"I'm sure all my fans there will give me a standing ovation" - Bill Laimbeer's response to clotheslining Larry Bird during the 1987 playoffs
The "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons of the 1980s had many enemies, and that's because they had a lot of players willing to mix it up on a nightly basis. Of course, the lead enforcer of these teams was Bill Laimbeer, who was considered one of the most vicious players in NBA history.
Laimbeer's physical play was borderline dirty, but that never mattered to him. There were several cases when he nearly incited a riot from opposing fans due to his playstyle, and one of those plays took place in the 1987 NBA Playoffs against Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics.
Bill's reaction to a controversial foul
By the time the 1987 NBA Playoffs rolled around, the Pistons and Celtics were big-time rivals. They had met up in the playoffs just two years ago, in 1985, and with Detroit continuing to challenge Boston at the top of the Eastern Conference, their battles only became more violent.
In 1987, these two teams met in the Eastern Conference Finals for a seven-game dogfight that Boston eventually won. Along the way, Laimbeer decked Bird in Game 3 of the series, and after their win in Game 4, the Pistons big man responded to the criticism he faced for taking Bird out.
"In my mind, I know I didn't do anything wrong," Bill Laimbeer said via Ryan Van Dusen. "It was an accident, and you know my reputation; it might not seem that way, but in my mind, I was perfectly confident…I anticipate a very warm reaction in the Garden. I'm sure all my fans there will give me a standing ovation."
Bird ended up getting the last laugh
With the legendary Celtic in the paint, he up-faked Laimbeer and got him in the air before going up with the ball. As the Pistons center came back down, he basically landed on Bird's face, and a scuffle ensued. When all was said and done, the Pistons grinded out a 122-104 victory to cut their deficit in half to 2-1.
After winning Game 4, Laimbeer was asked about his encounter with Bird from the game before since the series was shifting back to Boston. Never afraid to back down from a fight, Bill seemingly egged on the Celtics fans by jokingly saying he expected a warm welcome in Game 5.
Laimbeer may have been laughing after Game 4 since Detroit tied the series at two, but Bird and the C's got the last laugh. They won Games 5 and 7 on their home court to advance to the NBA Finals, although they would lose that series to the Los Angeles Lakers.
There were lots of incidents between Laimbeer and the Celtics, and this may have been one of the biggest of the bunch. The Pistons would eventually find a way to topple the C's in the East, but in the 1987 NBA Playoffs, Bird came out on top in this battle with Bill.
