Wherever you encounter high-intensity sportspeople, you'll likely find a few lippy athletes who aren't afraid to let the opposition know how good they are. Sledging, trash-talk, whatever you want to call it: in heated competition, a boastful word in an opponent's ear can go a long way towards winning a tricky one-on-one battle. Perhaps no sport is more renowned for trash-talking than basketball. NBA legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan were notorious for both talking the talk and walking the walk on the hardwood. In the intimate cauldron of 3x3 basketball - which is coming to Ireland for the HulaHoops3x3 on May 12 - trash-talk is taken to a whole new level. Films like 'White Men Can't Jump' have famously captured the art of street basketball trash-talk in all its hilarious glory.
Ahead of the first annual HulaHoops3x3 on May 12 at Dundrum Town Centre, Peter Coonan of Love/Hate fame took some Irish basketball stars to trash-talking school. You can watch the results below.
Many of Ireland's finest basketball players will be in Dundrum on May 12 for this incredible event, competing for a €1000 cash prize, so you know it will be tense and dramatic. There might be a bit of trash-talk as well. Be sure to clear your schedule and get to Dundrum Town Centre on Saturday week to see Irish basketball at its best.
