#43: Trash Talk Alone Helped Him Take Down Chuck Person

Bird’s mind games were as sharp as his jumper. In the 1991 playoffs, Chuck Person—nicknamed “The Rifleman”—tried goading Bird into a duel. Bird wasn’t interested in the back-and-forth…until Christmas Day. As the teams warmed up, Bird casually told Person, “I have a gift for you.”

Then, mid-game, he hit a corner three right in front of the Indiana bench, turned around before it even dropped, and said, “Merry F***ing Christmas.” The shot swished. The moment was pure Bird: cold, calculated, and brilliantly timed. His trash talk wasn’t loud or reckless—it was laser-precise psychological warfare in the best way.