Gary Payton shared epic Larry Bird trash-talking story

Gary Payton was one of the most lethal trash talkers the NBA had ever seen. Renowned for his defensive prowess and intensity, GP also built a reputation for his skill in unnerving opponents through a relentless barrage of trash talk, explaining that he used it to get foes off their games and fuel his competitive spirit.

However, "The Glove" shared that Larry Bird was also on his level, if not even better when it came to talking smack. He shared a Christmas trash-talking story to back up his claim.

No Christmas cheer for GP

There are countless stories of "Larry Legend's" savagery regarding trash talk. As unassuming as he was with his nonchalant style of play, the legendary forward's words were anything but. In a game against Payton and the Seattle SuperSonics, Payton detailed how Bird ruined Christmas for the brash guard.

"He used to tell me, 'Look here, man, I'm gonna go shoot this motherf------ jumper in your face right there in that corner, and it's gonna be your Christmas present. I'm gonna wrap it up and bust your head open,'" the 6'4" guard from Oakland, California, said on "Throwing Bones."

Bird was one of the rare ones who could talk smack all game long and back it up. That's one of the things "The Glove" appreciated about the Boston Celtics legend.

"All that s--- — he was the coldest dude I ever seen with that s---, man. Everybody be talking about these great greats, you know. We always mentioning him," Payton continued. "He was the s---, yeah, the s---. He'll give it to you any way he wanted to— any way he wanted to. Larry Bird was cold. Cold dude. Real cold."

Bird didn't even spare Magic

Nobody was immune to Bird's penchant for trash talk, especially not his biggest rival, Magic Johnson. The two icons were at the tip of the spear of their respective teams, the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, and their fierce competition was legendary. In 2015, Johnson shared his favorite story involving Bird and his ruthless trash talk.

"DJ is coming down with the ball, and he passes to Larry in the corner. My first job was to stop DJ, but now I had to go out and close Larry Bird. So, as I am running to Larry, he's talking trash to me, 'I don't know why you are running out here,'" Magic recalled.

"Who says that in the middle of the game? He said, 'I'm going to wait until you get one step away from me, and then I'm going to shoot it right in your face.' So I got one step away, he shoots it, and it's all net, three-pointer. He turns to me and says, 'You did all that running for nothing,'" the legendary point guard added.

Trash talk is part of basketball's fabric, adding an extra layer of competitiveness and can even throw off opponents' focus. But when it came to Bird, his trash talk was damn near mythical, becoming a memorable part of NBA folklore.