"If you are a yeller and screamer, your players tune out what you got to say" - Robert Parish on why Bird's leadership style was much better for him than MJ's

Yahoo

30-06-2025

"If you are a yeller and screamer, your players tune out what you got to say" - Robert Parish on why Bird's leadership style was much better for him than MJ's originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Leadership was everything in the old NBA era.
Advertisement
It was the foundation of every dynasty, and it came in different ways: some silent, some relentless and some so commanding that it bent the locker room into its orbit. However, for the players who lived through those dogfights of the '80s and '90s, few opinions carry as much weight as Robert Parish's.
The Hall of Fame center played alongside Larry Bird for over a decade, won three titles with him and battled Michael Jordan through the tail end of his prime. When he speaks about leadership, he offers experience.
Bird's leadership
The game was different then — not just slower or more physical, but more reliant on internal chemistry, respect and an unwritten code. Stars set the tone in practice, defined the culture and shaped the identity of a franchise.
Advertisement
For the Boston Celtics of the 1980s, that tone came from Bird, cold-blooded in the clutch, ruthless on the glass and brutally efficient in every decision.
"Larry led by example," Parish said. "He wasn't a vocal leader. He let his play dictate how we play and I think Larry's style and philosophy makes the best leaders, because if you are a yeller and screamer, after a while, your voice falls on deaf ears and players kind of tune out what you got to say."
Bird, a three-time MVP, averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists over his career, often while playing through back pain and battered knees. His approach didn't need words. His teammates watched him throw elbows for rebounds, drain daggers with a flick of the wrist and talk just enough trash.
Advertisement
But within the Celtics' locker room, Bird didn't need to bark. He didn't lean on intimidation. The message came in between plays, in how hard he ran the floor, how he took charges and how he dove for loose balls both in the regular season and the playoffs.
Bird's body language alone could shift the mood of a game. Coaches trusted him like a floor general. Opponents feared him not just for his scoring but because he controlled the tempo without drawing attention to himself. That's what Parish was pointing to: a leadership born from consistency, sacrifice, and unshakable poise.
Related: "We only needed one more guy" - Patrick Beverley says the Clippers lost SGA because Kawhi thought he needed more help
Different styles of Bird and MJ
The Celtics made five NBA Finals appearances during Bird's prime and never missed the postseason in his 13-year career. His leadership style didn't come across as controlling every voice in the room; it was about giving them space to match his standard.
Advertisement
"I respect both leadership styles," Parish said, "But I prefer Larry's style a bit because sometimes you don't want to hear what he got to say. Speaking of Michael, he up all in your face speaking trash."
Jordan's leadership was ferocious and it didn't come with brakes. His style was created in friction. He held teammates to punishing standards, called them out in practice and drove the Bulls to six titles behind a relentless mix of greatness and pressure.
It worked; no one questions that. Jordan was a six-time champion, five-time MVP and arguably the most feared competitor the league has ever seen.
But Parish had seen both sides up close.
Advertisement
He joined the Bulls in the 1996 season, just in time to witness the second three-peat from the inside. Even at 42, he could feel the difference in locker room energy. Jordan's leadership could sharpen a team into its best form, but it came with a psychological tax.
His intensity was constant. His volume was high. His presence left no room for down moments.
Bird's leadership, by contrast, came with a slower burn. It wasn't built on domination. Players weren't pushed; they were invited to rise to the moment. In the long run, Parish found that it was more sustainable. He wasn't dismissing Jordan's greatness, just explaining that over the course of an 82-game season, the voice that echoes quietly often leaves the deepest impression.
Bird won fewer championships than Jordan, but he built his success in arguably the most competitive era of team parity in league history. The '80s Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers were dynasties of their own.
Advertisement
And yet Bird's Celtics always stood tall among them.
Related: "I told him if he felt that strongly about it, come and get some" - Robert Parish recalls intimidating Michael Jordan during a practice
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.