The Mount Rushmore of Sports Trash Talkers

Illustration by Thomas Dyson

Sports may draw us in with the action that’s on the field, but it’s not too uncommon that it’s what happens off of it which creates the most memorable moments. There’s been countless athletes over the years whose personas have been just as, and in some cases more exciting than what they produce while in uniform. Trash talking has ascended into some sort of an art form over the years, so why not look at some of the greatest to ever do it.

We’re starting off with the only current player on our list- the Golden State Warriors’ veteran power forward Draymond Green. I’m not sure if Draymond Green is a robust trash talker, or rather a straight up crashout- but he seems to walk the line quite well. Perhaps best known for his aggressive nature on the court, as well as his tendency to lash out in a physical nature, Draymond doesn’t exactly hold back when it comes to words, either. After beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 Finals, Green stated on Twitter that “The Cavs didn’t stand a f*cking chance. It pissed me off we didn’t sweep them.” Draymond doesn’t spare anyone, which is what perhaps makes him a grade above in the esteemed halls of trash talking. Take the time that Dennis Smith Jr. missed a dunk during his rookie season, and Draymond instantly hit him with “you’ll never dunk on me!” He didn’t let the Mavericks point guard forget it either, as he kept chirping him the rest of the game. But what truly separates Draymond from the rest is perhaps the fact that he isn’t afraid to face some of the finest fellow masters of his craft head on. When it was suggested that he’s the modern day Charles Barkley, he responded by saying he’s “the modern day Draymond Green.” When Conor McGregor was spotted wearing a #23 Warriors jersey, Draymond was quick to note that he would be supporting Floyd Mayweather in the Irishman’s upcoming fight, to which McGregor responded that it was actually a C.J. Watson jersey, telling Draymond “I don’t know who the f*ck you are.” Two heavyweight trash talkers of our generation going at it- you truly love to see it. Kevin Garnett dished out his fair share of noise throughout his playing days, however Draymond also had something to say to him, hitting him with the rather humbling “bro, you’re not scaring anyone” back in 2015. And what puts Draymond into the GOAT conversation? At 35 years of age, he’s still going strong. Mr. Whammy is an 89 year old Brooklyn Nets superfan who was bold enough to chirp Draymond while the Warriors were facing off against the Nets in December of 2025. After making his first free throw, Draymond walked over to Mr. Whammy, and hit him with “sit your old ass down!” The best part? When criticized by Nets fans later that day, he simply said he “never backs down. Especially to those not wearing a Golden State Warriors jersey.” He certainly doesn’t, and that’s why I believe that Draymond Green is at Mount Rushmore status.

Football has had its fair share of explosive personalities over the years, but few have come close to the magnitude of Randy Moss’ persona. Perhaps best known for his verbal spats on the field, such as his rivalry with New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, Moss also brought the heat off the field as well. Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman stated that Moss “had the same trash-talk every Friday at practice for three years.” Edelman followed up by saying “I swear to God I have nightmares of that.” Yes. Randy Moss even trash talked his own teammates during practice. This man knew absolutely zero limits. Moss played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1998 to 2004, and apparently he lashed out on the team’s catering staff during his time in Minneapolis, stating “I wouldn’t feed this to my dog.” And, perhaps his most iconic and equally infamous moment came in 2005, when he pretended to moon the crowd after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. Commentator Joe Buck deemed it a “disgusting act,” which only boosted its notoriety. But, like any efficient trash talker, Randy Moss could back it up. The wide receiver scored 156 touchdowns over a 14 year career, appeared in six Pro Bowls, led the league in touchdowns on five separate occasions, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. A menace on and off the field, Randy Moss remains a cult hero to any football fan, and is a worthy inclusion on the Mount Rushmore of trash talking.

Of all the trash talkers to grace The Greatest Show on Dirt, Pedro Martinez is a cut above the rest. The Dominican ace arrived in Boston in 1998, after six years with the Dodgers and Expos. His time with the Red Sox is memorable for many reasons, with his fiery antics potentially being the primary factor. The Curse of the Bambino plagued Sox fans for decades, but Pedro made his thoughts on the curse very clear when asked about it in 2001, “I don’t care about damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I’ll drill him in the ass.” Straight up admitting that you want one of baseball’s greatest legends to come back from the grave so that you can intentionally hit him with a pitch is a very bold thing to do to say the very least, but it was just another day at the office for Pedro Martinez. Tensions were usually at a high during any stand off between the Red Sox and Yankees in the 2000s, and the 2003 regular season was in no way an exception. When Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens hit Sox batter Kevin Millar with a pitch, Pedro was quick to note that he was planning on retaliating. Not only did Pedro drill Karim Garcia with a pitch, but he also hit Derek Jeter- which was very much a power move given Jeter’s status within the team. A brawl ensued, encapsulating the dynamic of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry of the time. A year later during the 2004 ALCS, Martinez infamously threw 72 year old Yankees manager Don Zimmer to the ground, in what is one of baseball’s most remembered moments. Not only did Pedro back up his smack talking with 8 All Star appearances, 5 ERA titles, 3 Cy Young Awards, a 2004 World Series Championship, Triple Crown title, and 2015 Hall of Fame induction- but Pedro is still trash talking to this very day. The retired ace, now working as a broadcaster, made headlines in 2021 for saying that “the umpires don’t know sh*t about what they’re doing.” When the Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees from the 2025 playoffs, Martinez stated that his Godson Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is “the Yankees’ daddy.” Due to his dominance on the mound, as well as his explosive nature and tendency to spare nobody, Pedro Martinez was the last person that many players wanted to face, and one of the the first names that come to mind regarding a Mount Rushmore of trash talking.

Our final inductee is someone who was nicknamed “The Greatest,” and there’s no reason that can’t also relate to his ability to talk trash. When heading into his heavyweight title deciding fight against Sonny Liston in 1964, Ali commented on his opponent, stating that he’s “too ugly to be world champion. The world champ should be pretty like me!” 22 year old Ali, who then went by his birth name of Cassius Clay, defied the odds and knocked out the reigning champion in seven rounds, in what was deemed as “the greatest upset in boxing history” by former world champion Joe Louis. Perhaps what puts Ali into the GOAT debate of trash talking is how slick he was with it. Most people’s trash talking is defined by their audacity. Not only did Ali have that in abundance, but his way with words was equally impressive. Before the iconic “Rumble in the Jungle,” which was a fight with eventual two time world champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, which is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ali perhaps created one of the most iconic moments in the history of sports. Prior to the fight, Ali hit the world with, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see. Now you see me, now you don’t. George thinks he will, but I know he won’t.” Ali once again defied the odds, claiming the title of heavyweight world champion, and handing Foreman the first ever loss in his career. Ali always backed up what he said in monumental fashion, and he always had something to say. “I’ll beat him so bad he’ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on”- Ali’s words before defeating two time world champion Floyd Patterson with a TKO in the 12th round. Whichever way you look at it, Ali’s career is illuminated with gems outside the ring.

“If you even dream about beating me, you better wake up and apologize!”

“I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.”

Somebody who was charismatic as ever outside of the ring, and equally lethal inside of it. A guaranteed spot on the Mount Rushmore of sports trash talkers.