"There was a chance you wasn't going to make it out" - Charles Barkley on how dangerous playing against the 'Bad Boys' Pistons was

bill-laimbeer-and-charles-barkley

The ‘Bad Boys’ Detroit Pistons were a force to be reckoned with in the late 1980s and early 1990s. NBA legends like Michael Jordan and Larry Bird dreaded facing them, not just because they were formidable but also because they were known for their brutal, physical style of play. Another Hall of Famer who despised playing against that version of the Pistons was the ‘Round Mound of Rebound,’ Charles Barkley.

Speaking on “Club Shay Shay” with former NFL great turned sports commentator Shannon Sharpe, Barkley narrated how he felt he could get seriously hurt whenever he faced the Pistons.

Say your goodbyes to your family

The Chuck Daly-coached ‘Bad Boys’ were a talented squad led by feisty guard Isiah Thomas and the quiet assassin Joe Dumars. What made the Pistons even more dangerous were their bruisers led by, arguably, the most hated player in the league then, Bill Laimbeer. A master of the cheap shot and getting under opponents’ skin, the 6-foot-11 center was the perfect embodiment of the Pistons’ rough-and-tumble style of play.

It was enough to make Barkley, who was no pushover by any stretch of the imagination, wary of every move he made against Detroit.

“When you played them boys from the Pistons, we used to always say, ‘Call your family, tell them you love them, and goodbye,’ because there was a chance you wasn’t going to make it out,” Barkley shared.

While the Pistons are most famous for implementing the “Jordan Rules,” a defensive strategy designed to thwart and punish the Chicago Bulls great for venturing into the shaded lane, their intimidation tactics knew no bounds. From physical play and hard fouls to trash talk, the ‘Bad Boys’ were masters at getting into their ruffling feathers and bringing out the worst in their opponents.

“They were trying to hurt people. They had six guys who used their fouls. You know what’s so crazy? When I was watching that, the documentary, ‘The Last Dance,’ some of those fouls would get you suspended for 10 games today,” Chuck added.

“Bill Laimbeer would have been out of the league for at least 30 games because he was deliberate with them,” Shannon said.

Bad blood with Bird

Larry Bird had ill feelings towards Laimbeer and the Pistons and was not shy about expressing them. Like Jordan, Detroit worked exceptionally well at hindering the opposing team’s star player.

In the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Larry was in the crosshair of the Pistons, and Laimbeer happened to be the assassin, delivering a brutal clothesline on Bird in Game 3, which nearly triggered a free-for-all. The normally unshakable Celtics star got so enraged that he threw several punches at Bill while the fracas continued.

Long after his playing days were over, Bird still remembered how the Pistons, specifically Laimbeer, targeted him and tried to take him out of the game.

“He was a dirty player. He had to do what he had to do, and I understand that, but you take like Ricky Mahorn, he’d hit you, and you knew you were going to get hit. He didn’t try to maim you. Bill tried to hurt you,” Bird said. “He was one of them guys; when you tried to shoot a jumper, he would try to slide his foot underneath your ankle so you’d twist your ankle.”