Larry Bird, Michael Jordan or Kevin Garnett ? Who Is the Biggest NBA Trash-Talker?

Trash-talking is an integral part of a lot of sports including basketball. Recently, Patrick Beverley who is infamous for his antics on the hardwood shared his top-5 best trash-talkers in the NBA. However, the league has seen its fair share of ruthless talkers over the years. Notably, legends like Kevin Garnett, Michael Jordan, and Larry Bird are known for their disses. But who is the most savage trash-talker ever?

Any player can talk trash in an attempt to get under their opponent’s skin. However, the ones who almost always back their words are arguably the best and their comments are the most effective.

Kevin Garnett’s intense trash-talking

It is no secret that Kevin Garnett is a huge trash-talker. No one was safe from Garnett’s savage remarks including his teammates. Furthermore, he did not have any filter and had no boundaries. However, he did not always need profanity and could do much damage to any opponent with his actions.

NBA legend Chris Bosh once revealed that he needed to do some meditation after Garnett’s “mama?s boy” comment when the two faced off. Recently, his former teammate Kendrick Perkins talked about KG’s interesting ability. The former center revealed some of Garnett’s interesting comments during their time together for the Boston Celtics.

He recounted that Garnett once grabbed an opponent’s jersey before tip-off and said that he didn?t even know the player?s name. Perkins stated that he could not believe how the Hall of Famer came up with such words spontaneously. Hilariously, he wondered whether KG planned his words the night before facing any opponent.

Another occurrence that would spring to any NBA fan’s head is Garnett’s clash with fellow superstar Carmelo Anthony. During a game between the Celtics and the New York Knicks, KG and Carmelo went against each other. In one instance, everything blew up and there was an all-out brawl. Melo was so furious about the whole incident that he went to the Celtics’ locker room and then to the team bus to confront Garnett. At the time, there were rumors that KG talked about Carmelo’s wife and that was the reason behind Anthony’s reaction. However, KG denied it. Recently, Melo’s former teammate Iman Shumpert opened up about the incident and disclosed what he knows about the whole ordeal.

However, this was just one incident of many of Garnett’s infamous trash-talking episodes. Notably, KG has always been very vocal. Interestingly, despite being a rookie, he didn’t hold back against Michael Jordan. However, he soon found out that it was a grave mistake.

Michael Jordan could hurt his opponents in more than one way

Michael Jordan is one of the most feared NBA players ever. The 6x NBA champion normally did not even have to utter a word to fill fear in the eyes of his opponents. Interestingly, some of his opponents did not even dare to look the Black Cat in the eye. However, many players have also challenged Jordan on the hardwood. And he was more than equipped to retaliate with words and his game. MJ is notoriously quick-witted and can dish out brutal replies spontaneously.

However, while most players trash talk to get in their opponents’ heads, Jordan sometimes does it to challenge himself. The 5x NBA MVP puts himself on the spot with his words for his rivals. This forces and puts him under pressure to back his comments which he did most of the time. Unlike many, MJ used trash-talking to improve his game further.

However, it was not always about him. Sometimes, his brutal words were to break an opponent. And he possibly did that when he faced Muggsy Bogues and the Charlotte Hornets in the playoffs. Despite his short stature, Bogues had proved that he belonged in the league with his incredible displays. However, being 5’3″ in the NBA, he would have heard his fair share of jokes and name-calling. Notably, MJ allegedly said, “Shoot the ball, Midget”?to provoke Bogues who took the shot and missed.

There were several reports claiming this completely shattered the guard’s confidence and ultimately led to the end of his career. However, Bogues denied Jordan called him a midget. Nevertheless, many believed the rumor because of Jordan’s reputation. Also, he did not care about whom he was clashing with. Interestingly, MJ once trash-talked former President Bill Clinton during a round of golf.

On the other hand, Jordan sometimes lets his actions do the talking for him. Be it smoking cigars before a playoff series was over, shooting free throws with his eyes shut or golfing all day prior to an important game and still putting up unreal numbers. Things like this crushed the confidence of his opponents.

Larry Bird – The coldest there is!

Larry Bird is arguably the biggest trash-talker ever. The 3x NBA champion was not just ruthless with his words, he went to extreme lengths to crush his opponents. He was not just confident in his abilities to lead his team, he was arrogant as well. Bird did not take any prisoners as well. Be it coaches or teammates, no one could escape Bird’s remarks. Notably, he was furious and called his teammates “sissies” after a loss to arch-rivals Los Angeles Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals. This was enough to fire up his teammates, and the Celtics clinched the title 4-3.

The most notable thing about the Boston Celtics legend’s trash-talking was his ability to back it up. He is notorious for announcing to his opponents what he is going to do next and doing exactly that to the utter dismay of his rivals. They could not fathom how they could not stop Bird even after he revealed his move. Notably, former teammate Kevin McHale once revealed an interesting incident. McHale noted Bird told the Phoenix Suns bench that he was going to hit a three-pointer and did exactly that despite having a very poor game. Furthermore, the shot helped the Celtics clinch the game as well.

Another important incident that sums up Bird’s abilities was when he played left-handed. In a game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bird decided to play with his left hand because he was “saving his right hand” for the next game against the Lakers. Notably, Bird took 10 of his 34 shots with his left hand as per Sports Illustrated. He finished the game with 47 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists to win the game 120-119. Furthermore, he then kept his word by beating the Lakers next.

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On another similar occasion, the Hall of Famer asserted his dominance in the three-point contest. After winning back-to-back three-point contests, Bird was fairly confident of winning it for the third straight time. So he asked the contestants, “Who’s coming in second?”?Larry Legend once again backed his big talk by winning it in sheer dominance putting his hand up before the final shot went in. And he did all that without even taking off his warm-up jacket. As cold as it gets!

Honorable mentions

Any trash-talking list is incomplete without Gary Payton’s name. Payton was Garnett before Garnett and possibly a much more ruthless talker. While KG learned his lesson about not messing with Michael Jordan, Payton just did not care. The Seattle SuperSonics legend never backed down anybody during his time in the NBA.

In the 1996 NBA Finals, Payton and Jordan locked horns. The two stars constantly talked trash to each other while leading their team. The Glove backed his words by containing MJ with his impressive defense in the last three games. Notably, Jordan had one of his lowest scores in the Finals when guarded by Payton. But the Chicago Bulls still won the championship. However, the 1996 DPOY proved that he is not afraid of anyone.

Another NBA legend who is infamous for his trash-talking is Reggie Miller. His words and actions crushed his opponents just as much as his impressive shooting. The sharpshooter is nicknamed the Knick Killer for his dominant displays against the New York Knicks. Reggie’s choke sign in front of riled-up Knicks fans at the Garden will forever be an iconic image.

Editorial Disclaimer:?The?views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.

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