14-time WWE World Champion Paul “Triple H” Levesque likened his lack of athleticism to NBA icon Larry Bird. WWE’s Chief Content Officer appeared on an episode of Nightcap hosted by NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco.
When asked about the difficulties of great athletes struggling to be great coaches, Levesque responded by downplaying his athleticism. “I didn’t have that (God-given athleticism). I had to learn the other aspect…To me, I was much more Larry Bird than I was anybody else.”
Levesque continued. “He wasn’t the most athletic guy. Couldn’t jump the highest. Couldn’t run the fastest. But his knowledge was all that stuff, right? So I had to put in the work on the other side.” The quote is at the 8:15 mark of the podcast.
The Game and The Hick from French Lick
Bird is an all-time great basketball player and won three championships for the Boston Celtics during the 80’s. He is also the only non-center to win three MVP awards in a row. Growing up in New Hampshire, Levesque was consumed by the winning culture of Boston sports. A culture that Bird was at the forefront of.
However, Bird was constantly branded as unathletic in comparison to his peers. Something that has been heavily exaggerated over time. Lakers legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar was a rival of Bird’s and believed that he was his greatest opponent. “People don’t appreciate Larry Bird enough. They think he was a chubby White guy… The muscle that was between his ears was the best.”
Similar to Bird, Triple H used his acumen to combat his athletic deficiencies to become a great in-ring performer. The Game took inspiration from the likes of Harley Race and, in doing so, became a key player in the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression eras of WWE. He is one of the greatest heels in wrestling history.
A Wrestling Brain Like No Other
Whilst nobody believes that Triple H was a “chubby white guy”, his mind for professional wrestling has been praised by numerous performers. Former wrestler Maven Huffman, despite criticizing Triple H, praised his wrestling brain. Maven said, “You’re never going to find a better or more intelligent mind when it comes to professional wrestling than Triple H.”
Olympic Gold Medallist and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle stated the following. “He’s always had it, not just from a wrestling standpoint, but from a creative standpoint. A psychological standpoint. From a promo standpoint. Triple H is one guy who is so well educated, he loves pro wrestling.”
A photo of of WWE legend Triple H, who compared himself to Larry Bird.
Photo Credit: By Web Summit – SM1_4292, CC BY 2.0,
Former AEW Champion MJF has the Cerebral Assassin on his Mount Rushmore. He thinks Triple H’s wrestling career alone is enough to cement his place due to his incredible heel work.
Staying in the Business Post-Retirement
The transition from wrestler to booker was easy for the King of Kings. He helped develop and showcase talents during the “Black and Gold” era of NXT. A large portion of the main roster today served under his tutelage in the developmental brand. Former proteges such as Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks (aka Mercedes Mone), Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch have all main evented WrestleMania.
Since taking over creative in 2022, Triple H has improved the quality of the overall product. He has helped to break numerous gate records worldwide and helped land the WWE’s lucrative partnerships with Netflix and ESPN.
He has also launched the likes of Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, and Jey Uso into mainstream super stardom. The likes of LA Knight, Damian Priest, Solo Sikoa, and Jacob Fatu have become integral players in the mid-card scene.
The Oracle Paul Heyman agreed with that sentiment and paid tribute to Triple H during his Hall of Fame induction speech in 2024. Heyman said, “The way that this man has assumed the pencil of this company and has led us to a creative freedom backstage where more superstars are emerging into the main event in front of your very eyes.”
Heyman publicly exclaimed, “For the rest of my life, I will be a Paul Levesque guy!”
“FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE I WILL BE A PAUL LEVESQUE GUY.”@HeymanHustle gives @TripleH a shout-out during his #WWEHOF speech. pic.twitter.com/jYPIRnMtQZ
— WWE (@WWE) April 6, 2024
His NBA parallel, Bird, also continued in his respective sport following his unfortunate retirement. The Indiana native would become the head coach for his home-state Indiana Pacers in 1997, winning Coach of the Year in 1999 and leading the Pacers to an NBA Finals loss the following year. He would become President of Basketball Operations following his short coaching endeavor.
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