Larry Bird is a legend on the court. He is one of the smartest players ever and he knows what it takes to win. But he thought Lance Stephenson's trolling was unnecessary.

Bird was not particularly known to be a chronic trash talker but he will not back down from any opponent who does. One of the legendary moments in the NBA Playoffs was when Chuck Person engaged him in whispering sweet nothings, and they ended up trash talking the whole game whilst having their own private shootout. Larry Bird shootouts become predictable, as he hardly loses.

Lance Stephenson shared their team president's personal message:

From ESPN: "He said, 'Don't do it again,' so I'm not going to do it again. He's kept me on the right path my whole career, and if he says something to me, I take it to heart."

The burning question had to be asked. What would Larry Bird do if someone blew in his ear? The Legend answers the question himself: "There probably would've been a fight. But this is a different type of game from the '90s. You can't throw blows."

His tactics did not escape the Miami Heat Big Three, but it will not break their composure: "I'm not talking about Lance Stephenson for the rest of the playoffs," Chris Bosh, the third part of the star trio in Miami, said Friday.

Eventually, Lance Stephenson had to shrug and admit that he failed his personal mission: "I don't think I can get into LeBron's head. He's the best player in the league, he knows how to play through that kind of stuff. I don't think it bothered him at all. I have a lot of respect for him. He's going to find a way to play great."

That could be Lance Stephenson's swan song with the Pacers. He becomes a free agent on July 1, and many teams are interested in offering him a hefty paycheck. The Indiana Pacers simply do not have the salary cap space-or maybe even the intention-to match.