"I used to hate him, 'cause he talked so much trash" - Patrick Ewing on how he and Larry Bird became close on the Dream Team
While Larry Bird's on-court greatness earned him respect from his peers, his penchant for trash talk often led to friction with opponents. This included Patrick Ewing, the legendary big man who played with the Boston Celtics' conference rivals, the New York Knicks. However, their time together on the Dream Team in 1992 allowed them to mend their relationship and gain mutual respect.
How Ewing and Bird became friends
In their 30 matchups (including playoffs), Larry's Celtics dominated Big Pat's Knicks, winning 17 of the 21 regular-season games and five of the nine postseason contests. Still, the 7'0" center held his own, averaging 25.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks, compared to Bird's 25.6 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in those matchups. But trash-talking-wise, Larry was the clear winner of their head to heads, and Patrick hated him for it.
The Dream Team featured players who couldn't stand each other's sight on the court, and Ewing and Bird was one such pair. However, forced to interact, they understood each other better and developed a surprising camaraderie. While the other players laughed at them, mending their differences, Ewing admitted, during his appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show, that he grew close to the Indiana native.
"Larry and I; we got very close during the Olympics. At first, during New York against Boston, I used to hate him, 'cause he talked so much trash," Ewing said. "But once we finally got to sit down in a relaxed atmosphere, we got to be very good friends."
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How Larry trash-talked Pat
When the legendary forward would assert his dominance on the court, he showed little regard for his opponents. This attitude frequently resulted in him engaging in trash talk with Ewing, who held a significant height and strength advantage over him. On the same episode, 'The Big Fella' shared some of the trash talk Bird directed at him when he tried to block his shots.
"I remember a couple of times when he drove to the hole and I tried to block his shot and he was like, 'You better sit down, you going to pop your arm out of your socket before you get this,'" Ewing laughed.
Though Larry and Patrick were among those who strived to be the best player on the court every game, their reconciliation on the Dream Team demonstrated that their animosity wasn't personal. As always, it was all about competition.
