Larry Bird established himself as a basketball legend through both his deadly shooting and his sharp tongue.
The only thing ‘the Hick from French Lick’ loved more than putting up points, was putting NBA rivals on blast with his trash talk.
For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, Bird dominated on the court as an all-round clutch performer who could score more than anyone, pass better than most and dominate on offense and defense.
In fact, he was so confident is his own ability, that he was known to strut towards the opposition bench before tipoff and predict a 40-point performance for himself.
It didn’t matter if you were a veteran or rookie, if you lined up across from ‘Larry Legend’, you’d hear from him.
Shawn Kemp, who would go on to establish himself as one of the most electric NBA players of his own generation, ran into Bird early during his rookie season.
Fresh out of Indiana high school without stepping foot on a college court, Kemp declared for the pros at 19-years-old and was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 1989.
While still finding his footing in The Association, the young star soon ran into Bird, who handed him an eye-opening ‘welcome to the NBA moment’.
Speaking in 2021, Kemp recalled of their first meeting.
“My a** got busted real early. I came into the league, you know how some of those vets are,” he told Beyond the 3.
“We were playing the Celtics down in Boston one night, the great Larry Bird.
“I didn’t know much about him… He’s from Indiana, I’m from Indiana, but I didn’t know how he really got down.”
Kemp found himself on the receiving end of Bird’s trash talk in his rookie yearGetty Bird made it personal with his rival from IndianaGettyBefore he met Bird on the NBA floor, Kemp was already a star of his own in their home state of Indiana.
At Concord High School, he became Elkhart County’s all-time leading scorer and the owner of Concord’s career, single-game and single-season scoring records.
By the time his senior season came to a conclusion, Kemp had led Concord to the state championship game and was ranked among the top five players in the nation.
An Indiana native, Bird no doubt took notice of those efforts, and locked in with some personal trash talk when they later crossed paths before their first NBA tipoff.
Kemp went on: “He said, ‘You the guy that broke all my records in high school, right?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s me.’
“He was like, ‘You’re the one that used to dunk on my brother too, right?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s me.’ He said, ‘I got something for you tonight.’
Kemp quickly kicked on after his ‘welcome to the NBA moment’Getty“So every shot he was calling at the defensive end.
“He would tell me, ‘When I get down to the other end, I’m gonna pump fake you, get one on you, look at you.
“That’s how cold Larry Bird was.”
Larry Legend, of course, did exactly what he promised to Kemp that night.
He dismantled the defense piece by piece and finishing with 40 points to his name.
While it was no doubt a brutal ‘welcome to the NBA moment’ for Kemp, that run-in with Bird surely contributed to his own personal growth.
Kemp came up short against Jordan’s Bulls in the 1996 finalsGettyAfter entering the league as a raw talent, the teenager evolved into one of the most eye-catching forwards of the ’90s, providing a nightly highlight reel that earned him the nickname ‘Reign Man’ with the Sonics.
He also reached the 1996 NBA Finals with Seattle, but came up agonizingly short against Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls.
Like Kemp, even the great MJ found himself on the end of Bird’s trash talk during his own NBA career.
“Larry Bird is the greatest trash talker and mind-game player of all time,” Jordan once said.
“He taught me everything I know about getting in folks’ heads.”
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