivated him in games where he might have gotten bored. He put pressure on himself to perform and then HAD to do it, right?

[@rgreen1107]

Next video ….. “ bird is the word “ Fifteen minutes of Larry bird highlights ! A Nail in the coffin video on who’s the “ real goat “

[@Alice-xy3fi]

The more Irewatch your reactions, the more I enjoy, appreciate and love them. I really like the respect you show the game through your calm, intense, deliberative focus, and I like your analyses of plays/action. Even when I already know what it is you're saying, I like the way you explain what it is that's happening, what Bird and the other players are doing, and what makes it so special and beautiful. Thanks for adding an additional layer of pleasure, with your reactions, to something I already enjoy!

[@KingGreatnessKG]

Wow Alice, that really means a lot to me. I appreciate your time and kind words ❤️

[@leahmollytheblindcatnordee3586]

That is a very good observation.

[@pharfrompukn]

"The John Wick of basketball.." best line ever!

[@robertdebaie9849]

Great reaction. Keep more Larry coming. He will keep on surprising you and move up your list of all time players. Hes my GOAT all day everyday!.

[@soramirez5473]

lol Kobe is actually joking there.. there is a longer clip of that showing Kobe give mad respect to Bird. There is also a video that has Kobe putting Bird in his top 5.. both vids or on youtube.

[@davidleach4689]

Bird vs 76ers is epic

[@davidmullens7565]

The John Wick analogy was Perfect ❤😊

[@danacarter4793]

Oh Nolan Richardson HOF Speech the whole speech is one of the best ive ever heard in my life ,,WORTH WATCHING ❤

[@DrnkTheWildAir]

I miss those old games!! ❤

[@newerafrican]

When you mention that Larry has moves, realize that most of the videos of him are from later in his career AFTER he literally broke his back in the summer of 1985. He was shoveling gravel at his mother's house and badly injured his back. He would never fully recover from that. Look at the earliest videos and watch his drives, and how quick his fake and first step was. To hear his biggest basketball rivals tell these stories is a true testament to Larry's greatness.

[@c.e.anderson558]

Before payton there was Michael Cooper. Bird said he was the best defender he ever faced.

[@dwartfarquart9590]

I love the greats commenting on each other. Taking what's missing from today's game for granted. They wanted to compete. Nobody talks about not having enough help or a sore pinkie.

[@ericroberts7485]

Kobe knew how good Larry was. Kobe knows his basketball history. A true student of the game. Kobe has given him props. I believe Kobe put bird on his starting g five as I recall.

[@KingGreatnessKG]

🖤 🐍

[@yambo59]

Yes Larry definitely use trash talking to get other players out of their game - and it was very effective because Larry ALWAYS backed his trash talking up with buckets and plays

[@CJG-bk4bk]

You nailed it with “John Wick”

[@mheiseus]

It’s crazy how it’s 2024 and people still can’t believe Larry Bird existed, live a life so badazz people still can’t believe it.

[@andrewmcbride798]

You are correct the trash talking was to get people after a game.. Most of the time it was real soft spoken when he told them this...

[@RowdyRuth]

More Bird please! 😊

[@bodato5760]

Watching him was a thrill.

[@davep8221]

Thanks to Bird and Magic for giving the NBA new life. A perfect storm.

[@carilin1965]

He absolutely used trash talk to give himself an advantage and to challenge himself.

[@aaronandelise]

Top NBA career combined stats per game (pts, reb, ast, stl, blk) career fg%,tp%,ft% 1. Jordan 44.7 -50-33-84 2. Lebron 44.4 -51-35-73 3. Bird 43.1 -50-38-89 4. Kareem 42.9 -56-06-72 5. Durant 40.8 -50-38-88 A bunch of guys in the 40’s.

[@jimmyboy131]

If you can win the mind game then you've won a big part of the battle. And part of that is letting them see that you're purely confident and can't be shaken. I recommend the video "Larry Bird greatest passer re-edit".

[@KingGreatnessKG]

Stay tuned

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

@@KingGreatnessKG Best doc....Courtship of Rivals....gives in depth details about Larry Bird & Magic Johnson the two men that saved the NBA! Its usually done in 3 or 4 segments. It leads right into the last step of their careers .... The Dream Team Olympics 92' The greatest team ever assembled! No other team will ever have the impact this team had!

[@ordinarybear7037]

Larry is the best complete player that ever did; He saved the sport & showed how brains are just as potent as talent, and BIRD had talent to back up the trash taaaaalk.......... Regards Legends know and study the LEGENDS

[@jeffpowell8308]

I'm old enough that I watched his entire career and he was a hero of mine. No one knew about his trash talking back then. The reasons are simple what was said on the court mostly stayed there. Sports media was much more proper than it is today. They almost always limited the topic to the performances. Plus there was no social media like there is today. Everything we know it's from his contemporaries who are all retired.

[@dogtrainerjen]

My suggestion: Five Times Larry Bird Played Hurt. Also, his passing video (the re-edit) is some great viewing.

[@paulpenix8198]

Should react to Larry Bird greatest passer of all time video re-edit and the Bird is the Word highlights which really showcases his full game. He could do everything. Subbed.

[@SharonBird-b9f]

He said it got him fired up

[@SharonBird-b9f]

MJ said he learned his trash talking and getting in people's minds from Larry Legend

[@PROGROCK-tr9hw]

Greatest passer of all time re edit video.

[@mattstrathis4328]

There are two different versions of Larry Bird. Before his back injury and after. Before the injury Bird was very athletic and agile. Usually you can tell by seeing him move around with the shaggy hair. After the injury he was much slower and less athletic, and had a shorter cleaner haircut... but he was still one of the all time greats.

[@jeremyhabich4072]

If you haven't seen it. Watch Magic vs Bird a courtship of rivals. You will not be disappointed. Easily one of the greatest NBA documentaries.

[@NicholasRamos]

King, good to see you're actually serious about learning about Larry Legend & HIS GAME. Many reactors have reacted to this video & you're only the 2nd reactor that compared him to John Wick. You must watch Making The Case Larry Bird. Clayton Crowley produced this video. Like you, Clayton compared The Legend to John Wick, too. So, you're only the 2nd person who I have heard that compared Larry Legend to John Wick. Great observations & reactions, King! 👍 Thank you!

[@KingGreatnessKG]

Thank you Nicholas! Stay tuned 🏀 👑

[@BreneRHD]

Larry trash talking was to get into folks head and get them off there game. What makes Birds trash talk so effective because he could back it up.

[@Brasshound480]

You have to be a Legend to have the greats who you beat have nothing but praise for you. So many players in people's top 10 swear Larry was the GOAT.

[@arlyndodge1415]

Larry is the originator of the 50/40/90 club!

[@PaulsWanderings]

You are right, the great ones live and breathe their sport. Tom Brady used to watch hours of game footage to get better.

[@Matt-k8m7t]

Because he is the goat!!!

[@joboiecruiser]

I certainly appreciated listening to your warm and calm voice. Thank you for that.

[@c.e.anderson558]

Sometimes before a game when the other team was warming up Larry would be running the bleachers. Their whole warmup was watching him run. He stayed in guys heads . He also broke 2 fingers on his shooting hand while in college playing softball. He said he never did get the feel back. And he wrecked his back building a driveway at his mom's house.. when he was probly a millionaire.... I was there for all the 80s and 90s contests. Celtics Lakers Bulls Pistons AND Houston Rockets!

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

Never judge a book by its cover! Sometimes it was a challenge to see if the rookie would rise to it. Other times he would do it to psych his opponent out. It was a combination of reasons as to why.... he liked to keep people guessing. lol He accomplished that & then some! lol

[@realPenrodPooch]

A good next Larry Bird video would be "Making the Case: Larry Bird".

[@magdalenarangel53]

His trash talking, I believe, was psychological warfare. ♥️🏀♥️

[@aaronandelise]

Bird’s lifetime shooting percentages were 50fg 38tp and 89ft. He almost averages a 50-40-90 for his career. You can trash talk a lot when the odds are you are going to make it.

[@lisazaccardimeunier8378]

There’s a documentary called “Courtship of Rivals” that shows Bird and Magic all the way up through their childhoods, high school, college, NBA and ultimately playing together on the Olympic dream team. If you love the NBA, you’ll love this film, and I’m sure learn a lot too. It’s so good.

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

A lot of players learned how to trash talk from Bird! Rodman is one of them! 🤣😂🤣 The Hawks players just couldn't believe the shots that Bird was making! lol The one foot shot...Bird did that a lot! lol He could hit from anywhere! He was incredible! He usually was soft spoken when he was trash talking. lol

[@KingGreatnessKG]

Yes the soft spoken demeanor had me fooled! 😂

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

@@KingGreatnessKG Fooled a lot of people! 🤣😂🤣

[@nicknick2903]

Keep going, there's lots more of these videos.

[@7wnb]

The Craig Ehlo story is the best… you need to find that video & watch it… as well as the hotdog story! Lol 😂

[@elvispresley5921]

21:16 , What really help'd LB was his height. Close-ta 6-10. He got away with a-lot cuz of that too....2 B fair.

[@АндрейКондратьев-д4л]

True GOAT

[@RowdyRuth]

Fun reaction 😊

[@JESSES_CURIOUSLY_CURIOUS]

Appreciate the respect for Bird

[@robinmahan8814]

He wasn't as fast after he broke his back and had double achilles surgery. But he still played. Even while wearing an old fashioned stiff fiberglass brace. You can see it in some of his latest games. Didn't stop him though. He just made everyone play his game.

[@profanepersonality]

Bird destroyed Rodman both in the game and in trash talking, literally. It happened. Got Rodman benched.

[@clifflawrence7479]

There was one night him, and a teammate ran into the opposing teams cheerleaders. The cheerleaders Bought them drinks all night long hoping to get him drunk. Bird had a huge game the next night, and when he was leaving the floor, he tanked the cheerleaders for the drinks last night

[@KingGreatnessKG]

😂 wow, plot failed

[@weslennon3425]

Yeah, Bird talked trash, but his trash was telling you what he was about to do, then do it...Sure he go under players heads. Probably the only reason I liked Bird as much as I did, was a chance meeting in Indiana in 1980. I was invited to teach an Oil Field Technology seminar at I.U. (Indiana University). I had developed a tool which could make up to 40 oil wells with drilling only one hole. It's called Multilateral Drilling Technology Seminar at I.U. (Indiana University). I had developed a tool which could a company could drill up to make oil wells with drilling only one hole. It's called Multi-Lateral Drilling. I shred the Patent with the company I worked for, and thus so, they made the profits off my tools I designed. But I knew that going in, I did get a large bonus at the time.

[@timostransky468]

He knew most black players thought he was slow not athletic couldn’t jump but bird knew how clutch was he made 17-18 clutch victory shots

[@annepinkerton6280]

He used his trash talking as a mind game ... anything to throw them off their game!!!!!! Those guys celebrating on the other team were appreciating the show Larry Bird put on that night .... 60 points if I'm not mistaken!

[@JackCerro]

I think Larry trashed talked to get to test his opponents mental toughness, and as a way to bring out his own competitiveness. He needed to poke the bear to bring out his best performance.

[@jeanine6328]

You got to watch the Making the Case videos. They make the same John Wick comparison you did so you’re spot on. Birds grandson is a pretty good ball player, we might at least get another Bird even if not Larry.

[@cindyknudson2715]

He *doesn't have a grandson* that plays basketball.

[@jeanine6328]

@@cindyknudson2715 Well now, isn’t that most irritating. I just fact checked myself and you’re right. There were videos claiming this kid from, I believe, Stanford was his grandson. Turns out he’s a great player and even resembles Bird but NOT his grandson. People seem to like to put out false information videos then claim it was sarcasm though there wasn’t a hint of it in the video. That’s for calling me on that, I’ll quit lying to people.

[@cindyknudson2715]

Bird is FUNNY! He's got a wicked sense of humor. He comes by it honestly; he's got 2 older brothers.

[@richardknight8986]

Bird trash talked to get under the skin of the other players and team, he backed it up. Nobody today even comes close to what Bird was able to do. Nobody calls their shots today, Bird is the GOAT of talkin shit to everyone

[@SharonBird-b9f]

Kobe had Larry Legend in his top 5 he called Larry Legend money, Kobe was Larry Legends favorite player 🐐🐐

[@josephhiggins7216]

Larry is an Indiana country boy. He can swear with the best of them.

[@hdctx]

He definitely understood the mental game was as important as the physical

[@SharonBird-b9f]

Larry Legend and Magic saved the NBA 2 🐐🐐

[@russbro]

Watched him live in the 80s, we hated him on the west coast back then. But he was that dude. In my top 5 today. Pat Reilly said, "If he needed a bucket to win the game it would be Jordan. But if he needed a bucket to save his life it would be Bird"

[@danacarter4793]

Bird 🐦 had said he knew which ppl it would bother,when he talked trash,he differently used it as a weapon so to speak,he also said it was funny to talk to some , Larry had a great sense of humor 😂,but he was differently sure of himself, it's hard not to love larry , ill never get enough bird and I've been watching him 44 years ,him magic, Jordan,wilt they all had that KILLER INSTINCT, theres more with that attitude,list him down below if you know another one ,,OH KOBE had it

[@michaelhrivnak9463]

Check out Larry's " Best passer off all time"

[@bulemakanyuk]

Larry's trash talking was definitely one of his tools. He wasn't athletic like other guys, and he was pretty slow. His IQ and trash talking is what put him above everyone. He played chess, while everyone else played checkers.

[@Gracie-SavedByGrace]

Larry made a comment when asked about his trash talking that he did it to fire himself up. It makes sense to me that he used it to pump up his own confidence rather than to psych out his oppononents, although it did sometimes have that effect too, depending on the player.

[@Freedom_Half_Off]

The kind of trash talking Bird did was all the more effective because he was never cursing at you . Ever . Just a straight out monologue telling you, what was about to happen next 😅

[@danielr6107]

When you’re 6’9” you don’t have to be fast and you don’t have to jump high!

[@charlesking4780]

Larry Legend is the G.O.A.T of trash talkers. 😁

[@CYRUS363]

Going to be interesting to see you go down this rabbit hole, if you do, and he'll probbly end up in your top 5 all time. Trash talking? The goat imo. A lot of stories of Larry giving legeds nightmares. Never Poke Larry Bird, Trash Talk Story Told By Legends is a great one, and involves Dominique going against Bird in the ECF of 88', and how one guy decided to trash talk Bird and didn't go so well lol. Best Michael Jordan vs Bird Story Ever Told and Best Bird Underdog Story Ever Told are just 2 of the many vids to possibly chk out as well.

[@riffgroove]

Dr J was one of the most mild-mannered dudes to ever play the game. Larry trashed him so bad one night Julius lost his mind and started swinging on Larry while a team-mate was holding his arms.

[@ConstanceHurst-r8v]

Love John Wick too and you’re right they are definitely in the same mode with their craft 😂

[@SharonBird-b9f]

MJ said Larry Legend taught him how to trash talk and get in people's heads 🐐🐐

[@jadoremakeup1422]

Trash talking was in Larry’s arsenal. He knew if he could get into your head, he could throw you off your game. The thing is that Larry could backup his talking. Larry could do it all. He is a shooter regular and especially 3 pointers, passer, he assists, he steals, blocks, and rebounds. He played a mental as well as a physical game.

[@cindyknudson2715]

Great rebounder. And always moving without the ball. Everywhere doing everything.

[@jadoremakeup1422]

@@cindyknudson2715 Perfectly said.

[@ironmanozz]

Check out Courtship of Rivals . You'll see who Larry Bird really is and how he came to be.

[@robinmahan8814]

Exactly. See where Larry comes from.

[@patrickreynolds9853]

Bird used trash talking a psychological weapon. He took the best players in the nba completely out of their game by getting in their heads

[@CKski-23]

I think Bird trash talked mostly to gain a psychological advantage over his opponents, but also to get himself going too. It takes the utmost confidence to call your shot so consistently and then deliver on it more times than not.

[@johnwillis4706]

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were the fiercest competitors on the court, but what most people don't know is they became the fiercest friend off the court and remain so to this day. Sadly, for reasons that are a conversation for another time, Larry doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Larry was dangerous from anywhere on the court, did things routinely that others only dream of doing or have nightmare about, Larry Bird was the BEST all round player the league has ever known. But Larry and Magic saved the NBA, no doubt.

[@Elaine-p4x]

Watch the 4part biography of Larry and Magic.

[@jameshelm2847]

It is true great players need something to continue to motivate them. Not all of them needed to break records. There was one game Larry was one steal short of a quadruple-double after 3 quarters. He sat on the bench for the 4th. Once the couch found out Larry was one steal away, he asked Larry if he wanted to go back in, and Larry said, no, I've done enough damage for the night. If you want to be treated, watch game 7 of the 1988 ECSF. This was a battle between Wilkens and Bird. Larry had a terrible first 3 quarters, but the 4th quarter was all Wilkens and Bird.

[@cindyknudson2715]

Bird had bronchial pneumonia according to the next day's paper. NickSmithNBA channel has a great video on the Duel. It gives a lot of context. His video on the 60pt game is really good too. Includes interviews with "those guys on the bench."