Phil Riewer -> RE: NBA Talk 2020 (7/1/2021 2:45:38 PM)
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Old Larry Legend: A former NBA player told a great story about Larry Bird dominating a trash-talking college player during a Dream Team scrimmage Scott Davis Thu, July 1, 2021, 9:35 AM Larry Bird points during a Boston Celtics game in 1992. Larry Bird was a ruthless trash-talker. Scott Maguire/AP Images Jamal Mashburn said a college player trash-talked Larry Bird during a Dream Team scrimmage. The next day, Bird hit shots over the player, calling out his moves before he made them. Mashburn said Bird and the Dream Team proceeded to beat the Select Team the rest of the week. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Talking trash to Larry Bird rarely ever ended well, as former NBA player Rodney Rogers found out the hard way. On The Players Tribune's "Knuckleheads" podcast, former NBA All-Star Jamal Mashburn said Rogers had talked trash to Bird after a day of practice between the 1992 College Select Team and the 1992 Dream Team. After a practice, as a group of players were standing around, Mashburn said Rogers told Bird, "Hey Larry, you ain't hit a jumper since '84." According to Mashburn, Magic Johnson, who had been nearby, heard Rogers' comment. The next day during a scrimmage between the two teams, Johnson made a point to keep giving Bird the ball against Rogers. "I had never seen this," Mashburn said on the podcast. "This was when I was like, 'This is a different breed.' "Magic Johnson fed Larry Bird the ball probably eight times in a row down court. Larry Bird got the ball on Rodney Rogers, and every time he was about to make a move, he told him what he was going to do. 'One dribble, pull-up, going left, off glass.' Bucket. 'One dribble going right, spin, shot.' Bucket." Mashburn said Bird scored eight times in a row. As Bird left the court to go lay down to nurse a bad back, he told Rogers, "Young fella: look like '84, huh?"
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