Boston Celtics: The 25 Most Hated Opponents
By Bill Speros
7. Bill Laimbeer
Some former rivals eventually earn the respect and admiration of their opponents and fans. Others remain despised three decades after retirement. When it comes to Bill Laimbeer, he remains on the dark side of the ledger of most Celtics fans who remember his whiny antics and cheap shots from his playing days back in the 1980s. Laimbeer will forever be remembered as the buffoon who stood helpless as Larry Bird stole Isiah Thomas’ inbounds pass and fed it to Dennis Johnson for that memorable lay-up in the 1987 Eastern Conference playoffs.
He was one of the NBA’s original floppers. Plus he never shut up. What real talent he did possess was often lost in the hyperbole of his complaints and cries of faux indignation. In those brutal ’87 Conference finals, Laimbeer got into two separate fights. In Game 3, he tried to asphyxiate Larry Bird with a sleeper hold while Bird was attempting a layup. The flagrant foul cost Laimbeer $5,000. In Game 5, Robert Parish retaliated with three punches to Laimbeer’s head. No doubt justified. Parish would eventually be suspended for Game 6. The Celtics won the series in seven games.
Next: No. 6 -- LeBron