A former NBA player told a great story about Larry Bird dominating a trash-talking college player during a Dream Team scrimmage
![Book excerpt: Remembering the first Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals of the Larry Bird era - The Boston Globe Book excerpt: Remembering the first Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals of the Larry Bird era - The Boston Globe](https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/ZxBFA-JxSf2pam9yFCY24VE181I=/960x0/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bostonglobe/3LWHSDLRXFGYXOKFEIQZ2AGJ5Y.jpg)
Book excerpt: Remembering the first Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals of the Larry Bird era - The Boston Globe
![Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the 2 most important NBA figures": Charles Barkley pays respect to the Lakers and Celtics legends for saving the NBA during the mid-1980s - The SportsRush Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the 2 most important NBA figures": Charles Barkley pays respect to the Lakers and Celtics legends for saving the NBA during the mid-1980s - The SportsRush](https://cdn-wp.thesportsrush.com/2022/01/3e501367-bird-magic.jpg)
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the 2 most important NBA figures": Charles Barkley pays respect to the Lakers and Celtics legends for saving the NBA during the mid-1980s - The SportsRush
![NBA 75: At No. 7, Larry Bird was a legendary all-around player who won 3 titles with the Celtics — and changed the league – The Athletic NBA 75: At No. 7, Larry Bird was a legendary all-around player who won 3 titles with the Celtics — and changed the league – The Athletic](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2022/02/09201809/7_BIRD-1024x511.jpg)