I don't even watch the NBA any more save for some highlights here and there and he has legitimatized an entire Era. What escapes lots of People is that decades ago there was an Exodus of American Assistants and International Pros that never came back. They left because American Players didn't want to be coached but coddled instead
Lol...very true...what I wouldn't give to watch any team to win a title in the last 15 years to play the Lakers,Celtics, or Pistons of the 80's or the 90's Bulls..and play by the rules of those days...
if he spent his childhood shooting 3 pointers, he would have been one of the greatest now for sure. the 86 team would win every in any era. he made his teamates better. and he never whined if he was fouled and got no call. he would get a double double at this age if his back was healed, just with his smarts.
Gilbert was a shooter and trash defender who got to the bucket .. Bad leader .. Larry didn't have the 3 point line . Went into the paint . Passed .. dominates ball but made players better . Bird bad defender but I'm biggest moments, Bird hit shots for titles .. Gilbert hit shots for a pay check .. sell some garbage shoes
Even if prime Bird wouldn't dominate (I do think he would just to be clear) he would still do very very well and would still be a major player as a major threat
People who say Bird couldn't play today are just stupid. From 1984-85 through 1987-88, Bird played in 312 games with .517/.414/90.1 splits. The volume wasn't like it is today for threes but he actually led the league in three pointers made in back to back seasons. Add in softer defense and increase the volume of threes and he would be incredible today
And, in Larry's day, they didn't concentrate on the 3 point shot in practice like they do now. He said something like, "at the end of practice, we'd shoot a few 3 pointers." And with that little prep, he shot 42% his best year. Between his shooting, his amazing passing, his court awareness, and his competitive drive, he would be one of the best in the league now, just like he was then.
Bird was not only the best player until injuries hit him hard, But he was the best 3 point shooter for a few years as well. Bird won the very first three 3 point shooting contests. And as he told them. It was a battle for 2nd between the rest. Bird was in fact the OG of the Three.
@@thomassykes2965 Fred Van Vleet, Ben Wallace, John Starks, Bruce Bowen, Brad Miller, Udonis Haslem, Jose Calderon, Joe Ingles, Avery Johnson, David Wesley, Darrell Armstrong, Raja Bell...all undrafted players, all had an impact and could play. I guess I fail to see your point...
@@thomassykes2965 KD wouldn't have made it in 80s or 90s. In today's WEAK era 🤣 KD hits the floor 1x on a ticky tack foul and he's out for 2 full seasons. Not hard to guard a guy who's never on the court
And they have to take games off for rest. You would have to fight Bird, Magic and Jordan to make them sit a game off for rest. Nigue was fantastic too!
Look at Kawhi Leonard and how much he is riding the bench. You get a hang nail and you're out for like a month these days. They say they are bigger, faster, stronger, and the like but they don't seem to be very durable. Larry Bird played through more pain and injuries, from all I have heard, than any of today's players would even handle. Larry was one tough-as-nails SOB. And then you have someone like John Stockton who played for 19 years and missed very few games as a starter and how tough he was. He set picks against the big guys and they didn't like it cause he set hard picks.
People who have seen both eras and know how much some fellow older fans overrate things about those eras. It’s hilarious some of the ridiculously stupid things they say
He had the first 2 50/40/90 seasons, decades before the 3-pointer was utilized properly, and was unquestionably one of the toughest guys to ever play, and had the competitive drive almost no one can compare with. Safe to say he would be MVP caliber in today's NBA.
The 3pt line was actually invented in 1961 in the ABL but was added to the NBA in the 78-79 season with Chris Ford making the first shot so yeah it took a while.
During the mid 1980s Celtics run Danny Ainge tried to argue to KC Jones for using the 3-pointer as an offensive strategy. During that time they had Bird, Ainge & Scott Wedman who were all averaging over 45% from beyond the arc. Bird was against it because it didn’t keep the other teammates engaged. If they had played today’s game, they would have thrived!
Larry got bored and had to challenge himself and this was against the best players of his era. Larry was just as good with his left hand as most of today's players are good with their strong hand.
@@Blacklist324 Absolutely. Danny was a 2 sport star. He played in the MLB too. He was also a top highschool football player. Reddick is a junk player not even remotely close to Ainge in terms of athletic ability. And he's stupid on top of it.
I bet most people have no clue that Danny Ainge played in a major leagues when he was 19 or 20. I remember seeing him play I think shortstop it was and I know it was the Blue Jays. Reddick is such a sorry person
@@clayscloset2618 he only says this stuff because its what the youth are programmed to believe. they are programming them to hate the past so they can change it
90s defense was not brutal there’s more free throws and more fouls. Also it wasn’t an assault era Trae would survive easily. If a 5’3 135 pound Muggsy can make it then Trae young can. Absolute old head
@@RealAaron317 that’s not my point. Trae Young shoots 40 ft deep threes at a pretty high rate, he’s deadly in the pick and roll, and he’s a terrific passer. His handles are also terrific and he’s very crafty. Don’t forget that deadly floater
Remember this? th-cam.com/video/HDgqci9pE6A/w-d-xo.html But Lebron would be too much for Rodman to handle? And the league is just as physical nowadays? Watch Rodman wrestling Shaq for the entire second half. Guys like Reddick are delusional.
And don't forget how much trouble Rodman gave Malone. And if anything thinks that Lebron is a tougher customer than the Mailman, I just don't know what to tell you.
Who in the f gives a rats a^* what Gilbert arenas or JJ redick says anyway? These guys ain’t even in the same universe as talent compared with these legends they talk smack about.
Gilbert arenas also forgot to mention that he let a then 21 year old LeBron James punk him at the free throw line causing him choke away that playoff series 😬
It's amazing how some people think being a prolific scorer when your physically being hit, bumped, pushed, and it not getting called as a foul would automatically translate to poorer performance in an era where those handicaps are removed.
Rodman was on the toughest defensive team. The one that swept Shaq and Kobie in the finals. Love to see these modern players think they were gonna run over that team. The modern players get to shoot over a zone. It was straight man on man then. And there were roster spots on every team for guys to specialize in fouling out. Glad I got to see the heyday. I don't even watch the modern NBA game. It sent me back to the NHL. Dan
Agreed. And he didn't even make the Top 50 List! (Sadly) Dominique earned my respect because of the way he played, his great rival game against Bird when Bird scored 60, and because he is humble enough to give Bird the credit he deserves. Respect is a two-way street. I quit watching the NBA shortly before Bird retired.
Players like Bird and Magic would dominate in today's game, not only because of their physical skills, but their mental acumen for the game was unmatched. They would adapt to today's game very rapidly and fluidly.
I watched a very well done, extremely in depth video actually comparing Magic and Bird from ALL aspects and not just the numbers so many of these "analyst" stat junkies become so zombied out on..... It was a great vid and I will no doubt rewatch it in the future... It's pretty insane just how close those two actually were as all around GOAT players... The conclusion.... I agreed with, but the overall video gave no bias whatsoever until the end of the video, and the final thoughts on why that conclusion is reached. All I can say is that the comparisons (some I had never thought of before or seen made before) overall were just amazing to me....
Same. I used to love the NBA. I saw all of the greats. Bird, Magic, Dr. J (my favorite), George Gervin, Kareem, Hakeem the Dream, Shaq, AI, Kobe...The game changed over the years, and I just don't enjoy watching it anymore.
I’m 45 years old .. born in 1979.. and I’m glad I had a bit of bird and magic and a whole lot of MJ… I practically grew up during the 90’s when MJ was holding on the chip each year… I’m blessed to be a witness to the good old days of basketball… honestly the nba today, I only watch the highlights and not the whole game… back then you just don’t wanna miss a thing… but why? I think it’s because I wanna see more action.. that’s maybe why I also love american football or rugby.. todays nba is more of a shooting contest or a skills contest… I want competitions and rivalries… players back then are usually loyal to their own team and will strive to get better instead of jumping from team to team…
Same….45 and I echo your sentiments….Mostly soft guys from modest/affluent backgrounds and foreign players the past 12 or so years….Im from St. Louis, so Tatum has me thinking about watching. After The BIG 3 left the Celtics, LeBron left Miami, I was pretty much done…..Game got way too soft….🤷🏽♂️
Same, I really don't watch it at all much. Just sometimes to keep up to date and see some highlights. Even the Allstar game doesn't make me come back to watch.
they are only playing jail basketball because they allowed too plus their opponents is doing that shit too so if the 80s players are playing in todays NBA they will be much better because they cant be touched thats why the old player will always have the edge in these debates especially those who played with handchecking
Hell no. 💀 kawhi clamping his ass up lmfao. Bird was cool and tuff yes he was better than magic but modern players don’t compare with players of 20 years ago. And in 20 years when the players are all like Victor wembayna and 6’3” PG just don’t exist anymore and everyone 6’10” guy plays PG they’ll be way better than the players their fathers watched.
@@lundoren5240 You're Tripping very hard. Is Luka getting his game off? If so.. There's absolutely NO REASON to believe Bird, Adrian Dantley, Alex English, IceMan, Dominique Wilkins, Dan Issel and 100 other guys wouldn't be effective NBA Players today. Couple that with these new defense rules and it's going to be EASY for them.
Bird not ONLY Shot Left & Right handed . . . . He called His Shots. . . . Played Injured . . . . Returned to a Game with a Broken Cheek bone . . . . The NBA 🐐G.O.A.T.🐐
I realised how hardcore that was one day when I figured out... they don't let you fight on in boxing or MMA with a broken cheekbone. I mean he could have gone blind.
@nature93 Huh . . . . . "little mikie" NeVeR EvEr started Winning, until after magically 2 1987 Top Draft Picks ended up His Roster (#5- Scottie Pippen & #10- Horace Grant), along with several Top Free Agents (Salary Cap), like Robert Parrish, George Gervin. THEN add in Top 3-Point shooting Talent (Craig Hodges, Paxon, Kerr, etc.)
The older players were tougher mentally and would have adapted to all the modern training methods that today's players have. Bird had a killer instinct that Kevin Durant doesn't have
He (KD ) tried switch team Oklahoma with Westbrook who despise KD living him mantle Ok by himself to,Golden st (Won NBA Championship ) , and then Brooklyn with an ex OK teammate Harden & kyrie (went doncic Dallas) never click ,KD wants to go back West team join phoenix team with booker (team scorer & leader) king lebron doing that too (Cavs to Miami (NBA championship wade & Bosh back Cavs won NBA championship with kyrie ,K Love & Aussie gaurd Dellanova success gaurding Steph Gsw scorer to limit scoring lebron team click & give Cleveland ist NBA trophy and La Lakers after Kobe retired with AD (Antonio Davis as new recruit center post pandemic 2020 very weird NBA championship back then I don't know difference from old school players from 80 's to 90's Bird ,magic ,MJ ,Hakeem ,Isiah Thomas or Lambeer or Dr J sixers are loyal with there teams ❤
Bird was one of those guys that took the shots and made the shots that won playoff series and championships. Doesn't matter the era, he would have been great. He just had a feel for the game. There's only been a handful of guys like that in league history. Those are the guys we have in the top 10.
Saying everyone back then were small and couldn't guard today's players and can't shoot either is so ignorant. Steph Curry is 6'3", and he's able to shoot. Dennis Rodman couldn't defend because he's too small, Rodman in the 1990's was 6'7" 242 lbs. Reddick and the players are ignorant in their knowledge of the '80's and 90's.
@@eddiehaskell1957 you just compared a point guard to a power forward. How about compare a 6'7 210lbs Rodman to 6'8 260lbs Lebron who drives downhill instead of back to the basket.
@@newrecruit100 ya completely different.bird was better at literally everything than luka he just didn’t have a top 10 all time usage rate like most of the guys putting up gaudy stats now.
@@johnstone2103 smart man. Let Bird have the ball in his hands 80% of the time and take 50% of all shots and see what gaudy numbers he puts up in this soft ass league.
@@newrecruit100 by evolution do you mean Luka is a less athletic, worse shooter, less of a passer, cannot run the break like Bird before bone spurs, AND no defense? Bird had exceptional defensive instincts ..and shot 50/40/90 3 times in a row 86-88 with hard defenders like rodman or coop on him...the main advantage luka has is thickness and power. Love his game but not an evolution. Evolution means a better Bird and there is nothing like that. Only Joker in this league is that level passing
Bird was a country boy who wasn't scared of anything, off course not all fearless people succeed in life, some of them don't come anywhere close to succeeding, but Bird had tons of god gifted natural ability to back up his fearlessness, that's what made him scary!
The only way to judge era’s is how they dominated their peers and impact on the game…everything else is unfair because of the evolution of the game itself. It’s a no brainer to see that players are more skilled today jus like everything else has been upgraded for the most part. Car engines, technology, culinary u name it. They are better because they are building from something previous.
Success is a relative term though. For us who are disabled, just getting out of bed is success. Think about that. Don't let society tell you how to live your life or if you should or should not be happy with the life you have. You wake up in the morning, that's success. You get your sleep at night, success. It's the little things that count my dude ❤🙌🔥👍
We have to not leave any of our bats in thé rack. The more effective shots we have the better the game Is. I do not give a damn about who. We move on based on how! When dunking was allow in high school and collage other skill we pushed to the side. The results are jumppers and drives to the hole. Or as they say spacing. All sport is now spectator driven. Rome tells where that leads.
Todays players have zero low-post IQ. Bad or nonexistent low-post footwork, bad low-post passing and low-post creativity. Honestly just bad creativity in general. 70 3PT attempts a game will do that. The modern game is an inferior version of basketball. This is obvious to anybody that grew up in the 70s 80s and 90s. And to go full boomer, NFL, MLB and NHL were all better back in the day too.
I think that Larry Bird in his prime was actually a mix of Joker and Luka...but better and actually more athletic. So, if they can do well in today's NBA, then Bird would make others look silly today.
i’m a huge luka and jokic fan, but Larry Bird clears both of them. He was actually a great defender and was WAY faster than either of the balkan boys. Larry Bird is easily the best white guy to ever play basketball. He’s a top 5 player ever.
I wouldn't say that Bird was athletic. But by playing him for his jump shot left you open for drives to the basket. These young guys would fall for Bird's fakes. Bird was a great player and he would score with ease against today's players!
Bird would tell defenses what he would do. The defense would be ready for it and be on him like a suit and Larry would nail the shots in his face. We all know that you just could not stop Larry's shot no matter what kind of defense you play.
Bird would definitely dominate today cuz you can’t touch the players now without a foul being called. He got pounded back in the day so imagine if he had that kind of protection today’s players get
Why for talking shit back to old school players ....he is right Gary Payton was little ...6'4 175 and his a lock down defender during his Era....who locking down today at that size steph kd lebron Melo kobe Luka kyrie dwade
Pretty much anyone in 80's or 90's. Luka fat and slow. Kyrie doesn't play but half his games (pretty easy to lock someone down when they're not there) Give KD a shove and he's going to miss 2 seasons cuz he's made of glass. Steph 6'3" (smaller)and can't guard anyone himself. Lebron not that good considering he's got a stacked team yet are in danger of missing playoffs (11 seed) Kyrie and Luka together been losing almost every game. Melo has sucked for a long time now always sucked on defense (not even in the league now) Kobe was a wanna be that still falls short 1x mvp Bird 3x MVP. Do you think Gary Payton was the only defensive player in 90's or Even the best one? Nope, not close dudes like Hakeem, David Robinson Alonzo Mourning, Mutumbo averaged around 4blocks per game compared to 2bpg that current NBA C's average. There were some very good defensive guards too Alvin Robertson Alex English. Bird would absolutely cook these dudes today
@@kevintowns9552 Nobody plays defense, this era of basketball sucks, hell they need to get in the weight room, therefore this is the softest era of basketball.
@7.3 Clan you right today's defense sucks ...but the rules make it difficult to play aggressive defense ... Why would I risk fouling out knowing they calling some bs ....think about it did steph curry get his 200 million plus contract based his defense....there are guys have offensive incentives in their contracts...
The question you should ask yourself is it skill or just bad defense, that makes you think the players nowadays are more skilled than players from the 80s and 90s
As a Celtics fan since the 80’s Larry Joe Bird was the white version of Magic John, competitively played every position at 6’9, talked the talk and walked it, didn’t care if you liked him or not, wanted the final shot, told you where he was gonna shoot the ball and there was nothing you could do to defend it…splash! Shouts to Stephen Curry, 2 different positions to compare
There are two types of NBA fans. The first group of people say Bird wouldn't dominate in today's league and the second group are those people who know what they are talking about.
He’s not athletic enough to dominate anything in this era. That’s not a criticism of Bird but it’s just acknowledging the evolution of what is an NBA player. It’s stupid to think he would these athletes of today would destroy him
@@drewelliott9062 This era is about 30 times more athletic that’s the point and you’re right he was barely athletic enough for back then imagine today You’re kinda proving my point for me
@robhernandez5520 I'm not arguing that the NBA isn't more athletic as a whole but there were many top level athletes from that era that would still be top level athletes in todays NBA and Bird dominated them as well. And also if you think athleticism is the only thing that makes a good basketball then you clearly don't understand the game.
Man I was a kid on the Rez when I heard the news Bird retired it broke my heart. They played defense all the way and also they played defense in the All Star game
I know other people have brought up the rule changes, but the ball handling rules, the traveling rules etc. have just as much an effect in the change in how the game is played as the defensive rule changes. Give those greats of the 50's to 90's players 2 weeks, and they would have adjusted to what they would be allowed to do with ball. Good players are good players - period. I prefer the style of game in the pre-2000's, but I don't believe for a moment that greats from any era couldn't adjust to rule changes and style changes and still be great.
There's no wisdom in dissing old-school players. There was a lot more physical play allowed in the 80's. I lived through it. Bird and Dr. J were among the best. Before my time, Wilt, Bill Russell and Jerry West were among the elite.
Players back then were listed at their rookie weights for their careers. For example Charles Oakley was listed at 225, but said he was 260 in his prime. Gilbert also said Scottie was 210, but again, that's his rookie weight. He was 230 in his prime. Also the average height of a center in the 60's was 6-10. Same as today.
Isn’t it funny how we have to sit here and listen to these loser nba players trash talk absolute legends. Gilbert arenas? Jj redick?! Who are these jokers.
I don’t give a damn what the averages say; when I watch Kareem highlights he is clearly 4 inches taller than everybody else and they’re mostly unathletic white guys. He would not dominate the 90’s and 2000’s the same way he dominated the 70’s and 80’s. Dwight Howard would jump up and grab that sky hook same way Wilt did
Great video! Totally agree with your final take. Vince, Duncan, Dirk, Kobe, great examples of evidence. And Bird led the league or was in the top five in threes for a few years in the 80s before it was ever a go to strategy. He pioneered the 3 pt shot in a lot of ways since everyone grew up playing with out it. The 3 pt line first came to the nba in 1980!
Bird was 6-10, could shoot and pass at an elite level and one of the most competitive people of any era. His basketball instincts and IQ translate to any era. He would absolutely still be a superstar today.
Yes, like JJ said, he was a great player and would be in todays game, but you can't compare his 3 point stats to Curry because most times Bird wasn't defended on the 3 point shot.
@@sonabTVyou wrong. Hé was défended but so badly, look the position he found, the moves he made before shooting. Anyway nobody could defend him, he was so trained and....too strong, that's all 😊
When comparing eras it is important to put into context how the rules of the game are being ignored compared to previous eras. See "The Evolution of Scoring" by the thinking basketball series. The offensive player today has a tremendous advantage due to the lack of calls regarding traveling, palming, cupping the ball, and the "rip thru" and the offense can throw their body into a defender and draw fouls.
Larry Bird with modern medicine/sports science is a scary prospect. Larry Bird is a total original, and pioneer of the game. If you gave Larry Bird the coaching/upbringing in today's game... he would kill everyone.
I hear players today talking about how they have "tools" that players in the past did not have and I roll over the floor laughing. In the 80s and 90s players had to go against real defenses, not the joke that we see today (mostly). Had to deal with hand checking, had to deal with players that were not affraid of being put on a poster if they got dunked on, cause their job was to defend the basket, not sell shoes. Today you got the step back, which in any other eras would have been a traveling violation and that allows to create absurd amounts of space (plus the defenders not wanting to even look funny at the attackers so they don't get shooting foul call). Back in the day players used to play basketball, 82 games worth of it, now players take breaks and say they are tough? Honestly, I'm on board with Dominique, they just look and sound stupid (plus, very disrespectful).
let me put it in another way. Who saw anything fancy in 95% of Tim Duncan's moves on the court? yet who managed to do anything about those moves to stop him? Larry was the more resourceful SF version of Duncan!
Bird was a 6'10 swing forward, that had assists just as good as magic, and was a big man shooting three. He's literally 40 years early the template of a modern day NBA player. Or, 40 years later. They're just now figuring it out
Nobody went into the paint during the Det/Chi/NYK hay days, and if you did, you owned up to the fact that it was gonna be a fight. The grit of the east vs the show of the west...and both had their times of dominance. 80's and 90's all the way. Today's players are more athletic, but that can be said about every next generation in every sport. Sad to say, Reggie Miller was tougher than most of this new lot.
Only guys who are older like I am can appreciate the older game. Guys today would've been called for carrying/palming the ball and traveling EVERY time they touched the ball back then. Let's not even talk about the toughness of those players. Larry was a killer. Oh... and those guys didn't take games off to rest either.
Yep, there's so much of the carrying/palming nowadays. It's a joke. I loved watching AND1 because it was fun street ball style, but it has no place in the NBA.
Lol seriously players get technical fouls for crying to a ref or cussing these days lmfao we don't even have to talk bout the physicality you bump shoulders another player today or get in each other's faces it a automatic tech if not ejection smh McHale wrapped his arm around Kurt Rambis neck clotheslined him slamming him in his back and it's was just a foul called no fines, no suspension, no ejection smh there was no flagrant 1 or flagrant 2 lol just a regular old foul lol
from 2006-2020 so for 14 years JJ averaged 13 ppg on 44% from the field and 42% from three. Bird played for 12 years averaged 24 ppg 50 % from the field 38% from three. JJ, not really a starter did plenty
@@heatherphillips5983 dude stfu, nba stats are easy to verify boi. JJ was a way better 3 ot shooter . He had a very good nba career. He knows more about the game than you or I do
@@MovieGuy666 12.8ppg you round that UP to 13. Listen Boi not everyone can be the main guy with the ball in his hand or 1st option. You see those of us who really understand the game know that though. I guarantee that opposing coaches had to prepare for the “plumber” JJ. Mr West, an all time great, never played in a league with more than 14 teams. JJs career fg% of 44% and 41% from three is hardly “plumberesque”.
"Tell me what his game looks like." -- Jerry West nailed down the credibility of Redick. As for Arenas, he was an all-star three times but is still an underachiever when you look at his talent and what he put out against the legends of both his era and the earlier generation. Their bitterness is apparent.
If you ask the younger generation if Jordan would dominate today and they say “Yes” then the answer to Bird dominating is “Yes” because Bird gave Jordan fits.
Larry Bird was a killer and Rodman was a lot stronger than he looked!! JJ got cooked several times...got called a journeyman and a poor man's Danny Ainge...LOL!! As always excellent content Sean!! I've been following for a few years now 🔥🔥
@@newrecruit100 you just sumed it up even more by saying they weren't trying. That's how they play defense now in this BS trashy fckd up NBA, it's hard for me to watch. How many players will score 60 and 70 this season since anyone can do it now? Thanks for enforcing my point for me. Here's a little something for you that explains it in detail. And he did it on one good leg. th-cam.com/video/XKOSrPc-q0A/w-d-xo.html
@@bos3835 that video doesnt suggest it’s easier because of the defense. It’s just theorising why with data. Players are shooting higher volume of 3s and offenses are being run through their stars. Simple example. If a player goes 7 for 10 from 2. That’s 14 points. A player goes 7 for 10 from 3 that’s 21. Naturally with that volume and efficiency in a given game it’s gonna lead to high scoring. The rule changes happened in 2004 lol not 2023. So there must be other reasons
@@newrecruit100 the defensive rules have still been modified since '04 to the no touch defense they have now. You can't even touch a player away from the ball anymore which is a recent modification. Don't act as if these guys are playing great defense because they're not. Let's not forget the excessive flopping and horrible reffing calling anything when players aren't even touched. You also have excessive palming and traveling on step backs threes. Today's game is trash, been a fan over four decades now. I've watched the game very close and I'm a student of the game. I don't enjoy watching anymore it's frustrating so I don't watch as much recently.
@@bos3835 you can’t touch players away from the ball? Show me the actual discernible difference between how off the ball is officiated back then and now? Let me answer for you, you can’t. Just like it’s always been if you’re blatant with it, they’ll call it. If you’re not blatant then they’re inconsistent depending on the ref. I find it hilarious that all these people that reminisce about the 90s, their favourite player is Jordan and you couldn’t touch him but never brought up. Yet somehow todays players people bring up that you can’t touch them lol
I think the real problem here is not who is right or wrong but is the fact that nobody from the 80s or 90s would ever think of talk s*** and disrespecting players of the 60s or 70s but nowadays for this players or former players good or bad as they are, spit on the NBA legacy is just ridiculous!
20 year old here and I will always respect the vets of this game that I love without a doubt it’s sad.. like when JJ reddick said that Larry Bird felt with less physicality than Steph Curry
Fun fact: Almost everyone considers Dennis Rodman the greatest pf defender of all time. Even capable of shutting down a PRIME Shaq and bother Magic and Jordan. Larry Legend use to lit the F out off Rodman. I think it’s safe to say that no one in this era is in the level of Rodman. (Maybe Kawhi/Giannis) Bird use to annihilate Rodman before his back broke. Hell he even lit him most of the time hurt.
The reason Bird didn't have anybody within five feet of him is because he faked them out of their jock and left them standing there! 😮 When a new era player can't give the credit that's due to an old era player, someone whom they'll never have to prove it against, there's a lack of self esteem in the new era player. 😎
The real funny part about that thumbnail is a lot of people were saying the same thing about Bird when he entered the league. His collegiate success wouldn't translate to the pros where his perceived lack of athleticism would be revealed against bigger, stronger, and faster competition. They were wrong then too.
I'm 51 born outside of Boston. I actually sat in the old Garden and witnessed Bird's career as well as his visiting team's peers. I have also watched live in person the modern era, and I can say with first hand experience that Larry Joe Bird would dominate in today's modern era. No question about it. Any statement otherwise is ridiculous. I played the game into college, I know what I saw then and what I see now.
Respecting your elders doesn’t mean you lie to them and not tell the truth. If anything it’s worse when people lie to their elders that’s disrespectful. Gilbert and JJ respect them enough to tell them the truth and not just lie because they’re elders
@@phillipcummings3518 It’s not about them it’s about the points their making but I understand you can’t refute what they said so you’re just making personal attacks against them rather than what they said. I get it man Plus Arenas is a two time 1st team all NBA player he can say anything he wants. JJ is one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen and he was a more than solid role player borderline starter so he can also talk. Stop the personal attacks and at least try to argue against what they’re saying
@@phillipcummings3518 I said he’s one of the best shooters I’ve seen not the best stop being dishonest to prove a nonexistent point because you’re desperate If you think that’s a ridiculous statement then you really have no idea what you’re talking about. He shot 42% from 3 in the NBA which is good for the top 20 highest in NBA history for a career. He’s number 19 on the list. You just let everyone know how little you know lol
Larry Bird would be just fine in today's game. No question about it. He'd run the 4 and put up double digits in rebounds and probably assists on many teams. 50/40/90 or close. I don't understand how anyone can doubt that based on what he was able to do against the competition he faced in his era. Some people forget the players from the past would benefit from modern training and diet just as much as the players of today.
the fact that Nicola Jokic is dominating now is the proof that Larry Bird would do great in this era
jokic diminate in the regular season.
@John Billing i remember him against the lakers in the bubble
Dude you stole my comment. 😂
I don't even watch the NBA any more save for some highlights here and there and he has legitimatized an entire Era. What escapes lots of People is that decades ago there was an Exodus of American Assistants and International Pros that never came back. They left because American Players didn't want to be coached but coddled instead
Jokic about to sweep lebum and the lakers
The only reason Bird wouldn't dominate today is because he just turned 66 a couple of months ago.
Greatest comment here
Lol...very true...what I wouldn't give to watch any team to win a title in the last 15 years to play the Lakers,Celtics, or Pistons of the 80's or the 90's Bulls..and play by the rules of those days...
my money is on bird at 70 would take anyone today.
Haha!🤣🤣
if he spent his childhood shooting 3 pointers, he would have been one of the greatest now for sure. the 86 team would win every in any era. he made his teamates better. and he never whined if he was fouled and got no call. he would get a double double at this age if his back was healed, just with his smarts.
"Bird can't dominate"...
exactly what every team said
right before they played him.
then he proceeded to destroy them. over and over again
Bird was one of the most fundamentally sound players to ever play. He would definitely be an all star in any era
3x mvp ....3 years in a row
I mean K love is an all star too🤷🏾♂️
@@HitmanHimmy are you saying that Kevin love is the same quality type of player that Larry bird is
@@HitmanHimmy a all star is different from being one of the top 3 players of his era
Gilbert was a shooter and trash defender who got to the bucket .. Bad leader ..
Larry didn't have the 3 point line . Went into the paint . Passed .. dominates ball but made players better . Bird bad defender but I'm biggest moments, Bird hit shots for titles .. Gilbert hit shots for a pay check .. sell some garbage shoes
Bird wouldn't dominate, he would annihilate.
Bird would destroy in the game today. What they never get is he had so much will to win and he over came when it counted.
Bird would be a budget Luka. 25-6-8 averages.
@@Plague_Doc22 What a stupid thing to say
Even if prime Bird wouldn't dominate (I do think he would just to be clear) he would still do very very well and would still be a major player as a major threat
@@Plague_Doc22 Correction Luka is a budget Bird. Birds averages would be closer to 35 12 and 9.
In '87/'88 Larry made more three pointers than 7 entire teams.
Right lol
They're weren't shooting 3's like that, back then. Bird would kill today. But the volume wasn't there back then.
@@orravalbexcatly Jordan would shoot more threes in todays NBA too
COLDEST LINE: Jerry West on JJ Redick... "uh, tell me what his career looked like. What did he do that determined games?"
nothing Jerry!
Stone cold
Boom!!
😂
his ability was never elite but some of his opinions do have merit; while others fall flat.
People who say Bird couldn't play today are just stupid. From 1984-85 through 1987-88, Bird played in 312 games with .517/.414/90.1 splits.
The volume wasn't like it is today for threes but he actually led the league in three pointers made in back to back seasons.
Add in softer defense and increase the volume of threes and he would be incredible today
And, in Larry's day, they didn't concentrate on the 3 point shot in practice like they do now. He said something like, "at the end of practice, we'd shoot a few 3 pointers." And with that little prep, he shot 42% his best year. Between his shooting, his amazing passing, his court awareness, and his competitive drive, he would be one of the best in the league now, just like he was then.
Bird was not only the best player until injuries hit him hard, But he was the best 3 point shooter for a few years as well. Bird won the very first three 3 point shooting contests. And as he told them. It was a battle for 2nd between the rest. Bird was in fact the OG of the Three.
Lmao they had 7 round draft picks back then a lot of them players wouldn’t have made it to the league in todays game 😊
@@thomassykes2965 Fred Van Vleet, Ben Wallace, John Starks, Bruce Bowen, Brad Miller, Udonis Haslem, Jose Calderon, Joe Ingles, Avery Johnson, David Wesley, Darrell Armstrong, Raja Bell...all undrafted players, all had an impact and could play. I guess I fail to see your point...
@@thomassykes2965 KD wouldn't have made it in 80s or 90s. In today's WEAK era 🤣 KD hits the floor 1x on a ticky tack foul and he's out for 2 full seasons. Not hard to guard a guy who's never on the court
Bird without question would be the best player in the NBA if he were in his prime right now. I'm not really sure how anybody could argue against this.
These new schools players don’t even want to play 82 to games or even 72 games. They lack the toughness to play full season.
And they have to take games off for rest. You would have to fight Bird, Magic and Jordan to make them sit a game off for rest. Nigue was fantastic too!
Agree, Today's players all act, dress, cry and play like transwomen!
Look at Kawhi Leonard and how much he is riding the bench. You get a hang nail and you're out for like a month these days. They say they are bigger, faster, stronger, and the like but they don't seem to be very durable. Larry Bird played through more pain and injuries, from all I have heard, than any of today's players would even handle. Larry was one tough-as-nails SOB. And then you have someone like John Stockton who played for 19 years and missed very few games as a starter and how tough he was. He set picks against the big guys and they didn't like it cause he set hard picks.
@@kurtsherrick2066 Agreed 👍.
Ain't that crazy?
The 80's and 90's were the most competitive eras, period. Who even questions this?
Youngins
People who don't know their ass from a hole in the wall!
People who have seen both eras and know how much some fellow older fans overrate things about those eras. It’s hilarious some of the ridiculously stupid things they say
Facts!
Apparently a soft millenial cup cake is questioning it. B
He had the first 2 50/40/90 seasons, decades before the 3-pointer was utilized properly, and was unquestionably one of the toughest guys to ever play, and had the competitive drive almost no one can compare with. Safe to say he would be MVP caliber in today's NBA.
The 3pt line was actually invented in 1961 in the ABL but was added to the NBA in the 78-79 season with Chris Ford making the first shot so yeah it took a while.
During the mid 1980s Celtics run Danny Ainge tried to argue to KC Jones for using the 3-pointer as an offensive strategy. During that time they had Bird, Ainge & Scott Wedman who were all averaging over 45% from beyond the arc. Bird was against it because it didn’t keep the other teammates engaged. If they had played today’s game, they would have thrived!
As I recall Bird played a game left handed and dropped 47 on Portland. How many new school players could do that? Lol not a one…
Curry, Durant, Kyrie come to mind. It doesn't make Bird less impressive though, because I think great players are great.
Larry got bored and had to challenge himself and this was against the best players of his era. Larry was just as good with his left hand as most of today's players are good with their strong hand.
@Discus Lin : Maybee they could do that. But until they have to do it we don't know🤷🏿♂️
@@fobinc HAVE they done it?
@@gabrielalele8603 EXACTLY
Nique going “is he stupid?!“ had me rolling!
haha, Cooper calling Redick a "poor man's Danny Ainge" is great
You should see the rest of of interview. He tells JJ Reddick he would "lock his ass up" 😂😂 I have no doubt he would.
Danny Ainge was a better athlete then Reddick.
@@Blacklist324
Absolutely. Danny was a 2 sport star. He played in the MLB too. He was also a top highschool football player. Reddick is a junk player not even remotely close to Ainge in terms of athletic ability. And he's stupid on top of it.
I bet most people have no clue that Danny Ainge played in a major leagues when he was 19 or 20. I remember seeing him play I think shortstop it was and I know it was the Blue Jays. Reddick is such a sorry person
@@clayscloset2618 he only says this stuff because its what the youth are programmed to believe. they are programming them to hate the past so they can change it
If anyone says that Trae Young would survive in the 80s and 90s NBA, they are tripping. The defense around that time was brutal.
90s defense was not brutal there’s more free throws and more fouls. Also it wasn’t an assault era Trae would survive easily. If a 5’3 135 pound Muggsy can make it then Trae young can. Absolute old head
@@legendarywiimasterlook at how thick Muggsy was, fool.
@@legendarywiimaster Muggsy would tear Trae up on defense
@@RealAaron317 that’s not my point. Trae Young shoots 40 ft deep threes at a pretty high rate, he’s deadly in the pick and roll, and he’s a terrific passer. His handles are also terrific and he’s very crafty. Don’t forget that deadly floater
serious! gary payton would have destroyed trae every which way, chewed him up and spit him out.
GIlbert Arenas forgot to mention that Dennis Rodman gave Shaq a lot of problems.
Remember this? th-cam.com/video/HDgqci9pE6A/w-d-xo.html
But Lebron would be too much for Rodman to handle? And the league is just as physical nowadays? Watch Rodman wrestling Shaq for the entire second half. Guys like Reddick are delusional.
And don't forget how much trouble Rodman gave Malone. And if anything thinks that Lebron is a tougher customer than the Mailman, I just don't know what to tell you.
Who in the f gives a rats a^* what Gilbert arenas or JJ redick says anyway? These guys ain’t even in the same universe as talent compared with these legends they talk smack about.
@@JohnSmith-oe5kx Karl Malone is tough on 13 year old girls.
Gilbert arenas also forgot to mention that he let a then 21 year old LeBron James punk him at the free throw line causing him choke away that playoff series 😬
It's amazing how some people think being a prolific scorer when your physically being hit, bumped, pushed, and it not getting called as a foul would automatically translate to poorer performance in an era where those handicaps are removed.
Wait. He forgot that Dennis Rodman did guard guards in Detroit. Throughout his career, he has guarded 1-5.
Dennis was an athletic marvel....
Dennis could guard anyone on the floor
The Bulls with Dennis would beat Steph/KD's Warriors
Though his times guarding centers were rare - SHAQ one time comes to mind though.
Rodman was on the toughest defensive team. The one that swept Shaq and Kobie in the finals. Love to see these modern players think they were gonna run over that team. The modern players get to shoot over a zone. It was straight man on man then. And there were roster spots on every team for guys to specialize in fouling out. Glad I got to see the heyday. I don't even watch the modern NBA game. It sent me back to the NHL. Dan
No one in the league could stop Dominique today.
Agreed. And he didn't even make the Top 50 List! (Sadly)
Dominique earned my respect because of the way he played, his great rival game against Bird when Bird scored 60, and because he is humble enough to give Bird the credit he deserves. Respect is a two-way street.
I quit watching the NBA shortly before Bird retired.
They can't even stop each Other😳
Ofc not the travels alone these days are awful
Gianis MIGHT have a prayer.
I can't think of anyone else that would.
@@bricefleckenstein9666 If he shut Dominique down his scoring would suffer. 80's lockdown guys like Rodman and Cooper didn't care if they scored.
Players like Bird and Magic would dominate in today's game, not only because of their physical skills, but their mental acumen for the game was unmatched. They would adapt to today's game very rapidly and fluidly.
I watched a very well done, extremely in depth video actually comparing Magic and Bird from ALL aspects and not just the numbers so many of these "analyst" stat junkies become so zombied out on..... It was a great vid and I will no doubt rewatch it in the future... It's pretty insane just how close those two actually were as all around GOAT players... The conclusion.... I agreed with, but the overall video gave no bias whatsoever until the end of the video, and the final thoughts on why that conclusion is reached. All I can say is that the comparisons (some I had never thought of before or seen made before) overall were just amazing to me....
I am so glad that I am old enough to have watched old-school basketball. So glad that I didn't miss that era.
Same. I used to love the NBA. I saw all of the greats. Bird, Magic, Dr. J (my favorite), George Gervin, Kareem, Hakeem the Dream, Shaq, AI, Kobe...The game changed over the years, and I just don't enjoy watching it anymore.
@@H0kieJoe Yeah. I would give the same names. And pause to think about who is worth watching now. But I don't watch like I used to.
@@H0kieJoe It just seems like it's a 3 pt. shooting contest
Players who carry guns into locker rooms and do stupid crap should keep their mouth shut.
I was born in 1984 but got to watch most of MJs career. These kids today just don't know.
I’m 45 years old .. born in 1979.. and I’m glad I had a bit of bird and magic and a whole lot of MJ… I practically grew up during the 90’s when MJ was holding on the chip each year… I’m blessed to be a witness to the good old days of basketball… honestly the nba today, I only watch the highlights and not the whole game… back then you just don’t wanna miss a thing… but why? I think it’s because I wanna see more action.. that’s maybe why I also love american football or rugby.. todays nba is more of a shooting contest or a skills contest… I want competitions and rivalries… players back then are usually loyal to their own team and will strive to get better instead of jumping from team to team…
Same….45 and I echo your sentiments….Mostly soft guys from modest/affluent backgrounds and foreign players the past 12 or so years….Im from St. Louis, so Tatum has me thinking about watching. After The BIG 3 left the Celtics, LeBron left Miami, I was pretty much done…..Game got way too soft….🤷🏽♂️
Same, I really don't watch it at all much. Just sometimes to keep up to date and see some highlights. Even the Allstar game doesn't make me come back to watch.
80's 90's basketball compared to modern basketball. Is like comparing hockey to golf.
Yep
If you were born in 1979, you're not 45 years old. At most, your 44.
Gilbert contradicted himself when he said the new school would have to adjust to old school so wouldn’t the same apply to them too tho
they are only playing jail basketball because they allowed too plus their opponents is doing that shit too so if the 80s players are playing in todays NBA they will be much better because they cant be touched thats why the old player will always have the edge in these debates especially those who played with handchecking
Gilbert Arenas is a prime example, just cause you played don’t mean you know. Bird would give todays players the business
He would give gil ass 50
Exactly. Bird had one important trait that many new school players don’t… he was cerebral. His basketball IQ was off the chain
Hell no. 💀 kawhi clamping his ass up lmfao. Bird was cool and tuff yes he was better than magic but modern players don’t compare with players of 20 years ago. And in 20 years when the players are all like Victor wembayna and 6’3” PG just don’t exist anymore and everyone 6’10” guy plays PG they’ll be way better than the players their fathers watched.
@@lundoren5240 You're Tripping very hard. Is Luka getting his game off? If so.. There's absolutely NO REASON to believe Bird, Adrian Dantley, Alex English, IceMan, Dominique Wilkins, Dan Issel and 100 other guys wouldn't be effective NBA Players today. Couple that with these new defense rules and it's going to be EASY for them.
So doesn’t that mean the pros who are speaking in favor of Larry possibly don’t know what they’re talking about?
Legends will endure. No one will remember the haters.
The game is more engineered to Bird's game now than it ever has!
Exactly
Bird not ONLY Shot Left & Right handed . . . . He called His Shots. . . . Played Injured . . . . Returned to a Game with a Broken Cheek bone . . . .
The NBA 🐐G.O.A.T.🐐
I realised how hardcore that was one day when I figured out... they don't let you fight on in boxing or MMA with a broken cheekbone. I mean he could have gone blind.
Oh he even called his fall into the Hawks bench too 😂😂 I mean who does that! LBJ tried the blind free throw and missed but he is king right? 😂😂
@@dverarde84 Bird has a (6-0) Career NBA Play-Off record vs. Jordan, 2 Divisional series Sweeps (3-0)
@@scottflipiak614 bird had stack team mostly hall of farmers like 4or 5 hof. Jordan didn't help so let's tell the full story
@nature93 Huh . . . . .
"little mikie" NeVeR EvEr started Winning, until after magically 2 1987 Top Draft Picks ended up His Roster (#5- Scottie Pippen & #10- Horace Grant), along with several Top Free Agents (Salary Cap), like Robert Parrish, George Gervin.
THEN add in Top 3-Point shooting Talent (Craig Hodges, Paxon, Kerr, etc.)
JJ couldn’t carry a Plummers tool bag or a Fireman’s hose…
The older players were tougher mentally and would have adapted to all the modern training methods that today's players have. Bird had a killer instinct that Kevin Durant doesn't have
He (KD ) tried switch team Oklahoma with Westbrook who despise KD living him mantle Ok by himself to,Golden st (Won NBA Championship ) , and then Brooklyn with an ex OK teammate Harden & kyrie (went doncic Dallas) never click ,KD wants to go back West team join phoenix team with booker (team scorer & leader) king lebron doing that too (Cavs to Miami (NBA championship wade & Bosh back Cavs won NBA championship with kyrie ,K Love & Aussie gaurd Dellanova success gaurding Steph Gsw scorer to limit scoring lebron team click & give Cleveland ist NBA trophy and La Lakers after Kobe retired with AD (Antonio Davis as new recruit center post pandemic 2020 very weird NBA championship back then I don't know difference from old school players from 80 's to 90's Bird ,magic ,MJ ,Hakeem ,Isiah Thomas or Lambeer or Dr J sixers are loyal with there teams ❤
Bird was one of those guys that took the shots and made the shots that won playoff series and championships. Doesn't matter the era, he would have been great. He just had a feel for the game. There's only been a handful of guys like that in league history. Those are the guys we have in the top 10.
Saying everyone back then were small and couldn't guard today's players and can't shoot either is so ignorant. Steph Curry is 6'3", and he's able to shoot. Dennis Rodman couldn't defend because he's too small, Rodman in the 1990's was 6'7" 242 lbs. Reddick and the players are ignorant in their knowledge of the '80's and 90's.
@@eddiehaskell1957 Rodman was 210 when he played. Where did you get 242 lbs from??
@@eddiehaskell1957 🎯
@@eddiehaskell1957 you just compared a point guard to a power forward. How about compare a 6'7 210lbs Rodman to 6'8 260lbs Lebron who drives downhill instead of back to the basket.
@@InfamousJay2488 lebron would of took some hard ass fouls
Rodman shut Shaq down but couldn't stop LeBron?
Pardon me while I laugh hysterically
LeBron got cramped and cried during an NBA final. Dehydration shut LeBron down. 😂
rodman would get labron tossed, in tears.
@@gator6551 and get 25 rebounds
@@gator6551 Bird's trash talk ALONE would do that to LeBron.
LeBron would have a hissy fit begging for fouls on Rodman!
Larry's 3 point line was two feet further out. You cannot compare his shooting to modern shooting.
GREAT point about transition players (Timmy, Kobe, Dirk) who balled hard in today's NBA. Great content and perspective as always,
Kevin Garnett as well.
"He was a poor man's Danny Ainge"
- Michael Cooper
Bird always hit game winners and go ahead shots got key rebounds and unbelievable passing.
LOL! Bird is Luka and Jokic and KD all in one. Of course he would dominate today.
Oh stop. Luka is just an evolution on Bird and they’re different types of players.
@@newrecruit100 No he is not. Until Luka wins 3 MVPs in a row and grows to 6'10 and becomes a elite team help defender. Then maybe
@@newrecruit100 ya completely different.bird was better at literally everything than luka he just didn’t have a top 10 all time usage rate like most of the guys putting up gaudy stats now.
@@johnstone2103 smart man. Let Bird have the ball in his hands 80% of the time and take 50% of all shots and see what gaudy numbers he puts up in this soft ass league.
@@newrecruit100 by evolution do you mean Luka is a less athletic, worse shooter, less of a passer, cannot run the break like Bird before bone spurs, AND no defense? Bird had exceptional defensive instincts ..and shot 50/40/90 3 times in a row 86-88 with hard defenders like rodman or coop on him...the main advantage luka has is thickness and power. Love his game but not an evolution. Evolution means a better Bird and there is nothing like that. Only Joker in this league is that level passing
Bird was a country boy who wasn't scared of anything, off course not all fearless people succeed in life, some of them don't come anywhere close to succeeding, but Bird had tons of god gifted natural ability to back up his fearlessness, that's what made him scary!
The only way to judge era’s is how they dominated their peers and impact on the game…everything else is unfair because of the evolution of the game itself. It’s a no brainer to see that players are more skilled today jus like everything else has been upgraded for the most part. Car engines, technology, culinary u name it. They are better because they are building from something previous.
Success is a relative term though. For us who are disabled, just getting out of bed is success. Think about that. Don't let society tell you how to live your life or if you should or should not be happy with the life you have. You wake up in the morning, that's success. You get your sleep at night, success. It's the little things that count my dude ❤🙌🔥👍
@@dverarde84 What u replied had nothing to do with my comment, I think u sent it 2 the wrong person
Cooper saying Redick is a "poor man's Danny Ainge" makes me laugh hysterically.
Today’s NBA , walks , travels , zero defense, just the dunk . Also today players seldom know the bank shot. !
Not only that. Today's players don't seem to be able to score in the post anymore.
What are the advantages of the bank shot? Hint Issa Tomás played on the block as did Mike. Issa is two inches shorter than Curry. How did he do It?
We have to not leave any of our bats in thé rack. The more effective shots we have the better the game Is. I do not give a damn about who. We move on based on how! When dunking was allow in high school and collage other skill we pushed to the side. The results are jumppers and drives to the hole. Or as they say spacing. All sport is now spectator driven. Rome tells where that leads.
And don't forget. The BEST guy of this era has the nickname Leflop.
Todays players have zero low-post IQ. Bad or nonexistent low-post footwork, bad low-post passing and low-post creativity. Honestly just bad creativity in general. 70 3PT attempts a game will do that. The modern game is an inferior version of basketball. This is obvious to anybody that grew up in the 70s 80s and 90s. And to go full boomer, NFL, MLB and NHL were all better back in the day too.
I think that Larry Bird in his prime was actually a mix of Joker and Luka...but better and actually more athletic. So, if they can do well in today's NBA, then Bird would make others look silly today.
i’m a huge luka and jokic fan, but Larry Bird clears both of them.
He was actually a great defender and was WAY faster than either of the balkan boys.
Larry Bird is easily the best white guy to ever play basketball. He’s a top 5 player ever.
Luka? Hahahaha BIRD LEGEND
I wouldn't say that Bird was athletic. But by playing him for his jump shot left you open for drives to the basket. These young guys would fall for Bird's fakes. Bird was a great player and he would score with ease against today's players!
Word
Bird would have a field day with his left hand only… and people would talk good about him like they are about Luka now lol😂
MJ, Larry, Magic, Kareem, Doc, Moses and all them greats saw this video and thought it was a skit from SNL😂
JJ Redick would be the perfect example for a famous quote from Bill Russell: he would be watching the game from the stands.
Bird would tell defenses what he would do. The defense would be ready for it and be on him like a suit and Larry would nail the shots in his face. We all know that you just could not stop Larry's shot no matter what kind of defense you play.
Bird would definitely dominate today cuz you can’t touch the players now without a foul being called. He got pounded back in the day so imagine if he had that kind of protection today’s players get
"I'm willing to be a laughingstock for a few hundred dollars" - - - Gilbert A.
🤣🤣🤣
Why for talking shit back to old school players ....he is right Gary Payton was little ...6'4 175 and his a lock down defender during his Era....who locking down today at that size steph kd lebron Melo kobe Luka kyrie dwade
Pretty much anyone in 80's or 90's. Luka fat and slow. Kyrie doesn't play but half his games (pretty easy to lock someone down when they're not there) Give KD a shove and he's going to miss 2 seasons cuz he's made of glass. Steph 6'3" (smaller)and can't guard anyone himself. Lebron not that good considering he's got a stacked team yet are in danger of missing playoffs (11 seed) Kyrie and Luka together been losing almost every game. Melo has sucked for a long time now always sucked on defense (not even in the league now) Kobe was a wanna be that still falls short 1x mvp Bird 3x MVP. Do you think Gary Payton was the only defensive player in 90's or Even the best one? Nope, not close dudes like Hakeem, David Robinson Alonzo Mourning, Mutumbo averaged around 4blocks per game compared to 2bpg that current NBA C's average. There were some very good defensive guards too Alvin Robertson Alex English. Bird would absolutely cook these dudes today
@@kevintowns9552 Nobody plays defense, this era of basketball sucks, hell they need to get in the weight room, therefore this is the softest era of basketball.
@7.3 Clan you right today's defense sucks ...but the rules make it difficult to play aggressive defense ... Why would I risk fouling out knowing they calling some bs ....think about it did steph curry get his 200 million plus contract based his defense....there are guys have offensive incentives in their contracts...
The question you should ask yourself is it skill or just bad defense, that makes you think the players nowadays are more skilled than players from the 80s and 90s
If bird played today these players now would need therapy just from his trash talking
FACT!
😂 👍
As a Celtics fan since the 80’s Larry Joe Bird was the white version of Magic John, competitively played every position at 6’9, talked the talk and walked it, didn’t care if you liked him or not, wanted the final shot, told you where he was gonna shoot the ball and there was nothing you could do to defend it…splash! Shouts to Stephen Curry, 2 different positions to compare
There are two types of NBA fans. The first group of people say Bird wouldn't dominate in today's league and the second group are those people who know what they are talking about.
He’s not athletic enough to dominate anything in this era. That’s not a criticism of Bird but it’s just acknowledging the evolution of what is an NBA player. It’s stupid to think he would these athletes of today would destroy him
@robhernandez5520 He wasn't athletic enough to play in his era either yet he dominated it.
@@drewelliott9062 This era is about 30 times more athletic that’s the point and you’re right he was barely athletic enough for back then imagine today
You’re kinda proving my point for me
@robhernandez5520 I'm not arguing that the NBA isn't more athletic as a whole but there were many top level athletes from that era that would still be top level athletes in todays NBA and Bird dominated them as well. And also if you think athleticism is the only thing that makes a good basketball then you clearly don't understand the game.
@@robhernandez5520 then why is Luka and Jokic dominating today?
Gilbert is the 1st nba player with CTE
😂😂😂😂
LMAO
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a brain condition thought to be linked to repeated head injuries and blows to the head.
😂
🤣💀🤣💀
He would blow today's NBA out of the water
Man I was a kid on the Rez when I heard the news Bird retired it broke my heart. They played defense all the way and also they played defense in the All Star game
Our old school superstars literally fought each other they were so tough and competitive .
LMAO. Bird was a killer. Doesn't matter what era. He played a game left handed cause he was bored.
I know other people have brought up the rule changes, but the ball handling rules, the traveling rules etc. have just as much an effect in the change in how the game is played as the defensive rule changes. Give those greats of the 50's to 90's players 2 weeks, and they would have adjusted to what they would be allowed to do with ball. Good players are good players - period. I prefer the style of game in the pre-2000's, but I don't believe for a moment that greats from any era couldn't adjust to rule changes and style changes and still be great.
There's no wisdom in dissing old-school players. There was a lot more physical play allowed in the 80's. I lived through it. Bird and Dr. J were among the best. Before my time, Wilt, Bill Russell and Jerry West were among the elite.
Players back then were listed at their rookie weights for their careers. For example Charles Oakley was listed at 225, but said he was 260 in his prime. Gilbert also said Scottie was 210, but again, that's his rookie weight. He was 230 in his prime. Also the average height of a center in the 60's was 6-10. Same as today.
Gil must be a whole lotta stupid to think Scottie remained at 210. My goodness.
Isn’t it funny how we have to sit here and listen to these loser nba players trash talk absolute legends. Gilbert arenas? Jj redick?! Who are these jokers.
I don’t give a damn what the averages say; when I watch Kareem highlights he is clearly 4 inches taller than everybody else and they’re mostly unathletic white guys.
He would not dominate the 90’s and 2000’s the same way he dominated the 70’s and 80’s. Dwight Howard would jump up and grab that sky hook same way Wilt did
I mean none of the weights today are accurate either. Lebron was playing at 260-270 one point
@@mybestnugget7514Howard isn't even in the top 10 bpg so I doubt that he would stop Kareem when Kareem played against better defenders
Great video! Totally agree with your final take. Vince, Duncan, Dirk, Kobe, great examples of evidence. And Bird led the league or was in the top five in threes for a few years in the 80s before it was ever a go to strategy. He pioneered the 3 pt shot in a lot of ways since everyone grew up playing with out it. The 3 pt line first came to the nba in 1980!
Bird was 6-10, could shoot and pass at an elite level and one of the most competitive people of any era. His basketball instincts and IQ translate to any era. He would absolutely still be a superstar today.
Yes, like JJ said, he was a great player and would be in todays game, but you can't compare his 3 point stats to Curry because most times Bird wasn't defended on the 3 point shot.
@@sonabTVyou wrong. Hé was défended but so badly, look the position he found, the moves he made before shooting. Anyway nobody could defend him, he was so trained and....too strong, that's all 😊
When comparing eras it is important to put into context how the rules of the game are being ignored compared to previous eras. See "The Evolution of Scoring" by the thinking basketball series. The offensive player today has a tremendous advantage due to the lack of calls regarding traveling, palming, cupping the ball, and the "rip thru" and the offense can throw their body into a defender and draw fouls.
Lol these kids just don't know man it's a completely different game when someone can put their hands on you and get physical with you
Kids today only know bitch energy...
Nothing more...95% useless pathetic weak ass generation
Plus they have no passion. Attention seekers. Worried about what the people gon say about their weird outfits as the enter the arenas.
I remember those days...no ambulance, no foul.
Larry Bird with modern medicine/sports science is a scary prospect. Larry Bird is a total original, and pioneer of the game. If you gave Larry Bird the coaching/upbringing in today's game... he would kill everyone.
I hear players today talking about how they have "tools" that players in the past did not have and I roll over the floor laughing. In the 80s and 90s players had to go against real defenses, not the joke that we see today (mostly). Had to deal with hand checking, had to deal with players that were not affraid of being put on a poster if they got dunked on, cause their job was to defend the basket, not sell shoes. Today you got the step back, which in any other eras would have been a traveling violation and that allows to create absurd amounts of space (plus the defenders not wanting to even look funny at the attackers so they don't get shooting foul call). Back in the day players used to play basketball, 82 games worth of it, now players take breaks and say they are tough? Honestly, I'm on board with Dominique, they just look and sound stupid (plus, very disrespectful).
Yep. LeBron go down the middle for a dunk back then, he'd get hammered to the ground. Sure, a foul. But he wouldn't do it again.
let me put it in another way. Who saw anything fancy in 95% of Tim Duncan's moves on the court? yet who managed to do anything about those moves to stop him? Larry was the more resourceful SF version of Duncan!
@aMiFiii lmao everyone he played was 5 ft smaller lmao stop it y’all be say anything
Bird was a 6'10 swing forward, that had assists just as good as magic, and was a big man shooting three. He's literally 40 years early the template of a modern day NBA player. Or, 40 years later. They're just now figuring it out
Old-school basketball was fantastic.
You can't sneeze on today's players without a foul.
Especially LeBron. He's got to be the whiniest Superstar of all time
Just blowing a kiss from 10 feet away will get a foul.
Exactly.
@@patrickbrewer8189 no that would be Michael Jordan
@@patrickbrewer8189 2nd greatest player ever
He was the smartest player on the court. In this day and age he would still be Larry legend
Nobody went into the paint during the Det/Chi/NYK hay days, and if you did, you owned up to the fact that it was gonna be a fight. The grit of the east vs the show of the west...and both had their times of dominance. 80's and 90's all the way. Today's players are more athletic, but that can be said about every next generation in every sport. Sad to say, Reggie Miller was tougher than most of this new lot.
I don't remember any older star from the 1960's saying that the game was easier in the 1980's but I do see them saying that about players 2005 and on.
Hell this new generation wouldn’t be able to handle birds trash talk. It was transcendent.
All you need to know about JJ is Duke.
Only guys who are older like I am can appreciate the older game.
Guys today would've been called for carrying/palming the ball and traveling EVERY time they touched the ball back then. Let's not even talk about the toughness of those players. Larry was a killer.
Oh... and those guys didn't take games off to rest either.
Yep, there's so much of the carrying/palming nowadays. It's a joke. I loved watching AND1 because it was fun street ball style, but it has no place in the NBA.
Lol seriously players get technical fouls for crying to a ref or cussing these days lmfao we don't even have to talk bout the physicality you bump shoulders another player today or get in each other's faces it a automatic tech if not ejection smh McHale wrapped his arm around Kurt Rambis neck clotheslined him slamming him in his back and it's was just a foul called no fines, no suspension, no ejection smh there was no flagrant 1 or flagrant 2 lol just a regular old foul lol
I dunno about the traveling. Not everyone can be Russell Westbrick 😂😂
Dumb comment. Plenty of young people appreciate the older game.
Jerry West hit JJ with a checkmate. “What did YOU do” 😂😂😂😂
from 2006-2020 so for 14 years JJ averaged 13 ppg on 44% from the field and 42% from three. Bird played for 12 years averaged 24 ppg
50 % from the field 38% from three. JJ, not really a starter did plenty
@@musicforheadphones2731 No, he didn't.
@@heatherphillips5983 dude stfu, nba stats are easy to verify boi. JJ was a way better 3 ot shooter . He had a very good nba career. He knows more about the game than you or I do
@@musicforheadphones2731 JJ averaged 12 points, 2 rebounds assists 2, career FG%. 44.7. These are plumber numbers. Jerry west is the Logo son.
@@MovieGuy666 12.8ppg you round that UP to 13. Listen Boi not everyone can be the main guy with the ball in his hand or 1st option. You see those of us who really understand the game know that though. I guarantee that opposing coaches had to prepare for the “plumber” JJ. Mr West, an all time great, never played in a league with more than 14 teams. JJs career fg% of 44% and 41% from three is hardly “plumberesque”.
Jerry roasted JJ, so good.
"Tell me what his game looks like." -- Jerry West nailed down the credibility of Redick. As for Arenas, he was an all-star three times but is still an underachiever when you look at his talent and what he put out against the legends of both his era and the earlier generation. Their bitterness is apparent.
Lol a 2nd rd underachiever???? 2nd rd
@aMiFiii hmmmmm jj and Gil being better than West sounds like a belief to me, stats, legacy, and impact on the game is all on the side of West.
If you ask the younger generation if Jordan would dominate today and they say “Yes” then the answer to Bird dominating is “Yes” because Bird gave Jordan fits.
Larry Bird was a killer and Rodman was a lot stronger than he looked!! JJ got cooked several times...got called a journeyman and a poor man's Danny Ainge...LOL!! As always excellent content Sean!! I've been following for a few years now 🔥🔥
Man new school players couldn’t handle the heat of those guys back in the day. Those boys we’re busting each other up in the lane.
Thank you so much for making this video. I agree with you 100%. Great video today. Today basketball is so weak today.
Great assessment at the end. Remind these youngins how Kobe scored 60 in his last game on ONE leg, that basically sums it up.
When he took 50 shots and the Jazz were at times not even trying fully? Come on. Be serious.
@@newrecruit100 you just sumed it up even more by saying they weren't trying. That's how they play defense now in this BS trashy fckd up NBA, it's hard for me to watch. How many players will score 60 and 70 this season since anyone can do it now? Thanks for enforcing my point for me. Here's a little something for you that explains it in detail. And he did it on one good leg.
th-cam.com/video/XKOSrPc-q0A/w-d-xo.html
@@bos3835 that video doesnt suggest it’s easier because of the defense. It’s just theorising why with data. Players are shooting higher volume of 3s and offenses are being run through their stars. Simple example. If a player goes 7 for 10 from 2. That’s 14 points. A player goes 7 for 10 from 3 that’s 21. Naturally with that volume and efficiency in a given game it’s gonna lead to high scoring. The rule changes happened in 2004 lol not 2023. So there must be other reasons
@@newrecruit100 the defensive rules have still been modified since '04 to the no touch defense they have now. You can't even touch a player away from the ball anymore which is a recent modification. Don't act as if these guys are playing great defense because they're not. Let's not forget the excessive flopping and horrible reffing calling anything when players aren't even touched. You also have excessive palming and traveling on step backs threes. Today's game is trash, been a fan over four decades now. I've watched the game very close and I'm a student of the game. I don't enjoy watching anymore it's frustrating so I don't watch as much recently.
@@bos3835 you can’t touch players away from the ball? Show me the actual discernible difference between how off the ball is officiated back then and now? Let me answer for you, you can’t. Just like it’s always been if you’re blatant with it, they’ll call it. If you’re not blatant then they’re inconsistent depending on the ref. I find it hilarious that all these people that reminisce about the 90s, their favourite player is Jordan and you couldn’t touch him but never brought up. Yet somehow todays players people bring up that you can’t touch them lol
Your points regarding a one-legged Kobe and a old Duncan putting up numbers is on point!!
Talent have no time people like bird and m.j. would dominate in any era
I think the real problem here is not who is right or wrong but is the fact that nobody from the 80s or 90s would ever think of talk s*** and disrespecting players of the 60s or 70s but nowadays for this players or former players good or bad as they are, spit on the NBA legacy is just ridiculous!
True. When Marvin Barnes walked on the court it was “hello Sir, how are you!”
Bird who DESTROY the league today…One of the GOAT’s without a doubt!
20 year old here and I will always respect the vets of this game that I love without a doubt it’s sad.. like when JJ reddick said that Larry Bird felt with less physicality than Steph Curry
Absolutely everyone thought they would cook Bird and every last real "Player" he went up against got cooked.
Bird lives in Gilbert’s head 😂
Gil acting like he didn’t get remembered for choking free throws against Lechoke
Fun fact: Almost everyone considers Dennis Rodman the greatest pf defender of all time. Even capable of shutting down a PRIME Shaq and bother Magic and Jordan. Larry Legend use to lit the F out off Rodman. I think it’s safe to say that no one in this era is in the level of Rodman. (Maybe Kawhi/Giannis) Bird use to annihilate Rodman before his back broke. Hell he even lit him most of the time hurt.
Bird with foul calls and space. That boy going crazy.
The reason Bird didn't have anybody within five feet of him is because he faked them out of their jock and left them standing there! 😮
When a new era player can't give the credit that's due to an old era player, someone whom they'll never have to prove it against, there's a lack of self esteem in the new era player. 😎
The real funny part about that thumbnail is a lot of people were saying the same thing about Bird when he entered the league. His collegiate success wouldn't translate to the pros where his perceived lack of athleticism would be revealed against bigger, stronger, and faster competition. They were wrong then too.
NBA today isn't nearly as physical as "back in the day" Bird was very physical and could shoot lights out.
For the new schoolers who think the old schoolers wouldn't last today, I got two words for ya.
Load. Management.
Yeah, when you mention the year when Wilt averaged over 48 minutes per game, they don't have a good response.
most of those older players careers were cut short. they do it for longevity because it’s a good business decision for the players.
I'm 51 born outside of Boston. I actually sat in the old Garden and witnessed Bird's career as well as his visiting team's peers. I have also watched live in person the modern era, and I can say with first hand experience that Larry Joe Bird would dominate in today's modern era. No question about it. Any statement otherwise is ridiculous. I played the game into college, I know what I saw then and what I see now.
Imagine someone 10 to 15 years from now saying that guys during the 2010s were just TH-camrs and gamers.
Great video. Guys like Gilbert and Jj needs to respect their elders.
Respecting your elders doesn’t mean you lie to them and not tell the truth. If anything it’s worse when people lie to their elders that’s disrespectful. Gilbert and JJ respect them enough to tell them the truth and not just lie because they’re elders
@@robhernandez5520 It really shows why both players never won anything.
@@phillipcummings3518 It’s not about them it’s about the points their making but I understand you can’t refute what they said so you’re just making personal attacks against them rather than what they said. I get it man
Plus Arenas is a two time 1st team all NBA player he can say anything he wants. JJ is one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen and he was a more than solid role player borderline starter so he can also talk.
Stop the personal attacks and at least try to argue against what they’re saying
@@robhernandez5520 if JJ Reddick is the best shooter you've ever seen then I guess I'll have to admit I'm wrong. 😂😂😂😂😂
@@phillipcummings3518 I said he’s one of the best shooters I’ve seen not the best stop being dishonest to prove a nonexistent point because you’re desperate
If you think that’s a ridiculous statement then you really have no idea what you’re talking about. He shot 42% from 3 in the NBA which is good for the top 20 highest in NBA history for a career. He’s number 19 on the list. You just let everyone know how little you know lol
It's basically the rule changes that have watered-down the nba
Not to mention the amount of teams too.
@Hubert Sang those teams don't seem to get as motivated. That's why the NBA's putting their chips in on LeBron James when it's not even close
Larry Bird would be just fine in today's game. No question about it. He'd run the 4 and put up double digits in rebounds and probably assists on many teams. 50/40/90 or close. I don't understand how anyone can doubt that based on what he was able to do against the competition he faced in his era. Some people forget the players from the past would benefit from modern training and diet just as much as the players of today.