When Trash Talk Became Pure Art

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

These are the 25 biggest mind games in NBA history. And up first, Wachimari Stoudemire absolutely violates Shane Batier.

SPEAKER_2 (0:09)

He defends by Chalmers, he's been freed by Stoudemire, he goes inside, and that's it for Stoudemire.

SPEAKER_3 (0:14)

He goes for foul, and he's gone.

Reggie Miller (0:16)

Dunks over him, puts his hand down like he wants to help him up, and then takes it away. What is up with that?

SPEAKER_1 (0:22)

My man went to help Batier up, realized the Knicks were down three to one, and then changed his mind. Uncanny. But at least there's hope for Stoudemire. Paul Pierce, on the other hand, not so much.

Come on, man. That's cold-blooded, but not as cold-blooded as what LeBron once did to Ben Simmons, because one time, LeBron got in his head so badly, Simmons actually attempted a three.

SPEAKER_5 (1:01)

Simmons surveying out front. LeBron laying all the way back in the key.

SPEAKER_6 (1:07)

Daring him to shoot, Simmons does.

SPEAKER_5 (1:12)

There's Simmons.

SPEAKER_3 (1:12)

LeBron just playing three safety, laying back in the key.

SPEAKER_6 (1:16)

Definitely, definitely nobody are in the battle.

SPEAKER_5 (1:19)

Then Simmons took a three, and you could hear the fans gonna rise up.

SPEAKER_1 (1:23)

Don't worry, though, Ben. LeBron lives rent-free in everyone's head. Ain't that right, Nix?

SPEAKER_5 (1:27)

Impeccable motor every single night. And he's used that as motivation to get him into that motor mode.

Clarkson has a pretty good motor himself going right now.

SPEAKER_1 (1:37)

He's revving it up.

SPEAKER_5 (1:38)

He's got 14

SPEAKER_8 (1:39)

I believe things will change.

SPEAKER_1 (1:41)

Wow, one pass, and the entire team is tripping. If you thought that play was mental, you ain't seen anything yet. Cause still to come, it's the time Lance Stevenson was blowing kisses. Or better yet, the time Marcus Smart owned James Harden for an entire minute. Only first, it's the time Kobe Bryant put one trash talker in his place.

SPEAKER_2 (2:00)

He was leaning on him, trying to move him off.

SPEAKER_3 (2:02)

He should make it. 28 seconds to play, Kobe and Ron still talking.

SPEAKER_6 (2:08)

I mean, seriously, they should tell both of them, knock it off.

SPEAKER_1 (2:15)

There are three types of people you don't mess with, your parents, your teachers, and the Black Mamba. However, it's one thing to mess with Kobe. It's another to go against Larry Bird in the three-point contest, because heading into the 1988 three-point contest, Bird's confidence was through the roof. So when Bird entered the All-Star locker room, he asked, who's coming in second? Yeah. And then afterward, this happened.

Now, he's all over the place in this rack. Usually, he comes back with that big money ball that keeps him close.

SPEAKER_9 (2:59)

He's come up short, and then he's all of a sudden throws it a little bit long. He certainly doesn't have that normal Bird rhythm going for himself.

SPEAKER_11 (3:04)

He does not, and 25 seconds remaining has only 7, has to beat 15

SPEAKER_9 (3:09)

That's 8, making 9, and 10, 11 as we're counting. 13

SPEAKER_1 (3:17)

Huge rack that time for Bird.

SPEAKER_9 (3:22)

This is a tie for the money.

SPEAKER_11 (3:25)

Yo!

Matt Barnes (3:27)

Larry Bird!

SPEAKER_1 (3:28)

First, the smack talk, then competing with his warm-up jacket still on, somebody needs to humble this dude. And you know who else needs to be humbled? LeBron James. One time, fans decided to take matters into their own hands.

SPEAKER_2 (3:40)

An interesting thing to watch. Team LeBron against team Giannis. Rajon steps out of the court here, with 1.3 remaining in the quarter.

SPEAKER_13 (3:52)

And with 1.3, this is where, if you make the free throw, you make the-

SPEAKER_1 (3:55)

Hold up, how the harts gonna disrespect LeBron when they haven't even won a championship yet? Shaking my head. That said, LeBron can handle some smack talk, but what he can't handle is bad calls.

SPEAKER_2 (4:05)

And now it's the Lakers. LeBron glances at the shot clock, and it's thrown out of bounds.

So that complaint by LeBron turns over a call that should not have been. It was the correct call to begin with.

SPEAKER_1 (4:23)

Bro literally passed the ball off Russ's foot, complained, and got the call reversed, which means 1 of 2 things. Either LeBron's a crybaby, or he's a wizard.

SPEAKER_14 (4:32)

Harry?

SPEAKER_1 (4:33)

But then again, it's better to be a crybaby than get distracted by a homie.

SPEAKER_2 (4:37)

The Cavs have to do 1 thing though with the...

SPEAKER_3 (4:39)

I'm the coomba...

SPEAKER_11 (4:40)

Oh man, Johnny Salmon said.

SPEAKER_14 (4:42)

What?

SPEAKER_3 (4:45)

Jason Terry.