Larry Bird objected to having Kelly Tripucka as his guard.

Chapman described how someone 6’6″ or shorter telling Larry Legend to stand up for him set him off.

Although it is well known that Larry Bird detested “white guys” covering him, less is known about his contempt for defenders who were 6’6″ or smaller. In an interview, Rex Chapman clarified this point by relating how Kelly Tripucka discovered this the hard way when he tried to guard the three-time MVP.

Chapman on Bird’s offensive behavior
Any defender assigned to limit Bird was going to have a difficult evening given his prolific scoring ability and adaptability. But when Larry had to play against a shorter guy, it seemed he was driven to make a statement. “The Wonder Boy” talked about his memories of the Charlotte Hornets during his interview on The Rich Eisen Show. He also emphasized how Tripucka and the team were compelled to alter their tactics.

I recall that Jerry Sichting, who had played with Larry, was a member of our squad, and Kelly Tripucka was assigned to guard him. During the shoot-around, Jerry had informed us, Larry, that no man in the world who was shorter than six feet six inches could protect him. And it offends him,” Chapman remarked.

“We went outside to play jump ball after putting Kelly Tripucka on him. ‘You guys are putting Tripucka on me?’ remarked Larry, glancing at the others. And everyone… said nothing at all. We had to mix things up because he had two baskets, a and-one, and an assist in four possessions.”

By offering a thorough analysis pointing out that the team did not designate Michael Jordan to guard Bird during games against the Chicago Bulls, Chapman enhanced his story even more. Horace Grant, who stands at 6’10” and Scottie Pippen, 6’8″, respectively, was the one to face the defensive challenge.

It didn’t matter to Larry Bird’s height

In contrast to Chapman’s viewpoint, 6’11” John Salley provided an alternative story in which, despite his claims to have a considerable height advantage over the 12-time All-Star, he discovered that Bird must always be double-teamed.

“Yeah, I got size on you,” I reply. “They (the Celts) alter the play,” stated Salley. “He (Bird) shoots and says, ‘You better ask for a double team, bruh.'”

Bird was nearly hard to control when he wanted to unleash his offensive best and bring his A-game, regardless of the defender’s height—6’11”, 6’6″, or even 6’0″.