"Larry Bird is the truth" - Michael Jordan's biggest fan blasts Dennis Rodman for hating on Larry Bird

Actor and comedian Aries Spears, one of Michael Jordan's biggest fans, came to the defense of Larry Bird after getting dissed by Dennis Rodman. "The Worm" made headlines recently for saying that Bird would not have been successful in the NBA today.

In an appearance on Vlad TV, Spears discussed Rodman's take on the Boston Celtics legend. He defended the three-time NBA champion and called him the real deal and the truth.

"Get the f**k out of here," Spears said. "Larry Bird was the truth, man. For a guy that most people say wasn't athletic, couldn't jump and couldn't even jump over a phonebook, Larry is the truth. 3-point sniper, basketball IQ through the roof. .... Tenacious player."

Spears added that many people hate Larry Bird, as he was white. Spears pointed out how Bird would tell his defenders what he will do before doing it for real as a form of trash talk.

The Boston Celtics icon is one of the greatest basketball players ever. His trash talk is on par with the likes of Michael Jordan and Gary Payton. Bird and his rivalry with Magic Johnson in the 1980s helped save the NBA.

Bird's accomplishments are also on par among the all-time greats. He has three NBA championships, three league MVPs, a two-time Finals MVP and was a 12-time All-Star. He's a former Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-NBA First Team nine times.

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What did Dennis Rodman say about Larry Bird?

Larry Bird and Dennis Rodman (Photo: LQG/YouTube)

Dennis Rodman made headlines recently for his take on how Larry Bird would have fared in today's NBA. The guest on Vlad TV was asked to compare Bird with Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

"If Larry Bird played in this era, I think he'd be in Europe," Rodman said. "Today's world? Oh, hell no. There's no way. I'm not downplaying him, because he's a great player at that time, just like I was, but no. There's no way. I think the kid from Denver is way better than him."

There's no love lost between Bird and Rodman. They had their fair share of battles in the 1980s during the Boston Celtics-Detroit Pistons rivalry. Bird was one of the frequent victims of Rodman and the "Bad Boys" Pistons.

Rodman once said in the heat of the rivalry that Bird would have been an average player if he was black. He did praise Bird during the interview on Vlad TV but saying that the Celtics icon would have been in Europe today if he played now is a certified diss.