Olden is correct. Never once had a doubt that Bird had the edge. He just did. Magic was great but he had Kareem. He probably has the edge as team playmaker but other than that Bird could basically do everything equally as well and was clearly the better shooter, on that it's not even close. A 6-9" forward who was quite possibly the greatest shooter ever. In addition Bird's passing was unreal. Overall Magic was great but Bird was greater.
Larry is the GOAT ! Period! Best team players and leaders ever in both Magic and Bird but Larry is among the greatest shooters ever and was tough defensive player as well although Magic was a smart team defender when it counted also but Larry had the ability to create and get his shot off from anywhere so it’s super close but Larry gets the nod! Painful to say cause I’m a lifelong Laker fan.
If you asked anyone around 1989 or 1990, probably 9/10 would say Magic. If it was 1984 or 86, it would be flipped. But after the dust settled 30 years later, I have no problem someone saying Bird as a Laker fan. Even Magic said it.
Unfortunately, that was True . . . . Bird had Won 3 straight Season MVPs ('84, '85, & '86), and Bird had injured his back during the '85 & '86 Off-Season, AND so his Prime Years ended🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
But Magic was kind of like Jordan . . . . . More Dangerous when They had The🏀Ball, whereas Larry was more Dangerous without The🏀Ball, because Larry would be setting Picks, diving for loose Balls, setting up down low for a Rebound, etc.
@@bryantharris5914 regardless, that was the start of his decline. But both played at an elite level despite being slowed. Magic had tendonitis since 86 with multiple knee surgeries, a torn groin in 89 and then HIV somewhere around 91.
Love Magic, but Bird was a bit better. Equals as play-makers - Magic better on the break but Bird probably better in the half-court, running pick & roll etc. Equal as leaders. Bird a much better defender - 3 x All Defence 2nd team and led the league in Defensive Win Shares 3 or 4 times. Bird better rebounder. Bird much better scorer. Magic scored 40 points 6 times. Bird scored 40 points 47 times. And Magic was not a great shooter (career 30% 3P). Magic won all his rings with Kareem. In the late 80s early 90s, when Magic was at his absolute peak, and with teammates like Worthy, Byron Scott, AC Green and Divac, couldn't beat the Pistons or Trailblazers.
Magic never lost to the Blazers in the playoffs. In fact beat them in the Western Conference finals in 1991. By 1986-87 Magic was the key player and leading scorer on the Laker teams. Kareem while still good wasn't the 20+ point 10 rebound guy then. In that time frame moving forward, they had Final wins over the Celtics and Pistons. Even the loss to the Pistons in 1989 had Magic only playing a little over 2 games due to injury.
@@jeremyfoster8366 Yes, my bad, LA lost to Phoenix that year. Kareem still averaged 19ppg in the 1987 play-offs, dropping to 14 in 1988. Sure, Magic was the better player by then, but nonetheless he still never won a ring without Kareem. He was injured in 89 finals but they weren't winning that series anyway. In 1990 they got handled easily by a Phoenix team led by KJ and Chambers. In 1991 they got beaten 4-1 by the Bulls. I think if you took Magic and Jordan off their respective teams, the Lakers had a better team than the Bulls that year, which shows that Jordan was much, much more influential than Magic when Magic was in his prime. I do love Magic, and think he's a top 10 all time player, I just think he gets slightly overreated because of his charisma, playing for LA, and winning 5 rings playing alongside of a GOAT contender. If he had the personality of a door-knob, played for Milwaukee, and wasn't teamed up with Kareem, I don't think he'd be put on Mt Rushmore; he'd but around number 10 all time.
@@seamusb1047 the shame with Magic was we didn’t get to see the latter part of his prime. His game was shifting to a more half-court game and he was getting better behind the arch hitting at 38% in ‘90 and even when he came back in ‘96 he was still at that 38% mark. I think had he played through 1996 with no missed seasons and continued to improve at 3’s and keep that FT% at 90 which was also happening in that late 80s-early 90s window his scoring could have been more consistently in that 22-23 ppg perhaps even higher. Would have been nice to see how it would have played out. I think he had at least 1-3 more borderline MVP type seasons left in him.
Birds impact when he joined the Celtics taking the same team that won 29 games to over 60 wins after he joined them would have me selecting Bird over Magic
Magic vs. Bird, what a great question! I do remember that as a huge Laker fan back then, my most feared player in the league was in fact Larry Bird...I knew that with Bird, the game was NEVER over until it was 'literally' over. I hated Bird back then, but now-a-days, the hate has transitioned over to a massive amount of respect for him. Listening to Olden talk about this, brings me back to the old days watching Magic v. Bird, and all of the excitement that came with it. I had no idea about Bird's trash talk until recently, but it sounds like it was fairly clean compared to some, and certainly psyched out many of his opponents. I just can't choose who was better between these two guys, I am going to give them a tie in my book. They would both be on my top 5 all-time NBA team, along with Michael Jordan.
I mean why choose, they both brought out the best in each other and the game was never over with either of those guys. The number of buzzer beaters by both of them was legendary.
@@bryantharris5914 MJ has more buzzer beaters than Bird and Magic combined, more scoring, steal titles, all defensive first team, Finals MVPS, Championships, ASG Mvps, DPOY, slam dunk contest 😆😆😆
@@bryantharris5914 MJ was so good and so dominant he made Shaq Olajuwon Robinson Mutombo Ewing Mourning and so many other hall of famers look weak, no wonder why he defeated the most 62+ win teams in the playoffs without an all star. 🤣🤣🤣
MJ period, greatest offensive and defensive player of all time, clutchest athlete of all time, greatest basketball passer of all time, elite rebounder 😎😎😎
AIH483 First off you toolbox The debate is between Magic & Bird. The fact that you say MJ is the greatest passer of all time 🤣😆 The creator of “ME BALL” the biggest BALL HOG of all time to the detriment of his team. Like when he scored 63 yet the Bulls still got smashed by the Celtics. Now go service your man MJ. Get extra slobber in your mouth just how he told you to.
Larry was the greatest player during the NBA's greatest era. Bird is 6:0 against Jordan in playoff games. If basketball were a one-on-one game, the insanely-skilled MJ would be the GOAT... but it's not. Bird is, far and away, the greatest team player of all time... and the game's clear GOAT. LeBron isn't even top five.
Larry had every fundamental at a super high level. Great shooter, 3 pt shooter, near 90% ft shooter, great passer, rebounder, and a very underrated defender. Would lead forwards in steals. Magic was not high at all of those levels.
I went to All Hallows high school with Olden on 164th street and Walton Ave in the south bronx,graduated in 1982.Olden was a great guy and treated everyone the same,I was more of a school yard legend in fort Tryon park/Washington heights,my class had Wendell Hicks,Greg Khaleel,John Kearns and the 1981 class had Troy Truesdale RIP,probably still dunking in heaven,remember Coach Carey.John Croghan class of 82
I knew All Hollows well but for dances not basketball. For basketball as a 1963 graduate of Power Memorial we had a pretty good basketball player known then as Lou Alcindor. But I’ll still pick Larry as the GOAT.
Toward the end of their careers, both were lumbering and just depended on their IQs. They did something that Hill, Penny, McGrady, etc weren’t able to do once their bodies were failing them.
@@AIH483 That's what your delusional mind tells you but that's again something factually incorrect that you write without proof. What I did see whenever the Showtime Lakers played and easily beat the Bulls was that Jordan couldn't keep up with Magic who would outpace him handling the ball on fastbreaks and Jordan (without the ball mind you) couldn't catch up to him. Michael Jordan fans like you who probably never played basketball think that a tiny guard like Jordan can run faster than taller players with longer legs. Muggsy Bogues can outpace Jordan by your logic 😂 PS: More faster is incorrect English, it's a considered double comparative but I shouldn't expect much from your tiny brain since you're a Michael Jordan idol worshiper.
@@Edd1e8 Bird had back issues that slowed him down later in his career but Magic was never a slow player, he continued to always push the pace and orchestrate fastbreaks whenever possible, even though it wasn't nearly at the same volume after Pat Riley left because Mike Dunleavy had a different basketball philosophy and he slowed down the Lakers making them play more half court basketball.
Gotta say this is a great clip. God bless Olden!!! He tells it the way it is as far as the racial aspect. Whether it's bird or magic well that's going to be debated continuously. But I have to say this as I have in the past. If you gain the black athletes respect as a white dude well you have made something of yourself. If black dudes are questioning if you might be a 'lil black well then you are one of the greats. 3 players I recall that have been given that honor. Jason Sehorn, Babe Ruth, and Larry Bird. At the end of the day this is what is perfect about sports!!! We can argue the details but can't deny the work, talent, grit, and grind it takes to become one of these athletes we so hotly debate!!
Larry Lgend - catch this - Who is Thee GreaTesT at THROWING the ball the length of theFloor for baskets ? Who is the GreaTesT passing on their back ? Who is the GreaTesT at No LOOK passes ? I say Larry Legend has the resume as THEE GREATEST ALL ROUNDED Player to Ever play.
I went to school with a lot of foreign-born students. The younger kids lost their accents quickly, but those who came to the USA after age 10 or so never lost their accents.
When I think of the Bird highlight reels it's of the things he did when the play seemed to be breaking down but Bird would find a 2nd, 3rd or 4th option. I don't know how you measure that or even what you call it but whatever "that" is Bird could do that better than anyone else. Insane desire to win, off the charts basketball IQ and amazing work ethic so that the seemingly "impossible" things he would pull out of his "hat" we're things he had practiced and practiced a lot. I think Kobe had a lot of this as well.
If you were building a Franchise, there is a particular kind of Player you want to start with and build around. ALL OF THESE GUYS IN THIS CONVERSATION GIVE YOU THOSE OPTIONS and... None of them ever took a Gun to a Strip Club. That's all ANYONE can ask of a Player.
As Bird and Magic once said on David Letterman,they both said the same thing. At the time Magic was the best point guard and Larry was the best small forward!.
Correct Sonja. And I think that it was Jordan who said you can't compare players who played different positions as a different skill set was required. A lot of people say Bird had a better all round game, and maybe so. But Magic could play every position to the highest level. Probably more so than anyone else in the history of the game.
Loved Magic book Bird could not be stopped .. and never ran from the ball when they need 2- 10 -or 20 to win the whole Celtics team including KC said give the ball to Bird ..Bird in this era would be the same give the ball to Bird I would even say Kobe would be the Closest to Bird's Taument.
The way I break it down is, if you play them two on two, Bird and Bird against Magic and Magic, Bird wins almost every game. Because Bird and Bird would be better defensively and better outside shooters, while Magic and Magic would be passers. Rebounding would go to Bird and Bird also.
@@ezsmith3765 yes he was! Magic fit the Laker style then, but Bird could fit anyone’s style! One on one doesn’t really solve anything with a game like basketball! Rebounding, shooting, defense, passing, running an offense, those things do! Only way to evaluate who’s better, sometimes the better player elevates his teammates play! You don’t get that with one on one!
Magic best point guard of all time .Bird best small forward ever .But last shot to win the game I'd take Bird he was slightly more of killer .Bird ball IQ best ever .
Lakers fans think magic, boston fans think bird. I remember exactly that bird and majick were always compared to each other. It was just respectfully done
Depends on what you need. Short a good offensive point guard. Magic. Need a lot, take Bird. Passed well, but not as well as Johnson. Scored better. Rebounded better. Defended better.
Once again, magic doesn't get the real respect he deserves.....how can he say magic was slow..did he not witness magic get up and down the court?...plus magic and Birds game was different...yes, they both passed the ball and were team players, but magic was a floor general and Bird was more of a floor sergeant....people forget when magic wanted to he could score with and against anyone and he could get just as gritty
@@randybutler1697 I think I'll trust a guy that was on the court and saw it up close over a fan watching on TV. They've got a better perspective. I was watching them both as it went down ... they were both slow, especially after Johnson's knee injury in college.
Thank you! I'm kinda confused on the comments! Magic was slow is a joke! Lmao, that's way they called it showtime, because they ran up and down the court! Olden was a wack , injury prone player, he never ever reached the ranks of A Magic! If anything I think he meant to say Magic couldn't jump very high. But at 6'9 he managed! Put sum respect on his basketball name!
The question is, who do you think the players of that era would chose as best after retirement having a few years to think about who was better between those two.
Olden was on to something when he asked if Larry was white.......because he had so much swag....what people don't realize is that Larry is /Native American on BOTH sides! Mom and Dad. He is Scootish and Irish, too. But nobody has more swag than a Native.......and nobody had more than Larry.....When Larry was playing, a reporter would ask him about race once in a while...he would try to ignore the question, but when pushed, he used to say, "I don't SEE race, just people,...Is there something WRONG with that?" And coming from a mixed race background, it makes perfect sense that he would think like that.
8 inch growth spurt in 1 summer?!?! Wowsers. Bird was definitely better than Magic. Both were super rare players and so smart. I think Bird was more of an assassin while Magic would be the guy to help coordinate the hit.
Bird 85-88 had better ppg, apg, rbg, bpg and spg than Lebron in his years at Miami. Let that sink in. Peak Bird, peak Lebron, and peak Jordan are all within a finger-nail of each other IMO, and in in tier slightly above Magic, Kobe etc.
Laughter at the comparison 😂 Magic was a 6'9 guard that could play, and did play 5 positions in a game! Period!!! The greatest of ALL time! Game 6 **6"9 Rookie, starts center, plays ALL 5 positions!!!!!! The only person that has done that feat, is LeBron ! NEVER seen Bird play anything but small forward, and power forward! Don't know what he was looking at, I guess Magic's 5 NBA championships 😂😂😂😂is a Bird being best😅😴 💤 😂
Did Bird have Magic’s handles, court vision? Did Bird play all five positions? Magic was a walking triple double. Soooo much respect for Bird but…undoubtedly Magic is the G.O.A.T
Yes, Bird did have Magic's court vision. Watch his passing highlights. And he was a small forward, so didn't get as many assist "opportunities"...but ever did Bird capitalize on the ones he had.
No doubt it was Bird. But only by a smidgeon. He doesn’t get mentioned enough in the goat conversation for sure. The only thing I didn’t agree with was about both being slow. If we are talking about a foot race from one end to the other then yes, they are both slow. But reaction/reflex wise they are both some of the quickest guys to ever play. Larry Birds first step could only be rivaled by Michael.
This is how you know that MJ is by FAR the GOAT: Bird and Magic combined: 6 Finals losses, 6 mvps, 5 fmvps, 3 asg mvps, 3× steals leader both, neither of them led the league in scoring, neither of them played all 82 regular season games more than 3 times. MJ: 6 championships, 6 finals mvps, 5 mvps, 14 all star selections, 3 all star game mvps, 10× scoring champion, 3× steals leader, 9× nba all defensive first team, dpoy, 10× all nba first team. He played all 82 regular season games 10 times while having the highest scoring average and PER in regular season and postseason History ! 😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣
Michel Jordan never had the pressure to play for the two most important NBA teams, and had no expectations to win at all because he wasn't the top player in high school and college (like Magic and Bird were), and most importantly Jordan's Bulls only started to be contenders after both the Celtics and Lakers teams in addition to many legendary players such as Kareem, Dr. J, Moses Malone were old or retired so the competition was much weaker, thus easier to win for Jordan and the Bulls. You clearly don't know NBA history, you're just another casual Jordan fan who didn't watch the NBA and was brainwashed by marketing. When Magic's Lakers were facing Bird's Celtics, your idol Jordan was home watching the games. No #1 NBA player of all time has to wait for the best players to age or retire and lead his team to a title. Magic and Bird both immediately impacted their teams and won titles, while it took Jordan more than half a decade to win.
@@AIH483 basketball is a team sport. Jordan would have never won six championships without pippen and kukoc and Kerr. Yes he's the best player but Charles Barkley never won a championship and neither did pistol Pete . Lamar Odom won a championship or 2. Does that make him better than Barkley? Or Maravich? Championships don't tell even half the story.
@@AIH483 not to mention the Western division teams couldn't touch the teams from the East like Boston,Philly,Detroit,etc during Birds prime. You had to beat top-level team from start to finish,every single year. Even during Magic's run, the West was weak
Olden is correct. Never once had a doubt that Bird had the edge. He just did. Magic was great but he had Kareem. He probably has the edge as team playmaker but other than that Bird could basically do everything equally as well and was clearly the better shooter, on that it's not even close. A 6-9" forward who was quite possibly the greatest shooter ever. In addition Bird's passing was unreal. Overall Magic was great but Bird was greater.
th-cam.com/video/3sFF0185VcU/w-d-xo.html
6-10
Robert Parish and Kevin McHale are chopped liver!??
Magic was the GOAT!
What a cool gentleman Olden is.
Larry is the GOAT ! Period! Best team players and leaders ever in both Magic and Bird but Larry is among the greatest shooters ever and was tough defensive player as well although Magic was a smart team defender when it counted also but Larry had the ability to create and get his shot off from anywhere so it’s super close but Larry gets the nod! Painful to say cause I’m a lifelong Laker fan.
Olden Polynice makes "sense". Much respect on his opinion.👍
Pretty much everyone that played against both seems to tip the scales to Bird. I mean both amazing guys, but Bird could do it all.
If you asked anyone around 1989 or 1990, probably 9/10 would say Magic. If it was 1984 or 86, it would be flipped.
But after the dust settled 30 years later, I have no problem someone saying Bird as a Laker fan. Even Magic said it.
@@Edd1e8 Well sure, when Bird was laid up with Bone spurs in both heels and a bad back I think there were plenty of people who saw the end coming.
Unfortunately,
that was True . . . .
Bird had Won 3 straight Season MVPs ('84, '85, & '86), and Bird had injured his back during the '85 & '86 Off-Season, AND so his Prime Years ended🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀
But Magic was kind of like Jordan . . . . . More Dangerous when They had The🏀Ball, whereas Larry was more Dangerous without The🏀Ball, because Larry would be setting Picks, diving for loose Balls, setting up down low for a Rebound, etc.
@@bryantharris5914 regardless, that was the start of his decline. But both played at an elite level despite being slowed. Magic had tendonitis since 86 with multiple knee surgeries, a torn groin in 89 and then HIV somewhere around 91.
Magic was fantastic. Bird was better...
Love Magic, but Bird was a bit better. Equals as play-makers - Magic better on the break but Bird probably better in the half-court, running pick & roll etc. Equal as leaders. Bird a much better defender - 3 x All Defence 2nd team and led the league in Defensive Win Shares 3 or 4 times. Bird better rebounder. Bird much better scorer. Magic scored 40 points 6 times. Bird scored 40 points 47 times. And Magic was not a great shooter (career 30% 3P). Magic won all his rings with Kareem. In the late 80s early 90s, when Magic was at his absolute peak, and with teammates like Worthy, Byron Scott, AC Green and Divac, couldn't beat the Pistons or Trailblazers.
Magic never lost to the Blazers in the playoffs. In fact beat them in the Western Conference finals in 1991. By 1986-87 Magic was the key player and leading scorer on the Laker teams. Kareem while still good wasn't the 20+ point 10 rebound guy then. In that time frame moving forward, they had Final wins over the Celtics and Pistons. Even the loss to the Pistons in 1989 had Magic only playing a little over 2 games due to injury.
@@jeremyfoster8366 Yes, my bad, LA lost to Phoenix that year. Kareem still averaged 19ppg in the 1987 play-offs, dropping to 14 in 1988. Sure, Magic was the better player by then, but nonetheless he still never won a ring without Kareem. He was injured in 89 finals but they weren't winning that series anyway. In 1990 they got handled easily by a Phoenix team led by KJ and Chambers. In 1991 they got beaten 4-1 by the Bulls. I think if you took Magic and Jordan off their respective teams, the Lakers had a better team than the Bulls that year, which shows that Jordan was much, much more influential than Magic when Magic was in his prime. I do love Magic, and think he's a top 10 all time player, I just think he gets slightly overreated because of his charisma, playing for LA, and winning 5 rings playing alongside of a GOAT contender. If he had the personality of a door-knob, played for Milwaukee, and wasn't teamed up with Kareem, I don't think he'd be put on Mt Rushmore; he'd but around number 10 all time.
@@seamusb1047 the shame with Magic was we didn’t get to see the latter part of his prime. His game was shifting to a more half-court game and he was getting better behind the arch hitting at 38% in ‘90 and even when he came back in ‘96 he was still at that 38% mark. I think had he played through 1996 with no missed seasons and continued to improve at 3’s and keep that FT% at 90 which was also happening in that late 80s-early 90s window his scoring could have been more consistently in that 22-23 ppg perhaps even higher. Would have been nice to see how it would have played out. I think he had at least 1-3 more borderline MVP type seasons left in him.
Birds impact when he joined the Celtics taking the same team that won 29 games to over 60 wins after he joined them would have me selecting Bird over Magic
Spot on everything you said.
Except the rings won by Magic & Kareem were in
1980
1982
1985
1987
1988
Magic vs. Bird, what a great question! I do remember that as a huge Laker fan back then, my most feared player in the league was in fact Larry Bird...I knew that with Bird, the game was NEVER over until it was 'literally' over. I hated Bird back then, but now-a-days, the hate has transitioned over to a massive amount of respect for him. Listening to Olden talk about this, brings me back to the old days watching Magic v. Bird, and all of the excitement that came with it. I had no idea about Bird's trash talk until recently, but it sounds like it was fairly clean compared to some, and certainly psyched out many of his opponents. I just can't choose who was better between these two guys, I am going to give them a tie in my book. They would both be on my top 5 all-time NBA team, along with Michael Jordan.
I mean why choose, they both brought out the best in each other and the game was never over with either of those guys. The number of buzzer beaters by both of them was legendary.
@@bryantharris5914 MJ has more buzzer beaters than Bird and Magic combined, more scoring, steal titles, all defensive first team, Finals MVPS, Championships, ASG Mvps, DPOY, slam dunk contest 😆😆😆
@@AIH483 Agreed, Jordan dominated during a weak era for the league. He never beat a Bird lead team in the playoffs, anymore questions?
@@bryantharris5914 MJ was so good and so dominant he made Shaq Olajuwon Robinson Mutombo Ewing Mourning and so many other hall of famers look weak, no wonder why he defeated the most 62+ win teams in the playoffs without an all star. 🤣🤣🤣
@@AIH483 Yet he still never beat Bird.
Bird was the better player but magic had the better career,he beat him in college and he won two more rings than Larry.
Bird greatest NBA player period.
Larry's my Goat.
Bird, period. Deadly shooter from everywhere on the court, FT monster, rebounds, assists, and yes, even defense. Magic could play, too.
MJ period, greatest offensive and defensive player of all time, clutchest athlete of all time, greatest basketball passer of all time, elite rebounder 😎😎😎
@@AIH483 Lebron is better.
@@silewis9396 LeBron isn’t even the best small forward to ever play the game.
AIH483
First off you toolbox
The debate is between Magic & Bird.
The fact that you say MJ is the greatest passer of all time 🤣😆
The creator of “ME BALL” the biggest BALL HOG of all time to the detriment of his team.
Like when he scored 63 yet the Bulls still got smashed by the Celtics.
Now go service your man MJ. Get extra slobber in your mouth just how he told you to.
Bird is the top clutch player of all time.
MJ sucked at assists and rebounds. He was only great at scoring and 💦 your cheeks.
Larry was the greatest player during the NBA's greatest era. Bird is 6:0 against Jordan in playoff games. If basketball were a one-on-one game, the insanely-skilled MJ would be the GOAT... but it's not. Bird is, far and away, the greatest team player of all time... and the game's clear GOAT. LeBron isn't even top five.
Larry had every fundamental at a super high level. Great shooter, 3 pt shooter, near 90% ft shooter, great passer, rebounder, and a very underrated defender. Would lead forwards in steals. Magic was not high at all of those levels.
Oh, but Magic was Magical. Got over on Dr J two finals to one. Got over on Bird two finals to one
@@robmckrobmck5567 But it wasn't Magic alone who beat the Celtics.
@@richardpare3538 wasnt Bird alone who beat Rockets, Lakers.
@@richardpare3538 wasnt Bird alone who beat Rockets, Lakers.
@@robmckrobmck5567 Nor is it any single person on any team. So your point is?
I went to All Hallows high school with Olden on 164th street and Walton Ave in the south bronx,graduated in 1982.Olden was a great guy and treated everyone the same,I was more of a school yard legend in fort Tryon park/Washington heights,my class had Wendell Hicks,Greg Khaleel,John Kearns and the 1981 class had Troy Truesdale RIP,probably still dunking in heaven,remember Coach Carey.John Croghan class of 82
I knew All Hollows well but for dances not basketball. For basketball as a 1963 graduate of Power Memorial we had a pretty good basketball player known then as Lou Alcindor. But I’ll still pick Larry as the GOAT.
Magic and Bird were not slow, ironically Olden Polynice was slower than both of them.
Toward the end of their careers, both were lumbering and just depended on their IQs.
They did something that Hill, Penny, McGrady, etc weren’t able to do once their bodies were failing them.
And MJ is way more faster and quicker than these 3 combined 😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣
@@AIH483 That's what your delusional mind tells you but that's again something factually incorrect that you write without proof. What I did see whenever the Showtime Lakers played and easily beat the Bulls was that Jordan couldn't keep up with Magic who would outpace him handling the ball on fastbreaks and Jordan (without the ball mind you) couldn't catch up to him. Michael Jordan fans like you who probably never played basketball think that a tiny guard like Jordan can run faster than taller players with longer legs. Muggsy Bogues can outpace Jordan by your logic 😂
PS: More faster is incorrect English, it's a considered double comparative but I shouldn't expect much from your tiny brain since you're a Michael Jordan idol worshiper.
@@Edd1e8 Bird had back issues that slowed him down later in his career but Magic was never a slow player, he continued to always push the pace and orchestrate fastbreaks whenever possible, even though it wasn't nearly at the same volume after Pat Riley left because Mike Dunleavy had a different basketball philosophy and he slowed down the Lakers making them play more half court basketball.
@@arioca MJ is the fastest quickest and most athletic human being in professional sports history 🤣🤣🤣🤣😆😆😆😆
Gotta say this is a great clip. God bless Olden!!! He tells it the way it is as far as the racial aspect. Whether it's bird or magic well that's going to be debated continuously. But I have to say this as I have in the past. If you gain the black athletes respect as a white dude well you have made something of yourself. If black dudes are questioning if you might be a 'lil black well then you are one of the greats.
3 players I recall that have been given that honor. Jason Sehorn, Babe Ruth, and Larry Bird.
At the end of the day this is what is perfect about sports!!! We can argue the details but can't deny the work, talent, grit, and grind it takes to become one of these athletes we so hotly debate!!
I don't know why people make it a race thing. Bird was the better all around player, its that simple, nothing more to it!!
The thing is Bird was taught by black players and they taught him well. He even says Basketball is a Blackman's game and he excelled at it.
@@jmcnoneofyourbusiness3553 yeah but like everything else in the world a white man invented it
Larry Lgend - catch this - Who is Thee GreaTesT at THROWING the ball the length of theFloor for baskets ? Who is the GreaTesT passing on their back ? Who is the GreaTesT at No LOOK passes ? I say Larry Legend has the resume as THEE GREATEST ALL ROUNDED Player to Ever play.
This comparison is so tired. Bird was a much better player.
Bird was a man who love to play against the best brothers hands down
I went to school with a lot of foreign-born students. The younger kids lost their accents quickly, but those who came to the USA after age 10 or so never lost their accents.
He had a pair of Olden Polynices on....the man had a pair of air Christian Laettners
Larry "Larronius" Bird 🐐🍀💚
When I think of the Bird highlight reels it's of the things he did when the play seemed to be breaking down but Bird would find a 2nd, 3rd or 4th option. I don't know how you measure that or even what you call it but whatever "that" is Bird could do that better than anyone else. Insane desire to win, off the charts basketball IQ and amazing work ethic so that the seemingly "impossible" things he would pull out of his "hat" we're things he had practiced and practiced a lot. I think Kobe had a lot of this as well.
Bird.
Mike.
Kobe.
Wilt.
Top 4
1984-1993 Mike
1995-1998 Mike
2001-2003 Mike.
The 3 greatest basketball players of all time 😆😆😆😆
Jordan
Kareem
Kobe
Bird
Magic
Wilt
If you were building a Franchise, there is a particular kind of Player you want to start with and build around. ALL OF THESE GUYS IN THIS CONVERSATION GIVE YOU THOSE OPTIONS and... None of them ever took a Gun to a Strip Club. That's all ANYONE can ask of a Player.
As Bird and Magic once said on David Letterman,they both said the same thing.
At the time Magic was the best point guard and Larry was the best small forward!.
Correct Sonja. And I think that it was Jordan who said you can't compare players who played different positions as a different skill set was required.
A lot of people say Bird had a better all round game, and maybe so.
But Magic could play every position to the highest level. Probably more so than anyone else in the history of the game.
Loved Magic book Bird could not be stopped .. and never ran from the ball when they need 2- 10 -or 20 to win the whole Celtics team including KC said give the ball to Bird ..Bird in this era would be the same give the ball to Bird I would even say Kobe would be the Closest to Bird's Taument.
Larry Legend
The way I break it down is, if you play them two on two, Bird and Bird against Magic and Magic, Bird wins almost every game. Because Bird and Bird would be better defensively and better outside shooters, while Magic and Magic would be passers. Rebounding would go to Bird and Bird also.
Bird was a helluva passer too
That’s a great way of looking at it. Bird & Bird VS Magic & Magic. Gonna apply that with other “who’s better” debates.
@@ezsmith3765 yes he was! Magic fit the Laker style then, but Bird could fit anyone’s style! One on one doesn’t really solve anything with a game like basketball! Rebounding, shooting, defense, passing, running an offense, those things do! Only way to evaluate who’s better, sometimes the better player elevates his teammates play! You don’t get that with one on one!
Magic best point guard of all time .Bird best small forward ever .But last shot to win the game I'd take Bird he was slightly more of killer .Bird ball IQ best ever .
Lakers fans think magic, boston fans think bird. I remember exactly that bird and majick were always compared to each other. It was just respectfully done
Depends on what you need. Short a good offensive point guard. Magic.
Need a lot, take Bird.
Passed well, but not as well as Johnson. Scored better. Rebounded better. Defended better.
Once again, magic doesn't get the real respect he deserves.....how can he say magic was slow..did he not witness magic get up and down the court?...plus magic and Birds game was different...yes, they both passed the ball and were team players, but magic was a floor general and Bird was more of a floor sergeant....people forget when magic wanted to he could score with and against anyone and he could get just as gritty
You realize Olden Polynice was actually on the floor with these guys ... and you were not?
@@tatesinclair1059 u do realize these are my eyes and I know what I saw?
@@randybutler1697 I think I'll trust a guy that was on the court and saw it up close over a fan watching on TV. They've got a better perspective. I was watching them both as it went down ... they were both slow, especially after Johnson's knee injury in college.
Thank you!
I'm kinda confused on the comments!
Magic was slow is a joke!
Lmao, that's way they called it showtime, because they ran up and down the court!
Olden was a wack , injury prone player, he never ever reached the ranks of A Magic!
If anything I think he meant to say Magic couldn't jump very high. But at 6'9 he managed!
Put sum respect on his basketball name!
@@randybutler1697 shutup troll
The question is, who do you think the players of that era would chose as best after retirement having a few years to think about who was better between those two.
☘️
Bird was a mindset player
Great video!
👍👍👍👍👍
Olden was on to something when he asked if Larry was white.......because he had so much swag....what people don't realize is that Larry is /Native American on BOTH sides! Mom and Dad. He is Scootish and Irish, too. But nobody has more swag than a Native.......and nobody had more than Larry.....When Larry was playing, a reporter would ask him about race once in a while...he would try to ignore the question, but when pushed, he used to say, "I don't SEE race, just people,...Is there something WRONG with that?" And coming from a mixed race background, it makes perfect sense that he would think like that.
Bird is spectacular and I have Magic #2 all-time, maybe 3 with Le Bron. Bird even said.
8 inch growth spurt in 1 summer?!?! Wowsers. Bird was definitely better than Magic. Both were super rare players and so smart. I think Bird was more of an assassin while Magic would be the guy to help coordinate the hit.
Bird 85-88 had better ppg, apg, rbg, bpg and spg than Lebron in his years at Miami. Let that sink in. Peak Bird, peak Lebron, and peak Jordan are all within a finger-nail of each other IMO, and in in tier slightly above Magic, Kobe etc.
Marquette with Butch Lee.
1977. Miss AL
Bird had a better peak, but Magic passed him in the end.
Who in the HELL is Olden Polynate? lol!
A very well paid injury prone player who wasted a lot of money!@@😂
@@Paula-nt2uc Thank you!
It used to be Wilt vs. Jordan for goat.
Laughter at the comparison 😂
Magic was a 6'9 guard that could play, and did play 5 positions in a game!
Period!!!
The greatest of ALL time!
Game 6 **6"9 Rookie, starts center, plays ALL 5 positions!!!!!!
The only person that has done that feat, is LeBron !
NEVER seen Bird play anything but small forward, and power forward!
Don't know what he was looking at, I guess Magic's 5 NBA championships 😂😂😂😂is a Bird being best😅😴 💤 😂
"That Bird.... Hmmmm... Maybe he's not white..." It's a beautiful thing to transcend your kind.
I can't look at OP to this day. As a Sonic fan we traded Scottie Pippen for OP on draft day.
Just sickening
MJ destroyed your Sonics in the 1996 Finals 🤣🤣🤣🤣😆😆😆😆
Did Bird have Magic’s handles, court vision? Did Bird play all five positions? Magic was a walking triple double. Soooo much respect for Bird but…undoubtedly Magic is the G.O.A.T
Yes, Bird did have Magic's court vision. Watch his passing highlights. And he was a small forward, so didn't get as many assist "opportunities"...but ever did Bird capitalize on the ones he had.
Bird was far better,fantastic Magic was not even close. No one was.
LaDawn James, I like a Patriot
No doubt it was Bird. But only by a smidgeon. He doesn’t get mentioned enough in the goat conversation for sure.
The only thing I didn’t agree with was about both being slow. If we are talking about a foot race from one end to the other then yes, they are both slow. But reaction/reflex wise they are both some of the quickest guys to ever play. Larry Birds first step could only be rivaled by Michael.
This is how you know that MJ is by FAR the GOAT:
Bird and Magic combined: 6 Finals losses, 6 mvps, 5 fmvps, 3 asg mvps, 3× steals leader both, neither of them led the league in scoring, neither of them played all 82 regular season games more than 3 times.
MJ: 6 championships, 6 finals mvps, 5 mvps, 14 all star selections, 3 all star game mvps, 10× scoring champion, 3× steals leader, 9× nba all defensive first team, dpoy, 10× all nba first team.
He played all 82 regular season games 10 times while having the highest scoring average and PER in regular season and postseason History ! 😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣
Michel Jordan never had the pressure to play for the two most important NBA teams, and had no expectations to win at all because he wasn't the top player in high school and college (like Magic and Bird were), and most importantly Jordan's Bulls only started to be contenders after both the Celtics and Lakers teams in addition to many legendary players such as Kareem, Dr. J, Moses Malone were old or retired so the competition was much weaker, thus easier to win for Jordan and the Bulls. You clearly don't know NBA history, you're just another casual Jordan fan who didn't watch the NBA and was brainwashed by marketing. When Magic's Lakers were facing Bird's Celtics, your idol Jordan was home watching the games. No #1 NBA player of all time has to wait for the best players to age or retire and lead his team to a title. Magic and Bird both immediately impacted their teams and won titles, while it took Jordan more than half a decade to win.
@@arioca Not reading all that, still 6-0 in the Finals 😎😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣
@@AIH483 Jordan: 6 appearances in the NBA finals in 15 seasons, not even leading his teams to the playoffs multiple times 🤣🤣🤣
@@AIH483 basketball is a team sport. Jordan would have never won six championships without pippen and kukoc and Kerr. Yes he's the best player but Charles Barkley never won a championship and neither did pistol Pete . Lamar Odom won a championship or 2. Does that make him better than Barkley? Or Maravich? Championships don't tell even half the story.
@@AIH483 not to mention the Western division teams couldn't touch the teams from the East like Boston,Philly,Detroit,etc during Birds prime. You had to beat top-level team from start to finish,every single year. Even during Magic's run, the West was weak
Biiiiiiirdddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!