Long before the NBA empowered referees to issue technical fouls to players for excessive talking or arguing, there was a time when players unapologetically threw punches, committed intentional fouls, and physically hurt their opponents.
In that era, it was hardly surprising that Bill Laimbeer became one of the league's most hated figures, known for his dirty plays and his willingness to hurt players intentionally. Surprisingly, Michael Jordan once placed Larry Bird in the same category of 'dirtiest players' as Bill, though not for his unethical aggressiveness but for his intelligence on the court.
Jordan on why Laimbeer was a 'dirty' player
While Laimbeer was a highly skilled outside-scoring center, as evidenced by his averaging a double-double for seven consecutive seasons, his reputation was built on his pride in being the ultimate 'Bad Boy' of the Detroit Pistons.
The four-time All-Star played with extreme physicality, using his size to forcefully stop guards and other big men from scoring at the rim. In contrast, the 'dirtiest' aspect of Larry Bird was to belittle the defenders' morale by telling them his exact moves and then executing them, showcasing how he was a tier above them.
However, during an appearance on the 'Asensio Hall Show,' Jordan candidly shared how almost all NBA players placed Laimbeer and Bird in the same category of dirty players. The five-time MVP started off by emphasizing how the 6'11" center made up for his lack of speed by using his strength to forcefully bring players to the ground.
"If you had 273 professional athletes, professional basketball players and you say who is the dirtiest player in the NBA. I say 95% will say it's Laimbeer or Larry Bird," Jordan said. "Holding, pulling, hard fouls - Laimbeer is very dirty in terms of he doesn't jump well, he can't block a shot. If we were on the fast break, he is not going to block my shot. To see him coming at me full steam ahead, it's only to knock me over, knock me out of balance... That is the type of thing he does, and people don't appreciate it."
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Mike on how Bird was a dirty player
When discussing the three-time MVP, Mike noted that Bird, like Laimbeer, had evident physical limitations. Moreover, the 12-time All-Star wasn't as fast or athletic as his opponents, but he used his high basketball IQ to slow the game down and dictate the pace to his advantage.
"Larry is good with playing you kind of slow, but all of a sudden, he will grab you by your pants, get open for a layup, or a three-point play. That is smart. It's not really cheating, but it's smart," Jordan added. "He overcomes a lot of the things regarding natural ability that he doesn't have. He is not the quickest guy; he can't jump, but he overcomes it really well."
Given that the interview was taken in 1990, Mike's comparison comes across as somewhat contradictory. On one hand, he criticized Bill for exploiting his strength to harm others yet praised Larry for using his limitations to outsmart opponents. This difference in tone likely reflected Jordan's frustration from being at the receiving end of Laimbeer's physical play.
Despite there being no defense for Laimbeer using his strength in an unfavorable manner, it helped his Pistons to lift two consecutive titles.
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