Big Mouth! The Ten Best Trash Talkers In NBA History

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Talking trash is an art. To get inside your opponents heads and wreck their psyche is not easy, especially if they are a professional athlete who has been there and heard it all already.

Yet it still is a big part of what happens on the court. Several games have been won or lost by a simple word, expression, or gesture.

Here are some of the best to ever grace the NBA hardwood.

Michael Jordan

If beating you with his athleticism wasn't enough, "His Airness" would add insult to injury with verbal barrages as the games were going on.

He would defeat you soundly in every fashion.

Larry Bird

Before the 1986 Three-Point Shooting Contest at NBA All-Star weekend, Bird famously said to all his opponents "I want all of you to know I am winning this thing. I'm just looking around to see who's gonna finish up second."

He won.

He also told Seattle Super Sonic All-Star forward Xavier McDaniel exactly where on the floor he would hit the game winning shot.

He did.

Charles Barkely

Sir Charles likes to run his mouth, as you can tell by his broadcasting career.

Gary Payton

"The Glove" had a silver tongue.

He once called his own teammate, center Ervin Johnson, "Tragic Johnson".

Kevin Garnett

He is widely considered the top trash talker in the NBA today.

Reggie Miller

The "Knick Killer" is recalled for his verbal assaults on both New York All-Star guard John Starks, and Knicks fan Spike Lee.

LeBron James

James once calmly walked up to Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas at the foul line with the game in the balance and informed Arenas, an 80 percent free throw shooter, that he would miss both attempts to cause the Wizards to lose.

Arenas did.