Trash-talking is an important part of the game of basketball. Considering how large of a mental aspect there is to the sport, if you can find a way to get into your opponent’s head, chances are you will be able to have some success against them.
One of the greatest trash talkers of all time in NBA history is Larry Bird , who talked to pretty much everyone he came across on the court. As Terry Porter recalled, that included rookies, and he shared how Bird gave him a not-so-warm welcome to the league.
Porter shares his experience with Bird’s trash-talking ways
Porter broke into the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers, and he ended up spending ten years with the franchise, primarily operating as their starting point guard. Early on, though, the youngster was just looking to find a way to consistently earn minutes for Portland.
Times can be tough as a rookie in the NBA, and during a matchup against the Boston Celtics, Bird ensured that Porter’s life would be a "living hell." After Porter ran out to contest a shot from Bird, the C’s legend delivered a quick three-word response that stuck with the Trail Blazers rookie.
“I remember my rookie year, I didn’t guard him, Larry Bird, we played him in the Boston Garden,” Terry said via The Universe Galaxy . “I was in the paint, and somehow the ball was flung around, and Larry had caught it. I was running out to Larry Bird, and you know his famous motion, he just kind of shot it. As I was running, he said, ‘Too late rookie.’ Obviously, it went down, and I just shook my head and ran down to the other end. That was my intro to the league.”
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Porter was just another victim
As Porter noted, he wasn’t even Bird’s primary defender throughout this game, so it’s not like they were going to battle on every possession. He simply was the guy closest to the Celtics star before he nailed one of his trademark jumpers.
That was all it took to get rashed on by The Hick From the French Lick, though. The Blazers guard was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he paid a price for it. While this is tame compared to some of Larry’s other roasts, it still left an impact on the young rookie.
It didn’t deter Porter from putting together a strong career, though. He earned two All-Star selections during his time with Portland, and he would also spend time with the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs over the course of his 17-year career.
It isn’t necessarily fun to get trash-talked by Bird, but it was almost like a right of passage. Porter found out the hard way that some stars in the league are just built differently, and you can bet he didn’t mess with Larry Legend at all during the course of his career.
Related: "There is only one man that can guard me, and that's God" - Robert Parish shares epic Larry Bird trash-talking story
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