When the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics met the day after Christmas in 1990, Chuck Person and Larry Bird’s war of words had one of its most memorable moments.
Person fired the opening salvo, but unsurprisingly Bird got the upper hand on Person.
Before the game Person, AKA the Rifleman, said he was going
Person went by the nickname “Rifleman” and said he was “going bird hunting” when Indiana faced Boston on Christmas Day. So before the game, Bird said he had a present for Person. After releasing a 3-pointer in front of Person on Indiana’s bench, Bird turned and wished him a “merry f—ing Christmas.