Man I see you have no clue on the game is played beat bird in all offensive stats better ball handler and a better defender now bird played they passing lanes better because better defensive players around him to cover up for his defensive weaknesses
Durant had to go to a stacked team to win. Bird's rookie year had already made more of a difference than Kevin has in his whole career. Durant bumped his head.
Also, the legends had to play with rules like traveling, carrying, and offensive fouls. Imagine if bird could take 3 steps then jump back 6 feet to make space for a shot like all of the players today
That is the WORST aspect of the game nowadays. Exactly what you said, travel 3 steps, jump back 6 feet and then launch a horrible long ball. When someone makes it "OMG! Dude got crazy game!!" No, it's a bum weak-ass game nowadays catering to the lowest common denominator - people that don't know the game nor its rules, etc.
😂😂😂thats the damn truth! I think I could of gone pro. I played at a pretty high level but let me get an extra step, put my hand under the ball before I did a euro to a hop step gather to a pivot spin move Shit I would be the 🐐 😂 #Bird33bestSF
Yes. They allow lebron to take steps before even dribbling and stiff arm the defender. Plus defense can't hand check. The narrative that today's are significantly skilled is downright idiotic without looking at the current rule interpretation.
@MannyMensah94 youre a true casual Bird is overrsted he does nothing better than Durant yall talk about Durant and his super team but Bird had a super team his whole career being carrued
I agree. But if KD somehow wins another title, than there would be no doubt that he is better small foward than Bird for me. I know that scoring isn't everything, but he is the most perfect scorer I've ever seen, there is no more versatile, consistent and efficient scorer than KD. I mean... This year he is averaging 31 points on 49% shooting from deep, that's ridiculous man, as great as Larry was as a shooter, he was NEVER EVEN CLOSE of doing this. Really not even close. And it's not like Durant is only a scorer, he is solid passer too, lwst few years his playmaking definitely improved and considering the fact that those 3 finals that KD played nobody have better averages in the finals than KD. with one more ring, he will have 3 titles and 3 Finals MVPs while Bird had 2 finals MVPs because in his first title run he only averaged 15 points. Do you know what 15 points would mean for KD??? HE WOULD NEVER EVER AVERAGE below 25 points per game.
there is no way bird is not better than durant there is no casual on this planet who will say bird better than durant. you know what casual is? casual will compare curry to bron, etc. i think if you are not casual you can understand what i mean @@darnellwilliams8783
@@hristijandimitrovski8664 I like Kevin Durant. But this is not even a debate. It's not even close. The gap is a wide as the one between Lebron and MJ. Maybe wider. You couldn't have seen him play to even entertain this debate. Highlights may not do him justice but prime Larry Bird was as good as anybody who ever played. KD hasn't proved himself to be a real winner yet.
When Kareem in the interview with Chris Broussard was asked who was the best player he played against, Larry Bird was his answer. And he said he could do anything on the court. That tells you how good bird was
Bird came back out of the locker room with a broken orbital bone to beat a Pacers team with Reggie Miller & Chuck Pearson. KD's nickname is cupcake.......
Broke face , broke back, Achilles surgeries on both Achilles, a unusable finger on his shooting hand, bone spurs on his feet and still dominated a league full of all time greats. I watched his entire career in my teens and early 20s.
@@ricklove8588 I was about the same age. Wasn't a Celtics fan but looking back I can appreciate his greatness and grit. I was lucky enough to live in Chicago for the first three peat. I can't watch today's game. Same with football, it's getting pretty bad. Might have to go to baseball since it somewhat resembles it's original form. Just with they'd do away with analytics and have more complete games.
@schadlarry i was a Celtics fan because they drafted Bird. I made sure I kept a eye on televised games lol which was often for the Celtics then. Lived in the dirt poor coal fields of WV but was a Celtics, Steelers and big red machine fan. Still a steelers fan to this day but football has gotten to soft
@@mrskinszszswhat a joke 🤣🤣do you know that your guy Larry was averaged 15 points in his first finals run and he won a championship??? While Durant averaged 26 points against Celtics in 2022 and Nets were swept. Lebron was averaging 22 points against San Antonio and Cleavlend were also swept. Larry is great basketball player, but comparing to Lebron... He really isn't close to his level and I'm not some Lebron's fan, I don't like his game if you want to know, Jordan is still my GOAT, but Lebron and KD played in way tougher era against much better teams and much better players. Maybe basketball was beautiful and well balanced in 80s, but definitely there weren't so many good teams in that era. Please name another team instead of Lakers and Celtics thay was great team. Detroit?? Only in 89 and 90, but anyway, in 2010s, there were teams like San Antonio, Lakers, Golden State, Cleavlend, OKC... And right now it is even more crazier, right now there are only few teams that actually aren't great in the league, all other teams are incredible 😂😂Lakers with Anthony Davis and Lebron would be easily 2nd seed in 80s if they played, right now they probably aren't top 8 in the west. Soo not only that Lebron has more MVPs, more titles and more finals MVPs than Bird, but his titles Cleavlend and Lakers are more worthy and Bird's titles. Bird is still better than Durant, but if Durant wins another title with Phoenix it would be over
@@juanchoayala4600 I hated Bird when he played but he has become vastly underrated. He was the only guy I ever saw that could be on cruise control the whole game and then turn it up in the clutch. (MU was always in 5th gear). Watch what he did in the 4th quarter against the Hawks in a Game 7 with Nique going crazy. He took it up a notch and couldn't miss. He would be the best player in the NBA right now if he played.
Better resume, *better LEGACY,* better trash talk, and tough mindset. He played basketball with a PASSION unlike these guys who _"i just wanna hoop"_ but will take Load Management to prolong their -careers- paychecks. Legacy? Nah.
@@Snoring_wokenot sure about that. They didn’t call a foul to bail you out everyone you touched the ball in Birds era. They didn’t allow traveling on every play. He wouldn’t have been able to move around to super teams. His longevity might not have there either.
@@Snoring_wokethat’s funny, LeBro is a great player. I’d give him about 15 minutes against the old Pistons, 76ers, before he’s crying like a baby. MaHorn and Lambier would have him in tears. Let alone playing Doc several times a year.
@@Snoring_woke Ask Jordan. Nope. Today's game is so soft and then there's PEDs that are coming up in regards to Lebron. Don't get me wrong, he's got some great stats. But his shooting outside of 3 feet, free throws and turnovers don't help Lebron any. And during his heyday, I hated Bird, Jordan too!
Hilarious, you don't know anything about basketball. There is a MINOR gap between the greats. So minor that you need to nitpick just to try to give someone the edge.
@@Amazingfilms148 Wym he isn't? They are both walking 50-40-90 players on levels never seen before. Both of them are clutch. They both play the same amount of defense (Bird was a bit more scrappy though). Larry's competitive edge is stronger than KD's though. No doubt about that. Nonetheless, it isn't out of the question to say that KD is Larry's heir apparent, just without the championship pedigree. I think this is a fair assessment.
Its very telling when one considers that KD, Lebron and Co. regularly feel the need to tell everybody how great they are- if theyre REALLY that great, others would do the talking FOR them. Bird NEVER had to tell us how great he was, because other people did the talking for him!!! The best part is that Bird never gave a shit what anybody thought about his legacy and where hes ranked on the all time list, and he still doesnt. This is because he knows that he proved everything he needed to with his play, unlike KD and Lebron, who obviously feel that their play isn't enough proof by its self.
I have Bird in my top 5 all time and Durrant i have currently 16th. Bird had the clutch gene. I grew up a sixers and Dr.J fan and got to see so many amazing playoff battles with Boston and Larry Bird broke my heart more than any other player ever and i hated him for many years until i finally let it go and gave him the respect he deserves. Bird and Jordan and then Kobe are the greatest killers in modern basketball history and they thrived on snapping their opponents necks in the clutch.
totally Agree Celts fan here since late 60s but those battles with Philly in the 80s wow It was Dr J l was worried about Andrew Toney was the Celts Killer
Doc broke my heart sometimes - speaking as a Celtics fan, brother (along with that cruel Magic Johnson!). :) Thinking of players you feared to see on the court against your favorite teams is a good measurement of just how good they were, in my opinion. I hated Kobe Bryant when I was a Sac Kings fan!
@@jlolson53 Magic was on the west so i didnt have to fear him as often as Bird being a Philly fan, but yes, Magic was a killer too, and i feel he improved his "weaknesses" over time and became a great shooter from deep which made him even more deadly.
KD is great, arguably one of the best 75 ever. Larry Bird is a league icon for all the reasons KD can never be. Sacrificed his game for team success and saw heights in the mid 80’s that very few will produce…Kevin Durant will not be one of those few!
Fun fact: If you add up the number of regular season and playoff minutes each has played, Durant has 43,565 minutes. Bird has 41,329. The longevity argument is kinda null.
How many Hall famers did bird have Robert Parrish,Kevin mchale ,Dennis Johnson ,Nate tiny Archibald,all four are in hall of fame then you had ML Carr , Cedric Maxwell, Dany Angie you said he didn’t have no help
@@bob88667 man it’ evident you didn’t watch basketball to much at that time mchale Barbara was muted was the top power forward in the game and Robert Parrish one of the top big men in the whole played behind him Bill Walton Nate Archibald is the only player to lead the league in scoring and assists Dennis Johnson was a first team defender ML Carr was one of the top six men in the league bob its evident you didn’t watch to much basketball in that time
So many people didn't watch Bird on a regular basis, but us people who live in New England and the Celtics were our team, so we saw every single Celtics game on TV understood just how great of a player he was. He was magical on the court. You know something special was going to happen every game. If it was a close game at the end within a point or 2, you KNEW he would hit the shot at the buzzer for the win. It was expected, and he almost never failed.
Pittsburgh here, and I was a fan in 79, when I started following Larry when he was in college, and followed Bird through his short but super productive career! He's in my top 5 of all time!
Bird was top 3 in MVP voting 8 years in a row from 1981-88, won 3 MVP's in a row. Injured his back in the 1985 offseason and still was that dominant with back spasms for those years onwards. He had a 5 year stretch from 1984 to 1989 in which he had 50/40/90 averages. Also keep in mind when he was in college the 3 pointer wasn't even a thing. He worked on that during his career. KD's only achievements were on a team with Steph Curry, he's done nothing worth noting otherwise. Bird almost got a quadruple double at the end of the 3rd quarter one game, he needed 1 more steal for 10, the coach asked if he wanted to go on and get it and he said no he did enough damage. Man didn't care, he came to ball and crush teams. KD can't hold a candle to Larry Legend!
Go one more year... Won MVP three times finished 2nd ever other year except last two years, playing injured, finished 3rd and fourth......now look at who he was competing with.....Magic, Jordan, Kareem, Zeke, Dr J, Moses Malone, Barkley, Hakeem, Dominique, Ewing, Sampson, Drexler.
Team hopper or not when you have a well-established team it's difficult to talk about loyalty to a team vs finding a good team. He should have stayed with the Warriors, instead, he fell into the trap of giving a shyt about what people and media say.
@@ItIsYouAreNotYourso russ and Harden wasnt good enough.. Ok what about Irving and Harden?? Bad aswell.. Maybe Paul Booker and ayton?? Nah not that goood... Sure buddy
@@ItIsYouAreNotYour or he could have stayed with OKC and ran it back. They blew the 3-1 lead the WCF, but the fact still remains that they were up 3-1 in WCF in the first place. There's no reason they couldn't have learned from what went wrong and try again. KD took the easy way out.
@@vintagemonte - kerr and phil jackson avg'd a handful of ppg over their career. Fringe rotational players. As coaches, they are on the GOAT list. MJ? GOAT. As an owner, he's the Smush Parker/JimmerFerdette of NBA owners.
Larry didn't need a super team - he made his own by improving the players surrounding him. And pushing if necessary. "You better improve that work ethic, or you won't be wearing this jersey much longer..." The clutchest player ever. In any sport. He didn't need a ton of 3s, just one. The one for the W. The founder of the 50/40/90 club. Before him, nobody thought this was even possible. Checking out of a game after 3 quarters with one steal shy of quadruple double. He doesn't care. "I've done enough damage today" KD lacks this leadership attitude, that's why it didn't work at OKC. If Bird had been on that team, he just would have told Russel how to play. Period. Else go find a different team.
Bird retired before I was born, but even I can understand that Bird was more impactful than KD. The hustle, the IQ to foresee the opposing offense/defense's play before they do (like that steal on Isiah's inbound pass in the ECF), the mental strength, the leadership, the stories of defenders struggling to sleep the night before a game against Bird, Bird calling his shots and making them, etc.
I started watching ball in 1980. I didn’t like Bird then cause he was too damn good but I respected him. Then I really appreciated and loved his game. Honestly I think only MJ is better than Bird. Yes better than LeBron and KD. They have flaws, Bird had almost none, like MJ. Believe me, MJ learned a lot from Bird. MJ and Rodman, two of the toughest defenders ever, had a very hard time guarding him. I’m not from Boston. Yes Bird is #2. He’s better than LeBron, Kareem and Magic.
Bird has been on 3 all defensive teams. Durant? None. This is on top of having more MVPs (3 to 1) and more 1st team all NBA (9 to 6). Oh yeah...he also has 3 titles (vs 2) and been to more finals. And he did this in FEWER seasons (17+ for Durant vs 13 for Bird)!
Not because he could play defense he good but he was the great white hope you when you Boston fans you were tired seeing all the black in the game that’s yes, not exactly how you said it (N word ) so the need bird to save the game so they said bird and magic save the nba then once they got what they need out bird and magic they turned to Jordan and changed the game to use Jordan
@@ivorywatts3881 Hilarious! Bird was insulted when they put a white guy on him. And still tortured all black defenders. Ask Worthy, Kareem and Magic what they thought about him.
During Bird's penultimate 4 year prime stretch from 84-88 312 games he averaged a 50/40/90, just over 28 points, 10 boards and 7 assists per game...no small forward including Bron comes close to matching that. No player at any position does. Don't get me wrong I love KD but Bird was Bird, he was different yo
Steph comes close in terms of those numbers in his prime besides the rebounds And pretty sure lebron was pretty close too but was less efficient but was better defensively so eh
@universalplayz7496 problem with Steph's comparable numbers is he was missing 20-30 games a season. Bird put his up while only missing 16 games in 4 years. And the whole point is the entire Stat line. Averaging double digit rebounds (almost double Curry) and an assist per game more than Curry while putting up over 28 points/game and maintaining a 50/40/90...as I said no one comes close to that over 300 games straight. Not MJ, not Curry, not Bron, not KD, not anyone! And don't short change Bird's defense pre '89 before his back and feet problems really started to slow him down. He was a very good 1 on 1 defender and one of the best ever playing in a scheme due to his ridiculous basketball IQ. The quote I have always thought that sums up Bird the best was from James Worthy..."Jordan made you look slow. Bird made you look stupid." And NO ONE told you beforehand what shot he was going to take, where he was going to shoot it from and make it more than Bird, NO ONE EVEN REMOTELY!!!
To everyone who says that Larry wouldn't even start in today's game, look at it from this perspective. Larry didn't grow up with the fundamentals of learning to shoot beyond the 3-point perimeter in elementary, high school or college. The 3-point line was not introduced until his rookie year, in 1980. Basically, he had to develop his shot in his first year as a professional! Imagine going through the first 24 years of your life, getting drafted into the game you love and then they say "Oh, and here's a new challenge for all of you. See if you can make a shot beyond this line!" Now, let's take the same man and his highly competitive DNA -- his hard work, his incredibly high basketball IQ, his court vision, his aggressive nature, his dedication, his hustle, his trash talk, his adaptability -- let's say he was born in 1999 and not 1956. He goes through the early fundamentals of learning the 3 and perfecting his skills, all the while having the same drive to play both ends as he did in the 80's. He goes through the exact same training as everyone else. Are you telling me that this guy wouldn't fare in today's game?. When I see comments like "They were all plumbers and milkmen back then," and guess what? It was plumbers and milkmen that stormed the beaches of Normandy and won a fucking war for ya'll. Are they soft compared to today's men? It's not just athleticism, but digging deep inside and finding what it took to win at any cost. Pushing themselves beyond their capabilities and going the distance to win a championship.
Don't forget Bird had to learn to shoot different between college and Boston as he broke his index finger on his shooting hand. You can see it in his 3rd 3 pt win when he's walking off pointing it up.
We actually have a really good idea on what Bird would be like today it's Joker literally they are of the same mold so no Bird wouldn't just be in the league he would be elevating the Celtics to greatness
@peat381low8 so you value personal acheviment over Team Success when Kevin Durant led the warriors to two Championships back to back Finaks MVP and Bird played with 4 hall of famers his whole career
Like I checked last time, Larry Bird played in era against Magic Johnson, while Durant playrdin era against Lebron James, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Jokic, Doncic I think I don't have to go futher... This era of NBA is much tougher when you look at the competition, MILES tougher than 80s. Don't kidding me, that Boston team was incredibly great while competition was much weaker. Larry averaged 15 points in his first title run on terrible efficiency in the finals and eon the championship while Durant averaged 26 points against Boston in 2022 in the first round and was swept by Boston and Kyrie was his teammate... Enough said, it todays NBA, THERE IS NO CHANCE TO PASS THE NEXT ROUND IF TOUR BEST PLAYER IS AVERAGING 20 POINTS OR LESS, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE THERE ARE WAY MORE GREAT TEAMS AND WAY MORE GREAT PLAYERS. I agree that for now Larry is still greater small foward, but let's not act likr they aren't even close. KD with one more title will absolutely surpass Larry.
@@hristijandimitrovski8664crazy how you talk about efficiency for bird's FIRST title run and fail to talk about Durant's horrendous shooting against boston. let's not forget the fact that bird was also an elite defender, making 3 all defense teams and being a great pickpocket for a forward. i like how you only mention magic, whilst you forget other players like Kareem, worthy, IT, dantley, English, moncrief, Malone, dr j, hakeem, MJ, barkley, etc. the 80s were rich with talent, don't forget that.
@@darnellwilliams8783 you said bird played with 4 hall of famers.. that will be DWARFED by the time this generation of players retires, you'll have harden, westbrook, curry, dray, klay, cp3, Kyrie and maybe booker and iggy making the HOF as well.
I don't agree with Durant having more "talent." He's a better athlete, but Bird was never known for being a great athlete. It's his BB IQ that was higher than anyone's EVER and had a prime of a 4-year stretch where he AVERAGED 50/40/90 across those years. He missed a 3rd 50/40/90 one year by having "only" like an 89.3% FT%, and as for 3-pointers, keep in mind Durant & today's guys grew up with the 3-pt line all their lives while it only appeared in Bird's rookie season. He didn't grow up w/the concept, let alone the line itself. Yokic is probably the best comparison from today's game, I agree. Larry's still the only forward ever to get 3 consecutive MVP's and the only one since the merger in the first place, although I think Yokic shoulda won his 3rd in a row last year. ...meanwhile, LeBron's showing his 'clutchness' by having his last shot of the last game last year hitting the side of the backboard lol
Jokic shouldn’t have won 3 in a row get over it and what did Lebron even have to do with anything? Not a lebron fan but you reached all the way from America to China to make that joke.
Competition is harder today. Bird's no-bum and deserves more respect. It's time to remove Russell and Wilt from the top 10. They have clogged the top 10 up way too long for just being pioneers of the sport. Playing literally 9 teams during basketball's infancy should be acknowledged, but gtfo with taking the top 10 spots from the GOATs. You shouldn't punish people for playing great during an ERA they can't control. But there comes a limit with Russell and Wilt where it's not worthy of top 10. WNBA teams would be whooping some of those teams.
@@RickytickyBobbywobbin-jl5oy Jokic should have won it and got robbed by identity politics and whiners. He is the best player in the game. You casuals make me giggle. 😂
Great reaction. Thanks! Bird was the best small forward ever. I watched him from the beginning all the way until his bad back made him retire. The night before a big game Bird could be found at a local bar drinking everyone under the table and getting into fist fights. Only 3 players in NBA history ever won 3 MVP's in a row - Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Two Pat Riley quotes about Bird: 1) "If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan; If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life...I'd take Larry Bird." 2) "He's the greatest clutch player I've ever seen. The hell with Jerry West!"
KD had to go to the WARRIORS teaming up with CURRY/THOMPSON/GREEN, to win 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS. BIRD won 3 with the CELTICS never jumping SHIP or wanting another ALL-STAR. KD needs to stay in his lane
If the Joker and Luka are Dominanting in today's Game Larry Legend would Dominant plus he would tell you about how he would do it KD is a scoring machine but not much else Bird even played better D End of Story
Yeah, I was just looking at their career stats, and was very surprised how much better his defensive stats were than Durant's. Like, head and shoulders above him.
@@bob88667 Yeah, it's crazy. Bird lead the NBA in Defensive Win Shares and Box Plus/Minus 4 times. You simply cannot do that without being a complete player. How about KD? 0 times leading in DWS and 1 time leading in B+/-. Not to shit on him. KD is an amazing player. 1st ballot HoF, perhaps even an all-time great. Bird is just simply better though.
@@brothergrimaldus3836 got it. Just a reminder, Jordan has 6 finals MVPs, the next closes is… LeBron James with 4. That’s More than Bird, More than Kobe, More than Hakeem, More than Duncan, more than Magic, more than Kareem, more than Shaq. Bird could 1000% shoot better than Bron, and Bird had 50/40/90 seasons which is REMARKABLE. I love Bird. Bron leads the entire NBA in all time points… you don’t do that by accident. I’m sure Jordan would’ve scored 38K if he could’ve. And I’m sure Kobe would’ve too, but that accomplishment isn’t for everybody. But Bron is 15th … got it.
Bird retired more than a decade before I was born and yeah I know this is false. Bird is at worst top 6 all time and could potentially be even higher than that if not for his back issues. He was a fantastic scorer, passer, rebounder, shooter and before his back issues was a decent defender, making 3 Second team all defense whereas Durant has never made a single one. Also Bird has more MVPs and titles and all 3 titles were done as the absolute top guy on the team. Also he was a 50-40-90 or close to it guy for most of his career.
Larry Bird is the greatest one of the top 10 players to ever play the game. I will never take Durant over Bird due to KD jumping ship when it got tough. KD's championships are made of cupcakes. I think Bird is the greatest small forward ever. I am very bias towards old school players over these spoiled divas.
Agreed. Give me Wilt and Bird, give me Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Elvin Hayes, and you could put together your team of choice of post-2010 players and I'd like my odds. Unless we played under 2020s rules, because disallowing defense and rewarding flops? Missed me with that one.
@@c99kfmur logic is impeccable lol, you use 3 decades worth of players to play players from 2010 and beyond, that's only 13 years as of 2023 right. Appreciate basketball instead making up Basless fictional arguments.
Those who always talk about longevity to give the edge to modern players miss something, Bird came in the league at 23 while Durant was 19. If we talk about teammates, Bird never had a top 20 player alongside him (maybe McHale in his prime) while Durant always has at least once (Westbrook in OKC, Curry and Thompson in GSW, Harden in Brooklyn and Booker in Phoenix) and some of them were even top 10 or top 5. Realistically, Bird is a top 10 all time while Durant is a top 30.
@@ivorywatts3881 Bird MADE Parrish and "Mikal" HoFers. Those 2 would have never gotten close without Bird. Archibald was past his prime and only a role player when he played with BOS. DJ, while a good player, shouldn't be in the HoF, in my opinion. He never lead the league in anything, averaged 14 pts/g and 5 assists and played very good D.
@@ivorywatts3881 Archibald was already in his 30s when he played with Bird, Johnson only made 1 all star team after coming in Boston, Parish only made 2 all nba team but was a regular all star (that means a top 24, not top 20). Only McHale had a 20ppg in his Celtics tenure. HOF is no more a sign of greatness with anyone could made it nowadays.
larry bird at 35 was a broken shell of himself in an era that didnt take rest days and didnt hoist 30 3s a game... yet on all his pain he still was a 40% 3poiny shooter and still averaged 20 9 and 7. IN CONSTANT PAIN.... just by changing eras he would probably avg 24pg. today broken... now on those last few yrs larry lost not one bit of skill.. it was merely about how much pain he was in day to day. and who he was playing... he absolutely gave his best when he played the likes of mj.. as he broken got the better of prime mj and pippen head to head... a month before he retired he put an insane triple double on the blazers.. not completely sure but thes numbers are close of not on point and he put up 49points 14boards and 12assists plus his usual steals at 35.... now imagine larry never hurt his back... then imagine someone convinced him that weights wouldn't make him lose athleticism and shooting ability, because thats how he openly felt then along with a great many athletes. Not to mention practices like yoga... even with his injury that he actually sustained in his prime in 85.. had he had a more educated and holistic approach to training that didnt really exist then.. he quite possibly could have overcome that injury.. larry retired due to pain.. not production... obviously he wasn't scoring as much but every other number... rebounding assists steals and shooting were basically no different... he CLEARLY. broken could have continued 2or more yrs putting up 20 9 and 7 which by anyone else's standards would be hof numbers... but pain sucks.. and they were a good team but just not able to compete in a 7 game series with a team like the bulls... however had bias lived that may have changed..
@charles9489 clearly you're a child if your first instinct is to insult someone for liking someone you don't.. I love bird.. idk about top 5. He's in the brink. But kobe is definitely top 5, n he definitely was better n had a better career than Bird. But sure we're kobetards cuz we have different opinions than you. I mean you're literally proving my point in what i said.. Grow up kid.
Durant if put in any team will ALWAYS be a GREAT CONTRIBUTOR. But BIRD if put in any team would ALWAYS be a GREAT ALL-AROUND LEADER. There's a BIIIIGGGG! DIFFERENCE!
I like the fact that you never hear Bird say that he's better than other great players. He shows class by letting other people have those debates about him. You also notice that he often downplays his success. Humility shows greatness.
Nice one dude this is one of my favorite videos you’ve done. You understand Larry really well I accept you as a Bird scholar, welcome! Love KD he’s my favorite current player but Larry clears easily. I feel like KD just doesn’t care as much as Larry did, I mean, I think that’s obvious. KD is a more dynamic midrange scorer than Larry. Larry is much better off ball and his post play was near elite. The 3ppg KD has on Larry can almost entirely be accounted for in 3 pt volume, which shows how close they really are in that area. Larry was too complete though, and that’s not really a direct swipe at KD, Larry has an argument as the most complete player ever.
I don't think it's controversial to say anymore, KD is probably a better shooter than Bird, but not by much. Bird however is better at; rebounding, general defense, and play making and by a sizable margin
Agreed. Offensively, at best it could be argued KD is marginally better. And a good chunk of that has to do with how the game has changed between when Bird and Durant played. Pretty much every single other facet of the game, Bird was WAY better.
@@patrickhall6627 I wouldn't even say he's better offensively, as he's only better at scoring, but off-ball offense id say he's a bit worse than Bird, and he's definitely worse at playmaking
Bird is the greatest NBA player of all time, and his resume says it isn't even close: -Rookie of the Year* -Only player added to a 29 win Celtics team that went on to win 61 games; that 32 game difference is an NBA record for wins by 1 player added to the same team. -Wins first 3 3pt shooting contests during All Star Break; his hitting clutch 3 point shots to win games makes him the NBA's greatest 3 point shooter. -Bird's 2-0 record in the playoffs vs Michael Jordan, both sweeps -Bird being the 3rd and last player to win 3 consecutive League MVP Awards (Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell being the other 2)* -Bird winning NBA FINALS MVP* -Bird winning 3 NBA titles for the same team* -Bird doing the damage he did while facing the most physical defense the league ever had (defenses that resembled assault and battery with attempted rape) as he played with a bad back from installing a driveway for his mom by himself.. -Bird being one of the most clutch free throw shooters in NBA History -Bird being one of the greatest passers in the NBA -Bird being one of the greatest rebounders in the NBA -Bird being 3 time NBA second team for defense. -Bird doing the damage he did against the players who comprise 90% of the NBA'S GREATEST PLAYERS LISTS, including the 1992 Dream Team and a multitude of players in the Hall of Fame -Bird being the greatest clutch shooter in NBA History; so clutch that Miami Heat President and former head coach of the KNICKS and LAKERS famously said: "if I need one player to hit a shot to win a game, I'll take Michael Jordan. If I need one player to take a shot to save my life, I only want Larry Bird." -Bird telling the opposing team exactly what he was going to do and then proceeding to do exactly that to hit the shot. -Bird scoring 60 points vs the Atlanta Hawks, and the Hawks bench falling all over themelves as Bird hits shot after shot with a defender just about in his shorts -Bird doing all that damage while the hop step, gather step, and Euro-step were considered TRAVELLING violations. -Bird's near unanimous election to the NBA Hall of Fame Then, take into account what Bird did after he retired: -NBA COACH OF THE YEAR* -NBA EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR* All of those I mentioned above that have an (*) behind it makes Larry Bird THE ONLY PERSON IN NBA HISTORY to do those things. KD needs to put the crack pipe down
@@heirrose1606 Jordan said that Kobe was on Jordan's level, or at least somewhere near there. Btw, Bird only played 13 seasons. Jordan 15 seasons. So Kobe's fg misses is supposed to eclipse theirs. Btw, there's no way to marginalize 33k pts & 5 rings. Bird had 2 fmvps. So did Kobe. Bird never repeated tho. Kobe did so without Shaq. Jordan had 9 all defense 1st team selections. So did Kobe (Payton & Garnett as well). Larry was nowhere near this. My conclusion is, all of them are Top 5. MJ. Kobe. Bird, but Kobe is above Bird for repeating without Shaq. Larry wasn't gonna do that.
@@melvinhhcp3615 Jordan was just being nice because he's classy. Peak performance has nothing to do with longevity. It's about the best level they played under the biggest pressure moments. Bird won 3 MVPs in a row and was the closest assassin to Jordan NOT Kobe who put up too many bricks in clutch moments compared to the few he actually made. Bird was also clutch on defense on the Finals, including defensive plays Kobe never got close to doing.
These kids of today just don't get how good Larry was I was a sixers fan with the likes of Dr J Moses Malone Charles Barkley Andrew Tony and Bird destroys them I watch those series and I just couldn't stand bird now I love him and respect the him so much I wish I was Celtic fan and watch all his games back then instead rooting against him and losing 😅 I believe Jordan look up to Larry and watched how Larry played and copied Larry and just took it to higher level
What everybody seems to not understand is that Bird played the game where intelligent playing was at a premium, whereas almost everyone else puts a premium on physical skill and flash. I'll take the intelligent play every time over flash.
One of the biggest unmeasured stats is that Bird made his teammates better. Bird was a master of the game and his passing ability was off the charts. He was very tough, had guts and played with heart...those traits are rare in today's NBA. Plus, the 80's era was a very physical NBA and the Eastern Conference was very difficult to even make the playoffs. Larry Legend deserves every ounce of Respect .
@@ivorywatts3881 Thank you. I loved Larry Bird's style of play and he's a true great but many of these comments are taking it a bit too far with their fantasies.
I just saw larry Bird in one of my favorite restaurant bars in my home town of Naples FL and have seen and spoken briefly to the ledgend thanking him for so ma y great memories as a Bird / Celtics fan. That man is a total class act. A lot of the bar patrons asked for quick photo opps and he was more the patient an willing to oblige w/all smiles, shaking hands ect. He is a great roll model for the sport and even in retirement carries a big torch of representing his amazing career and accompishments w/ dignity and respect. All these men played in an era of the hame that was extremely brutal and physical on the court. Many stars in todays NBA would never have the long careers they have today if it wasn't for these men of his era and the rule changes.
What with this Old ass generation saying they are better than 80’s & 90’s players KD and LBJ are taking much longer to meet the stats of those players like come on The goat don’t say “I’m the goat”
The disrespect for Bird is insane. Jordan is the GOAT Player. Bird is the GOAT SF and the GOAT of the NBA. He is the only player to be successful in tons of positions off the court.
Outside of scoring and longevity (things that are heavily impacted by era) what does KD do better than Bird? Larry was a better rebounder Larry was a better passer Larry was a better on ball and team defender Larry was more clutch Larry was more loyal
In one regard, Durant is since he's a better shooter and scorer. Durant deserves respect in that regard... but as a winner and the main catalyst for a championship winning team... he's ten miles behind Bird who is one of the all timers for that reason. For that reason, I take Bird 99/100 times.
Bird is better than James and Durant, who were both incredible players, but I wonder how Dr J and a few other amazing players are basically ignored in this conversation
This is easier than most would like to acknowledge. The talent level between the 80's and today is like comparing the 60's to the 80's. You know, the number one reason why Russell and Wilt are not unanimously considered the GOATs. Most kids today have 0 knowledge of the game beyond what CZcams gives them....which is nothing. Bird is in my top three favorite players of all time, KD isn't in my top 30. KD is lightyears ahead of Bird as far as "who the best player was" not even close. And if you're the guy who's all about accolades, eras be damned, you obviously have Russell as the GOAT by almost double of MJ, not to mention he was infinitely more important to his teams. The 80's were my favorite era of basketball but, it's time to acknowledge the talent level across the league was incredibly weak compared to today, and this is probably the understatement of the decade.
I think only probably Duncan and Shaq have a Real Case. Kobe was really good when he was younger around 99--03. lebron is no where close, neither is durant or kawhi. that is also saying a lot. Cause they are good players in their own right around 25th - 35th. lebron honeslty is an over glorified Karl Malone. Malone was a better shooter though.
I don't want to hear from the idiots that Bird was great cause he had all these HOFers on his team cause 1989 proves otherwise cause in reality it was Larry Legend Bird that made all his average teammates into HOFers and that's what a True GOAT does
@@reasedogable if Larry had all these HOF like the Jordansexuals and Bronsexuals say he did then what happen to them all when Larry was out for the season in 89
In his first 9 seasons in the NBA, this is where Bird finished in MVP voting - 4, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 3, 2. KD's first 9 seasons he finished N/A, N/A, 2, 5, 2, 2, 1, N/A, 5. In those 9 years, Bird was All-NBA first team all 9 seasons.
Bird is Respected. All Time F's 1. Scottie Pippen (Batman) (Michael "Air"Jordan Made a Monster) some people just don't know everything he was doing in the Full Court. All of Pippens 21 ppg was in the Flow of the game on tip outs and Hustler plays. Pippen is a One of the Best Passers Ever 2. Larry Bird "Legend" 3. Julius Dr Erving "Dr J" 4. "The Human High Light Film" 5. Big Game James Kawhi has a Chance to be in the top 3 but only about 2 or 3 Playoff Runs. He is almost like Penny. Penny would've been top 3 PG of all time
It's funny that people always say the 80s 90s had weaker competition etc, stating that players this era are more athletic, better shooters and yet the best player of todays NBA is a no jumping, slow poke forward, center Nikola Jokic, so what does that mean? Jokic's game is parallel to Bird's if you put Larry Bird in today's game he'd be like Jokic!
We’re over here talking about Bird heck Dr. J is better than KD. A lot of y’all gonna think that’s crazy but looking at Dr. J’s resume including what he did in the ABA has 3 Rings 4 MVP’s 3 Scoring titles 2 Finals MVP’s top 10 in scoring 9 All NBA/ABA first teams and 1 All Defensive first team. KD at best is the 4th best SF of all time I blame my generation we don’t bother to do research we just pompously proclaim that what we have now is better than anything before it
@@melvinhhcp3615 I’d have to disagree. In the 70’s Dr. J’s prime he averaged 26 points 10 rebounds 4.5 assists 2.1 steals and almost 2 blocks per game on 50% shooting. KD is a slightly better Scorer than him being more of a 27-30 guy in his prime and also being a 3 level scorer but in their prime Dr. J is a way better rebounder, defender, and winner than KD. The only thing he does better is score and Doc was no slouch as a scorer very underrated in fact.
@@datboimazz I agree with this comment mostly. However, I believe the 70's was the weakest era in basketball. No doubt, Dr. J was the biggest star (aside from Kareem), however I think if Dr. J in his prime were playing in same time span (starting in 07-08), his career trajectory would be different. As such, I think Dr. J & KD are moreso equals.
Look, Larry legend is my all time favourite player. I'd pick him no. 1 in an all time draft. But I've got no problem at all with KD saying he's a better player than Bird. Skill for skill, there ain't a lot between them. But attitude is a different story. If KD had Bird's mentality and confidence, probably a lot less people having a problem with this take.
Larry Bird is one of greatest players of all time! He was fun to watch and even defeated my team. I admire him as a player. He was one of many players that made the NBA, what it is now. Inspiring many future players to come.
This make me think about the time Dennis say Bird'll be playing in Europe if he'll be playing in this era ; Dennis can't forget the time Bird whip his ass .
I disagree with Durant. I think Bird was a much better player. But for Kevin Durant to say he is better than Bird is not disrespectful. Durant is in the conversation for the best Small Forward of all time, at least offensively.
It’s 50/50 for me for who’s better. If I need somebody that’s gonna give me a pure bucket at the sf then obviously kd, but if I need somebody to do a lil bit of everything at the sf then obviously bird. Both are great players but it comes with different scenarios
Bird would destroy this cookie soft era. He would be by far the best in the league. The ESPN talk show hacks would be so upset every morning having to talk about Bird schooling everyone every night lol
It's simple. I'll pick Bird over KD any time.
Bird over Lebron too
Wow…you both need your heads examined FAST!
@@kennysdead500idk about all that
I’ll pick Bird over Lebobo everyday, it’s not even close.
i pick bird over any sf
Larry Legend would tell KD where, when and how he was going to eat his lunch and then after eating it, he'd steal his cookies too.
Good one.
Bird's mental and physical acuity were far superior to anyone else then or now
Bruh, this comment was accurate and awesome.
And the drinking box....😂
Man I see you have no clue on the game is played beat bird in all offensive stats better ball handler and a better defender now bird played they passing lanes better because better defensive players around him to cover up for his defensive weaknesses
All these modern players are legends in their own minds.
Yep 100%👍🏾
Well said!
😂😂
Durant had to go to a stacked team to win. Bird's rookie year had already made more of a difference than Kevin has in his whole career. Durant bumped his head.
and in the minds of young "fans" who have no idea how rough it was in the 80's
Also, the legends had to play with rules like traveling, carrying, and offensive fouls. Imagine if bird could take 3 steps then jump back 6 feet to make space for a shot like all of the players today
That is the WORST aspect of the game nowadays. Exactly what you said, travel 3 steps, jump back 6 feet and then launch a horrible long ball. When someone makes it "OMG! Dude got crazy game!!" No, it's a bum weak-ass game nowadays catering to the lowest common denominator - people that don't know the game nor its rules, etc.
😂😂😂thats the damn truth! I think I could of gone pro. I played at a pretty high level but let me get an extra step, put my hand under the ball before I did a euro to a hop step gather to a pivot spin move Shit I would be the 🐐 😂 #Bird33bestSF
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
IT'S FUNNY COS IT'S TRUE!!!!
Yes. They allow lebron to take steps before even dribbling and stiff arm the defender. Plus defense can't hand check. The narrative that today's are significantly skilled is downright idiotic without looking at the current rule interpretation.
Don't forget that there is almost no defense played today, look at a player wrong and you get "teed up". Back in Birds day you had to earn points.
Bird has a better resume than Durant.
@MannyMensah94 youre a true casual Bird is overrsted he does nothing better than Durant yall talk about Durant and his super team but Bird had a super team his whole career being carrued
I agree. But if KD somehow wins another title, than there would be no doubt that he is better small foward than Bird for me. I know that scoring isn't everything, but he is the most perfect scorer I've ever seen, there is no more versatile, consistent and efficient scorer than KD. I mean... This year he is averaging 31 points on 49% shooting from deep, that's ridiculous man, as great as Larry was as a shooter, he was NEVER EVEN CLOSE of doing this. Really not even close. And it's not like Durant is only a scorer, he is solid passer too, lwst few years his playmaking definitely improved and considering the fact that those 3 finals that KD played nobody have better averages in the finals than KD. with one more ring, he will have 3 titles and 3 Finals MVPs while Bird had 2 finals MVPs because in his first title run he only averaged 15 points. Do you know what 15 points would mean for KD??? HE WOULD NEVER EVER AVERAGE below 25 points per game.
there is no way bird is not better than durant
there is no casual on this planet who will say bird better than durant. you know what casual is?
casual will compare curry to bron, etc. i think if you are not casual you can understand what i mean
@@darnellwilliams8783
@@hristijandimitrovski8664 facts bro you know they hate KD you know basketball you aint emotional
@@hristijandimitrovski8664 I like Kevin Durant. But this is not even a debate. It's not even close. The gap is a wide as the one between Lebron and MJ. Maybe wider. You couldn't have seen him play to even entertain this debate. Highlights may not do him justice but prime Larry Bird was as good as anybody who ever played. KD hasn't proved himself to be a real winner yet.
Larry Bird is still the #1 SF All Time.
When Kareem in the interview with Chris Broussard was asked who was the best player he played against, Larry Bird was his answer. And he said he could do anything on the court. That tells you how good bird was
AND STILLLLLLL......
@@scott783 Larry Bird over MJ confirmed.
A mean tweet can take down Durant whereas Bird played with a broken face.
TRUTH HURTS
Bird came back out of the locker room with a broken orbital bone to beat a Pacers team with Reggie Miller & Chuck Pearson. KD's nickname is cupcake.......
Broke face , broke back, Achilles surgeries on both Achilles, a unusable finger on his shooting hand, bone spurs on his feet and still dominated a league full of all time greats. I watched his entire career in my teens and early 20s.
@@ricklove8588 I was about the same age. Wasn't a Celtics fan but looking back I can appreciate his greatness and grit. I was lucky enough to live in Chicago for the first three peat. I can't watch today's game. Same with football, it's getting pretty bad. Might have to go to baseball since it somewhat resembles it's original form. Just with they'd do away with analytics and have more complete games.
@schadlarry i was a Celtics fan because they drafted Bird. I made sure I kept a eye on televised games lol which was often for the Celtics then. Lived in the dirt poor coal fields of WV but was a Celtics, Steelers and big red machine fan. Still a steelers fan to this day but football has gotten to soft
Bird has a more complete game than Durant.
Pretty obvious. He's the best small forward of all time. And it's not even close.
Bird is the best small forward ever.
I think even bird will admit it's lebron and it's no knock on Larry
@@liorpapismedov2519 Bird is better than LeBron.
He is not 😂
@@hristijandimitrovski8664 no other SF possess even a fifth of the clutch performances in big games that Bird has.
@@mrskinszszswhat a joke 🤣🤣do you know that your guy Larry was averaged 15 points in his first finals run and he won a championship??? While Durant averaged 26 points against Celtics in 2022 and Nets were swept. Lebron was averaging 22 points against San Antonio and Cleavlend were also swept. Larry is great basketball player, but comparing to Lebron... He really isn't close to his level and I'm not some Lebron's fan, I don't like his game if you want to know, Jordan is still my GOAT, but Lebron and KD played in way tougher era against much better teams and much better players. Maybe basketball was beautiful and well balanced in 80s, but definitely there weren't so many good teams in that era. Please name another team instead of Lakers and Celtics thay was great team. Detroit?? Only in 89 and 90, but anyway, in 2010s, there were teams like San Antonio, Lakers, Golden State, Cleavlend, OKC... And right now it is even more crazier, right now there are only few teams that actually aren't great in the league, all other teams are incredible 😂😂Lakers with Anthony Davis and Lebron would be easily 2nd seed in 80s if they played, right now they probably aren't top 8 in the west. Soo not only that Lebron has more MVPs, more titles and more finals MVPs than Bird, but his titles Cleavlend and Lakers are more worthy and Bird's titles. Bird is still better than Durant, but if Durant wins another title with Phoenix it would be over
Bird is better than KD. Bird is better than Lebron. One of the best passers of all time!
Bird overrated
Bird ain’t better then bron even bird wouldn’t agree with that 😂
@@juanchoayala4600 Lebronze is the most overrated player in NBA history.
@@Kashed I agree that bird better then lebron! But his not better then kd
@@juanchoayala4600 I hated Bird when he played but he has become vastly underrated. He was the only guy I ever saw that could be on cruise control the whole game and then turn it up in the clutch. (MU was always in 5th gear). Watch what he did in the 4th quarter against the Hawks in a Game 7 with Nique going crazy. He took it up a notch and couldn't miss. He would be the best player in the NBA right now if he played.
Better resume, *better LEGACY,* better trash talk, and tough mindset.
He played basketball with a PASSION unlike these guys who _"i just wanna hoop"_ but will take Load Management to prolong their -careers- paychecks. Legacy? Nah.
Small correction: Bird is the _the_ best SF in NBA history, not second.
I’m not a LeBron fan at all, but he’s better than Bird 🤷🏼♂️
@@Snoring_wokenot sure about that. They didn’t call a foul to bail you out everyone you touched the ball in Birds era. They didn’t allow traveling on every play. He wouldn’t have been able to move around to super teams. His longevity might not have there either.
@@Snoring_wokethat’s funny, LeBro is a great player. I’d give him about 15 minutes against the old Pistons, 76ers, before he’s crying like a baby. MaHorn and Lambier would have him in tears. Let alone playing Doc several times a year.
@@67cruizer Mahorn and Lambier would have had him in tears during his first practice if they were TEAMMATES.
@@Snoring_woke Ask Jordan. Nope. Today's game is so soft and then there's PEDs that are coming up in regards to Lebron. Don't get me wrong, he's got some great stats. But his shooting outside of 3 feet, free throws and turnovers don't help Lebron any. And during his heyday, I hated Bird, Jordan too!
Hilarious. Durant is not in the same ballpark as Bird.
The players and the media are just on this narrative to destroy everything from the 80's, 90's , and early 2000's. Absolutely ridiculous
Hilarious, you don't know anything about basketball. There is a MINOR gap between the greats. So minor that you need to nitpick just to try to give someone the edge.
He is, but not championship wise.
@@melvinhhcp3615he isn't
@@Amazingfilms148 Wym he isn't? They are both walking 50-40-90 players on levels never seen before. Both of them are clutch. They both play the same amount of defense (Bird was a bit more scrappy though). Larry's competitive edge is stronger than KD's though. No doubt about that. Nonetheless, it isn't out of the question to say that KD is Larry's heir apparent, just without the championship pedigree. I think this is a fair assessment.
these guys can only wish they were on Bird’s level
Man soooòo TRUE
Its very telling when one considers that KD, Lebron and Co. regularly feel the need to tell everybody how great they are- if theyre REALLY that great, others would do the talking FOR them. Bird NEVER had to tell us how great he was, because other people did the talking for him!!! The best part is that Bird never gave a shit what anybody thought about his legacy and where hes ranked on the all time list, and he still doesnt. This is because he knows that he proved everything he needed to with his play, unlike KD and Lebron, who obviously feel that their play isn't enough proof by its self.
I have Bird in my top 5 all time and Durrant i have currently 16th. Bird had the clutch gene. I grew up a sixers and Dr.J fan and got to see so many amazing playoff battles with Boston and Larry Bird broke my heart more than any other player ever and i hated him for many years until i finally let it go and gave him the respect he deserves. Bird and Jordan and then Kobe are the greatest killers in modern basketball history and they thrived on snapping their opponents necks in the clutch.
totally Agree Celts fan here since late 60s but those battles with Philly in the 80s wow It was Dr J l was worried about Andrew Toney was the Celts Killer
@@dustygerlach7618 Andrew Toney is the forgotten force . He was a huge reason for the Sixers success.
Correction: Dr. Chapstick. 🤣
Doc broke my heart sometimes - speaking as a Celtics fan, brother (along with that cruel Magic Johnson!). :) Thinking of players you feared to see on the court against your favorite teams is a good measurement of just how good they were, in my opinion. I hated Kobe Bryant when I was a Sac Kings fan!
@@jlolson53 Magic was on the west so i didnt have to fear him as often as Bird being a Philly fan, but yes, Magic was a killer too, and i feel he improved his "weaknesses" over time and became a great shooter from deep which made him even more deadly.
KD is great, arguably one of the best 75 ever. Larry Bird is a league icon for all the reasons KD can never be. Sacrificed his game for team success and saw heights in the mid 80’s that very few will produce…Kevin Durant will not be one of those few!
Bird did more ( and better) than KD in less time.
Fun fact:
If you add up the number of regular season and playoff minutes each has played, Durant has 43,565 minutes. Bird has 41,329. The longevity argument is kinda null.
How many Hall famers did bird have Robert Parrish,Kevin mchale ,Dennis Johnson ,Nate tiny Archibald,all four are in hall of fame then you had ML Carr , Cedric Maxwell, Dany Angie you said he didn’t have no help
@@ivorywatts3881 Who said Bird didn't have help?
@@bob88667 man it’ evident you didn’t watch basketball to much at that time mchale Barbara was muted was the top power forward in the game and Robert Parrish one of the top big men in the whole played behind him Bill Walton Nate Archibald is the only player to lead the league in scoring and assists Dennis Johnson was a first team defender ML Carr was one of the top six men in the league bob its evident you didn’t watch to much basketball in that time
Kevin Durant got no room to talk. His rings were bought while Larry Bird's rings was earned
So many people didn't watch Bird on a regular basis, but us people who live in New England and the Celtics were our team, so we saw every single Celtics game on TV understood just how great of a player he was. He was magical on the court. You know something special was going to happen every game. If it was a close game at the end within a point or 2, you KNEW he would hit the shot at the buzzer for the win. It was expected, and he almost never failed.
Kansas here Bird made me a Celtics fan
Pittsburgh here, and I was a fan in 79, when I started following Larry when he was in college, and followed Bird through his short but super productive career! He's in my top 5 of all time!
Los Angeles here : Prime Bird is a team carrier, like Magic, like Russel, like Wilt, like few others
Bird was top 3 in MVP voting 8 years in a row from 1981-88, won 3 MVP's in a row. Injured his back in the 1985 offseason and still was that dominant with back spasms for those years onwards. He had a 5 year stretch from 1984 to 1989 in which he had 50/40/90 averages. Also keep in mind when he was in college the 3 pointer wasn't even a thing. He worked on that during his career. KD's only achievements were on a team with Steph Curry, he's done nothing worth noting otherwise. Bird almost got a quadruple double at the end of the 3rd quarter one game, he needed 1 more steal for 10, the coach asked if he wanted to go on and get it and he said no he did enough damage. Man didn't care, he came to ball and crush teams. KD can't hold a candle to Larry Legend!
Go one more year... Won MVP three times finished 2nd ever other year except last two years, playing injured, finished 3rd and fourth......now look at who he was competing with.....Magic, Jordan, Kareem, Zeke, Dr J, Moses Malone, Barkley, Hakeem, Dominique, Ewing, Sampson, Drexler.
Lot of disrespect towards older generations. Durant’s another team hopper.
Team hopper or not when you have a well-established team it's difficult to talk about loyalty to a team vs finding a good team. He should have stayed with the Warriors, instead, he fell into the trap of giving a shyt about what people and media say.
@@ItIsYouAreNotYourso russ and Harden wasnt good enough.. Ok what about Irving and Harden?? Bad aswell.. Maybe Paul Booker and ayton?? Nah not that goood... Sure buddy
@@unknownname6519 Durant, Irving, and Harden played all of 16 games together and won 13 of them. I'm not sure how that's Durant's fault.
@@ItIsYouAreNotYour or he could have stayed with OKC and ran it back. They blew the 3-1 lead the WCF, but the fact still remains that they were up 3-1 in WCF in the first place. There's no reason they couldn't have learned from what went wrong and try again. KD took the easy way out.
@@unknownname6519 not just russ and harden, they had a prime ibaka too
Uncle Chuck mentioned that these type of players are the "bus riders" not the "bus driver".
What did chuck ever win
@@vintagemonte - kerr and phil jackson avg'd a handful of ppg over their career. Fringe rotational players. As coaches, they are on the GOAT list.
MJ? GOAT. As an owner, he's the Smush Parker/JimmerFerdette of NBA owners.
He played in a tough era and not in a no-defense-era
To say one is much better than the other,is incredulous
Bird is better he's a team player kd has the diesel of me
Larry didn't need a super team - he made his own by improving the players surrounding him. And pushing if necessary. "You better improve that work ethic, or you won't be wearing this jersey much longer..." The clutchest player ever. In any sport. He didn't need a ton of 3s, just one. The one for the W. The founder of the 50/40/90 club. Before him, nobody thought this was even possible.
Checking out of a game after 3 quarters with one steal shy of quadruple double. He doesn't care. "I've done enough damage today"
KD lacks this leadership attitude, that's why it didn't work at OKC. If Bird had been on that team, he just would have told Russel how to play. Period. Else go find a different team.
Larry Bird is the best small forward in NBA history! Not second
KD isnt in the same breath as Bird
I don't quite agree with this.
I quite agree 👍🏼
KD definitely!! isnt in the same breath as Bird
I agree. If tissue paper Durant had to play in the 80's, he would be crying himself to sleep.
@@idiocracyunfolding9053 tissue paper or did you mean shit paper
Bird retired before I was born, but even I can understand that Bird was more impactful than KD. The hustle, the IQ to foresee the opposing offense/defense's play before they do (like that steal on Isiah's inbound pass in the ECF), the mental strength, the leadership, the stories of defenders struggling to sleep the night before a game against Bird, Bird calling his shots and making them, etc.
Bird over KD and LeBron All Time
@@KaineTremaineobviously
I feel like time will sort it all out. Will people still be talking about KD the same way they talk about Larry 33 years after he's retired?
I started watching ball in 1980. I didn’t like Bird then cause he was too damn good but I respected him. Then I really appreciated and loved his game. Honestly I think only MJ is better than Bird. Yes better than LeBron and KD. They have flaws, Bird had almost none, like MJ. Believe me, MJ learned a lot from Bird. MJ and Rodman, two of the toughest defenders ever, had a very hard time guarding him. I’m not from Boston. Yes Bird is #2. He’s better than LeBron, Kareem and Magic.
@@KaineTremaineLeBron MAYBE top 15
Larry Bird didn't fold under pressure like KD. Larry Bird would have NEVER joined a team he couldn't beat. He would rather die.
That’s because they went got Robert Parrish from the warriors and Kevin Mikal from the timberwolves Dennis Johnson from Seattle ML Carr from Detroit
And bird made them all better players
@@John-nl1pt True Bird made them all Hall Famer playing with him. If they didn't , I bet they will be in the Hall of Fame.
Bird has been on 3 all defensive teams. Durant? None. This is on top of having more MVPs (3 to 1) and more 1st team all NBA (9 to 6). Oh yeah...he also has 3 titles (vs 2) and been to more finals. And he did this in FEWER seasons (17+ for Durant vs 13 for Bird)!
Not because he could play defense he good but he was the great white hope you when you Boston fans you were tired seeing all the black in the game that’s yes, not exactly how you said it (N word ) so the need bird to save the game so they said bird and magic save the nba then once they got what they need out bird and magic they turned to Jordan and changed the game to use Jordan
You remember Bill Russell’s said that Boston was so Racist that he would rather be in jail in San Francisco than to be free in Boston
@@ivorywatts3881 Hilarious! Bird was insulted when they put a white guy on him. And still tortured all black defenders. Ask Worthy, Kareem and Magic what they thought about him.
During Bird's penultimate 4 year prime stretch from 84-88 312 games he averaged a 50/40/90, just over 28 points, 10 boards and 7 assists per game...no small forward including Bron comes close to matching that. No player at any position does.
Don't get me wrong I love KD but Bird was Bird, he was different yo
Steph comes close in terms of those numbers in his prime besides the rebounds
And pretty sure lebron was pretty close too but was less efficient but was better defensively so eh
This is right on. You can put birds peak up there with anybody even MJ and he holds his own.
@universalplayz7496 problem with Steph's comparable numbers is he was missing 20-30 games a season.
Bird put his up while only missing 16 games in 4 years.
And the whole point is the entire Stat line. Averaging double digit rebounds (almost double Curry) and an assist per game more than Curry while putting up over 28 points/game and maintaining a 50/40/90...as I said no one comes close to that over 300 games straight. Not MJ, not Curry, not Bron, not KD, not anyone!
And don't short change Bird's defense pre '89 before his back and feet problems really started to slow him down. He was a very good 1 on 1 defender and one of the best ever playing in a scheme due to his ridiculous basketball IQ.
The quote I have always thought that sums up Bird the best was from James Worthy..."Jordan made you look slow.
Bird made you look stupid."
And NO ONE told you beforehand what shot he was going to take, where he was going to shoot it from and make it more than Bird, NO ONE EVEN REMOTELY!!!
It’s not difficult at all to frame an argument for Bird as GOAT when it comes to peak years.
@@universalplayz7496 No. Lebron was never close. Even for a single season.
KD NEVER BETTER THEN BIRD💯
To everyone who says that Larry wouldn't even start in today's game, look at it from this perspective. Larry didn't grow up with the fundamentals of learning to shoot beyond the 3-point perimeter in elementary, high school or college. The 3-point line was not introduced until his rookie year, in 1980. Basically, he had to develop his shot in his first year as a professional! Imagine going through the first 24 years of your life, getting drafted into the game you love and then they say "Oh, and here's a new challenge for all of you. See if you can make a shot beyond this line!"
Now, let's take the same man and his highly competitive DNA -- his hard work, his incredibly high basketball IQ, his court vision, his aggressive nature, his dedication, his hustle, his trash talk, his adaptability -- let's say he was born in 1999 and not 1956. He goes through the early fundamentals of learning the 3 and perfecting his skills, all the while having the same drive to play both ends as he did in the 80's. He goes through the exact same training as everyone else. Are you telling me that this guy wouldn't fare in today's game?. When I see comments like "They were all plumbers and milkmen back then," and guess what? It was plumbers and milkmen that stormed the beaches of Normandy and won a fucking war for ya'll. Are they soft compared to today's men? It's not just athleticism, but digging deep inside and finding what it took to win at any cost. Pushing themselves beyond their capabilities and going the distance to win a championship.
Bird won the annual 3 point shooting contest at least twice, might have been more. He would KILL the game today.
Don't forget Bird had to learn to shoot different between college and Boston as he broke his index finger on his shooting hand. You can see it in his 3rd 3 pt win when he's walking off pointing it up.
We actually have a really good idea on what Bird would be like today it's Joker literally they are of the same mold so no Bird wouldn't just be in the league he would be elevating the Celtics to greatness
Last time I checked Bird won 3 straight MVPs. Durant I recall has only 1.
@peat381low8 so you value personal acheviment over Team Success when Kevin Durant led the warriors to two Championships back to back Finaks MVP and Bird played with 4 hall of famers his whole career
Like I checked last time, Larry Bird played in era against Magic Johnson, while Durant playrdin era against Lebron James, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Jokic, Doncic I think I don't have to go futher... This era of NBA is much tougher when you look at the competition, MILES tougher than 80s. Don't kidding me, that Boston team was incredibly great while competition was much weaker. Larry averaged 15 points in his first title run on terrible efficiency in the finals and eon the championship while Durant averaged 26 points against Boston in 2022 in the first round and was swept by Boston and Kyrie was his teammate... Enough said, it todays NBA, THERE IS NO CHANCE TO PASS THE NEXT ROUND IF TOUR BEST PLAYER IS AVERAGING 20 POINTS OR LESS, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE THERE ARE WAY MORE GREAT TEAMS AND WAY MORE GREAT PLAYERS. I agree that for now Larry is still greater small foward, but let's not act likr they aren't even close. KD with one more title will absolutely surpass Larry.
@@hristijandimitrovski8664you were hating on joker in another video. Why use him now
@@hristijandimitrovski8664crazy how you talk about efficiency for bird's FIRST title run and fail to talk about Durant's horrendous shooting against boston. let's not forget the fact that bird was also an elite defender, making 3 all defense teams and being a great pickpocket for a forward. i like how you only mention magic, whilst you forget other players like Kareem, worthy, IT, dantley, English, moncrief, Malone, dr j, hakeem, MJ, barkley, etc. the 80s were rich with talent, don't forget that.
@@darnellwilliams8783 you said bird played with 4 hall of famers.. that will be DWARFED by the time this generation of players retires, you'll have harden, westbrook, curry, dray, klay, cp3, Kyrie and maybe booker and iggy making the HOF as well.
I don't agree with Durant having more "talent." He's a better athlete, but Bird was never known for being a great athlete. It's his BB IQ that was higher than anyone's EVER and had a prime of a 4-year stretch where he AVERAGED 50/40/90 across those years. He missed a 3rd 50/40/90 one year by having "only" like an 89.3% FT%, and as for 3-pointers, keep in mind Durant & today's guys grew up with the 3-pt line all their lives while it only appeared in Bird's rookie season. He didn't grow up w/the concept, let alone the line itself.
Yokic is probably the best comparison from today's game, I agree. Larry's still the only forward ever to get 3 consecutive MVP's and the only one since the merger in the first place, although I think Yokic shoulda won his 3rd in a row last year.
...meanwhile, LeBron's showing his 'clutchness' by having his last shot of the last game last year hitting the side of the backboard lol
You make fun of someone else for their spelling mistakes, yet you misspell Jokic. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Jokic shouldn’t have won 3 in a row get over it and what did Lebron even have to do with anything? Not a lebron fan but you reached all the way from America to China to make that joke.
Competition is harder today. Bird's no-bum and deserves more respect. It's time to remove Russell and Wilt from the top 10. They have clogged the top 10 up way too long for just being pioneers of the sport. Playing literally 9 teams during basketball's infancy should be acknowledged, but gtfo with taking the top 10 spots from the GOATs. You shouldn't punish people for playing great during an ERA they can't control. But there comes a limit with Russell and Wilt where it's not worthy of top 10. WNBA teams would be whooping some of those teams.
@@RickytickyBobbywobbin-jl5oy Jokic should have won it and got robbed by identity politics and whiners. He is the best player in the game. You casuals make me giggle. 😂
@@RickytickyBobbywobbin-jl5oyhe should.. You are delusional if you think otherwise
Great reaction. Thanks! Bird was the best small forward ever. I watched him from the beginning all the way until his bad back made him retire. The night before a big game Bird could be found at a local bar drinking everyone under the table and getting into fist fights. Only 3 players in NBA history ever won 3 MVP's in a row - Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Larry Bird.
Two Pat Riley quotes about Bird:
1) "If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan; If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life...I'd take Larry Bird."
2) "He's the greatest clutch player I've ever seen. The hell with Jerry West!"
Larry Legend best SF ever
Michael Jordan agrees with you. Gives Bird credit for teaching him what he knows.
KD couldn't hold Bird's jock strap.
durant would be too injured 60% of the time and insulted from the trash talk to even play in the 80's or 90's
He actually could but he aint as good as bird though.
KD had to go to the WARRIORS teaming up with CURRY/THOMPSON/GREEN, to win 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS. BIRD won 3 with the CELTICS never jumping SHIP or wanting another ALL-STAR. KD needs to stay in his lane
As a Laker myself, Bird is one of my favorite players all time, and one of 2 Boston Jerseys I actually want to own someday.
No, your a Lakers FAN, which is VERY different than BEING a Laker.
History won’t remember this clown, but Birds will forever be immortal.
If the Joker and Luka are Dominanting in today's Game Larry Legend would Dominant plus he would tell you about how he would do it KD is a scoring machine but not much else Bird even played better D End of Story
Yeah, I was just looking at their career stats, and was very surprised how much better his defensive stats were than Durant's. Like, head and shoulders above him.
@@patrickhall6627 Bird had the Greatest Defensive play in Basketball History arguably
@@caseyrobinson5884 "Now there's a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ, he lays it in!"
I can still hear it, I hope that's what you are referencing.
@@patrickhall6627 of course you already know
@@bob88667 Yeah, it's crazy. Bird lead the NBA in Defensive Win Shares and Box Plus/Minus 4 times. You simply cannot do that without being a complete player.
How about KD? 0 times leading in DWS and 1 time leading in B+/-. Not to shit on him. KD is an amazing player. 1st ballot HoF, perhaps even an all-time great. Bird is just simply better though.
LeFlop isn't even better than Bird!!!!
Where’s LeBron on your list?
Lebron isn’t my goat but this is just delusional
@@iiiii4388LBJ has a better career/resume ( hard to argue against that) but Bird had a higher peak (cut short due to a back injury).
@@ServantProfessional 15th or so... maybe.
@@brothergrimaldus3836 got it. Just a reminder, Jordan has 6 finals MVPs, the next closes is… LeBron James with 4. That’s More than Bird, More than Kobe, More than Hakeem, More than Duncan, more than Magic, more than Kareem, more than Shaq.
Bird could 1000% shoot better than Bron, and Bird had 50/40/90 seasons which is REMARKABLE. I love Bird.
Bron leads the entire NBA in all time points… you don’t do that by accident. I’m sure Jordan would’ve scored 38K if he could’ve. And I’m sure Kobe would’ve too, but that accomplishment isn’t for everybody.
But Bron is 15th … got it.
Bird was a man who played with grit and determination and carried his team to multiple titles. Durant is just the greatest 2nd option of all time.
Bird retired more than a decade before I was born and yeah I know this is false. Bird is at worst top 6 all time and could potentially be even higher than that if not for his back issues. He was a fantastic scorer, passer, rebounder, shooter and before his back issues was a decent defender, making 3 Second team all defense whereas Durant has never made a single one. Also Bird has more MVPs and titles and all 3 titles were done as the absolute top guy on the team. Also he was a 50-40-90 or close to it guy for most of his career.
Larry Bird is a bussdriver, Durant is not.
Look at this virgin
....says the kid who never saw him play live and has NO idea what he's talking about & can't even SPELL "bus driver," so consider the source....
@@KenD67 KD on his 1337th burner account. Stay mad daug.
@@sctrevorGrew up w/one as a Dad, thanks, and I still say anyone who calls Bird a "bussdriver" has no clue so stow it
@@KenD67 neither did you, what's your point? Lil bro calling others de kids lol
Larry Bird is the greatest one of the top 10 players to ever play the game. I will never take Durant over Bird due to KD jumping ship when it got tough. KD's championships are made of cupcakes. I think Bird is the greatest small forward ever. I am very bias towards old school players over these spoiled divas.
Agreed. Give me Wilt and Bird, give me Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Elvin Hayes, and you could put together your team of choice of post-2010 players and I'd like my odds.
Unless we played under 2020s rules, because disallowing defense and rewarding flops? Missed me with that one.
@@c99kfmyea the nba died in 2017 after that it became boring
So wait a minute guys in the 80's weren't spoilt divas too lol, Jordan would disagree.
Humans are humans no matter the era or age.
@@c99kfmur logic is impeccable lol, you use 3 decades worth of players to play players from 2010 and beyond, that's only 13 years as of 2023 right.
Appreciate basketball instead making up Basless fictional arguments.
Those who always talk about longevity to give the edge to modern players miss something, Bird came in the league at 23 while Durant was 19.
If we talk about teammates, Bird never had a top 20 player alongside him (maybe McHale in his prime) while Durant always has at least once (Westbrook in OKC, Curry and Thompson in GSW, Harden in Brooklyn and Booker in Phoenix) and some of them were even top 10 or top 5.
Realistically, Bird is a top 10 all time while Durant is a top 30.
What was Robert Parrish ,Nate Archibald,Kevin Mikal , Dennis Johnson all the guys are in the hall of fame
@@ivorywatts3881 Bird MADE Parrish and "Mikal" HoFers. Those 2 would have never gotten close without Bird. Archibald was past his prime and only a role player when he played with BOS. DJ, while a good player, shouldn't be in the HoF, in my opinion. He never lead the league in anything, averaged 14 pts/g and 5 assists and played very good D.
@@ivorywatts3881 Archibald was already in his 30s when he played with Bird, Johnson only made 1 all star team after coming in Boston, Parish only made 2 all nba team but was a regular all star (that means a top 24, not top 20).
Only McHale had a 20ppg in his Celtics tenure.
HOF is no more a sign of greatness with anyone could made it nowadays.
larry bird at 35 was a broken shell of himself in an era that didnt take rest days and didnt hoist 30 3s a game... yet on all his pain he still was a 40% 3poiny shooter and still averaged 20 9 and 7. IN CONSTANT PAIN.... just by changing eras he would probably avg 24pg. today broken... now on those last few yrs larry lost not one bit of skill.. it was merely about how much pain he was in day to day. and who he was playing... he absolutely gave his best when he played the likes of mj.. as he broken got the better of prime mj and pippen head to head... a month before he retired he put an insane triple double on the blazers.. not completely sure but thes numbers are close of not on point and he put up 49points 14boards and 12assists plus his usual steals at 35.... now imagine larry never hurt his back... then imagine someone convinced him that weights wouldn't make him lose athleticism and shooting ability, because thats how he openly felt then along with a great many athletes. Not to mention practices like yoga... even with his injury that he actually sustained in his prime in 85.. had he had a more educated and holistic approach to training that didnt really exist then.. he quite possibly could have overcome that injury.. larry retired due to pain.. not production... obviously he wasn't scoring as much but every other number... rebounding assists steals and shooting were basically no different... he CLEARLY. broken could have continued 2or more yrs putting up 20 9 and 7 which by anyone else's standards would be hof numbers... but pain sucks.. and they were a good team but just not able to compete in a 7 game series with a team like the bulls... however had bias lived that may have changed..
He played defense.durant is not a better defensive player than bird!!!
I agree with this
Bird n kobe are the most disrespected legends in basketball history
Facts only. Ironically, both of them are Top 5 DOA
Bird argueably top 5 kobe ain't, why a kobetard os bringing kobe in this conversation.
Bird is better than kobe most definitely though
@charles9489 clearly you're a child if your first instinct is to insult someone for liking someone you don't.. I love bird.. idk about top 5. He's in the brink. But kobe is definitely top 5, n he definitely was better n had a better career than Bird. But sure we're kobetards cuz we have different opinions than you. I mean you're literally proving my point in what i said.. Grow up kid.
Durant if put in any team will ALWAYS be a GREAT CONTRIBUTOR. But BIRD if put in any team would ALWAYS be a GREAT ALL-AROUND LEADER. There's a BIIIIGGGG! DIFFERENCE!
I like the fact that you never hear Bird say that he's better than other great players. He shows class by letting other people have those debates about him. You also notice that he often downplays his success. Humility shows greatness.
Nice one dude this is one of my favorite videos you’ve done. You understand Larry really well I accept you as a Bird scholar, welcome!
Love KD he’s my favorite current player but Larry clears easily. I feel like KD just doesn’t care as much as Larry did, I mean, I think that’s obvious. KD is a more dynamic midrange scorer than Larry. Larry is much better off ball and his post play was near elite. The 3ppg KD has on Larry can almost entirely be accounted for in 3 pt volume, which shows how close they really are in that area.
Larry was too complete though, and that’s not really a direct swipe at KD, Larry has an argument as the most complete player ever.
KD is a huge whiner. If he were to play in Birds era the whining would have been stuffed in his face.
I don't think it's controversial to say anymore, KD is probably a better shooter than Bird, but not by much. Bird however is better at; rebounding, general defense, and play making and by a sizable margin
Agreed. Offensively, at best it could be argued KD is marginally better. And a good chunk of that has to do with how the game has changed between when Bird and Durant played. Pretty much every single other facet of the game, Bird was WAY better.
@@patrickhall6627 I wouldn't even say he's better offensively, as he's only better at scoring, but off-ball offense id say he's a bit worse than Bird, and he's definitely worse at playmaking
@@F_N_Inquisitor I agree 100%
Not even close. These comparisons with KD and Lebron are an insult to Bird.
Bird is the greatest NBA player of all time, and his resume says it isn't even close:
-Rookie of the Year*
-Only player added to a 29 win Celtics team that went on to win 61 games; that 32 game difference is an NBA record for wins by 1 player added to the same team.
-Wins first 3 3pt shooting contests during All Star Break; his hitting clutch 3 point shots to win games makes him the NBA's greatest 3 point shooter.
-Bird's 2-0 record in the playoffs vs Michael Jordan, both sweeps
-Bird being the 3rd and last player to win 3 consecutive League MVP Awards (Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell being the other 2)*
-Bird winning NBA FINALS MVP*
-Bird winning 3 NBA titles for the same team*
-Bird doing the damage he did while facing the most physical defense the league ever had (defenses that resembled assault and battery with attempted rape) as he played with a bad back from installing a driveway for his mom by himself..
-Bird being one of the most clutch free throw shooters in NBA History
-Bird being one of the greatest passers in the NBA
-Bird being one of the greatest rebounders in the NBA
-Bird being 3 time NBA second team for defense.
-Bird doing the damage he did against the players who comprise 90% of the NBA'S GREATEST PLAYERS LISTS, including the 1992 Dream Team and a multitude of players in the Hall of Fame
-Bird being the greatest clutch shooter in NBA History; so clutch that Miami Heat President and former head coach of the KNICKS and LAKERS famously said: "if I need one player to hit a shot to win a game, I'll take Michael Jordan. If I need one player to take a shot to save my life, I only want Larry Bird."
-Bird telling the opposing team exactly what he was going to do and then proceeding to do exactly that to hit the shot.
-Bird scoring 60 points vs the Atlanta Hawks, and the Hawks bench falling all over themelves as Bird hits shot after shot with a defender just about in his shorts
-Bird doing all that damage while the hop step, gather step, and Euro-step were considered TRAVELLING violations.
-Bird's near unanimous election to the NBA Hall of Fame
Then, take into account what Bird did after he retired:
-NBA COACH OF THE YEAR*
-NBA EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR*
All of those I mentioned above that have an (*) behind it makes Larry Bird THE ONLY PERSON IN NBA HISTORY to do those things.
KD needs to put the crack pipe down
Bird is the closest to Jordan in peak performance in the clutch & shooting.
Facts. Kobe also.
@@melvinhhcp3615 Kobe not on Jordan & Bird's level. Way too many Bricks to be considered close.
@@heirrose1606Kobe played with Bad players for like 75% of hist career.. No wonder he had to take tough shots
@@heirrose1606 Jordan said that Kobe was on Jordan's level, or at least somewhere near there. Btw, Bird only played 13 seasons. Jordan 15 seasons. So Kobe's fg misses is supposed to eclipse theirs.
Btw, there's no way to marginalize 33k pts & 5 rings. Bird had 2 fmvps. So did Kobe. Bird never repeated tho. Kobe did so without Shaq. Jordan had 9 all defense 1st team selections. So did Kobe (Payton & Garnett as well). Larry was nowhere near this. My conclusion is, all of them are Top 5. MJ. Kobe. Bird, but Kobe is above Bird for repeating without Shaq. Larry wasn't gonna do that.
@@melvinhhcp3615 Jordan was just being nice because he's classy. Peak performance has nothing to do with longevity. It's about the best level they played under the biggest pressure moments. Bird won 3 MVPs in a row and was the closest assassin to Jordan NOT Kobe who put up too many bricks in clutch moments compared to the few he actually made. Bird was also clutch on defense on the Finals, including defensive plays Kobe never got close to doing.
These kids of today just don't get how good Larry was I was a sixers fan with the likes of Dr J Moses Malone Charles Barkley Andrew Tony and Bird destroys them I watch those series and I just couldn't stand bird now I love him and respect the him so much I wish I was Celtic fan and watch all his games back then instead rooting against him and losing 😅 I believe Jordan look up to Larry and watched how Larry played and copied Larry and just took it to higher level
What everybody seems to not understand is that Bird played the game where intelligent playing was at a premium, whereas almost everyone else puts a premium on physical skill and flash. I'll take the intelligent play every time over flash.
One of the biggest unmeasured stats is that Bird made his teammates better. Bird was a master of the game and his passing ability was off the charts. He was very tough, had guts and played with heart...those traits are rare in today's NBA. Plus, the 80's era was a very physical NBA and the Eastern Conference was very difficult to even make the playoffs. Larry Legend deserves every ounce of Respect .
Bird has arguably the highest basketball IQ in history. Durant might not even be better than Lebron James or Doc J
Bird is not better than LeBorn and KD either and I was a Boston Celtic fan from the the fifties and bird is not a top ten player
@@ivorywatts3881 you’re certainly entitled to your opinion. I’m not a Celtics fan but I consider him the best and smartest small forward.
@@ivorywatts3881 Thank you. I loved Larry Bird's style of play and he's a true great but many of these comments are taking it a bit too far with their fantasies.
Bird is a top 2 SF. Durant is not in that conversation.
And who is your number 1 sf?lebum?
@@AlfredoRamos-ko3tx Yup. I won fault anyone for having Bird higher. But no one else is in the conversation.
Larry Bird would be even more dominate today. He would wipe the floor with KD.
Larry Bird won 3x Championships as the bus driver. KD won 2 as the bus rider. Enough said.
I just saw larry Bird in one of my favorite restaurant bars in my home town of Naples FL and have seen and spoken briefly to the ledgend thanking him for so ma y great memories as a Bird / Celtics fan. That man is a total class act. A lot of the bar patrons asked for quick photo opps and he was more the patient an willing to oblige w/all smiles, shaking hands ect. He is a great roll model for the sport and even in retirement carries a big torch of representing his amazing career and accompishments w/ dignity and respect. All these men played in an era of the hame that was extremely brutal and physical on the court. Many stars in todays NBA would never have the long careers they have today if it wasn't for these men of his era and the rule changes.
Larry Bird was not a cupcake. End of argument
What with this Old ass generation saying they are better than 80’s & 90’s players
KD and LBJ are taking much longer to meet the stats of those players like come on
The goat don’t say “I’m the goat”
A prime KD anyone would say is a great player, but a prime Bird is literally still being talked about 40 years after the fact.. Enough said.
I have Bird at 4 or 5 all-time. He dominated his era more than KD. KD has an argument with the scoring but Bird was a more complete player.
Better than bird?🤣🤣🤣. Didn’t you switch to warriors to win against bron and Russell? Meanwhile bird was cooking up the lakers within staying in a team
You're wrong Kevin you can never be as good as Larry Bird
The disrespect for Bird is insane.
Jordan is the GOAT Player.
Bird is the GOAT SF and the GOAT of the NBA. He is the only player to be successful in tons of positions off the court.
Bird would destroy these thin skinned prima-donnas. Bird was so good that he MADE McHale and Parrish HoFers.
Nobody fears kd❤
Outside of scoring and longevity (things that are heavily impacted by era) what does KD do better than Bird?
Larry was a better rebounder
Larry was a better passer
Larry was a better on ball and team defender
Larry was more clutch
Larry was more loyal
and Bird made his teammates better. Plain and simple, Durant isn't even close at being able to do that.
Larry isn't more clutch but everything else is about right.
. Really, Larry wasn't more clutch! Come on man!
In one regard, Durant is since he's a better shooter and scorer. Durant deserves respect in that regard... but as a winner and the main catalyst for a championship winning team... he's ten miles behind Bird who is one of the all timers for that reason. For that reason, I take Bird 99/100 times.
Larry would win more than KD if they both trade career runs!
KD pulling a Lebron ruined his legacy. Great shooter, but not the best at shooting nor offense
he may be as effective at scoring, but overall nah not even close
Bird is better than James and Durant, who were both incredible players, but I wonder how Dr J and a few other amazing players are basically ignored in this conversation
This is easier than most would like to acknowledge. The talent level between the 80's and today is like comparing the 60's to the 80's. You know, the number one reason why Russell and Wilt are not unanimously considered the GOATs. Most kids today have 0 knowledge of the game beyond what CZcams gives them....which is nothing. Bird is in my top three favorite players of all time, KD isn't in my top 30. KD is lightyears ahead of Bird as far as "who the best player was" not even close. And if you're the guy who's all about accolades, eras be damned, you obviously have Russell as the GOAT by almost double of MJ, not to mention he was infinitely more important to his teams. The 80's were my favorite era of basketball but, it's time to acknowledge the talent level across the league was incredibly weak compared to today, and this is probably the understatement of the decade.
Bird is better than any player in the NBA over the last 25 years. Take that how you want
I think only probably Duncan and Shaq have a Real Case. Kobe was really good when he was younger around 99--03. lebron is no where close, neither is durant or kawhi. that is also saying a lot. Cause they are good players in their own right around 25th - 35th. lebron honeslty is an over glorified Karl Malone. Malone was a better shooter though.
Amare was Amazing there for about 3 seasons. That Amare today on these sorry Defenses would average 35 today.
I don't want to hear from the idiots that Bird was great cause he had all these HOFers on his team cause 1989 proves otherwise cause in reality it was Larry Legend Bird that made all his average teammates into HOFers and that's what a True GOAT does
What in happened in 89
@@reasedogable if Larry had all these HOF like the Jordansexuals and Bronsexuals say he did then what happen to them all when Larry was out for the season in 89
In his first 9 seasons in the NBA, this is where Bird finished in MVP voting - 4, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 3, 2. KD's first 9 seasons he finished N/A, N/A, 2, 5, 2, 2, 1, N/A, 5. In those 9 years, Bird was All-NBA first team all 9 seasons.
Bird is Respected. All Time F's
1. Scottie Pippen (Batman) (Michael "Air"Jordan Made a Monster) some people just don't know everything he was doing in the Full Court. All of Pippens 21 ppg was in the Flow of the game on tip outs and Hustler plays. Pippen is a One of the Best Passers Ever
2. Larry Bird "Legend"
3. Julius Dr Erving "Dr J"
4. "The Human High Light Film"
5. Big Game James
Kawhi has a Chance to be in the top 3 but only about 2 or 3 Playoff Runs. He is almost like Penny. Penny would've been top 3 PG of all time
It's funny that people always say the 80s 90s had weaker competition etc, stating that players this era are more athletic, better shooters and yet the best player of todays NBA is a no jumping, slow poke forward, center Nikola Jokic, so what does that mean? Jokic's game is parallel to Bird's if you put Larry Bird in today's game he'd be like Jokic!
Better
Better and maybe much better. Bird was faster than both Jokic and Luka and more skilled than both.
We’re over here talking about Bird heck Dr. J is better than KD. A lot of y’all gonna think that’s crazy but looking at Dr. J’s resume including what he did in the ABA has 3 Rings 4 MVP’s 3 Scoring titles 2 Finals MVP’s top 10 in scoring 9 All NBA/ABA first teams and 1 All Defensive first team. KD at best is the 4th best SF of all time I blame my generation we don’t bother to do research we just pompously proclaim that what we have now is better than anything before it
Look at John Havlicek, KD’s is not better than him either, keep moving that lever back a bit more 😂😂
@@HeathOverledger definitely gotta put respect on the OG’s
Hold it. I agree that Bird has KD, but Dr. J not so much. I think KD is about equal to Dr. J, not above not below, but about the same.
@@melvinhhcp3615 I’d have to disagree. In the 70’s Dr. J’s prime he averaged 26 points 10 rebounds 4.5 assists 2.1 steals and almost 2 blocks per game on 50% shooting. KD is a slightly better Scorer than him being more of a 27-30 guy in his prime and also being a 3 level scorer but in their prime Dr. J is a way better rebounder, defender, and winner than KD. The only thing he does better is score and Doc was no slouch as a scorer very underrated in fact.
@@datboimazz I agree with this comment mostly. However, I believe the 70's was the weakest era in basketball. No doubt, Dr. J was the biggest star (aside from Kareem), however I think if Dr. J in his prime were playing in same time span (starting in 07-08), his career trajectory would be different. As such, I think Dr. J & KD are moreso equals.
No comparison, you hit the nail on the head. Durant is an outstanding, highly skilled player. Larry was and is in another category, a legend.
Not to mentioned bird didn't need to join a superteam to win his rings.
@@colindowden2182Bird made them a super team.
Look, Larry legend is my all time favourite player. I'd pick him no. 1 in an all time draft. But I've got no problem at all with KD saying he's a better player than Bird. Skill for skill, there ain't a lot between them. But attitude is a different story. If KD had Bird's mentality and confidence, probably a lot less people having a problem with this take.
Kevin DuCan't never one anything on his own, he can't even polish Larry Bird's shoes
Bird played defensively which KD can only dream of
Larry Bird is one of greatest players of all time! He was fun to watch and even defeated my team. I admire him as a player. He was one of many players that made the NBA, what it is now. Inspiring many future players to come.
Durant wouldn’t have a career if he had to face Bird every year
This make me think about the time Dennis say Bird'll be playing in Europe if he'll be playing in this era ; Dennis can't forget the time Bird whip his ass .
Longevity doesn’t make a player better or worse but great insight
I disagree with Durant. I think Bird was a much better player. But for Kevin Durant to say he is better than Bird is not disrespectful. Durant is in the conversation for the best Small Forward of all time, at least offensively.
It’s 50/50 for me for who’s better. If I need somebody that’s gonna give me a pure bucket at the sf then obviously kd, but if I need somebody to do a lil bit of everything at the sf then obviously bird. Both are great players but it comes with different scenarios
bird clears every FORWARD ever
Bird would destroy this cookie soft era. He would be by far the best in the league. The ESPN talk show hacks would be so upset every morning having to talk about Bird schooling everyone every night lol
Larry LEGEND Bird at his peak could eat and spit KD without blinking an eye.
Durant was as good or better than bird in points
But as an all-around basketball player
Bird was much better