@@Wifismy Nothing has changed. Larry didn't flop, didn't take games off, didn't choke on a consistent basis, didn't throw duds from the free throw line, played defense consistently and he did whine and pout when he came up short.
That white man could play. Easily the greatest trash talker of all time. He’ll tell you what he’s going to do and he’ll do it and there wasn’t anything you could do to stop him. Cold as ice.
Yo chill…. You have to say it because oftentimes it came off like Bird was not white…while he is also lamenting any team putting a white defender on himself!
He obviously said this because MJ never likes giving his biggest rival his flowers... Think about it, what is the last time you heard MJ say something legendary about LeBron and what is the context, I bet it's minor asf
What these young guys don't know is Mike was behind Kareem Magic Doc Larry and them you see '86 they were just happy to be there against Boston…he never threatened any of them.. The East was Phillys from 80-84 when Boston beat LA for the chip after that we got old, Boston took the East until 88 won 3, really it was '87 if Zeke doesn't throw the ball away in the ECF…in '87 Doc retired Moses left Mchale was hurt then Larry got hurt in '88 so Detroit was creepin up and their turn came they went to 3 strait finals '88'89'90 then Chicago crept up and took over as Boston and Detroit did… So Mike was under those teams takin Ls learning waiting for his turn so he def knows how good those teams were as a fan he watched em in college for three years.. The only people that discredit Larry Zeke Magic amd Kareem are young cats that never saw that era of stars… They were MJs idols… Zeke to an extent(Doc & Kareem)
Larry was absolutely that dude... personally I wouldn't pick LeBron over Larry either. If I had to win a game and had to pick LeBron or Larry to take that last shot... there isn't a conceivable situation where I pick LeBron over Larry. Not a single one.
not just bird but magic, Jordan, Grant Hill, Shaq, Penny, Kobe, barkley, luka, Joker, Giannis, KD etc. there are a lot of players I would pick to start a team with over LeBron.
@sphealteam6 that's your opinion. personally, I'd rather have players on my team that care more about winning than their stats. I'd want a player that listens to the coach and is willing to buy into the coaches system. I'd rather players that are willing to work with younger players to help them improve. I don't want a player that cares more about their stats than winning, a player that buys into the coaches system and works with his teammates to try and make it work instead of demanding I fire the coach, and a player than doesn't demand I trade my young talent for other superstars, thus hurting the future of my team. and I would my star player take responsibility for losing and work with his teammates to get better in the hopes they can overcome their loss instead of throwing the rest of the team under the bus. basically I'd want my star player to be a teammate and not a premadonna drama queen. maybe you feel different, but thats just your opinion and I have mine.
@@ritchierich6133 funny how you basically just described lebron, isn't it? you talk like he's joining a new team every single season just to trade away all the talent, fire the coach and leave. he's been on just 3 teams his entire career and has won a chip with them all. he doesn't immediately drop all of his young talent in exchange for a star the day he gets to a team. you talk like he doesn't care about winning, improving his game or even helping his teammates improve. he is constantly vying to make himself and everyone around him. also half of the players you said you wanted over lebron are massive divas as well. jordan caused plenty of drama, kobe was so self centered that he drove shaq out of la, luka is constantly crying to the refs.
Yeah I don't have LeBron at 1 or 2, but your list of players is just stupid. That line about not being a GM cracked me up 🤭. The start Jordan, Magic your like ok fair play there's obviously a good arguement. Then you stretch to Shaq so your down to like 8-10 now and it's feels like a bad take but anyone in the top 8 still has a good case; so you pull some faces but you can still accept the opinion sort of. Then you start talking about Penny and Grant and it's like damn you went way too far now what are you smoking 🤭.
Larry taking the final shot of a close game was the thing of nightmares for every team at the time. Lebron having to take that shot is nobody's nightmare but his own.
Bro... I literally just said that in someone else's comments. If I had to choose between LeBron and Larry to take a last shot to win a game, there isn't a conceivable situation where I pick LeBron over Larry. Not a single one...
I was a big Jordan fan as a kid being born in 80', got to see most of his career. When the Dream Team happened, I was more stoked to see Magic and Bird than anyone else since I was a little too young to see most of their career.
See that's the problem with you young dudes… Kareem Moses and Doc were the Three Kings that preceeded Larry and Magic…. Mike won nothing in the 80s and Magic and Larry won nothin in the 90s can't group in together… if anything the three kings would be Magic Larry and Zeke.. Zeke went to three strait finals won 2 and he beat Magic Larry and Mike stop this Jordan worship Zeke definitely did his thing in the 80s… Plus this is ridiculous no way in Lebron's 6 year without ever winning a Chip should he be compared to one of the best players ever… 👎🏾👎🏾
@@jayyarbrough9902 Fair enough I guess. I would still contend that Jordan was a threat even in the 80s, he just didn't have a squad ready to help him beat you guys.
People who pick LeBron over Larry legend think of it as 1v1. I got news for them. It’s a team sport. 5v5. I will take Larry’s pure talent and basketball IQ over LeBron’s longevity and gifted physical attributes Edit: and LeBron‘s ego ..
@@courtney-rw8chyou do realize Lebron has one of the greatest basketball IQs of all time? And he definitely was the better playmaker of the two (not saying bird was a bad playmaker at all he was good but Lebron is a great one)
@@GroillaMan in LeBron‘s 20+ years in the NBA I have not seen him make some of the passes that Larry legend made. Larry was a GREAT playmaker and I would take his basketball IQ over LeBron’s any day.
@@courtney-rw8ch Larry also had the much better supporting cast for him to make those passes, not downplaying Larry, he’s in my top 10 all time, he’s a good playmaker but also think Lebron doesn’t have as good as teammates as Larry did and he also does have some incredible playmaking highlights like larry. And also i’ve watched Larry bird film for years and comparing it to Lebron I also have not seen Larry create offense as much as complex as Lebron has, and that’s mainly due to the nba as a whole and the teammates each had, Larry has had first ballet hall of famers with him, easily the better bench/depth options, Lebron didn’t have hall of famers except for wade, Kyrie, and AD, Lebron has been with a terrible all around cast for majority of his career and the leagues defense has gotten far better. Larry was ahead of his time in offensive mind by far allowing him to dominate the 80’s Lebron is ahead of his time right now although it’s not as big as the gap between Larry and the average 80’s player compared to a current nba player to Lebron.
I think anyone who picks Lebron has no idea how much easier the league is for him playing in this era, then in Bird and MJ's era. Guys like Laimbeer who was a huge massive white thug, would literally not even go for the ball and just try to hurt MJ and Larry permanently. There is that absolutely unbelievable shot MJ made where he had a break away and Laimbeer was the only Piston left to defend, and MJ knew that Laimbeer was going to jump up and try to take out his head, so he had the brilliant iq and skill to half way through the layup, mid air, spin to the outside, and at tthe same time ducking his head to just clear Laimbeer's giant elbow passing over his head, and while still rotating he threw the ball without even seeing the net perfectly behind him, going in with no rim. It was a play that someone like Lebron even in his prime would never have made. And similar Bird would get brutalized on the way to the net, and yet they still had absolutely brilliant numbers, and they also play unselfishly when required, but the biggest difference, is when it came down to a clutch play, both MJ and Larry would make it 99.9% of the time, while Lebron almost guarenteed will let down his team/city. He had the first, second, third best players on their Heat team, and still they could only get it done barely like what once. Meanwhile it would be like if they put Larry and Magic on the same team with Kareem, or put Michael on the same team as Olajuwon, and then stack the rest with all star players on top of that. How many championship rings would MJ have won if he had Olajuwon on his side the entire Bulls run. Or if MJ had Larry for that entire span that Larry was playing his prime.. They would have been unstoppable, yet Lebron and Wade coudlnt' get it done, because Lebron quit. He absolutely pads his stats, he plays only against the worst teams, fake injuries against the better teams. He has so many extra stats because of the lax rules of the new NBA. He is literally the worst NBA dribbler i have ever seen, and yet the refs never call traveling on him no matter how many steps he takes, and he gets an unbelieveable amount of points because the refs reward him for his flopping, etc.. To even pretend Lebron is in the same stratosphere as Bird shows you how clueless modern NBA analysis is. The announcers and refs are all paid to sell Lebron, and despite being a defensive jester, and only getting free rebounds, etc, they convince the modern audience by outright lying about Lebron, and his fake stats.. Lebron would have been shut down completely back when MJ and Bird played. He literally dribbles at shoulder heigh, could you imagine MJ or Bird letting guy who only dribbles at shoulder height not pay for that every time?
The tough part about playing against Lambeer is that he never fouled, and his vertical was almost as high as a phone book was thick. #deee-troitbasketball #badboys
I don't think you realize just how much of basketball fans you don't seem like rn... Obviously MJ will recognize anyone he's competed against his age but will rarely or honestly never hear mj recognize any of Lebron's legendary feats that separates him from anybody else. MJ knows it's a close race but wants it to seem like it's far. Realistically, LeBron is more skilled. Both are bout the same offensively and LeBron a little better defensive wise, but MJ can't play make like LeBron. Also when has LeBron gave up with Dwayne Wade? You think putting out bad stats means you gave up? Clearly you didn't watch why he got those bad stats if you think it's cuz he gave up and not something like being jumped by every good defender and a team to back them up. But please, keep sucking off the guy who took 10 plus years and another star to actually make it to the finals over a guy who did it consistently bullying the east with straight bums on his squad... Just because you wrote a long ass essay does not mean any of it makes sense... F grade
Larry Legend was not a sentimental pick. He was a necessary one. When you look at players, and I mean players, that understood the game the way Larry did... he stands alone. Some of the passes Larry Legend made the shots he made. The absolute arrogant confidence he had. Heinsohn said "He was playing chess and the rest of the league was playing checkers. One box at a time." It was accurate. Bird had the game played 5 different ways in his mind before he took the court. He never stopped. .3 seconds on the clock... that was another 3 point shot for Larry Bird and he would always take it. Always. The game was never over for him until time ran out. For MJ to show the respect I love. I remember Jordan bing in a game all ready to do his flying specialty. Larry Bird grabbed that ball, shot it over Jordans head and smiled. MJ's face was priceless. He was stunned. That old school player just showed him who he was on the court with. And MJ never, ever discounted him again. Larry Legend Bird is, for me, the top player out there. He was just the best. Lebron has skills. But Bird never whined. He never blamed anyone but his own failings on losing a game. "We lost heart." We didn't play up to our potential and they did." He took responsibility. And his feelings about political crap never enrered into it.
His back was in shambles by 1992... he had to go through crazy long pre-game prep routines just to have a chance of playing a full game. The back injury is what forced him into early retirement, despite still having the skills to play at a high level.
During the 80s - greatest NBA decade - Bird won three MVPs, was runner-up MVP four times, and also finished third and fourth in MVP voting. The other season? Bird missed due to an injury. That was a decade that included Jordan, Magic, Dr J, Moses, Kareem, Isaiah, and Charles.
I was born after Larry bird's time and I still consider him the best in the world along with Dr j ,magic and Jordan. ❤ bird's passing and shooting is so cool and unique
Nothing impresses Michael more than a killer mindset and that's why he respects Larry. Larry didn't just want to win,he wanted to dominate you in every way possible and tell about it before it happens. Kobe was the same way. Jordan,Kobe and Bird would do anything to win. They would all gamble their lives on the outcome of their games without hesitantion. It's whst makes them great and As incredible as LeBron is he has never had that type of mindset and that's why Jordan doesn't like him and why Jordan was better.
@@ifandwhen-kl2cr Wear a blindfold, your opinion will hold more weight. He was in no way better than LB or MJ, unless you’re talking his passing game when he’s passing the blame for a loss.
Larry Legend took a crap team yo the finals in his rookie year and got the chip in his second. That blows the argument out of the water about not having a good team
@@TechnoMageB5Birds rookie year, he didn't have Parish or Ainge or Mchale. The Celtics had only won 29 games the year before. He immediately turned them around and took them to the conference final where they ran into a talented veteran Sixers team. Year 2 he won the chip. So yes, Bird immediately turned the franchise around single handily. Not Jordan, not Lebron, not Kobe. None of them can claim that. Magic obviously won the title his rookie year but he also had prime Kareem there who was the star. Larry didn't have anyone like that. And still walked the league like a dog.
Larry Bird is better than LeBron he didn’t form super teams, has a much better jump shot, more clutch, better rebounder, facilitator. The goat debate isn’t down to MJ and LeBron. There’s a few goats but LeBron isn’t in it. GOATs don’t form superteams
LeBron has more clutch shots check the stats LeBron is a better rebounder playmaker and has freak genetics sure he put together superteams but when you played for bum ass cavs instead of star studded Celtics team that had a Hof come off the bench that's pretty understandable especially since the heat where the only real superteams LeBron out together
@@prettyFLACCO228 nah man I’m not debating. I’m making a statement. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. I’ve seen them all play no just highlight reels. Birds the best all around and it’s not that close. The real GOAT
@mr_brownie oh, LeBron is an all-time great. But I would want Bird, Jordan and Kobe taking the last shot to win the game before LeBron. There's a lot of players I would want to take the last shot before LeBron. He lets others take the last shot. He gives up the ball. He's not a killer like other top players. He doesn't have their mental toughness. That's all I'm saying.
@@ricardovargas4546 I do know, LeBron is one of the most clutch players ever, he has more buzzer beaters than bird and is better than bird and is more trustworthy because he is stronger and can shoot from anywhere
Man I first saw Larry Bird play college ball at Indiana state.he carried that whole team/then when him/Magic came into the NBA they changed the NBA . Larry was one of the best clutch shooters I ever saw play.he was a complete player/never did load management.
Same thing I was thinking. I was looking for this comment. MJ made that statement to throw shade & I definitely think MJ is better but he is still a petty person sometimes
It's still Larry for me. Hard to put Bron over anyone who stayed true to his team and allowed the team to be built around him instead of going from team to team creating super teams and still have more losses over wins in the finals.
@@vickwarner8815 i mean he has more losses than wins in the finals because he brought his awful team to the finals multiple times. Cleveland failed him for those first 7 years. Do you expect him to just stay there and keep bringing a team of role players and jr smith to the finals every year? And it’s not like it would’ve gotten as good as it did if he stayed there, they wouldn’t have gotten kyrie if he didn’t leave. I don’t get why a player HAS to stay on a team even if they keep failing him every single year. I get that it’s a different story for people like Durant tho.
@@ick-don’t do that, His Cavaliers teams was good enough he choked, With Mike Brown that team had a great record, it’s not like he had scrubs but him as a leader didn’t lead.
Top NBA career combined stats per game (pts, reb, ast, stl, blk) career fg%,tp%,ft% 1. Jordan 44.7 -50-33-84 2. Lebron 44.4 -51-35-73 3. Bird 43.1 -50-38-89 4. Kareem 42.9 -56-06-72 5. Durant 40.8 -50-38-88 A bunch of guys in the 40’s.
Lebron's career FG% is under 40% from 3 or more feet away from the basket. In other words when you take out dunks, LeBron ain't no shooter, and the 3-pt line didn't even exist until Larry's rookie season in the Pros. LeFlop grew up with it and still sucks at it.
Not a fan of Lebron either. Bird has the second highest game winning percentage right behind Magic (10 games off). Jordan never beat Bird in a playoff game, ever. To many people leave Bird off their top 5, or even top 10, when he should be in the top 3, or higher.
I'm not arguing in favor of LeBron, but I will say this wasn't truly a fair comparison back in 2009. If he said it NOW, or even a couple years ago, I'd take it. But LeBron has done a LOT since 2009, when Jordan made these comments.
I fan of MJ I pretty understand your point,my version is MJ talking about better position I believe neither right or wrong cuz MJ play in the era where the position is pure traditional so making a leader in the league with multiple positions is so insane like triple double back then . but in era of Lebron which people to day called position less era which numbers are more important more. so the result yes playing point guard shooting with a size of Forward was cool to day. but his pure position not really compare to Bird. like Bird a not athletic guy are way more better rebound average than lebron which also playing with against the pure heavy bigman.
Larry is my favourite player of all time but to be honest MJ pick was made thousands and thousands of points, boards, assists and blocks and four rings ago.
People aren't paying attention to the fact that it was 2009. LeBron had only reached one final and was about to win his first MVP. He was neither in his physical prime nor basketball prime. So it was a natural answer from Jordan.
Bird showed up to practice before any of his teammates and was the last one to head home for the night. One of the hardest workers you will ever come across.
Great freakin point. How the hell can Lebron be "constantly" talked about as the greatest of all time when he's not even the greatest all time at his position?!? MANY people that saw Larry Bird play would take Bird over Lebron ANY DAY of the week, and it don't freakin matter how freakin high he can jump, how fast he can run or how big he is, SKILL WISE, COMPETITIVENESS WISE and CLUTCH WISE, he ain't freakin better than Larry Bird and it ain't even freakin close!
Its all about the time that they're in, Legend even said that, he knew how great he was and thats all that mattered. The Legend was great for HIS time, and Lebron is considered great for HIS time.
Even at 75%, Larry was still the best shooter/passer in the league. Larry more then deserved to be on that team. LaBron couldn't hold Birds jock-strap. LeBrons numbers are higher because he played 3× longer, but if I wanted to have the best chance of winning championships for the next 8yrs, Bird is my #1 pick
Larry was elite 81 to mid season 87,he hurt his back paving his mom's drive way,then pinched nerves in his lower back,and had degenerative disk disease,he had to lay down on the court to relieve pressure on his disks
That era of NBA is to tough for the league nowadays. All this brotherhood , teams hated each other back then...you wanted to beat them down. It was more mental and physical
He made everyone look stupid. Legend for a reason
People just don't no how good Larry legend was. Larry was killer on court!!
To me hes the goat
I mean Lebron was only in the league for 6 years at the time
@@Wifismy Nothing has changed. Larry didn't flop, didn't take games off, didn't choke on a consistent basis, didn't throw duds from the free throw line, played defense consistently and he did whine and pout when he came up short.
Greatest small forward. As Jordan and Magic have said, "Larry was a damn problem"
Everything said in these comments about Larry Bird are exactly BIG facts. Larry was a PROBLEM
Just don't piss off larry by putting a white guy on him.
😂👈💯🤣👌 Larry was definitely a trip. Back when the NBA had a ton of talent and personality. I miss those days.
That's just disrespectful!
There ain't a white guy in the world that can guard Larry!😅
"Don't ever put a white out here to guard me." -Lebroom (likely) before 2011 Finals
He told a coach, you got anyone on the bench that can guard me cause nobody can in the court.
"Larry Bird was a problem." - Michael Jordan
That white man could play. Easily the greatest trash talker of all time. He’ll tell you what he’s going to do and he’ll do it and there wasn’t anything you could do to stop him. Cold as ice.
Another completely unnecessary race comment on CZcams. When you see Michael Jordan highlight videos are you commenting "that black guy could play?"
@@mrwilliams8108everything he said was correct though and he is complimenting Larry.
Yo chill….
You have to say it because oftentimes it came off like Bird was not white…while he is also lamenting any team putting a white defender on himself!
@@marloncebo242 Thank you for understanding my comment.
@@BPIII71 Thank you for getting it.
That's because MJ recognized one of his own. Which is to say a hypercompetitor
Game Knows Game!!! No Snow ❄️ flakes then
He obviously said this because MJ never likes giving his biggest rival his flowers... Think about it, what is the last time you heard MJ say something legendary about LeBron and what is the context, I bet it's minor asf
@@akkoismydaughter3573 umm since when is Lebron Mikes biggest rival?!?
What these young guys don't know is Mike was behind Kareem Magic Doc Larry and them you see '86 they were just happy to be there against Boston…he never threatened any of them.. The East was Phillys from 80-84 when Boston beat LA for the chip after that we got old, Boston took the East until 88 won 3, really it was '87 if Zeke doesn't throw the ball away in the ECF…in '87 Doc retired Moses left Mchale was hurt then Larry got hurt in '88 so Detroit was creepin up and their turn came they went to 3 strait finals '88'89'90 then Chicago crept up and took over as Boston and Detroit did… So Mike was under those teams takin Ls learning waiting for his turn so he def knows how good those teams were as a fan he watched em in college for three years.. The only people that discredit Larry Zeke Magic amd Kareem are young cats that never saw that era of stars… They were MJs idols… Zeke to an extent(Doc & Kareem)
@@akkoismydaughter3573hogwash. Larry would have Lebron crying before the tip off.
Larry was that dude. Boston was dang tough. Folks don’t know their NBA history.
Oh the rivalries in the 80s were EPIC.
Celts,Lakers,Bulls,Knicks,Pistons,Pacers.
Bird was "hated" but always respected. I loved those games....wow.
Larry was absolutely that dude... personally I wouldn't pick LeBron over Larry either. If I had to win a game and had to pick LeBron or Larry to take that last shot... there isn't a conceivable situation where I pick LeBron over Larry. Not a single one.
Notice how all the
Best 80s/90s teams were East (who Jordan had to go through) other than the Lakers who MJ peed on in the Finals
I would pick a prime Bird to be on my team before James.
not just bird but magic, Jordan, Grant Hill, Shaq, Penny, Kobe, barkley, luka, Joker, Giannis, KD etc. there are a lot of players I would pick to start a team with over LeBron.
@@ritchierich6133there's a very good reason you're not a gm
@sphealteam6 that's your opinion. personally, I'd rather have players on my team that care more about winning than their stats. I'd want a player that listens to the coach and is willing to buy into the coaches system. I'd rather players that are willing to work with younger players to help them improve. I don't want a player that cares more about their stats than winning, a player that buys into the coaches system and works with his teammates to try and make it work instead of demanding I fire the coach, and a player than doesn't demand I trade my young talent for other superstars, thus hurting the future of my team. and I would my star player take responsibility for losing and work with his teammates to get better in the hopes they can overcome their loss instead of throwing the rest of the team under the bus. basically I'd want my star player to be a teammate and not a premadonna drama queen. maybe you feel different, but thats just your opinion and I have mine.
@@ritchierich6133 funny how you basically just described lebron, isn't it? you talk like he's joining a new team every single season just to trade away all the talent, fire the coach and leave. he's been on just 3 teams his entire career and has won a chip with them all. he doesn't immediately drop all of his young talent in exchange for a star the day he gets to a team. you talk like he doesn't care about winning, improving his game or even helping his teammates improve. he is constantly vying to make himself and everyone around him. also half of the players you said you wanted over lebron are massive divas as well. jordan caused plenty of drama, kobe was so self centered that he drove shaq out of la, luka is constantly crying to the refs.
Yeah I don't have LeBron at 1 or 2, but your list of players is just stupid. That line about not being a GM cracked me up 🤭.
The start Jordan, Magic your like ok fair play there's obviously a good arguement. Then you stretch to Shaq so your down to like 8-10 now and it's feels like a bad take but anyone in the top 8 still has a good case; so you pull some faces but you can still accept the opinion sort of. Then you start talking about Penny and Grant and it's like damn you went way too far now what are you smoking 🤭.
Larry taking the final shot of a close game was the thing of nightmares for every team at the time. Lebron having to take that shot is nobody's nightmare but his own.
Exactly
It’s “his team’s” greatest nightmare. 🤣😭😭
Bro... I literally just said that in someone else's comments. If I had to choose between LeBron and Larry to take a last shot to win a game, there isn't a conceivable situation where I pick LeBron over Larry. Not a single one...
Most playoff buzzer beaters Lebron. You don't know basketball.
@@deandrenicholas2545Who has more rings.
It would have never been a "Dream Team" without the Legend.
I was a big Jordan fan as a kid being born in 80', got to see most of his career. When the Dream Team happened, I was more stoked to see Magic and Bird than anyone else since I was a little too young to see most of their career.
His back was done by then but he still deserved to be there because the prior Olympics when he was God, pros weren’t allowed to play!
The Three Kings!!!
Larry Bird
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
and lamar odom
@@squormy_gormbus who is he?
@@johnnymcafee01 im just joking haha
@@johnnymcafee01 i completely agree with your comment though
See that's the problem with you young dudes… Kareem Moses and Doc were the Three Kings that preceeded Larry and Magic…. Mike won nothing in the 80s and Magic and Larry won nothin in the 90s can't group in together… if anything the three kings would be Magic Larry and Zeke.. Zeke went to three strait finals won 2 and he beat Magic Larry and Mike stop this Jordan worship Zeke definitely did his thing in the 80s… Plus this is ridiculous no way in Lebron's 6 year without ever winning a Chip should he be compared to one of the best players ever… 👎🏾👎🏾
Piston fan. We werent scared of MJ. The white boogieman was the one killing the Pistons all the way until 88.
Yeah man ! Absolutely 💯
Still complaining about the Boogeyman till this day lol
You guys were scared of Jordan. Hence the Jordan rules.
@@jamooree I was speaking as a fan. We were way more concerned about Bird because he used to beat us. A lot.
@@jayyarbrough9902 Fair enough I guess. I would still contend that Jordan was a threat even in the 80s, he just didn't have a squad ready to help him beat you guys.
Larry Bird is head and shoulders better than lecry-baby
People who pick LeBron over Larry legend think of it as 1v1. I got news for them. It’s a team sport. 5v5. I will take Larry’s pure talent and basketball IQ over LeBron’s longevity and gifted physical attributes
Edit: and LeBron‘s ego ..
@@courtney-rw8chyou do realize Lebron has one of the greatest basketball IQs of all time? And he definitely was the better playmaker of the two (not saying bird was a bad playmaker at all he was good but Lebron is a great one)
@@GroillaMan in LeBron‘s 20+ years in the NBA I have not seen him make some of the passes that Larry legend made. Larry was a GREAT playmaker and I would take his basketball IQ over LeBron’s any day.
@@courtney-rw8ch Larry also had the much better supporting cast for him to make those passes, not downplaying Larry, he’s in my top 10 all time, he’s a good playmaker but also think Lebron doesn’t have as good as teammates as Larry did and he also does have some incredible playmaking highlights like larry.
And also i’ve watched Larry bird film for years and comparing it to Lebron I also have not seen Larry create offense as much as complex as Lebron has, and that’s mainly due to the nba as a whole and the teammates each had, Larry has had first ballet hall of famers with him, easily the better bench/depth options, Lebron didn’t have hall of famers except for wade, Kyrie, and AD, Lebron has been with a terrible all around cast for majority of his career and the leagues defense has gotten far better.
Larry was ahead of his time in offensive mind by far allowing him to dominate the 80’s
Lebron is ahead of his time right now although it’s not as big as the gap between Larry and the average 80’s player compared to a current nba player to Lebron.
Lebron has played with more HoF teammates than larry lol@@GroillaMan
Bird will forever be 1st team NBA.
I think anyone who picks Lebron has no idea how much easier the league is for him playing in this era, then in Bird and MJ's era. Guys like Laimbeer who was a huge massive white thug, would literally not even go for the ball and just try to hurt MJ and Larry permanently. There is that absolutely unbelievable shot MJ made where he had a break away and Laimbeer was the only Piston left to defend, and MJ knew that Laimbeer was going to jump up and try to take out his head, so he had the brilliant iq and skill to half way through the layup, mid air, spin to the outside, and at tthe same time ducking his head to just clear Laimbeer's giant elbow passing over his head, and while still rotating he threw the ball without even seeing the net perfectly behind him, going in with no rim. It was a play that someone like Lebron even in his prime would never have made. And similar Bird would get brutalized on the way to the net, and yet they still had absolutely brilliant numbers, and they also play unselfishly when required, but the biggest difference, is when it came down to a clutch play, both MJ and Larry would make it 99.9% of the time, while Lebron almost guarenteed will let down his team/city. He had the first, second, third best players on their Heat team, and still they could only get it done barely like what once. Meanwhile it would be like if they put Larry and Magic on the same team with Kareem, or put Michael on the same team as Olajuwon, and then stack the rest with all star players on top of that. How many championship rings would MJ have won if he had Olajuwon on his side the entire Bulls run. Or if MJ had Larry for that entire span that Larry was playing his prime.. They would have been unstoppable, yet Lebron and Wade coudlnt' get it done, because Lebron quit. He absolutely pads his stats, he plays only against the worst teams, fake injuries against the better teams. He has so many extra stats because of the lax rules of the new NBA. He is literally the worst NBA dribbler i have ever seen, and yet the refs never call traveling on him no matter how many steps he takes, and he gets an unbelieveable amount of points because the refs reward him for his flopping, etc..
To even pretend Lebron is in the same stratosphere as Bird shows you how clueless modern NBA analysis is. The announcers and refs are all paid to sell Lebron, and despite being a defensive jester, and only getting free rebounds, etc, they convince the modern audience by outright lying about Lebron, and his fake stats..
Lebron would have been shut down completely back when MJ and Bird played. He literally dribbles at shoulder heigh, could you imagine MJ or Bird letting guy who only dribbles at shoulder height not pay for that every time?
Totally agree, well said.
Absolutely!
The tough part about playing against Lambeer is that he never fouled, and his vertical was almost as high as a phone book was thick.
#deee-troitbasketball #badboys
👏👏👏
I don't think you realize just how much of basketball fans you don't seem like rn... Obviously MJ will recognize anyone he's competed against his age but will rarely or honestly never hear mj recognize any of Lebron's legendary feats that separates him from anybody else. MJ knows it's a close race but wants it to seem like it's far. Realistically, LeBron is more skilled. Both are bout the same offensively and LeBron a little better defensive wise, but MJ can't play make like LeBron. Also when has LeBron gave up with Dwayne Wade? You think putting out bad stats means you gave up? Clearly you didn't watch why he got those bad stats if you think it's cuz he gave up and not something like being jumped by every good defender and a team to back them up. But please, keep sucking off the guy who took 10 plus years and another star to actually make it to the finals over a guy who did it consistently bullying the east with straight bums on his squad...
Just because you wrote a long ass essay does not mean any of it makes sense... F grade
Larry was the reason my 5 foot 7 Mexican father started watching basketball. And I think about that for a second way different than futbol
Larry is a 6 foot 9 white man
Soccer!
@@auburnmann36306’10’’
Same here. I never watched basketball, until I discovered Larry "Legend" Bird . ♥️🏀♥️
My pops was from Los Angeles and he loved Larry Bird. I said pops you from L.A. why you like Bird and he said son Larry Can Shoot.
Bird used to get double-teamed by both Jordan and Pippen and Bird would still score.
Larry Legend= better shooter, better rebounder, better passer, better defender, more effort, more clutch.
Period!!
Absolutely spot on. Those that don't agree,they weren't watching games in the 80s.
Period.
And didn’t have an drop of crybaby in him
@@franklee2683yeah and those same 80s oldheads can't accept that change happens lmao
Not a better defender. LBJ is a better defender. Bird is better offensively
Larry would start trash talking LeBron and James would have a hissy fit
Larry would trash talk Queen Lebrona and he'd flop due to the trauma it would cause.
Bird was definitely more skilled than lebron
Hell nah
@VeryRestarted you weren't born kid
@@lindellhandysr3128 draymond green has more 3s than bird
@@VeryRestartedbron without his god genetics is grant hill
@@Certified-DM- His IQ is one of the best in the league and his techniques.
Bird was a beast...nobody could shoot or score in the way he did...and his basketball iq was second to none!
"The king?" 😂
LeFraud is definitely NOT a king!!
U mad lol
Larry Legend was not a sentimental pick. He was a necessary one. When you look at players, and I mean players, that understood the game the way Larry did... he stands alone. Some of the passes Larry Legend made the shots he made. The absolute arrogant confidence he had. Heinsohn said "He was playing chess and the rest of the league was playing checkers. One box at a time." It was accurate. Bird had the game played 5 different ways in his mind before he took the court. He never stopped. .3 seconds on the clock... that was another 3 point shot for Larry Bird and he would always take it. Always. The game was never over for him until time ran out. For MJ to show the respect I love. I remember Jordan bing in a game all ready to do his flying specialty. Larry Bird grabbed that ball, shot it over Jordans head and smiled. MJ's face was priceless. He was stunned. That old school player just showed him who he was on the court with. And MJ never, ever discounted him again. Larry Legend Bird is, for me, the top player out there. He was just the best. Lebron has skills. But Bird never whined. He never blamed anyone but his own failings on losing a game. "We lost heart." We didn't play up to our potential and they did." He took responsibility. And his feelings about political crap never enrered into it.
His back was in shambles by 1992... he had to go through crazy long pre-game prep routines just to have a chance of playing a full game. The back injury is what forced him into early retirement, despite still having the skills to play at a high level.
Way more skill than Lebron. Lebron just uses his size to get away with his deficiencies.
Larry Legend was the best at what he did, and that was Win Baby Win. Larry was Legendary.
During the 80s - greatest NBA decade - Bird won three MVPs, was runner-up MVP four times, and also finished third and fourth in MVP voting. The other season? Bird missed due to an injury. That was a decade that included Jordan, Magic, Dr J, Moses, Kareem, Isaiah, and Charles.
Clyde Pat George Gervin and Hakeem too
@@thehalfnam4331Hakeem thank you, finally some sense around here
I was born after Larry bird's time and I still consider him the best in the world along with Dr j ,magic and Jordan. ❤ bird's passing and shooting is so cool and unique
Nice you included Dr J on your Mt Rushmore
Nothing impresses Michael more than a killer mindset and that's why he respects Larry.
Larry didn't just want to win,he wanted to dominate you in every way possible and tell about it before it happens. Kobe was the same way.
Jordan,Kobe and Bird would do anything to win. They would all gamble their lives on the outcome of their games without hesitantion. It's whst makes them great and
As incredible as LeBron is he has never had that type of mindset and that's why Jordan doesn't like him and why Jordan was better.
Lebron is not even #2
Still above Jordan though…
@@ifandwhen-kl2cr Wear a blindfold, your opinion will hold more weight. He was in no way better than LB or MJ, unless you’re talking his passing game when he’s passing the blame for a loss.
@@justinalexander1434 who are you talking about, Bird? He’s not even in my top 5.
Jordan knows if Larry was younger and played for most of mj career he would of kept getting swept in the first round 🤣
Depends on who was on his team.
You act like they stopped Jordan. Go watch the tape, bud
I didn't even have to hear Mike say it to know that's what he thought.
It was in 09. Before Lebron even joined the heat. I’d take heat Lebron over bird any day of the week
He was better than lebron
larry a better passer shooter rebounder winner closer than LeBron and its not even close🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Lebron james 4 nba basketball championships, larry bird 3 nba basketball 🏀 championships
Larry is the goat
Billy goat 🐐
Billy Goat Russell
Larry Legend took a crap team yo the finals in his rookie year and got the chip in his second. That blows the argument out of the water about not having a good team
Larry was one of 5 Hall of Famers on those championship teams. What are you smoking?
@@TechnoMageB5 What are you smoking? Celtics before Bird were 29-53. With rookie Bird they went 61-21. That was before Parish and McHale.
@@TechnoMageB5Birds rookie year, he didn't have Parish or Ainge or Mchale. The Celtics had only won 29 games the year before. He immediately turned them around and took them to the conference final where they ran into a talented veteran Sixers team. Year 2 he won the chip. So yes, Bird immediately turned the franchise around single handily. Not Jordan, not Lebron, not Kobe. None of them can claim that. Magic obviously won the title his rookie year but he also had prime Kareem there who was the star. Larry didn't have anyone like that. And still walked the league like a dog.
I agree‼️ Only thing Bron has over Bird is athleticism but Bird would destroy him‼️
Larry Bird is better than LeBron he didn’t form super teams, has a much better jump shot, more clutch, better rebounder, facilitator. The goat debate isn’t down to MJ and LeBron. There’s a few goats but LeBron isn’t in it. GOATs don’t form superteams
Just do yo research lil bro
Hahaha he was carrying those cavs teams from 2015 to 18
The Celtics were a super team.. it was a dynasty duel between them and the othe super team the Lakers. You just a James hater. They're both greats
LeBron has more clutch shots check the stats LeBron is a better rebounder playmaker and has freak genetics sure he put together superteams but when you played for bum ass cavs instead of star studded Celtics team that had a Hof come off the bench that's pretty understandable especially since the heat where the only real superteams LeBron out together
cmon, the only reason he didnt leave the celtics for a superteam is because it already was one.
That’s why I respect so much MJ. His mental toughness is beyond this universe.
Sentimental favourite, gimme a break the dudes a flat out killer that couldn't even sit on the bench due to chronic back pain. Tough as they come 💪
Think about how good he could have been if he didn't pave his mom's driveway.
There is really no question about Bird to those what actually know the game.
Bird is the best all around player that’s ever played the game. The real GOAT
Agreed!
Nah man, the real GOAT was talking for His case to be the best smallforward all time!
@@prettyFLACCO228 nah man I’m not debating. I’m making a statement. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. I’ve seen them all play no just highlight reels. Birds the best all around and it’s not that close. The real GOAT
@@mckill32 Same for me. And i am Not debating also, only valid GOAT is MJ!
@@prettyFLACCO228 unfortunately for you you’re wrong but someone always has to be this time it happens to be you.
He beat that guy up like a GTA character, pretty funny.
Bird can make Lebron Cry from his trash talking ..😂😂😂
When it comes to mental toughness, Larry is a sicario. LeBron is Mickey Mouse.
LeBron is 2 all time sorry but it's the truth
@mr_brownie oh, LeBron is an all-time great. But I would want Bird, Jordan and Kobe taking the last shot to win the game before LeBron.
There's a lot of players I would want to take the last shot before LeBron.
He lets others take the last shot. He gives up the ball.
He's not a killer like other top players. He doesn't have their mental toughness. That's all I'm saying.
@@ricardovargas4546 LeBron got 2 buzzer beaters in the same playoffs, I would trust him to make a shot more than bird, not more than Kobe and MJ tho
@mr_brownie sorry but you don't know NBA and history.
No NBA player would pick LeBron over those 3.
@@ricardovargas4546 I do know, LeBron is one of the most clutch players ever, he has more buzzer beaters than bird and is better than bird and is more trustworthy because he is stronger and can shoot from anywhere
Larry Bird wasn’t a small Forward. He was large and he looked and played that way. Fearless.
Le Boring won't be remembered within 2 years of retiring. Why do you think he won't retire?!😂
Larry put his body out there and gave it his all to win like no other. It later caused him to be injured, but his prime years are just astounding
Heros get remember but Legends never die
Larry Bird is better than LBJ
LeBron lacks what Jordan, Bird, and Kobe had: that unshakable mentaility. You never see them bitching about calls as much as LeBum does.
When I was little (8 in 88’) my grandfather would test his blood pressure and then for fun test mine. He said I had the blood pressure of Larry Bird .
Pat Riley said if he needed a score to save the game, he’d pick Jordan but if he needed the basket to save his life, he’d pick Bird!
There's no contest,Michael is the GOAT
Not even close, pal.
Well....duh. But others were also Legends,amazing to watch.
"Can't we all juss get along????"
Jordan not even GOAT of his draft class IMO.
I see all the comments here favoring Bird. Me too. LeBron is more athletic. Everything else goes Bird's way.
Bird basketball IQ was off the charts. Bird was the Luka of that era.
Man I first saw Larry Bird play college ball at Indiana state.he carried that whole team/then when him/Magic came into the NBA they changed the NBA . Larry was one of the best clutch shooters I ever saw play.he was a complete player/never did load management.
interview was made in 2009 definitely too early to classify Bron best ever, he ain't even a champ yet that time
Same thing I was thinking. I was looking for this comment. MJ made that statement to throw shade & I definitely think MJ is better but he is still a petty person sometimes
I'm with all, this is stupid and the comments didn't help. Bout 15 years ago, most would've said that
When the #GoAT talks, all better listen--and believe!
dude didn’t even have a ring back then 😭 ask jordan what he thinks now
It's still Larry for me. Hard to put Bron over anyone who stayed true to his team and allowed the team to be built around him instead of going from team to team creating super teams and still have more losses over wins in the finals.
@@vickwarner8815 i mean he has more losses than wins in the finals because he brought his awful team to the finals multiple times. Cleveland failed him for those first 7 years. Do you expect him to just stay there and keep bringing a team of role players and jr smith to the finals every year? And it’s not like it would’ve gotten as good as it did if he stayed there, they wouldn’t have gotten kyrie if he didn’t leave. I don’t get why a player HAS to stay on a team even if they keep failing him every single year. I get that it’s a different story for people like Durant tho.
MJ said it again a year ago just FYI
@@ick-don’t do that, His Cavaliers teams was good enough he choked, With Mike Brown that team had a great record, it’s not like he had scrubs but him as a leader didn’t lead.
That Lebron is even worse than he thought.
Keep in mind this was a long time ago... in 2009.
Bird would DOG Lebron James, and talk to him while doing it.
Larry Bird in his prime was not a better athlete by any stretch of the imagination than LeFlop, but he was a better player. 100%
If Michael says he's good.......he's good.
Top NBA career combined stats per game (pts, reb, ast, stl, blk) career fg%,tp%,ft%
1. Jordan 44.7 -50-33-84
2. Lebron 44.4 -51-35-73
3. Bird 43.1 -50-38-89
4. Kareem 42.9 -56-06-72
5. Durant 40.8 -50-38-88
A bunch of guys in the 40’s.
Lebron's career FG% is under 40% from 3 or more feet away from the basket. In other words when you take out dunks, LeBron ain't no shooter, and the 3-pt line didn't even exist until Larry's rookie season in the Pros. LeFlop grew up with it and still sucks at it.
Not a fan of Lebron either.
Bird has the second highest game winning percentage right behind Magic (10 games off). Jordan never beat Bird in a playoff game, ever. To many people leave Bird off their top 5, or even top 10, when he should be in the top 3, or higher.
You mean the Bulls never beat the Celtics in a playoff game when Jordan & Bird were playing
I'm not arguing in favor of LeBron, but I will say this wasn't truly a fair comparison back in 2009. If he said it NOW, or even a couple years ago, I'd take it. But LeBron has done a LOT since 2009, when Jordan made these comments.
He didn’t even have a chip then so I understand
Larry is still objectively better than Lebron
Right? 3 mvps 4fmvps and 4 rings since then
I fan of MJ I pretty understand your point,my version is MJ talking about better position I believe neither right or wrong cuz MJ play in the era where the position is pure traditional so making a leader in the league with multiple positions is so insane like triple double back then . but in era of Lebron which people to day called position less era which numbers are more important more. so the result yes playing point guard shooting with a size of Forward was cool to day. but his pure position not really compare to Bird. like Bird a not athletic guy are way more better rebound average than lebron which also playing with against the pure heavy bigman.
Still aint better than Bird
Larry didn't have to jump from team to team and recruit superstars from other teams to win...plus Larry could closev the game CLUTCH
Its a quote from 2009. Thats 15 LeBron seasons ago. Bron was not better all time than Bird, before he ever went to the heat. Jordan was right.
Larry is my favourite player of all time but to be honest MJ pick was made thousands and thousands of points, boards, assists and blocks and four rings ago.
I’d pick Larry over that queen any day is the week
🤣☝️ Only ppl picking Lebron are under 30 yrs Old. Real B-Ball head know LARRY is that guy
People aren't paying attention to the fact that it was 2009. LeBron had only reached one final and was about to win his first MVP. He was neither in his physical prime nor basketball prime. So it was a natural answer from Jordan.
He was the biggest shit talker in the league and he backed it up by telling them what he was going to do to them…and did it!
Bird showed up to practice before any of his teammates and was the last one to head home for the night. One of the hardest workers you will ever come across.
Michael and Larry were both incredibly competitive, driven to succeed.
Great freakin point. How the hell can Lebron be "constantly" talked about as the greatest of all time when he's not even the greatest all time at his position?!? MANY people that saw Larry Bird play would take Bird over Lebron ANY DAY of the week, and it don't freakin matter how freakin high he can jump, how fast he can run or how big he is, SKILL WISE, COMPETITIVENESS WISE and CLUTCH WISE, he ain't freakin better than Larry Bird and it ain't even freakin close!
Its all about the time that they're in, Legend even said that, he knew how great he was and thats all that mattered. The Legend was great for HIS time, and Lebron is considered great for HIS time.
I am not sure why they keep pushing Labron James as one of the great basketball players
4/6 means that LeBron isn't even dominant against the other greats of his own era.
Larry was one of the best passers I've ever seen. His court vision was absolutely incredible.
If he took better care of his back, larry would definitely be crowding mj in the goat debate
Larry Bird was a lot better than Labron James facts
Even at 75%, Larry was still the best shooter/passer in the league. Larry more then deserved to be on that team. LaBron couldn't hold Birds jock-strap. LeBrons numbers are higher because he played 3× longer, but if I wanted to have the best chance of winning championships for the next 8yrs, Bird is my #1 pick
Jordan was right. Bird was an assassin on the court. Mental toughness, elite passing, mid range and 3 point range, the ultimate defender.
Legend is not just a nickname to Larry. It's an adjective
Anyone with minimal intellect to be functional would choose Larry Bird over Lebron James.
Larry would have Lebron so pissed by half at the start of the 3rd Lebron would be tech fouling himself out of the game.
Larry was elite 81 to mid season 87,he hurt his back paving his mom's drive way,then pinched nerves in his lower back,and had degenerative disk disease,he had to lay down on the court to relieve pressure on his disks
Larry wasn't even human. He was a force to be reckoned with on the court and anyone who doubts that doesn't know what an impact he had on the game.
That era of NBA is to tough for the league nowadays. All this brotherhood , teams hated each other back then...you wanted to beat them down. It was more mental and physical
Mike on Bird retiring, "I'm glad he's gone."
Only a bird can be up in the Air. Yeah, Larry, my all time favourite basketball player
If I had a shot to save a game I'd pick Jordan. If it was a shot to save my life I'd pick larry legend
Michael said Larry was better than Lebron because Larry was better than Lebron. Simple.
Larry said it himself, when he played a pickup game, he played the brothers to improve his skills
2009, after LBron had only been in the league 5 years? Where’s Larry’s most nba points ever? Oh that’s right, his body broke down in 8 years. 😂
Greatness knows Greatness. MJ and Larry Legend are two of the greatest ever. They played when it was still a contact sport.
I can assure you, the goat conversation does not "often come down to" MJ and Lebron. It does in lebron's dreams, perhaps
I grew up watching Bird. I used to love him and jordans Comercials
Hero’s get remembered legends never die
He's not wrong 🤷🏻♂️