Michael Jordan and Larry Bird were arguably two of the most iconic basketball players to come from the 1990s era. It is almost impossible to name an All-90s best team without Jordan and Bird. Other than their ability to deliver in the clutch moments of the game, they had some other things in common.

Robert Parish, a former teammate of both these legends, has revealed the two things in common between them. Parish played for both the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls in his career. In an interview with SiriusXM Radio, Parish recalled how he noticed these common things between Bird and Jordan.

NBA Legend reveals similarities between Michael Jordan and Larry Bird

In an interview with SiriusXM Radio, Parish said, “The only thing those two had in common, in my opinion, because clearly, Michael was a better athlete and more athletic, was that unshakeable confidence in themselves. All the all-time greats have that. No matter what is going on. No matter how poorly they are playing, when they need to step up, most of the time they step up and deliver.” 

Further, he added, “And not to mention, two of the all-time greats in trash talking.” 

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“It doesn’t matter if they balling out, or if they’re having one of those nights where they out of sync and they struggling. They never stopped talking trash. And that’s why I have so much respect for those two in the trash-talking department. It does not matter if they playing well, or stinking up the plate, they’re still talking sh*t.” 

In a way, that trash talking was also a display of their ‘unshakeable confidence in themselves’. It also served as a reminder to their opponents of what they were capable of, even if they weren’t on their best.

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How important is confidence for legends like Jordan and Bird

The legends did not just display this confidence on the court. They also inherently had it in their lifestyle. Their confidence helped them stand up for themselves and their teammates when the media criticized them. For the 1992 Olympics Dream Team, Larry Bird almost did not make it to the team. Since he suffered an injury-plagued season that made him miss most of the games the previous season.

Nevertheless, once he got selected, a reporter in Barcelona made a comment saying Bird was a symbolic selection in the squad. Jordan did not appreciate this opinion. “I don’t care how old or in pain Larry Bird is,” said Jordan, according to Sports Illustrated.

“You name me a forward in this league who’s not already on the team who can rebound, throw the outlet pass to get the break going, shoot the three-pointer, play in the half-court and has the presence of Bird.” So it shows that it was his confidence in the trust and respect he has for Bird that prompted Jordan to not bear with any disrespectful opinion about him.

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