The best trash talkers in the game

They say that in all sports it’s as much about the mind games as it’s about the play itself and a sure way to put your opponents at a disadvantage is to trash talk them into submission.

It’s easy to think of the sports where it’s a central part of the strategy. After all, what would a boxer’s weigh-in be without the forehead to forehead encounter along with the sort of war of words that everyone from Muhammed Ali to Floyd Mayweather Jr. have become famous for. Even the sedate game of cricket is notorious for the sledging which the fielding side use to put the batsmen off their stride.

It’s also a key element in games like poker where master proponents include the legendary Australian player Tony G. who doesn’t just trash talk to undermine his opponents’ confidence, he also uses it to kick them when they’re down. Phil Hellmuth is regarded as one of the best in the business when it comes to trash talking fellow poker players, some see it as obnoxious, and others see it as a key ingredient to achieve success around the table. 888poker have produced a brilliant infographic regarding trash talking in sport, judging off the results, it suggests it achieves mixed levels of success.    

It’s no surprise that there are also some high profile proponents of the skill on the basketball court where the fast-paced action means that even slight interruptions to the other players’ mental state can have a major effect. And here are four acknowledged masters of the art.

Reggie Miller

The legendary Pacers shooter didn’t just confine his trash talking to fellow players: he was famous for stoking up rivalry with the Knicks by bad mouthing film director Spike Lee who was usually sitting courtside when the teams clashed. But it wasn’t taken to heart and Lee even gave Miller a cameo role in his 1998 movie “He Got Game”. 

Kobe Bryant

Bryant’s another player who was as good with his mouth as he was with the rest of his 6’ 6” 212 lb frame. The larger than life character was just as likely to wind up his own team as the opposition, however and it was all thanks to the favourite subject of his own five NBA championship rings which he just couldn’t help reminding everyone about.

Scottie Pippen

Chicago Bulls’ Scottie Pippen must go down as one of the most effective trash talkers of all time after his demolition of Karl “The Mailman” Malone in the 1991 NBA finals against Utah Jazz. As the last seconds of the clash played out and Malone tried to score with two penalties Scottie reminded him that “The Mailman doesn’t deliver on Sundays”. It turned out he was right and the Bulls went on to win the championship.

Michael Jordan

Even the player many consider to be the greatest of all time wasn’t above a bit of verbal one-upmanship. Favourite tactics included giving a running commentary to the play, taking free throws with his eyes closed and winking at the opponents’ bench – all of which succeeding in enraging them into making mistakes.

So whatever you think of the ethics of trash talk it’s certainly been proven to work for all sorts of players in all kinds of sport. Most people also believe that it adds a certain something to the game, sharpening up each side’s competitive edge. It also means that the most dominant players aren’t just ones with the best physical skills – they also need to be able to talk a good game too.