And an almost equally great President/GM. From drafting bird and waiting a year then the ridiculously shrewd kevin McHale Parish moves, Dennis Johnson. On and on
Back when people were more literate. Attention span was longer and people could think for themselves and form opinions based on a rational perspective of the facts.
I have watched all of these players from before Bird to today. Bird is the first player I would ever take. I have never seen any player that can do everything he could do. If he didn't have the horrible injuries he would have dominated the league for 6 to 10 more years.
I'm sure he say's Bird and Russell? That's like asking Trump if he is an honest man.The Real LBJ,The Big Dipper, and MJ are clearly the 3 greatest players of all time and their stats prove it.
@@vernpascal1531 Trump is honest dumb ass, whilst the screw boys you think are honest like Obama, Biden, McConnel, are all ripping us off, now is Trump a brash braggart who shoots the shut, yea, but he cares about the little man, ask anyone around him fool. Our countries in the shitttrr because of fools like you. Red is speaking mostly about his players, at that time. Magic and Bird were winning almost every year, so he picked Magic and Bird as the best two, and threw Russel a bone.
D Wil. When Larry started out , I was sure he could play until he was 40. I figured , "well , he isn't going to get any slower cuz he is slow now now... He played with his head , and his skills of passing , shooting , rebounding didn't require speed " My spirit left me when he hurt his back and he was in that horrible back pain and he had to stretch out on plane rides. And yet he was still great but how longer could he endure . When he retired and left 7 million $$$ on the table was the end for me . And I had been a Celtics fan since the Russell era listening to Johnny Most on radio. Yeah, Larry Bird was the greatest of his era IMHO . What forward could pass like him , play point guaed when somebody was injured and combined with shooting , shooting 3's , team defense . He was the complete package. His behind the back passes , between the defenders legs passes. backward over his head passes . He was a phenom. Glad we had him in Boston.
@@someguy7424 I see the Celtics vs Bulls in the 90s being as big a rivalry as Celtics vs Lakers were in the 80s if Len Bias doesn’t overdose. Especially if Reggie Lewis doesn’t pass away either. He had no rival like what Bird had with Magic. No one really wanted to step up in the 90s. Not Clyde, not Reggie, not Barkley, not Payton. Len Bias could have been that player. This is all hypothetical, but I’ve been saying this since the mid 90s. I’m almost 52. Watching him as a teenager at Maryland was jaw dropping. TH-cam videos do him no justice. His death still hurts over 35 years later. Let’s not forget that he was drafted by the defending NBA champions and would be under the tutelage of one of the 5-8 greatest basketball players of all time. A team that was used to sweeping Jordan out of the playoffs btw.
You do excellent work. As a true fan from the original game (not what it's become), I appreciate the sincerity you've found in these videos. Bob Cousy would be a crown jewel to add to your collection. Writer Bob Ryan, also.
crazy to think about it. Bird would dominate in any era with any rules. imagine Lebron or anyone today playing against the bad boy pistons lol with the crying and flopping
Red auerbach was still a consultant for the Celtics right up to 2006 when he died and still watched a ton of games every year...part of his job...and he was asked to pick his all-time greatest 14 man team of all time in a 2006 interview....he said he would leave LeBron James off the team because she had not played long enough...he refused to rank them in order but he did say that Michael Jordan was probably the best player ever...then he added the following fourteen guys in no particular order...bill Russell..Larry bird .magic Johnson..Kareem Abdul jabbar..... wilt Chamberlain...Jerry West . Elgin Baylor..Oscar Robertson.. John havlicek...Julius erving..Bob cousy .Bob pettit... Dolph schayes.....and...then he was told he could add three more players to his list and he then picked Kobe Bryant..Kevin McHale..and Karl malone..those were his top 17 guys all-time as of 2006
I have seen both Russell and Bird play. I still give the edge to Russell. 11 championships in 13 years and he won 8 years in a row. I would have a tough time choosing between them though. Give me both of them in their prime and throw in Magic and the rest would be history.
Reds real genius ,, was not really his coaching ,,,, but in his draft choice all great number one draft choices ,,,,,,Cousy , Sharman, Russell ,Sam Jones KC Jones Ramsey ,, Havlicek , Cowens ,Bird
Give me Wilt, Stockton and Bird, and I'll let you pick your full all-time dream team before I finish my starters, let alone my bench. To be honest, though, I think you'll sleep on West, so I'll get four of my top ten picks, rather than just three.
I remember in the late 80’s passing Red Auerbach in a hallway at the World Congress Center in Atlanta- I felt like I was in the presence of greatness. The Celtics represented the NBA well as true Champions!
I always think of the alternate timeline if Len Bias didn’t die. I do think they were probably one more reserve big man away from really dominating, but he would’ve extended the Celtic’s run. Likely would’ve resulted in no Bad Boys and MJ’s run starting in 93 or even later. Who knows - MJ might have never had a run at all as they wouldn’t have kept that Bulls core together longer if they weren’t winning
If Len Bias and Reggie Lewis hadn't died, the Celtics run would have been extended for sure. Less pressure would have been on aging Bird and McHale. I could see those Celtics winning a couple more championships. You're right that the Bad Boys may have not won titles. Jordan and the Bulls were coming regardless, but we would have seen some great battles between the Bulls and Celtics in the early 90s. It might have delayed the Bulls dominance by a couple of years. But also maybe Jordan wouldn't have retired before the 94 season.
@@GameTime-yj6qv Jordan and the Bulls were coming in the new expansion league, but they probably don’t get the full force of the league cheering for the #1 marketing machine. Keep in mind that the 1990 finals with the Blazers and Pistons was the lowest rating and led to CBS not renewing their contract. If that Finals never happens, CBS might have even kept the TV deal intact and they weren’t as Jordan centric. No rule changes too as Bad Boys weren’t lowering the ratings.
@@gnnacharles1 how many teams were added from 81-87? Post ABA merger, this isn’t even an argument what period had more teams added an how it changed the league.
@@eddieG667 Dude you trying to nitpick, the reality is the league was in expansion mode waaaay before the 1990s, so for argument sake, Bill Russell (R.I.P) who won 9 of his championships when there were less than14 teams could say to all players that win after him , including now, that they won in an “expansion “, “watered down “ league. This is not rocket science
@@InvisibilityG Teamwork, discipline, championships, and they're both native New Yorkers - plus Vince's tenure as a high school champion basketball coach. Would've been one of the greatest conversations of all time.
This interviewer sounds like the late, great Bill Mazer who did the sports report each night on WNEW-TV Channel 5's 10 o'clock news broadcasts during the 1970's and 1980's, hosted "Sports Extra" on Channel 5 on Sunday nights along with Lee Leonard (and later John Dockery) and hosted a sports talk radio show from Mickey Mantle's NY restaurant on the weekday mornings on WFAN sports radio for a number of years!
0:02 Hmm, Bird has a 7 footer (Sally) in his face as he shoots over him for the bucket. I don't understand, JJ Redick said Bird always had a 5 ft cushion when he shot the ball throughout his career. Does that look like Bird has a 5ft cushion on the jumper to you? 1:39 2 Pistons in Bird's face for the turn around jumper.
@@brando7266 -First, Russell won 11 rings. Wilt 1. Second, The whole reason that happened is because Wilt wasn’t as dominant when the late 60s rolled around and competition was better in the league. Wilt was a better player individually no doubt, but he wasn’t shit as a team player, and it is a team sport no matter how media tries to fool people into thinking otherwise.
@@wordragon if u switched the teams( wilt/ Russell) wilt would have 11 rings to Russell's 2, Russell had the much better coach and teammates than wilt, ps- Google what wilt did to Russell head to head, he put up huge numbers against Russell
@@brando7266 -Playing fantasy doesn't prove anything against what I am saying. Wilt played on plenty of good teams and couldn't get it done. Wilt had personality problems. Russell was the exact opposite. That is why Russel won 11 rings. On the Lakers, Wilt played with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, and Pat Riley. If you can't get it done with three other guys that average 20+ pnts and can guard, there is no excuse. Elgin Baylor has a 30+ average for his career. I love Wilt, but he didn't understand very key team aspects of the game until that championship season and it took that ass-kicking loss the year before for him to come close to learning it for one season enough to win. He has admitted as much in interviews.
look, the 3 best of all time are Wilt, Michael and Lebron .....then in no order are Russell, Kareem, Bird, Oscar, Magic, West, Kobe, Shaq, Stephen....then it gets a little more difficult....Hakeem, Duncan, Erving, Stockton, Malone, Baylor. Durant etc
You should look at the LAKERS with Jerry West great player BUT without a great center they lost until they paid the money for a great center then they started winning, Jerry West only got one championship ring then he retired.
If Red had taken the Knicks job,it largely would have been because John Y Brown,Gov of Kentucky who bought the Celtics,and made an incredible Awful deal in giving 3 1st Rd picks for Bob Mc Adoo,Red came very close to taking over the Knicks program!
Greatest players/teams all time conversation I mentioned Bill Russell led Celtics. Guys laughed and and scoffed at the notion they could beat today's teams. I said definitely would if they were allowed to carry the ball and bang players out of the way. Jesus I mean palm under the ball dribbling, three four steps to the hoop . I can't watch.
I've always said a true great Superstar makes those around him better so they can shine and doesn't need to have the best numbers if he's making his teammates better that's a true unselfish leader and Superstar player and Larry Legend Bird is the one true GOAT and Savior of the nba along with the Magic Man
@@joebeamish Red coached Wilt in a summer resort league when Wilt was 17. Red told Wilt he should play for Harvard and then he could draft him to the Celtics. Wilt went to Kansas instead, and Red was probably sour ever since. Anyway, he said “spoiled” not “selfish”, meaning that Wilt did what he wanted and not what the coach wanted. If Wilt felt like shooting, he shot; if he felt like passing, he passed. If he felt like practicing, he did; if he felt like not practicing, he didn’t.
@@stephatkinson8606 thank you. The Celtics won NOTHING before he got there, and they didn't win again until 5 years after he retired. The whole Celtic dynasty is built on Russell. He even won back to back WITHOUT Red on the bench. No one else has ever dominated their time the way Russell did. Bird isn't even close. Great player, but really? 😆
If Bird had won 11 titles you would say he was all world..all universe etc…but you dismissed Russell because you’ve got your head up your biased behind!
BTW... He was such a 'great' coach, look at ALL the titles Red 'won' without Russell, wait...that would be NONE! ZERO! ZIP! ZILCH! NADA! Russell gave Red legitimacy, and now he wants to dismiss him for Bird? The same Bird that won less than a 1/3rd of what Russell won? That's just sad. Red can be credited with one thing. He was willing to put Russell in position to help the Celtics win, because he knew they would NEVER win without him. The hypocrisy is overwhelming.
Let me guess. Red Auerbach picked Bill Russell and Larry Bird as the top 2 players of all time. Red was a great, great coach and GM. But he was a little biased, wouldn’t you say?
Wilt had the physical ability to dominate. Russell had the soul. Cousy estimated that if Wilt were the Celtics center, 56-69, they would have had a max of TWO championships.
If I were starting a team with any player, obviously, we’re talking all-time, if Bird could guarantee that he would pay someone to do his mother’s driveway, I’d take him 2nd behind the GOAT.
Back then dieing from taking drugs was fairly rare. Now with fentanyl, even people that are not drug users due from it. Losing Len Bias (drugs) and Reggie Lewis (heart attack) were knock out blows to the Celtics along with injuries to Bird/McHale/Parish.
Brilliant man...superior basketball intellect and motivator...no one greater in the history of the NBA...he would be crying watching the trash being played today...
RED KNEW HIS SUPPORT OF A WHITE PLAYER IN A BLACK SPORT FULL OF ATHLETIC PLAYERS WOULD BE UNWELCOME ...... but, those of us WHO WATCHED LARRY LEGEND play this game HAVE NO DOUBT he was the best ..... and THE LIKES OF Magic, MJ, Barkley and several more top players HAVE STATED THAT TOO. GBjj
Rick Barry picked himself, Chamberlain, Russell, Magic, and Jordan for his all time starting five. I'd replace Barry with Bird and that would be something.
Chamberlain and Russell are both centers. My team consists of 2 guard, 2 forwards, and 1 center. Before I pick a team let me say that you can't pick a team to compete that has 5 big egos with guys that want to be the big superstar and want the ball all the time. So here is my starting 5: G-Jordon, G-Magic Johnson, F-Bird, F-Debusschere, C-Russell.
As much as I hate to, I would have to agree with you. Even though I'm a big Bird and Magic Johnson fan. I wasn't alive when Russel played (or was too young to notice). Russel must have been a great player to be mentioned in the same paragraph as Bird and Johnson....
red must have gone off the deep end. and forgot 11 out of 13 championships. tell red it doesnt matter how many things a player can do. what counts is WHAT THINGS HE CAN DO. and how these things affect winning the game. let me take russ. red can have the next 5 picks. and i will take the last 4. and beat red's butt to the ground. cuz apparently i know more about how to win than red does.
Anyone who's top players are ALWAYS from his own team immediately loses clout with me. Aurbach was a narcissisist if I ever saw one. Get back to me about how fxcking great the Celtics "dynasty" is when you get 27 chips (like the Yankees.) Until then, they're just another second rate Boston franchise. I saod wtf I just said from my chest.
@@universegalaxyuniversegalaxy Jordan matured his game as he got older in a way that was unique. He got beat up going to the hoop and then developed the fade away jumper that was impossible to block. Scoring 55 points against the Knicks after coming out of retirement was a tribute to how much he loved playing in Madison Garden. GOAT or not, he was as fierce a competitor as anyone else, Bird included. Lame link, dude.
Red don't cheer or nominate the best player in the nba for his era! 'Wilt chamberlain' especially when he sent players on to the basketball court to maim him and Red was certainly involved in that while Bill Russell played Wilt fairly and never antagonised Wilt? Red used every underhanded trick in the book and made a few up, to slow down the dominance of Wilt Chamberlain. But he would never had got away with it had the nba through its uneven refereeing not allowed him the leeway to initiate such unsportsmanlike conduct? That and Wilt apart from rare instances refused to retaliate, but if Wilt had behaved like Shaquille or dunked he was literally unstoppable but he chose to be the 'bigger man' Red being such a small man never had that option!
When Boston Celtics cannot decide who the greatest Celtic of all time is (Russell-Havlicek-bird): you SAF can’t tell me anyone of them are the greatest player of all time!
Sure there is: wilt chamberlain! Bill Russell himself said “wilt is the greatest basketball player I have ever seen”! (WTF part of this don’t you wilt haters understand!)
What turn me off about Red ,,, is that he was always anti Wilt Chamberlain ,,,,and has always been " GREEN "with envy about Wilt Chamberlain ,,,, Bill Russell is not half the player Wilt was ,,, sorry you can't handle the truth ,,and that's the truth Wilt Chamberlain was 50 times better than Bill Russell ,,,,, Luther Rackley would have won all those NBA championships as the starting center with the Boston Celtics with all of those Hall of Fame teammates ,,,,Bob Cousy ,Bill Sharman , Sam Jones ,KC Jones,Tommy Heinhson , Clyde Lovelette , Tom Satch Sanders , Bailey Howell , Frank Ramsey , Don Nelson ,,!!!!
Put the drugs down. How do you think Cousy, Sharman, Heinson, Ramsey, etc....all became so-called HOF? Based on their rings, and Russell is the reason they won. None avged 20 for their career except Hondo. The only 2 legit HOFers were Havlicek and Sam Jones. The rest were just solid players that knew how to fit in. How many titles did the Celtics win before he got to Boston? NONE! Of his 11 there is no one else who was there with him for all of them, including Red. He was the only constant in 57 through 69... completely different teams. AND led them as Player/Head Coach for the last 2. 10-0 in game 7's, and as long as he played against Wilt, the ONLY time he beat him was once in the ECF 1967. Wilt had plenty of support he just wasn't a winner. That's what the game is about, the only "stat" that matters is championships. And Russell is in a universe all by himself. Want to talk about NCAA titles? Wilt was at that blue blood program Kansas and couldn't get it done, while Russell wins at USF that had not won then, or won since he took them to back to back titles. AND the Olympic Gold medal in 1956. Russell won 14 major titles in 15 years. Wilt won 2... PERIOD. FACTS, and all your bluster doesn't change that.
Celtics ein Irving prior to Russell sent in tail spin when Russell retired. Russell son two ncaa titles at San Fran Cusco they previous never went to ncaa tournament Dussell for his career is 27-0 in close out games in career. From high school college to nba. Wherever he went on every level they won titles.
@@cindyknudson2715 No. I'm just saying that a cigar is pretty deadly too, over time. Lots of people from his generation who were really "anti-drug" (meaning any kind of illegal drug), would drink like fish and smoke like chimneys as they railed against pot or mescaline or something...never seeing the irony in it....
Only thing that guy knew about basketball was how to cheat last I checked, cheating isn't a part of any sports or life; but he was the best at cheating.
Bird was a better alla around player than Jordan, and his stats prove it. Lay both player's stats out and go over them. Their FG% was almost identical. Bird had a higher Effective FG%. Bird was a better 3 point shooter, a better free throw shooter, had more assists, played more minutes, fouled less, had WAY more rebounds, was a MUCH better passer, and was arguably the best clutch shooter ever. Jordan had more total points, but he also played 175 more games than Bird. And keep in mind....even though Bird played 175 games LESS than Jordan, he STILL had more rebounds and assists than Jordan. Bird is 2nd in all time winning percentage....less than 1/10th of one percent behind Magic, who is first. Jordan? He's 14th on the list. Jordan was also 11-23 against Bird, including 0-6 in the playoffs.
@@reno8122 1985- Bird Mvp, Magic 2nd, Jordan (rookie)6th. Bird lead the league in p.e.r, ows, ws, ws/48, obpm, bpm and vorp .Jordan-rookie of the year, 3rd in points per game ( behind B.King and Bird) and 1st in total points. 1986- Bird 3rd straight Mvp, D.Wilkins 2nd, Magic 3rd, Jordan did not play ( broken foot). 1987- Mvp , Magic, Jordan 2nd, Bird 3rd but Jordan lead the league in ppg, total points. 1988Jordan (3rd full season) MVP, Bird 2 nd, Magic 3rd. Jordan,All-Star mvp, Defensive Player of the Year, 1st team All-NBA, 1st team All defense, played 82 games, lead the league in steals per game, points per game,, total points, total steals, p.e.r, ows, ws, ws/48, obpm, Dbpm, bpm and vorp. Magic and Bird had All-NBA , All-Stars and former Finals MVP on their teams and they still are the franchises with the most Championships. Just saying
@@gnnacharles1....As you read these career stats, just keep in mind, that Jordan played 2 more seasons than Bird did (175 games). Not only that, Bird played his last 4 years with debilitating injuries, and missed all but 6 games of the 88-89 season. Field goal percentage: Jordan: 49.7 Bird: 49.6 3 pointers made/attempted: Jordan: 581/1778....32.7% Bird: 649/1727....37.6% 2 pointers made/attempted: Jordan: 11,611/22,759....51% Bird: 7,942/15,607....50.9% Effective field goal percentage: Jordan: 50.9% Bird: 51.4% Free throw percentage: Jordan: 83.5% Bird: 88.6% Offensive rebounds: Jordan: 1668 Bird: 1757 Defensive rebounds: Jordan: 5004 Bird: 7217 Minutes per game: Jordan: 38.3 Bird: 38.4 Assists per game: Jordan: 5.3 Bird: 6.3 Rebounds per game: Jordan: 6.2 Bird: 10 Points per 36 minutes: Jordan: 28.3 Bird: 22.8 Rebounds per 36 minutes: Jordan:5.9 Bird: 9.4 Assists per 36 minutes: Jordan: 4.9 Bird: 6.0 Points per game: Jordan: 30.1 Bird; 24.3 Personal fouls: Jordan: 2783 Bird: 2279 Turnovers: Jordan: 2924 Bird: 2816 Blocks: Jordan: 893 Bird: 755 Steals: Jordan: 2514 Bird: 1556 Career points: Jordan: 32,292 Bird: 21,791 Again....Jordan played 15 basically healthy seasons, compared to 13 seasons for Bird, with 4 of those seasons played with a seriously bad back, leaving 9 truly healthy seasons. And those 4 injury riddled seasons, included the 88-89 season, in which he only played 6 games. He had back surgery, plus surgery on both Achilles tendons. Jordan as Bird are basically tied on FG%. Larry has a higher EFG%. Bird is a better 3 point shooter, a better free throw shooter, has more assists, WAY more rebounds, played more minutes, fouled less, was a MUCH better passer, and was arguably the most clutch shooter to ever walk on the court. And even with Jordan playing 175 more games than Bird, Larry STILL managed to have more assists and rebounds than Jordan (and he did all of this while playing in the most talent rich era in NBA history). Jordan was a prolific scorer, but he HAD to be....had to shoulder that load. Bird would gladly involve his teammates (as evidences by his assists), and could heavily influence the game without having to be the highest scorer every night (but often was). Contrary to popular belief, Bird was also on an elite level defensively. He led the league FOUR TIMES in defensive win shares, and 2nd twice. The only other player to exceed that stat, is Hakeem Olajuwon. Between 1981-1988, Larry won the League MVP 3 times in a row, and never finished below 3rd in the voting....2,2,1,1,1,3,2. In that same time period, Larry received 67% of all MVP votes cast. And like Jordan, he was in the stronger league, in the most talent rich era in NBA history. He is the only player besides Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, to win 3 in a row (and the only one that's not a Center)....and the only player in history, to win a championship, MVP, coach of the year, and executive of the year (and an Olympic gold medal). He is also the ONLY PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY, to retire with career averages of at least 20/10/5 (Bird had 24.3/10/6.3). Bird is 2nd only to Magic Johnson in winning percentage, trailing Magic by less than one-tenth of 1%. Jordan is 14th on that same list. Bird was never the center of any drama or pettiness, and played his entire career with the Celtics, winning championships with whoever the management brought on. Bird's 1986 Celtics team, is widely considered the greatest team ever....they went 50-1 at home that year, 10-0 in the playoffs, on their way to the title. Jordan was a career 11-23against Bird. Jordan's Bulls never won a playoff game against Bird's Celtics. They swept Jordan's Bulls out of the playoffs TWICE. In Jordan's BEST statistical/awards year ever (1998), he was 1-3 against Bird. All things equal, and if Bird would have been healthy those other 4 years, he would have a legitimate claim as the best player ever. If I was building a team and had to pick between either player in their prime, I would pick Bird.
Imo the best coach of all time. People forget how legendary this man was
And an almost equally great President/GM. From drafting bird and waiting a year then the ridiculously shrewd kevin McHale Parish moves, Dennis Johnson. On and on
Absolutely no doubt about it !!!!!
Best pro coach, yes. Best college coach? John Wooden.
@@docmalthus no argument here my friend
@@MrAitraining 8i
This was a great interview. So relaxed. Yet serious conversation.
NBA …yes ! College ….John Wooden ?
Back when people were more literate. Attention span was longer and people could think for themselves and form opinions based on a rational perspective of the facts.
Red was the master in his day [as coach and GM].
MJ is the master
@@AIH483 MJ was a horrible GM / Owner. Unless you can think of an example where he built a championship team like Red.
@@AIH483 Doesn't his team have one of the lowest (if not the lowest) single-season winning percentages of all time?
And his "day" lasted about 25+ years right? 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅
@@AIH483 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I have watched all of these players from before Bird to today. Bird is the first player I would ever take. I have never seen any player that can do everything he could do. If he didn't have the horrible injuries he would have dominated the league for 6 to 10 more years.
I'm sure he say's Bird and Russell? That's like asking Trump if he is an honest man.The Real LBJ,The Big Dipper, and MJ are clearly the 3 greatest players of all time and their stats prove it.
@@vernpascal1531 Trump is honest dumb ass, whilst the screw boys you think are honest like Obama, Biden, McConnel, are all ripping us off, now is Trump a brash braggart who shoots the shut, yea, but he cares about the little man, ask anyone around him fool. Our countries in the shitttrr because of fools like you. Red is speaking mostly about his players, at that time. Magic and Bird were winning almost every year, so he picked Magic and Bird as the best two, and threw Russel a bone.
Absolutely
D Wil. When Larry started out , I was sure he could play until he was 40. I figured , "well , he isn't going to get any slower cuz he is slow now now... He played with his head , and his skills of passing , shooting , rebounding didn't require speed " My spirit left me when he hurt his back and he was in that horrible back pain and he had to stretch out on plane rides. And yet he was still great but how longer could he endure . When he retired and left 7 million $$$ on the table was the end for me . And I had been a Celtics fan since the Russell era listening to Johnny Most on radio. Yeah, Larry Bird was the greatest of his era IMHO . What forward could pass like him , play point guaed when somebody was injured and combined with shooting , shooting 3's , team defense . He was the complete package. His behind the back passes , between the defenders legs passes. backward over his head passes . He was a phenom. Glad we had him in Boston.
“If & would have” don’t feed the bulldog
People said red was biased but he picked 2 Lakers in his top 5 back in 1991 and Jordan too.
Wasn't his top 5 Magic, Larry, Jordan, Russell and Kareem?
@@colinforsecs3393 yes u are right
@@leodrosia4369 what a diss of Wilt : (
Let's start McKale; Russell; Byrd; Maravich and D.J Johnson.
@@micahhull5126 I hear that McKale is a new, rather unpopular offering down at the Golden Arches
Great respect for red and I'm a laker fan
John Havlicek was 8-0 in finals & I didn’t hear him mentioned anywhere in this video!
Many of those finals Russell was center. Havlichek came in in *62-3. He and Russell overlapped 7 years.
@@brianmolstad1255 STF what? 8-0 is 8-0 : give the man his just fucking due!
Thank you! Why is Hondo always overlooked? Russell himself, the GOAT, chose Havlichek as the first player he would pick.
Yes indeed havlicek was awesome. He's on auerbachs top fourteen team all-time.
@@mja91352yeah I watched him play for years he was awesome
Hour Back knew talent.
I honestly believe that the death of Len Bias changed the trajectory of the 90s NBA.
How do you see 90s NBA had Bias lived?
@@someguy7424 I see the Celtics vs Bulls in the 90s being as big a rivalry as Celtics vs Lakers were in the 80s if Len Bias doesn’t overdose.
Especially if Reggie Lewis doesn’t pass away either.
He had no rival like what Bird had with Magic. No one really wanted to step up in the 90s. Not Clyde, not Reggie, not Barkley, not Payton.
Len Bias could have been that player.
This is all hypothetical, but I’ve been saying this since the mid 90s.
I’m almost 52. Watching him as a teenager at Maryland was jaw dropping. TH-cam videos do him no justice. His death still hurts over 35 years later.
Let’s not forget that he was drafted by the defending NBA champions and would be under the tutelage of one of the 5-8 greatest basketball players of all time.
A team that was used to sweeping Jordan out of the playoffs btw.
Maybe. Dependent on his leadership skills as an NBA player once Larry leaves. No way to know that unless you see it.
You do excellent work. As a true fan from the original game (not what it's become), I appreciate the sincerity you've found in these videos. Bob Cousy would be a crown jewel to add to your collection. Writer Bob Ryan, also.
This man knew his stuff....Great basketball mind. Rest in Peace Red !
Imagine Bird playing in today's NBA...with less physical defense and the coach lets you shoot 3 pointers whenever you want.
crazy to think about it. Bird would dominate in any era with any rules. imagine Lebron or anyone today playing against the bad boy pistons lol with the crying and flopping
Red auerbach was still a consultant for the Celtics right up to 2006 when he died and still watched a ton of games every year...part of his job...and he was asked to pick his all-time greatest 14 man team of all time in a 2006 interview....he said he would leave LeBron James off the team because she had not played long enough...he refused to rank them in order but he did say that Michael Jordan was probably the best player ever...then he added the following fourteen guys in no particular order...bill Russell..Larry bird .magic Johnson..Kareem Abdul jabbar..... wilt Chamberlain...Jerry West . Elgin Baylor..Oscar Robertson.. John havlicek...Julius erving..Bob cousy .Bob pettit... Dolph schayes.....and...then he was told he could add three more players to his list and he then picked Kobe Bryant..Kevin McHale..and Karl malone..those were his top 17 guys all-time as of 2006
Then he picked charles Barkley for number eighteen
Bill Mazer is the interviewer- great sportscaster and fact filled historian.
I have seen both Russell and Bird play. I still give the edge to Russell. 11 championships in 13 years and he won 8 years in a row. I would have a tough time choosing between them though. Give me both of them in their prime and throw in Magic and the rest would be history.
Of course Bill Russell is the greatest of all time. !3 seasons, 12 Finals, 11 rings. End of discussion.
WTF are you gonna stop equating how good a player is by how many titles his team wins?
Reds real genius ,, was not really his coaching ,,,, but in his draft choice all great number one draft choices ,,,,,,Cousy , Sharman, Russell ,Sam Jones KC Jones Ramsey ,, Havlicek , Cowens ,Bird
I would start with Wilt and Stockton.
Yes
You’re half right!
You would be HOPELESSLY wrong
Give me Wilt, Stockton and Bird, and I'll let you pick your full all-time dream team before I finish my starters, let alone my bench. To be honest, though, I think you'll sleep on West, so I'll get four of my top ten picks, rather than just three.
Isaiah torched Stockton daily
Best and smartest GM in the history of the sport
It in no way would be humanly physically possible for Red Auerbach to do what those boys did ! You make the call !
I remember in the late 80’s passing Red Auerbach in a hallway at the World Congress Center in Atlanta- I felt like I was in the presence of greatness. The Celtics represented the NBA well as true Champions!
Red was one great scout
it's true, you do make nice videos
I always think of the alternate timeline if Len Bias didn’t die. I do think they were probably one more reserve big man away from really dominating, but he would’ve extended the Celtic’s run.
Likely would’ve resulted in no Bad Boys and MJ’s run starting in 93 or even later.
Who knows - MJ might have never had a run at all as they wouldn’t have kept that Bulls core together longer if they weren’t winning
If Len Bias and Reggie Lewis hadn't died, the Celtics run would have been extended for sure. Less pressure would have been on aging Bird and McHale. I could see those Celtics winning a couple more championships. You're right that the Bad Boys may have not won titles. Jordan and the Bulls were coming regardless, but we would have seen some great battles between the Bulls and Celtics in the early 90s. It might have delayed the Bulls dominance by a couple of years. But also maybe Jordan wouldn't have retired before the 94 season.
@@GameTime-yj6qv Jordan and the Bulls were coming in the new expansion league, but they probably don’t get the full force of the league cheering for the #1 marketing machine.
Keep in mind that the 1990 finals with the Blazers and Pistons was the lowest rating and led to CBS not renewing their contract. If that Finals never happens, CBS might have even kept the TV deal intact and they weren’t as Jordan centric. No rule changes too as Bad Boys weren’t lowering the ratings.
@@eddieG667 “the new expansion league”,1956- 8 teams , 1962 - 9 teams, 1967 - 10 teams, 1968 - 12 teams, 1969 - 14 teams, 1971 - 17 teams, 1975 - 18 teams, 1977 - 22 teams, 1981 - 23 teams, 1989 - 25 teams, 1990- 27 teams, 1996 - 29 teams and 2005 - 30 teams. What teams hasn’t benefited from “expansion”? I’ll wait
@@gnnacharles1 how many teams were added from 81-87?
Post ABA merger, this isn’t even an argument what period had more teams added an how it changed the league.
@@eddieG667 Dude you trying to nitpick, the reality is the league was in expansion mode waaaay before the 1990s, so for argument sake, Bill Russell (R.I.P) who won 9 of his championships when there were less than14 teams could say to all players that win after him , including now, that they won in an “expansion “, “watered down “ league. This is not rocket science
Red and Vince Lombardi... similar minds. I wonder if they ever had any sports conversations?
Legitimate great question. I would love to know that answer as well.
@@InvisibilityG Teamwork, discipline, championships, and they're both native New Yorkers - plus Vince's tenure as a high school champion basketball coach. Would've been one of the greatest conversations of all time.
Interesting question.
@@cindyknudson2715 both New Yorkers, both once coached basketball. Just talking about their neighborhoods growing up would be spirited conversation.
Him and Jerry Buss had conversations and Red basically insulted him
GREAT VIDEO SIR!
Signiture Cigar ! Meant VICTORY 🏆
Of all the players bandied about in this video; how many of them had 5 rules changed to hinder their games?
THANK YOU!
I noticed nobody seemed to answer my f*****g question!
This interviewer sounds like the late, great Bill Mazer who did the sports report each night on WNEW-TV Channel 5's 10 o'clock news broadcasts during the 1970's and 1980's, hosted "Sports Extra" on Channel 5 on Sunday nights along with Lee Leonard (and later John Dockery) and hosted a sports talk radio show from Mickey Mantle's NY restaurant on the weekday mornings on WFAN sports radio for a number of years!
0:02 Hmm, Bird has a 7 footer (Sally) in his face as he shoots over him for the bucket. I don't understand, JJ Redick said Bird always had a 5 ft cushion when he shot the ball throughout his career.
Does that look like Bird has a 5ft cushion on the jumper to you?
1:39 2 Pistons in Bird's face for the turn around jumper.
Redick is just jealous of bird. Petty woman scorned is what he is.
Redick is full of shit
J j is a nitwit
@@theroadrunnerjarhead4109 LOL
Even if he did have 5ft there's a saying from soccer that great players always seem to find themselves space.
I'd to see coaches today light up a cigar on the bench like Red used to do when the game was in the bag. That's way colder than trash talking.
No smoking rule existed in the sixties!
Scary to think how good Len Bias could have been and the Celtics with him.
Wilt. Nuff said
When he played against better competition, it was a much different story.
@@wordragon wilt dominated russell, Google it,
@@brando7266 -First, Russell won 11 rings. Wilt 1. Second, The whole reason that happened is because Wilt wasn’t as dominant when the late 60s rolled around and competition was better in the league. Wilt was a better player individually no doubt, but he wasn’t shit as a team player, and it is a team sport no matter how media tries to fool people into thinking otherwise.
@@wordragon if u switched the teams( wilt/ Russell) wilt would have 11 rings to Russell's 2, Russell had the much better coach and teammates than wilt, ps- Google what wilt did to Russell head to head, he put up huge numbers against Russell
@@brando7266 -Playing fantasy doesn't prove anything against what I am saying. Wilt played on plenty of good teams and couldn't get it done. Wilt had personality problems. Russell was the exact opposite. That is why Russel won 11 rings. On the Lakers, Wilt played with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, and Pat Riley. If you can't get it done with three other guys that average 20+ pnts and can guard, there is no excuse. Elgin Baylor has a 30+ average for his career. I love Wilt, but he didn't understand very key team aspects of the game until that championship season and it took that ass-kicking loss the year before for him to come close to learning it for one season enough to win. He has admitted as much in interviews.
Red. The best coach of all-time. The goat
No John Wooden was the goat.
exactly
John Wooden won more titles, and had to change the make-up of his teams every year. Just sayin' ...
RIP brother
Larry isnt fast, cant jump, etc. Even in his own time. .. they didnt understand him. He was all of those things
look, the 3 best of all time are Wilt, Michael and Lebron .....then in no order are Russell, Kareem, Bird, Oscar, Magic, West, Kobe, Shaq, Stephen....then it gets a little more difficult....Hakeem, Duncan, Erving, Stockton, Malone, Baylor. Durant etc
After wilt; you are wrong
LeFraud is behind every player you named
@@michaelm6948 if he had said anyone other than wilt; he would have been wrong! (For 1 or 2)
Lebron simply can't hold up Birds or Johnson's jock strap!
@@mjp29 none of them can “carry wilt’s jockstrap”
Bird is the word
No: bird is A word!
You should look at the LAKERS with Jerry West great player BUT without a great center they lost until they paid the money for a great center then they started winning, Jerry West only got one championship ring then he retired.
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What the point of a great center if him and Elgin wouldn't adjust for him or utilize him.
You know the game
Sharman was part of his ball club.
Certain traits? Larry was 6'9" 220 lbs!!!! He had plenty of natural gifts
Couldn't guard his shadow
If Red had taken the Knicks job,it largely would have been because John Y Brown,Gov of Kentucky who bought the Celtics,and made an incredible Awful deal in giving 3 1st Rd picks for Bob Mc Adoo,Red came very close to taking over the Knicks program!
Is this The Amazing Bill Mazer doing the interview?
Greatest players/teams all time conversation I mentioned Bill Russell led Celtics. Guys laughed and and scoffed at the notion they could beat today's teams. I said definitely would if they were allowed to carry the ball and bang players out of the way. Jesus I mean palm under the ball dribbling, three four steps to the hoop . I can't watch.
The Russell Celtics would have DESTROYED today'sNBA, as would Bird's teams and Magic's teams.
Did red ever play the game
Any one?
I've always said a true great Superstar makes those around him better so they can shine and doesn't need to have the best numbers if he's making his teammates better that's a true unselfish leader and Superstar player and Larry Legend Bird is the one true GOAT and Savior of the nba along with the Magic Man
THE GOAT IS Bill Russell. ELEVEN RINGS!!!
Red would've put wilt way up there too but he said wilt was hard to coach because he was spoiled
Yeah, that’s why Wilt led the NBA in assists one year. Because he was selfish.
The real reason Red didn’t pick Wilt was because he didn’t coach him.
@@joebeamish red did not coach magic, kaj, or mj too but had them in top 5
@@joebeamish Red coached Wilt in a summer resort league when Wilt was 17. Red told Wilt he should play for Harvard and then he could draft him to the Celtics. Wilt went to Kansas instead, and Red was probably sour ever since.
Anyway, he said “spoiled” not “selfish”, meaning that Wilt did what he wanted and not what the coach wanted. If Wilt felt like shooting, he shot; if he felt like passing, he passed. If he felt like practicing, he did; if he felt like not practicing, he didn’t.
Deal with it
Red was knowledgeable: not infallible!
2:01 A poorly worded question.
Bird 3 rings, Russell 11.
Red knows that Larry clearly wins over Russell, but tries to play it like it's a tough question.
Nobody is touching Russell, not even Bird!
@@stephatkinson8606 thank you. The Celtics won NOTHING before he got there, and they didn't win again until 5 years after he retired. The whole Celtic dynasty is built on Russell. He even won back to back WITHOUT Red on the bench.
No one else has ever dominated their time the way Russell did. Bird isn't even close. Great player, but really? 😆
If Bird had won 11 titles you would say he was all world..all universe etc…but you dismissed Russell because you’ve got your head up your biased behind!
@@oldschoolruler Again, I wasn't alive to watch Russel. But Russel must have been great to be put in the same sentence as Bird (or Magic)....
BTW... He was such a 'great' coach, look at ALL the titles Red 'won' without Russell, wait...that would be NONE! ZERO! ZIP! ZILCH! NADA!
Russell gave Red legitimacy, and now he wants to dismiss him for Bird? The same Bird that won less than a 1/3rd of what Russell won? That's just sad.
Red can be credited with one thing. He was willing to put Russell in position to help the Celtics win, because he knew they would NEVER win without him. The hypocrisy is overwhelming.
Let me guess. Red Auerbach picked Bill Russell and Larry Bird as the top 2 players of all time. Red was a great, great coach and GM. But he was a little biased, wouldn’t you say?
Perhaps.
#1: Chamberlin. No contest.
#2: Jordan. No contest.
#3 -#5: A toss-up between James, Bird, Maravich.
#6: Russell.
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After wilt you are wrong
@@morrisparrish76 you must be a Craig ehlo fan.
@@theroadrunnerjarhead4109 WTF Is Craig ehlo
@@morrisparrish76 he’s the goat who used to guard jordan
Bill Russell said wilt was the greatest player ever, which begs this question: WTF is wrong with Red?
Wilt had the physical ability to dominate. Russell had the soul. Cousy estimated that if Wilt were the Celtics center, 56-69, they would have had a max of TWO championships.
@@brianmolstad1255 Russell Cousy Auerbach we’re all savaged by wilt chamberlain & they know it!
If you’re starting a team Russell, Magic and Bird are the top guys no doubt.
If I were starting a team with any player, obviously, we’re talking all-time, if Bird could guarantee that he would pay someone to do his mother’s driveway, I’d take him 2nd behind the GOAT.
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He'd already be gone before your second pick.
LOL, some don't, but I do understand the mother driveway comment!
I'd take Magic
Back then dieing from taking drugs was fairly rare. Now with fentanyl, even people that are not drug users due from it.
Losing Len Bias (drugs) and Reggie Lewis (heart attack) were knock out blows to the Celtics along with injuries to Bird/McHale/Parish.
Dying
And "back then," people knew how to spell "dying."
Brilliant man...superior basketball intellect and motivator...no one greater in the history of the NBA...he would be crying watching the trash being played today...
Bird loves current NBA AS DO I! You sound twisted. Defense IS being played and skills at an all time high
@@malcolmdouglasjr2178 Your opinion...NBA sucks in mine...
I’ve spoken with Dave Bing a few times and he says Oscar Robertson is the best ever.
Bing was a helluva lot closer to right than all you “ballwashing” Celtic lovers combined!
That's problem with LeBron he doesn't bring team mates up.
Like Bird Mj and Magic
Red would have seen right through the clot shot and would have found a way to keep his players from getting pumped with it.
Notice he didn't mention MJ!
Magic was mentioned in this video...
The game changed to allow MJ's style to thrive. It began to get frustrating to watch. Now? Utter crapola served on a eurostep
Why should he?
RED KNEW HIS SUPPORT OF A WHITE PLAYER IN A BLACK SPORT FULL OF ATHLETIC PLAYERS WOULD BE UNWELCOME ...... but, those of us WHO WATCHED LARRY LEGEND play this game HAVE NO DOUBT he was the best ..... and THE LIKES OF Magic, MJ, Barkley and several more top players HAVE STATED THAT TOO. GBjj
So would you like to go on my program and prove that everything you wrote is true?
Rick Barry picked himself, Chamberlain, Russell, Magic, and Jordan for his all time starting five. I'd replace Barry with Bird and that would be something.
Chamberlain and Russell are both centers. My team consists of 2 guard, 2 forwards, and 1 center. Before I pick a team let me say that you can't pick a team to compete that has 5 big egos with guys that want to be the big superstar and want the ball all the time. So here is my starting 5: G-Jordon, G-Magic Johnson, F-Bird, F-Debusschere, C-Russell.
He got 3 of them right
@@josephkelleher8820 Debusschere, never heard of him, but he must be great to be mentioned with those others~!
Curry Instead of Johnson
Rick got 3 of the 5 right!
Clearly an unbiased opinion.😞
Can’t argue with those two but of course this was before Jordan’s ascension.
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Really, what did you expect him to say?
Good find, Galaxy. And don't forget, Michael Jordan is the best player to ever lace em up.
Thank you. And don't forget if you really bleieve what you believe you can prove me wrong on my program but you wno't because you're scared.
Not true.
As much as I hate to, I would have to agree with you. Even though I'm a big Bird and Magic Johnson fan. I wasn't alive when Russel played (or was too young to notice). Russel must have been a great player to be mentioned in the same paragraph as Bird and Johnson....
@@mjp29 hear hear
That’s your opinion; please don’t go parading it around disguised as fact!
Typical Auerbach arrogance.
red must have gone off the deep end. and forgot 11 out of 13 championships. tell red it doesnt matter how many things a player can do. what counts is WHAT THINGS HE CAN DO. and how these things affect winning the game. let me take russ. red can have the next 5 picks. and i will take the last 4. and beat red's butt to the ground. cuz apparently i know more about how to win than red does.
Anyone who's top players are ALWAYS from his own team immediately loses clout with me. Aurbach was a narcissisist if I ever saw one.
Get back to me about how fxcking great the Celtics "dynasty" is when you get 27 chips (like the Yankees.) Until then, they're just another second rate Boston franchise.
I saod wtf I just said from my chest.
Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan
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@@universegalaxyuniversegalaxy Jordan matured his game as he got older in a way that was unique. He got beat up going to the hoop and then developed the fade away jumper that was impossible to block. Scoring 55 points against the Knicks after coming out of retirement was a tribute to how much he loved playing in Madison Garden. GOAT or not, he was as fierce a competitor as anyone else, Bird included. Lame link, dude.
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Red don't cheer or nominate the best player in the nba for his era! 'Wilt chamberlain' especially when he sent players on to the basketball court to maim him and Red was certainly involved in that while Bill Russell played Wilt fairly and never antagonised Wilt?
Red used every underhanded trick in the book and made a few up, to slow down the dominance of Wilt Chamberlain.
But he would never had got away with it had the nba through its uneven refereeing not allowed him the leeway to initiate such unsportsmanlike conduct?
That and Wilt apart from rare instances refused to retaliate, but if Wilt had behaved like Shaquille or dunked he was literally unstoppable but he chose to be the 'bigger man' Red being such a small man never had that option!
No one cares troll
Red- the whole Celtics team knew wilt was a gentle giant or they wouldn’t have tried the thuggery they did to try &?slow him down!
When Boston Celtics cannot decide who the greatest Celtic of all time is (Russell-Havlicek-bird): you SAF can’t tell me anyone of them are the greatest player of all time!
The greatest player of all time is Bill Russell. There is no counterargument.
Sure there is: wilt chamberlain!
Bill Russell himself said “wilt is the greatest basketball player I have ever seen”!
(WTF part of this don’t you wilt haters understand!)
It is. Aloe that Bird was not a great athlete. He is a better athlete than Magic Johnson
There are just too many players that could be picked as # 1.....
No; there is only one & we all know now who it is
@@morrisparrish76 yup. ☘️ Larry Legend
@@cindyknudson2715 I guess we all don’t know who it is
@@morrisparrish76 I AGREE
So it was the Knicks that ruined the game. That's exactly how players see the game.
What turn me off about Red ,,, is that he was always anti Wilt Chamberlain ,,,,and has always been " GREEN "with envy about Wilt Chamberlain ,,,, Bill Russell is not half the player Wilt was ,,, sorry you can't handle the truth ,,and that's the truth Wilt Chamberlain was 50 times better than Bill Russell ,,,,, Luther Rackley would have won all those NBA championships as the starting center with the Boston Celtics with all of those Hall of Fame teammates ,,,,Bob Cousy ,Bill Sharman , Sam Jones ,KC Jones,Tommy Heinhson , Clyde Lovelette , Tom Satch Sanders , Bailey Howell , Frank Ramsey , Don Nelson ,,!!!!
Put the drugs down. How do you think Cousy, Sharman, Heinson, Ramsey, etc....all became so-called HOF? Based on their rings, and Russell is the reason they won. None avged 20 for their career except Hondo. The only 2 legit HOFers were Havlicek and Sam Jones. The rest were just solid players that knew how to fit in.
How many titles did the Celtics win before he got to Boston? NONE! Of his 11 there is no one else who was there with him for all of them, including Red. He was the only constant in 57 through 69... completely different teams. AND led them as Player/Head Coach for the last 2. 10-0 in game 7's, and as long as he played against Wilt, the ONLY time he beat him was once in the ECF 1967. Wilt had plenty of support he just wasn't a winner. That's what the game is about, the only "stat" that matters is championships. And Russell is in a universe all by himself.
Want to talk about NCAA titles? Wilt was at that blue blood program Kansas and couldn't get it done, while Russell wins at USF that had not won then, or won since he took them to back to back titles. AND the Olympic Gold medal in 1956. Russell won 14 major titles in 15 years. Wilt won 2... PERIOD.
FACTS, and all your bluster doesn't change that.
didn't Red try everything he could to get Wilt ?
@@_1ben no...he didn't. He knew Wilt wasn't team oriented.
Celtics ein Irving prior to Russell sent in tail spin when Russell retired. Russell son two ncaa titles at San Fran Cusco they previous never went to ncaa tournament Dussell for his career is 27-0 in close out games in career. From high school college to nba. Wherever he went on every level they won titles.
That’s crazy talk. I wouldn’t be saying that in public, people will know you don’t know basketball
Larry Bird is my goat
Tired of the comments he's not a great jumper he's not fast
Wilt is the only true GOAT.
We all know it now!
The best player of all time is Michael Jordan. No. 2 is debatable.
No wilt is number one
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aS MUCH as i hate to agree, i do agree that Jordan was the best player to play in my time of watching the NBA.
Bias biggest what if ever
This guy couldn't kiss enough of A's B.. Answer: Wilt Chamberlain. You start your team with Wilt Chamberlain. Then, add Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.
That was the multi-year run of rings for the Lakers?
Russell and Magic.
Stern wanted one superstar. MJ was it. Bias had to go.
Ok Nostradamus
Finally the story can be told
Interesting to see Red warn everyone about drugs as he chews on his ever-present cigar.......
You are really equating cocaine to a cigar??
@@cindyknudson2715 No. I'm just saying that a cigar is pretty deadly too, over time. Lots of people from his generation who were really "anti-drug" (meaning any kind of illegal drug), would drink like fish and smoke like chimneys as they railed against pot or mescaline or something...never seeing the irony in it....
Only thing that guy knew about basketball was how to cheat last I checked, cheating isn't a part of any sports or life; but he was the best at cheating.
who cheated?
@@mjp29 This guy!
MJ haters are the worst fans in the world
If you’d left out the letters MJ ; you’d have been right!
that interview was when??? oh wait JORDAN only had 1 full season...
Bird was a better alla around player than Jordan, and his stats prove it. Lay both player's stats out and go over them. Their FG% was almost identical. Bird had a higher Effective FG%. Bird was a better 3 point shooter, a better free throw shooter, had more assists, played more minutes, fouled less, had WAY more rebounds, was a MUCH better passer, and was arguably the best clutch shooter ever. Jordan had more total points, but he also played 175 more games than Bird. And keep in mind....even though Bird played 175 games LESS than Jordan, he STILL had more rebounds and assists than Jordan. Bird is 2nd in all time winning percentage....less than 1/10th of one percent behind Magic, who is first. Jordan? He's 14th on the list. Jordan was also 11-23 against Bird, including 0-6 in the playoffs.
@@reno8122 Did it took Jordan 2 full seasons to prove he was just as good as Bird and Magic?
@@gnnacharles1....I don't understand your comment. What are you saying?
@@reno8122 1985- Bird Mvp, Magic 2nd, Jordan (rookie)6th. Bird lead the league in p.e.r, ows, ws, ws/48, obpm, bpm and vorp .Jordan-rookie of the year, 3rd in points per game ( behind B.King and Bird) and 1st in total points. 1986- Bird 3rd straight Mvp, D.Wilkins 2nd, Magic 3rd, Jordan did not play ( broken foot). 1987- Mvp , Magic, Jordan 2nd, Bird 3rd but Jordan lead the league in ppg, total points. 1988Jordan (3rd full season) MVP, Bird 2 nd, Magic 3rd. Jordan,All-Star mvp, Defensive Player of the Year, 1st team All-NBA, 1st team All defense, played 82 games, lead the league in steals per game, points per game,, total points, total steals, p.e.r, ows, ws, ws/48, obpm, Dbpm, bpm and vorp. Magic and Bird had All-NBA , All-Stars and former Finals MVP on their teams and they still are the franchises with the most Championships. Just saying
@@gnnacharles1....As you read these career stats, just keep in mind, that Jordan played 2 more seasons than Bird did (175 games). Not only that, Bird played his last 4 years with debilitating injuries, and missed all but 6 games of the 88-89 season.
Field goal percentage:
Jordan: 49.7
Bird: 49.6
3 pointers made/attempted:
Jordan: 581/1778....32.7%
Bird: 649/1727....37.6%
2 pointers made/attempted:
Jordan: 11,611/22,759....51%
Bird: 7,942/15,607....50.9%
Effective field goal percentage:
Jordan: 50.9%
Bird: 51.4%
Free throw percentage:
Jordan: 83.5%
Bird: 88.6%
Offensive rebounds:
Jordan: 1668
Bird: 1757
Defensive rebounds:
Jordan: 5004
Bird: 7217
Minutes per game:
Jordan: 38.3
Bird: 38.4
Assists per game:
Jordan: 5.3
Bird: 6.3
Rebounds per game:
Jordan: 6.2
Bird: 10
Points per 36 minutes:
Jordan: 28.3
Bird: 22.8
Rebounds per 36 minutes:
Jordan:5.9
Bird: 9.4
Assists per 36 minutes:
Jordan: 4.9
Bird: 6.0
Points per game:
Jordan: 30.1
Bird; 24.3
Personal fouls:
Jordan: 2783
Bird: 2279
Turnovers:
Jordan: 2924
Bird: 2816
Blocks:
Jordan: 893
Bird: 755
Steals:
Jordan: 2514
Bird: 1556
Career points:
Jordan: 32,292
Bird: 21,791
Again....Jordan played 15 basically healthy seasons, compared to 13 seasons for Bird, with 4 of those seasons played with a seriously bad back, leaving 9 truly healthy seasons. And those 4 injury riddled seasons, included the 88-89 season, in which he only played 6 games. He had back surgery, plus surgery on both Achilles tendons. Jordan as Bird are basically tied on FG%. Larry has a higher EFG%. Bird is a better 3 point shooter, a better free throw shooter, has more assists, WAY more rebounds, played more minutes, fouled less, was a MUCH better passer, and was arguably the most clutch shooter to ever walk on the court. And even with Jordan playing 175 more games than Bird, Larry STILL managed to have more assists and rebounds than Jordan (and he did all of this while playing in the most talent rich era in NBA history). Jordan was a prolific scorer, but he HAD to be....had to shoulder that load. Bird would gladly involve his teammates (as evidences by his assists), and could heavily influence the game without having to be the highest scorer every night (but often was). Contrary to popular belief, Bird was also on an elite level defensively. He led the league FOUR TIMES in defensive win shares, and 2nd twice. The only other player to exceed that stat, is Hakeem Olajuwon.
Between 1981-1988, Larry won the League MVP 3 times in a row, and never finished below 3rd in the voting....2,2,1,1,1,3,2. In that same time period, Larry received 67% of all MVP votes cast. And like Jordan, he was in the stronger league, in the most talent rich era in NBA history. He is the only player besides Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, to win 3 in a row (and the only one that's not a Center)....and the only player in history, to win a championship, MVP, coach of the year, and executive of the year (and an Olympic gold medal). He is also the ONLY PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY, to retire with career averages of at least 20/10/5 (Bird had 24.3/10/6.3). Bird is 2nd only to Magic Johnson in winning percentage, trailing Magic by less than one-tenth of 1%. Jordan is 14th on that same list. Bird was never the center of any drama or pettiness, and played his entire career with the Celtics, winning championships with whoever the management brought on. Bird's 1986 Celtics team, is widely considered the greatest team ever....they went 50-1 at home that year, 10-0 in the playoffs, on their way to the title.
Jordan was a career 11-23against Bird. Jordan's Bulls never won a playoff game against Bird's Celtics. They swept Jordan's Bulls out of the playoffs TWICE. In Jordan's BEST statistical/awards year ever (1998), he was 1-3 against Bird.
All things equal, and if Bird would have been healthy those other 4 years, he would have a legitimate claim as the best player ever. If I was building a team and had to pick between either player in their prime, I would pick Bird.
bill Russell was the best of time bird second Jordan third. just one guy opinion. what everyone thinks
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If I could only pick two players to start a team, it would be Russell and Bird.
Like Russell but would take Hakeem over him myself. His defense was on par but his offense was far superior.
WILT IN HIS PRIME IS UNMATCHED. PLEASE STOP THE BS.