The funny reaction of Larry Bird to Reggie Miller’s attempt to…
The minute details count while participating in an elite organization of athletes such as the NBA. One example would be the application of psychological warfare. In an attempt to obtain an advantage, players will stop at nothing to get inside their opponents’ minds.
Because they are entering the league and fighting against adult men after graduating from college as almost unmatched athletes, rookies are particularly vulnerable to this. They frequently act foolishly in an effort to confuse their rivals.
During his rookie season, Reggie Miller was one instance of this. Reggie was no joke; he went down as one of the greatest shooters of all time. But Reggie was wild enough as a young rook to attempt to enter the mind of none other than Larry Bird. Without even viewing the video, you can already imagine how that went.
This narrative originates from a book written by Reggie Miller, in which he discusses the Celtics and how, in his early years in the league, they were always defeated.
One game, it was down to a few points, and Larry was getting close to the free-throw line when he was fouled. As he prepared to shoot, Reggie said something like, “Hey, Hey, Hey!” in an attempt to startle him.
To which Larry Bird said,
I am the league’s top f*cking shooter, Rook. You know, in the league? And you’re up here attempting to f*ck me over with a message?
Needless to say, the Celtics prevailed and Larry made both of his free throws. This is only one of the many anecdotes that demonstrate Larry Bird’s talent at trash speaking; it comes from Reggie Miller.
