Was Larry Bird Better Than LeBron James?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
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Coach Nick took a deep dive to compare 2 of the all time greats in the NBA. While it's been a long while since Larry Bird played, he deserves more respect from the young fans. Before making your decision, watch this video and get re-acquainted with one of the greats.
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ABOUT BBALLBREAKDOWN
BBallBreakdown is devoted to deep-dive analysis of NBA basketball gameplay. Giving fans a taste of a pro coach's film session, host Coach Nick breaks down fundamentals, play calling, offense, defense, shooting form, officiating, and everything else basketball. In addition, see exclusive interviews with NBA players and coaches, from active super stars to retired legends. - กีฬา
"If I had to pick a player to take a shot and save a game I would pick Michael Jordan. If I had to pick a player to take a shot to save my life I would pick Larry Bird" - Pat Riley
Steve Garris epic
Eugene Krabs and very weird
Steve Garris an if I picked a player to carry a team it's LeBron
Sean Huesman=== what, to lose?
And what was Bird's shooting percentage again? Stop it it.
Those who say Larry Bird is the greatest small forward of all time are Lebron haters.
Those who say Lebron is the greatest small forward of all time are Lebron Dick Riders.
But in reality people, Anthony Bennett IS THE GREATEST SMALL FORWARD IN THIS HISTORY OF THE NBA!!! STRAIGHT FAXXX!!!
W
Forgetting about the White Mamba I see
Scalabrine played every position
That makes him even better
haha true ad
James Worthy - "I would rather guard Michael Jordan than Larry Bird."
Isiah Thomas - "If you put all of us in a room -- Magic, Jordan, myself and Bird -- Bird would probably be the guy who walks out of the room at the end of the day."
That is such a powerful quote by Isaiah
Velli Ellis yet isiah said lebron greatest player ever
I agree very much with the last quote
999 In this argument mental strength would become a big factor.
I didn't understand, can someone explain the quote by Isiah please
Larry Bird is the kind of player everyone wants on their team and no one wants to compete against. Larry was a killer.
Lebron>Bird
And its not even close
#Facts
L kid
W it shouldn't even be a conversation
Lol.. you trippin
WW
You're literally fucking everywhere
11:05 Larry in the clutch. Larry had the biggest balls ever seen in the NBA. I'm surprised Coach Nick didn't mention how Larry would tell the other team what he was going to do to make the last seconds shot. Byron Scot and Xavier McDaniels talked about it. Magic said he was the scariest in the last seconds of a close game. He's the best clutch shooter ever.
Wandering Wade You have a point
That’s why Lebron has more post season game winners right. Keep talking out of your ass that’s all Lebron haters can do
Chad Williams We were never talking shit about Lebron?
Chad Williams We were saying he was the best SF at the time so chill the fuck out because I’m a Lebron fan as well been watching him since he played for Miami.
Larry is the best clutch shooter ever! He's the best clutch player EVER! In ANY TEAM SPORT...
People forget how good Larry was
Lebron may be a king to some, but larrys a legend and even kings retell legends.
Lebron would be zero if he had birds body he wouldnt even make the league
@@POLITICALYCORRECTify Michael Jordan wouldn't be the goat if he had Isaiah Thomas's body. Do you see how stupid your logic is?
@@JiggyJones0 You dont get what I mean Lebron gained most of his advantage from his size and strength with help of PEDs and if he didnt have that advantage he would be probably 50 - 60 percent of the player that he is
@@POLITICALYCORRECTify Really😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
POLITICALYCORRECTify thats the point of being an athlete right? To have a physical advantage over others? Why would you take that away from LBJ if thats what basketball is?
The difference was....with 5 seconds left Larry demanded the ball
Ed Exley Fucking legendary
Exactly and that’s what the differences LeBron’s looking to pass it real legends want to ball in clutch moments not LeBron he wants somebody to bail him out and he’s a flopper
@@jamescarmignani8316 while he has the most playoff game winners in nba history… *bUt hE fLoPs*
@@ehi_ij Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player in NBA history. One among Jordan's innumerable NBA records is the mark for the most game-winning buzzer-beaters in league history with nine
@@jamescarmignani8316 Bird vs Jordon look at the record.
Larry Bird was unbelievable. Imo best Small forward of all time.
Bird understood competition like no one else. In addition to all his skills, he knew how to defeat an opponent mentally. And he knew about team loyalty and cohesion. He got everyone involved on his team and played team ball to their strengths. Bird would score 28 points a game, yet all the other players Pure basketball brilliance. And just imagine going up against Clyde, Magic, Lambeer, Isiah, Rodman, Dominique, Pistol, Jordan, Dr.J, Pippen, the Mailman, and all those other greats every night and knowing that you were going to beat them mentally, because its was the only possible advantage there was. Unreal, brilliant and basketball will never be played on that level of competition again. Sure, a team will come along and pop a lot of 3's, or maybe a team will get two 8 foot tall guys and just drop them into the hoop, but competition on that level, with that consistent talent will never be seen again. And Bird dominated this era by playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers. Its Bird, he stands alone. In college he too a nothing team to the NCAA finals all by himself. Who else did that, ever?
If it wasn't for Larry Bird I never would be interested in Basketball as kid in the 80's.
Ed Exley not gonna lie I find it a little hard to believe that you just refuses to watch Michigan State and Indian State throughout the ncaa tournament.
Ed Exley sorry it just sounds like the first time Magic or Bird was on your screen was the 79 title game and I was just thinking did you just not watch the rest of the tournament because you could see the future or something?
Truth there m8, my pops hated "round ball" as he called it but when Magic and Bird played he called me into the living room everytime, and introduced me to "round ball" lol
Larry was slow as a snail.
Who cares about your intrest. Lebron owns Bird.
Bird's injuries, and the fact that he delayed his entrance to the league to finish college, really hindered his collection of accolades and total stats. But when comparing career averages, people need to keep in mind that LeBron has yet to play his twilight years. I mean, Stockton was maintaining around 13 career apg during his prime. But then he kept on playing until he was 40-years-old, bringing his average below Magic's.
trha2222 I'm talking about career averages.
jp3813 the same can be said about Jason Kidd.
+kalinwang1 In terms of assists? Kidd averaged 10.8 in a season at most. Magic's career average is 11.2 per game.
Lebron's style of play has adjusted (for the worse) so that he can try to accumulate enough stats to make it look like he hasn't dropped off, but watching him he clearly has pretty significantly. It's most evident on the defensive side of the ball where he plays lackadaisical defense so that he can stay free enough to swoop in to steal a rebound from a teammate. Then he brings it all the way up so that he can be the guy who gets an assist. When he doesn't have the ball on offense, he stands around a lot completely disengaged, just resting so that he can make another stat run after he gets his energy back. When things don't go his way and he gets stripped or can't muscle to the basket anymore, he complains to the refs forever so that he can (again) get some rest and so that fans watching will think he got fouled instead of that he's just getting old. A far cry from the machine we saw 10 years ago.
@@logicaldude3611 I agree completely with this.
He sure was the catalyst in the finals. Getting Draymond suspended was one bitch move no one will forget
This bitch still crying
there was a game 6 and 7. stop making excuses
your shitty ass warriors wouldnt have been in the finals if the refs did their job and suspended him for kicking adams in the nuts , guess he got what he deserved one series later
+xiami They lost the game he should've been suspended in anyway. Didn't make a difference.
chookalatemuffin He should've been suspended in the WCF, but not in the Finals. That was the NBA rigging both series.
Bird can affect the game even without scoring much, not needing the ball much.
Bird swept Jordan in the playoffs, beat magic/Kareem Lakers, and the "bad boy" pistons. That's all you need to say...
Yeah with Kevin, parish, Dennis, Danny, etc. Pretty stacked if you ask me. Those Lakers and Celtics could be categorized as superteams or just stacked starting 5's.
@@johncohen4025 if Detroit/Lakers were super teams too then it's a wash and shows how great larry was, he is dominating other greats. LeBron has made his own teams with great players and can't win shit, you think he's beating Lakers/Detroit/Jordan/Larry? Fuck outta here.. He also is the most protected player in NBA history, he drives and draws instant fouls, he's a joke. NBA needed a new star, they created LeBron.
Lets not pretend Jordan was fully evolved at that point
@@straightlead8 Jordan said so himself. Larry retiring helped him win. If larry was healthy MJ would not got the spotlight he did.
@@johncohen4025 The year before Bird joined the Celtics, they were 5th in their division with a 29-53 record. His rookie season, they went 61-21 and 1st in the division. Larry made his team play better, watch interviews of his teammates, they say that. Magic did the same thing. The Cavs went from terrible at 17-65 before Lebron to 35-47 with Lebron and only 42-40 his next year. Great players make their teams great. Something Jordan had to learn.
Slight edge to Larry, when you played in an era where you can talk shit and throw hands and NOT get ejected. You get a very small edge in my book.
lol you're book is stupid
says the one that can't even use correct grammar.
This era has much more competition scrub, and I doubt you have ever watched a single Larry Bird game
More competition than Magic and Jordan? The biggest problem with LeBron is LeBron's biggest rival has pretty much been Tim Duncan, or maybe Kawhi Leonard more specifically. Great player, but not top 5 all time players like Magic and Jordan. Good try though. I doubt you've ever watched a single Larry Bird game either considering you have no idea about the era
Bird has never played against the defenders LeBron has to play on a nightly basis..
One thing I know for sure - Bird had happier teammates.
In all fairness players weren't exactly given live mics back then
@Notorious MCV ?
Steve Sheldon how?
Notorious MCV that’s why he said in all fairness. So in being fair and better than life he provides information that makes things different than just the bottom line
Social media didn't exist back then in todays game every action and words are traced lmao so u can't say that
One thing that definitely makes Bird better is he never gave up on either end of the floor.
Yeap
Larry bird play with an infected toe like it was nothing
Tom Erickson Lebron is one of the best and most efficient defensive players on the floor, don’t be fooled... look at advanced stats
@@demolisherOfMoney I agree. Lebron is definitely in my all time top 10...but just behind bird for the simple fact that he gives up too easily, especially on the defensive end.
And look what happened to him. Meanwhile Lebron is one of the only players from his draft class still in the league and he's still the top player in the league
Bird I’ve read it all! Biggest legend in NBA history
I give it to Larry Legend. Not just because he won 3 titles with the Celtics, he played back in the more competitive, tougher Eastern Conference. The Celtics, 76ers, Pistons, Bulls, and yes, even the Milwaukee Bucks, and Atlanta Hawks was the gauntlet , to get to the Finals that was your road in the East.
Tougher yes but more competitive no.
I'll add that their stats are crazily similar, and bird got them without having to be ball dominant...I'll repeat that, this dude didn't have to force a damn thing to get his stat line...Lebron doesn't move without the ball at the level of bird, for the rest of the argument see below, versatility goes to bird for me, he can use different teammates to win more effectively:
LeBron is a point forward, Larry was an off ball style player. That's literally the difference. Larry couldn't run an offense like LeBron can, but he could be a key offensive guy down the stretch for you. I love Bird, mostly because of his insanely smooth shot and tenacity, but if I were going to build a team, I could put literally anything around LeBron and trust that he could take me deep into the playoffs, whereas with Bird I couldn't see it happening nearly as easily. Only their regular season stats are similar, which over time will fade away, but when you look at playoff stats it just isn't even close. LeBron is now the all time leading scorer in the playoffs with at least 6 more years to add to that.
Larry couldn't run an offense? Are you kidding? He did in Boston. He and Tiny, then he and DJ. And by the way, Rick Barry did the same for G.S in the 70's. Grant Hill did for Detroit when he played.
BTW, Do folks realize Lebron played with another great wing player (in Miami) in Wade? Bird never had that. Though he did play with a superb combo guard in D.J. for much of his career. D.J., while an excellent all around and 2 way player, was not the offensive force Wade was. Now, Lebron did not have a low post presence as McHale or even Parish, but keep in mind Bird had to keep them happy, get them their shots and still score major points himself.
Lebron, basically had 2 other wing standouts in Wade and a hybrid in Bosh. Of course, I'm sure Lebron and Larry wouldn't have wanted it any other way!
No compliance - bto bird played with 4 hall of famers. Some say the best time of all time in 86. So you couldn't double or triple team him like they did young lebron. Also. LeBron was of the best defenders in the league?
onelove- and the same could be said for lebron. Lebron also played with multiple hall of famers as well (handpicked).
Young Lebron had no jumper for a very long time.
BIRD! Every day of the week and twice on Sunday!
I take Larry Legend in his prime any day of the week.
Xedo I started watching basketball in around 92. At this time Bird was having back issues and wasn’t healthy. I feel cheated I didn’t get to watch him in his prime.
Lay off the drugs clown
Keke & Smooth Larry bird is better lebron has a finishing the game problem Larry could do everything lebron does and end the game 💯 he had that killer clutch that mj and Kobe had something lebron will never have no matter how hard he tries 💯
@Tammy T and you are too fat to not eat that box of dunkin donuts.
MANCHESTER UNITED F.C what type of real futebol fan calls it soccer😂
Kareem: "Bird could be the greatest player ever"
Thats a lie
He is the greatest player ever
Ed Exley Larry byrd used to destroy MJ in the 80’s mj could not guard byrd
Ed Exley
Bird beat Jordan 6-0
End of story. :)
Pre-Jordan, many were openly pondering whether Bird was the greatest ever. Some still do with caveats. What I’m curious about is what he would have been like if he didn’t shatter his middle finger on his shooting hand before entering the league? What if he practiced three-point shots? What if he played in today’s rules?
"Yeah all of the stars from the 80's and 90's are better than LeBron James. Every last one of them. Clyde,Dominique,Bird, Pippen, Worthy. LeBron not even in the top 10 SF to play." Even tho it's not close to true let's end the debate their. LeBron will never get the credit he deserves. Bird was really really good but he would tell you, his wife, his coach, his neighbor, his dog can see he is no LeBron James.
+Dedicated12 ok... Did u watch the video?
bro, what?
shut lebrons the goat
I know people think the 80s&90s were some sort of tough era and had the most physical league ever and better defense cause of teams like The Bad Boys&90s Knicks,because they hit u if u come in the paint that's not even defense.The 80s&90s also had more foul calls then now.LeBron if he played back then would've been the best player of any of those eras.I think he the best player off all time tho
wow lebron would be even better if he played back then why would u say scottie is better than lebron or dominqe i say he will be the goat when he retires
Scrolled through the comments for a long time and couldn’t find a single one saying Lebrun was better. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Yup , tells you that everyone here is mad that LeBron is better than their favorite player lmfaooo. LeBron in a serious note would eat Larry Bird alive on the court
PerkysKallin GOMD on me these folks are delusional 😂
I was just thinking that lol
shows how moronic they are
@@dutdut2.052 yup
It's LBJ vs. LJB...you missed a great opportunity..😉
@home9dog2blue because of the ring LBJ has to it
@home9dog2blue The B is from Bron
LeBron James vs Larry Joe Bird
Who was on Birds team how many Hofs theres a difference
@@marlonsmith924 And ALL have said Legend made them better players..greatest one season turnaround, at that time, was Birds rookie season..
Even though the assist numbers are close, LeBrons a way better passer
You've never watched Larry Bird then
Those Miami teams weren't stacked...
Lebron played half of his career on the them trash cavs
You must be 7 years old I have no other argument
Only someone that hasn't seen Bird play would say this. LeBron is a great passer but Bird was flashier, quicker, more creative, and more accurate. Also assist numbers only mean so much when it comes to passing, especially considering the fact that LeBron is a more ball dominant player than Bird was.
bird is the only player jordan did not beat (playoffs and overall head-tohead match)...and jordan was so happy larry retired...nuff said....
so true
if you think MJ was "happy Bird retired" then you clearly don't know MJ.
More needs to be said. Jordan beat a lot of the best after they spent years battling and wearing down each other. He didn't beat Bird because the Celtics were no longer relevant.
prime for prime...jordan never bested bird....
jordan was the ultimate one on one player, bird, the ultimate team player
Bron is just a king. Bird was a LEGEND!
Chris Javier a king what a joke. king of what. flop ball Larry Legion all day & night too. Bird will rip your heart out ask my favorite player Dom, Wilkens he will tell ya!
Samuel Sosa I'm gonna go see him play tonight, O wait he,s taking the night off, I guess I'll stay home & play yahtzee.
Samuel Sosa The. comparison was Bird & James not James or Lenard can touch Birds Greatness, jus my opinion. And I like & have much respect for both their game but compared to Bird not even close. & I'm a Die hard Atl, Hawks fan. Been all my life & I'm 60 Dominique Wilkens & I & Hawks have seen it up close. & personal. Bird will gut you & laugh at You& call you homie. then do it again Bird would do it in today's no touch game. could Bron & Lenard play in Birds era.?
So corney
Miss the low post game and the Bird. The toughest SOB on the court and the highest basketball IQ.
Best trash talker ever, case closed
The Hick from French Lick was much better than Queen James.
ha ha - Larry played hurt all the time , LeBron is on the floor for 15 mins with a slap to the face
@@RickDanner Honestly, if Lebron had to face a Larry Bird team he would get crushed... Larry was out there as a true hardcore soldier in the psychological warfare... he would get under Lebron's skin in the first 5 minutes and never let him think straight ever again.. he would constantly trash talk him and then shoot in his face to frustrate him, making ridiculous shot after ridiculous shot... Dr. J was the most athletic player of his era and Larry still completely annihilated him... on one game he even trashed talked him so much that Dr. J punched him in the face... Larry was just telling Dr. J how many points each had after every single basket he made... by the time Dr. J punched him the score was 42-6...
Larry also never missed a chance to go for 40-50-60 points... if he felt that he was hot he would never let go... McHale finished a game with a career high 56 I think but he went to the bench in the last minutes... Bird immediately criticized him about not getting 60 when he could...
Larry was SAVAGE... Lebron may be stronger, faster and all that... but he wouldn't stand a chance against Larry's killer psychology and winning attitude... Larry was a win or die trying kind of player... people need to appreciate more how good he really was... his highlights (I wasn't born when he played... I was born in 1990) are disgusting... ridiculous shots... just outrageous shots... if Lebron had made even one of Larry's game winning shots on a final people would have named him the GOAT by default...
i agree brother
Long Live the Queen!
Sport School yes Larry shit talked an old dr j.
Dr j’s Prime` ended about 84.
He’d been a pro since 71 and was phenomenal.
LeBron never had the fear of being closed lined or punched by a Bill Lamber or other physical players from the 80's, when driving to the hoop! Let someone like Oakley low bridge him when he going up high for a dunk. He wouldn't be trying that to often, greatly reducing his scoring average.
Henry Washington And none of them were ever close lined by Lebron either.
Would you like compare their career stats or do you already know that Lebron's stats are far greater & growing? 4 MVPs to 3....
Bird barely made all defensive teams while Lebron always made it.
Bird didn’t take rest days like LeBron. He and Jordan played all season unless they were medically sidelined. You can’t compare the heart of these two players. LeBron is more physically gifted than Bird ever was and capable of carrying a team alone. Bird was able to make the team better as a whole through his command of the game and vision of the floor. Bird was far better than James in the clutch too. Bird wanted to be the one to take the last shot.
@@karaghana4715 LeBron is one do the worst defenders in the NBA. You dont even fucking watch, JJ reddick had a higher defensive efficiency rating than LeBron last year... THINK ABOUT THAT
@@kweaver2459 When you say Lebron are you talking about the 6 time all defensive team Lebron? Are you talking about the the 5 time all defense first team Lebron or are you talking about the never making the all defense team Larry Bird when you say "sucks on defense"?
Larry legend all day every day and twice on sundays
moron
@@dutdut2.052 Poor baby!
Liberty Pastor lebrons better in nearly every aspect of the game. Cry about it boomer.
@@dutdut2.052 Le Bron is:
Bigger, not better. Healthier, not better.
Easier, not tougher.
Liberty Pastor better scorer, better passer, better defender, More Mvps, More finals mvps, list goes on an on, I could be here a while. LeBron literally has more peak seasons than Bird has total seasons
Also keep in mind, Bird was willing to sacrifice his body for the ball, and the defense was tougher in the 80s
Lebron couldn't strap Larry birds jock straps.
I'll be taking that ring.
LMAO!
lmao
Heard that before but ok
robert ross I bet you wish you could
Was Larry Bird Better Than LeBron James?
No.
WormChemistry exactly! These whites on here like Bird is Trump!
Everything I see LeBron doing (with the exception of dunks), Larry did FIRST! Honestly it looks like LeBron emulated Larry.
I pick Larry Legend all day every day!
I would hope Larry did it first he’s got like 25 years on him lol
They play nothing alike what ere you talking about
Larry Bird....….The best player from the best era.
Bird better than lebron? you can have a legit argument, but when people say Kobe better than lebron? you have no basketball knowledge whatsoever
You just have no basketball IQ. You just fooled by plain stats
bro just give it up every every basketball expert has lebron in their top 5 or top 3, kobe not in most people top 10s (espn) don't just use rings to determine a player greatness, if it was all about rings then why bill russell is not considered the GOAT?
+deonta thomas Lebron is better than kobe anyone who disagrees is most likely a kobe fan. All the stats heavily lean towards lebron and even more so in head to head matchups
basketball expert? sounds like espn morons who use numbers and "analytics" and have never actually played the game.
Try asking legends whove actually played the game.
The majority pick Kobe over Lebron
I dont even think theres a legit argument for Bird, especially since they got the same amount of rings
Bird was a better player. Lebron was a better athlete.
Bull shit brid could shoot yea ok cool but LBJ WAS A BETTER PLAYER
Greg Lide did you not watch the video😂 bird is better than lebron. Bird had way more skills than lebron
Yes , Larry Bird literally sacrificed his body on the basketball court. I never saw Lebron dive for loose balls like Bird, more of a Blue Collar. player.
Yup lebron has to turn on playoff mode for that (sarcastic) totally agree with you
You guys are soooo Biased Larry Bird is no where near the player LeBron was. It’s funny how you guys use LeBrons longevity against his legacy. More points, more rebounds, more assists, more steals , more blocks, more threes, more minutes played, more game winning shots, and we are really having this conversation!!!!!! Get outta here Bird couldn’t hold LeBrons jock strap!!!!!
@@jonathanfoster5064 Anybody agree with you🤔 ?
Let's not forget an important factor that doesn't show up on any stat sheet, not even advanced analytics. Bird was one of the best trash-talkers to ever play and lived in the head of his opponents.
I think the vast majority of coaches would take Bird over LeBron. Bird= best team player ever!
Bron has more brawn, but Larry has the overall advantage. Even Jordan say Larry was the best small forward ever to play the game. I agree...
BoobooJonez finally someone that heard the Jordan interview stating his respect for Larry Legend. I can't find it anymore. Do you know a link to that interview?
Jordan never played against Lebron James or Kevin Durant so who cares lol
He has eye balls. @@cozyfades1587
@Douglas Mawer playing against someone is much different lmao
@@cozyfades1587 Jordan would shit on those 2 every night
Having seen both play, it can only be Larry Joe Bird.
ofcourse he was! lebron manufactured his way into the top 5 somehow. Bird and Magic were the ultimate team-game superstars, and bird's confidence and coordination were out of control
> lebron manufactured his way into the top 5 somehow.
LMAO IS THIS COMMENT REAL LIKE HOLY SHIT
@@ashantinyongo7632 and that makes him better than Kareem, bird, magic and Russell how?
Think I couldn't list accolades for those guys too?
So yes, manufactured.
Josh Snider the only one you listed that is arguably better than LeBron is Kareem, LeBron is better than Magic and Bird in too many facets of the game and has already eclipsed them accomplishment wise, and Russell over Bird, Magic, Kareem, or LeBron is a joke.
@@ashantinyongo7632 see, all you've done here is simply stated an opinion. Which is completely disputable. You're initial critique of my comment didn't hold water, as I just demonstrated, so then you came back with the typical baseless argument for LeBron being better than Bird or magic (btw, magic won 5 titles, and bird would've too without back issues)
If you look in the comments, you'll see that many agree with me, because bird was much more valuable to his team than LeBron.
Before you continue replying to me, I'd suggest checking out the DOZENS of accounts from former players and coaches regarding bird telling the other team the play beforehand, and still succeeding with the play. This was a regular thing thing for him. Not just something he did a few times. He was an ultimate winner, and played well with a team. He enhanced his the play of his teammates. That can't always be said for passive aggressive LeBron, LeGM, LeCoach. He's been micromanaging everything on his teams ever since he left the heat.
Bird would absolutely destroy this league with a no hand check rule. He was an absolutely lights out shooter. And he was simply everywhere he needed to be on the court at the right times.
Bird by far, imo. And it's fine if you have your opinion, but don't try to pretend that it's fact, if the facts don't necessarily back it up.
3 chips with micromanaging, a weak Eastern conference, and shady reffing in the 2016 finals (even if not rigged, the Cavs benefitted from the worst display of officiating in a finals series, ever. And that's 100% provable), is not enough to definitively place him above those five guys, nor Duncan, Kobe (5 each) or hakeem.
@@ashantinyongo7632 ah, and you're not biased? Lol give me a break. As if these guys know you exist. Take your 'facts' back to nba reddit with the other biased, baseless 15 year olds
The restricted zone and hand check being called helps LeBron. Free throw shooting, and three point shooting and rebounding all in Birds favor. Larry's left hand is also a big plus. Larry had a knack of being clutch when the game was on the line. I would take a Bird in his prime over LeBron.
arizjones Agreed. But you fail to mention how huge the change in illegal defense/zone rules hurts LeBron as he never gets to play 1on1 and they just stack an offball defender on the strong-side. Also, LeBron's athleticism, finishing, ability to create offense (largely due to aforementioned) and arguably basketball IQ/decision-making are better. Can't go wrong with either but I feel LeBron's skill-set could make a bigger impact in more circumstances/teams than Bird.
arizjones Why couldn't Bird with so many hall of farmers on his teams win more than 3 chips? Why couldn't he make it to the championship even have the time that Lebron did?
Jay Kara the ScythianSlayer two words. Magic. Johnson.
Jay Kara the ScythianSlayer You do realize that Lebron also played with Hofers/Future Hofers right? Bird also had a career-long rival in Magic Johnson. There was also the fact that Bird played in fewer seasons(than most legends) due to injury.
Then again, Lebron and Larry had 2 different play styles. 1 was a shooter, the other a playmaker.
canWego Backintime Are you on meth or something?! Anyone knows that athletes advance with time.., they get better not worse dummy. This is how & why records get broken.
The only players that are able to hold there records are white baseball players that only had to play against other weak ass white baseball players which allowed them to accumulate numbers that are extremely difficult to surpass due to the fact that no other players will ever have it so easy.
Watch how tight the defense played bird in the clips, then look at everyone back away from Lebron. In the 80's, a few players would have made Lebron pay a heavy price for those drives to the basket.
he's 6 8 250. No one was as elite as shooters back then not even close. If lebron was put in that era right now with the shooting he has plus the pump fakes, the fadeaways and his passing gift, he would still thrive.
@@harishdukkipati1582 rodman would make him cry
The Bad Boy Pistons would have put LBJ to the maple enough times to prevent him from thinking he can score inside at will. I hated the Pistons back then, but it’s fun to contemplate how Laimbeer would have roughed up LBJ if he played in Laimbeer’s era.
They can play bird close cuz he can’t blow by them. If they guarded lebron like him he’d have an open lane every play
@@paulmartinson7200 idk where idiots like you get your stupid ideas about how physical the 90’s were. Just watch a random game from the 90s.
Magic Johnson said it right, Larry Bird is the best basketball player to ever play the sport.
But Bird then said Michael Jordan was god in disguise
. Larry Bird did say that but Michael Jordan is not God.
Magic has said multiple times that he believes MJ was the greatest ever.
@@fizzz3167 right, people just delusional
Magic then changed after 98
Bird is far superior mentally, a better shooter from everywhere, better shot creator, better rebounder, had better footwork, much more clutch and most importantly he is maybe the best TEAM PLAYER EVER!
LeBron is obviously more athletic than bird was, but bird was smarter, more skilled, and tougher
Bird was also less selfish. LeBron holds the ball for 95% of the possession, not to mention he micromanages the front office of his teams.
Ia Sa Smarter? How so? Why couldn't Bird take his hall of fame loaded teams to more than 3 chips?
@@karaghana4715 Bro he had to go through the Showtime Lakers with Magic and Kareem arguably 2 top 5 players of all time on 1 team.
canWego Backintime you got no idea of basketball
Presley HD So! That's no excuse. Why couldn't he get to the finals as many times as Magic or Lebron?
Bird played against 17 of the best 25 all time great players, James three. Case closed. Double check this.
Did LBJ not face off VS KD, Steph, Tim Duncan, Dirk, Kobe? Idk what list you got for the top 25 players of all time but Bird did not play vs 17 of them. Bird didn't play against LBJ, Steph, KD, Dirk, Kobe, Tim Duncan, Wilt, Bill Russell, AI, DWade,Shaq. all arguable top 25 players all time and I'm sure I'm forgetting names. Plus Bird played with 6 HoFers on one team lol and won a finals without being the finals MVP.
flash 22 this dude said Michael Cooper 💀💀💀💀
home9dog2blue facts.
@flash 22 you wanna know how old mj and scottie were when they got beat?
@flash 22 all the names you listed before barkley cant even wash kobe's and Kd's shoes... what are you smoking ?
Bird lead the Sycamores in college with a 33-0 record where he was the National college player lf the year. Played in the NBA with a Broken knuckle dew to Baseball injury. Made the bostons 29 wins into 61 in his rookie year where he was rookie of the year and the lead the Boston to An NBA finals the year after. You see the difference with bird and everybody else is he doesn't need time to mature in the NBA or anywhere Larry Bird always had it! The It is of course means winning.
"If I had to pick a player to take the shot and win the game, I'd pick Michael Jordan. If I had to pick a player to take the shot to save my life, I'd pick Larry Bird" --- Pat Riley. Nuff said.
(CREDIT TO Joseph Frantz)
Larry Bird vs LeBron James
I'll use Per 100 Possessions for their best 10 seasons according to PER (Player Efficiency Rating) & True Shooting for overall shooting.
Best Season
Bird - 37.6 / 11.6 / 7.7 / 2.1 / 0.9 on 60.8% TS, PER 27.8
LeBron - 40.8 / 10.9 / 10.4 / 2.4 / 1.6 on 59.1% TS, PER 31.7
2nd Best
Bird - 34.3 / 12.6 / 7.9 / 1.9 / 1.5 on 58.5% TS, PER 26.5
LeBron - 37.5 / 11.2 / 10.1 / 2.4 / 1.2 on 64% TS, PER 31.6
3rd Best
Bird - 33.6 / 11 / 9.2 / 2.2 / 1.1 on 61.2% TS, PER 26.4
LeBron - 40 / 9.8 / 11.5 / 2.2 / 1.4 on 60.4% TS, PER 31.1
4th Best
Bird - 32.2 / 12.3 / 8.5 / 2.5 / 0.8 on 58% TS, PER 25.6
LeBron - 38.1 / 11.1 / 8.8 / 2.6/ 1.1 on 60.5% TS, PER 30.7
5th Best
Bird - 30.3 / 12.7 / 8.3 / 2.3 / 1.1 on 55.2% TS, PER 24.2
LeBron - 37.9 / 9.7 / 8.8 / 2.2 / 0.5 on 64.9% TS, PER 29.3
6th Best
Bird - 28.9 / 13.5 / 7.1 / 2.3 / 1.1 on 56.1% TS, PER 24.1
LeBron - 39.6 / 10.4 / 9.5 / 2.4 / 1.4 on 56.8% TS, PER 29.1
7th best
Bird - 28.5 / 13.5 / 7.2 / 2.3 / 1.1 on 55.7% TS, PER 22.6
LeBron - 39.4 / 8.8 / 8.3 / 2 / 1 on 56.8% TS, PER 28.1
8th best
Bird - 30.2 / 11.8 / 9.3 / 1.8 / 1 on 54.6% TS, PER 21.9
LeBron - 36.5 / 10.7 / 9.8 / 2 / 0.9 on 58.8% TS, PER 27.5
9th best
Bird - 27.4 / 13.1 / 9.2 / 1.3 / 1 on 54.7% TS, PER 21
LeBron - 36.4 / 10.2 / 9.6 / 2.1 / 0.9 on 59.4% TS, PER 27.3
10th best
Bird - 27.6 / 13.5 / 5.9 / 2.3 / 0.8 on 53.8% TS, PER 20.5
LeBron - 36.3 / 8.7 / 10.7 / 2.3/ 1 on 57.7% TS, PER 25.9
They'll each get a point if there's a tie.
Scoring - LeBron (10/10)
Rebounds - Bird (10/10)
Assists - LeBron (10/10)
Steals - LeBron (8/10)
Blocks - Tie (5/5)
TS% - LeBron (8/10)
PER - LeBron (10/10)
Winner - LeBron James
Record vs +50-win teams (60.9%). I'll only include the ones they faced in their 10 best seasons.
Bird - 9-7
LeBron - 10-6
Record vs +60-win teams (73.1%)
Bird - 0-2
LeBron - 3-4
LeBron PER and Win Shares really blow Bird out of the water. You should've added WS to this list.
***** *PER 100 POSSESSIONS*
***** You shouldn't call someone retarded when you're the one who doesn't comprehend things, it's foolish.
Jay Jay I copy and pasted
***** look it up
if LeBron never won a ring then I'd go Bird. I'm a KNICK fan and I fucking HATED LeBron since he left the Cavs in 2010 but to say he isn't better then Bird is ridiculous. LeBron is even better then Magic because LeBron plays Defense. this might sound crazy but LBJ is a top 3 NBA player ever
Lebrons defense is okay. His on ball and off ball isn't that good but his Chase downs are amazing
L top 7.
It's Michael, Kobe, Lebron. Top 3 of all time. It doesn't even matter what order they are in.
+melokid99 it's not crazy at all
Kobe isn't even top 5.
No need to even watch the vid.
Easy question, easy answer.
bustindustin959 no
Mr. Roboto yes
Larry Legend saved the NBA and made it more popular than it is today. I still remember watching the NBA every weekend both sat and sunday and always showcased a game if the week in the 90s. 80s and 90s will never be surpassed in greatness and toughness.
Bird in his prime was the goat. Injuries prevented him from being in his prime for very long.
Larry bird in his prime was Michael and lebron fusion (except that he wasn’t as athletic)
He was in his prime for awhile, it's just that he was already older (23) when he came into the league. He had his best scoring season at 31 years old, then got hurt and only played 6 games the next season which effectively ended it. But a guy's prime going from 23-31 is plenty long enough.
I saw both of these players in their primes and I'm a fan of both Larry and Lebron. Lebron is a lot of fun to watch, highly skilled, a super athlete, and he's won. With that said, it my opinion, Larry is the greatest all-around player of all-time when he was in his prime between 1979 and 1987. Larry, for a player of his size, was incredible in that he did so many things well in all phases of the game and there was no area of his offense that was sub par. Larry is definitely the greatest clutch player I've ever seen and was on a different level when it came to shooting and especially clutch shooting. Larry was ultra confident with this clutch shooting, told opponents what he was going to do, then did it from wherever on the court he wanted to! Whereas Lebron just doesn't have the confidence in his shot and shied away from shooting when the game was being decided. For a basketball fan, watching Larry was like watching a clinic night in and night out. But I think that both players would have loved to have played together because both are/were so great at sharing the ball and making players around them better. They would be my two top picks at the forward position on an all-time team.
Difference between them is that LeBron's a killer defender too. It's a two-way sport!
Based on what I saw, I'd rate Lebron a better shot blocker and Bird a better positional and team defender. Within the Boston team defensive concept, Bird was an oustanding defender. When he was past his prime and with numerous injuries then he wasn't as good a one on one defender because his body could no longer do what his brain wanted to. He was still a very good defender because his basketball IQ was so high that he knew how to play positional and team defense to maximize what his body could still do...he still had quick hands, was a master at playing the passing lanes, was a master at drawing charges, bodying up smaller players at the "small forward" position (Bird was anything but small). Bird was well known for being a clutch defender as well as a great offensive player. For example, who could ever forget the steal at the end of the Pistons/Celtics playoff game when he stole the inbounds pass from Isaiah and the feed to Dennis Johnson for a layup? Bird made A LOT of great defensive plays at the end of games as well as other great defensive plays to change momentum over to the Celtics. Just because Lebron could run faster and jump higher doesn't make him a better defender.
Wei Qi That's very silly. There's no more positionally aware player on the court today than LeBron! Marking LeBron as just an athlete is massively unfair and disrespectful. Perhaps you thought you saw Bird as a better positional defender because you saw him play in great defensive teams. LeBron's never, ever, had that luxury. Put him on those Celtics teams and he would be an absolute killer defender; far better than Bird. Whereas if you put Bird in today's switching schemes he'd struggle badly because of his lack of lateral quickness.
this isn't a good reason as to why you think Bird is better. So lengthy, but yet lackluster
Michael Jenkins No where did I say Lebron was just an athlete. I actually rated him the second best forward of all-time that I have seen. Lebron is a great player, I just don't think he's as great as Bird was.
Bird's passing is Wizardry and his 3 Point Shot was God-like.
Bird. First of all, he went to college. Started college late
Hurt after only 8yrs in ways player's retire from today. Birds last 4 1/2. seasons were brutal. He was in constant traction the last two and still made people look bad.
I wish he'd of had today's medical tech. I've never seen anyone as good as Bird all around at basketball in my life. I've seen better physically, but not as a player.
II Thomas said it best. You put me, Magic and Michael in a room with Larry, don't be surprised if he's the one who comes out.
Reggie Muller was asked, Larry or LeBron at age 30. Reggie.. " I gotta go with Larry Joe"
Yup. Jordan never won a game in the playoffs against Bird. Not a GAME!
Bird only played 30-40 win Bulls not prime 60-70 win Bulls. Anytime some brings this up, I cannot take their analysis seriously because it reeks of density and/or bias.
Be close but I'd go with Larry Bird. Better shooter than James. Bird was a fighter and loyal to one team. Lebrons a winer and he wants to run the team over his coaches. Think alot of his teamates dislike him for that. Bird was a big time trash talker, may have even ranked number in that category, but he always backed it up.
Bird #1 Trash Talker ever.
It ain't trash if you can back it up
“Loyal” yeah ok. Anyone could be loyal to a Celtics team that was as dominant as the Warriors have been
Matthew Meyer
The year Bird joined the Celtics they went from trash to a 60 win team lol.
Says a Jordan fan 😂😂🤴🏾James the 🐐
At a certain level of play, the question can't be answered. Nevertheless, Bird was better. He once played 3 quarters of a game shooting left-handed, just for fun. McHale set the record for highest scoring game for Celtic, two weeks later Bird broke it, just for fun. Very simply, he could do whatever he wanted to do, save run fast and jump high.
So, Larry Bird was absolutely a better basketball player, and James is very clearly a better athlete.
Saw that game he said he was bored hows that for confidence?
I only clicked on this video just to leave a comment. I don't even need to watch it.
"Yes, Larry Bird was better than Lebron James!"
Without a doubt
Totally agree!
Agreed.
yep
@@Andrew-the-Writer Bird had Mchale and Parish in their primes as well and only played 13 seasons. Lebron is in his 17th season still as an undoubtedly top 3 player in the league and IMO still the best in the league. Name me one other person like that/ He led his team to more finals. A team in 2007 w no second or third option caliber player dropping 25 straight in ECF to lead them to the finals. 2015 w no kyrie or love and still managed to win 2 games against steph, draymond, klay, iggy all by themselves. 2018 with only Love and 3 point shooters dropping 35 ppg and 2 buzzer beaters throughout the stretch. What lebron has done isn't seen before the way he carried his team time and time again and played extremely well every finals. Bron has more MVP the same amount of titles. He has better stats across the board, including advanced metrics. Bron is just simply a more dominant player than bird was.
Did anyone see bird at 2:27 travel all the way to China with the ball? Or was it just me.
I had to go back and watch again but yeah he traveled pretty hard there
He dribbles...
@@bboywolf Shit yeah you're right, his body just shields it so you can't really see it too clearly
@@AllDayWillis lol u cant see it but he does dribble before he takes that extra step. But it does look like a travel from that angle
I'll take Bird. Lebron was more athletic, but Bird had that clutch gene about him. Bird also played in the tougher era, because of the way the game was played at that time. Isiah Thomas was once quoted as saying, "If you put me, Larry, Michael, and Magic all in a room, Larry would be the one to walk out of that room." The millenials missed out watching the great Larry Bird play, and I am a Laker fan who is saying that.
basically, Jordan had to stick it out for 8 or so seasons until he could more easily dominate the league.
it wasn't going to happen until the Lakers, Celtics and Pistons were spent from all of that beating up on each other.
shaft9000 don't forget expansion
@Mason Wright - look this up. Bird was a better shooter, rebounder, passer and free throw shooter than Jordan. Have a nice day
Is this Skip Bayless’ brother??? 2013 Lebron > Any Bird year
@@knee-colayo-kitc104 - lol view my previous post. That stands against LeBron as well
Byrd was a team player and Le Brick is not. Byrd wins. Hands down.
This dude just told you that LeBron has a higher FG% than Bird. But I doubt you watched the video, you can’t even spell his name correctly 😂 😂 idiot
They have the same number of rings plus LeBron has gone to more Finals. That's not to take anything away from Bird but saying he's a winner, who also played with several All-Stars and Hall Of Famers, and pretending LeBron is not is a joke.
I’m 41 and watched both Bird and Lebron. Both great players, but I’d take Bird any day and twice on Sunday over Lebron.
BIRD A BETTER SHOOTER AN OVERALL SCORER
# THE BIRD IS THE WORD
Based on what??? LeBron averages 3 more points per game than bird and LeBron had a superior field goal percentage.
Bird also averaged more rebounds and assist per game then LeBron and he also had the higher game IQ
1000Kbaby - LeBron has a higher assists average than Bird. No one has ever had a higher basketball IQ than LeBron.
@@LeadfootLou If you believe no one has had a higher Basketball IQ, you've watched too many hot takes LMAO Shiiiiiiiiiit, even TODAY, CP3 and Draymond Green have higher basketball IQs. Even Rondo and Jokic! You foolin bro.
logan mcallister - No Way!!! You need to balance your TH-cam watching to include players you don’t like. Then you’ll see what even the haters see when they watch mr James
Almost everyone who commented picked Bird. Most everyone who witnessed the entire Bird and LeBron eras would say Bird was better. It was pointed out in the comments and the video that Bird was far more athletic than he has been given credit for, particularly before injuries. Also, he was more consistently a better defender and rebounder than LeBron, much better in the clutch, and he had better fundamental skills. But the difference that stands out most to me is that Bird was much tougher than LeBron.
The difference that stands out to me is
A. Clutch
B. Bird made his teammates better.
@Clem Cornpone Yes, LJ leads a lot of categories, but he's played the majority of his career in the pussy league. I don't know how old you are, but I've watched both of their careers from day one in real time. LJ wouldn't have half the stats he has now had he played in the 70's and 80's. Here's the bottom line...LJ is the better athlete..Bird's basketball IQ was/is well above Lebron's and he was WAY tougher, not even close where those two things are concerned..
@@gogetter5137 yep. Ask any 10 of Birds Teammate about Larry OFF THE RECORD from bench warmer to starter and see what they say... then ask any 10 of LeBroom's Teammates about him OFF THE RECORD from starter to benchwarmer... the stories that you will hear about Larry with STRENGTHEN your opinion of that man based on his image... the stories your hear about LeBro... you find out pretty quick that nobody really respects that man.
You could do the same with Jordan, Barkley, Ewing, Olajuwon, Duncan... tons of other NBA Stars... compare what his teammates think about him to what LeBooger's teammates think about him. LeBum shrinks in their eyes everytime by comparison.
SinkHollyWood yea bird so clutch he dropped 8 points in 2 games of a finals
@@jacobkatz9919 LOL. Is this Chris Broussard?
Holy shit...am I honestly replying to a moronic kid that hasn't done one bit of research about the clutchness of Larry Bird?
He's considered the greatest clutch player of all time. PERIOD.
Because you're an uneducated, stubborn, lazy Ledickrider? I'm quite sure you won't press on the link that I'm going to spoon-feed you right now.
Here's a compilation of Larry Bird making last second buzzer beating shots throughout the history of his career! (and yes..some of these were made in the playoffs and during the Finals).
Stop listening to Chris Broussard...he's a high yellow racist that HATES Larry Bird!
Here's the link...I really hope you watch it and educate yourself.... A 10 minute compilation of clutch shots made by The Legend????....think about how long that is...AND ENJOY!
th-cam.com/video/1KcjADOdXpQh/w-d-xo.html
i can no believe all the bird hate, the youngsters think lebron is even better the MJ, which is crazy. the bird lebron argument is closer and has more validity. If you never seen bird play you have no idea how great he was in his prime
stats dont lie...Thats like saying Joakim Noah is bettet then demarcous cousins because he looks better on the court and was once a MVP candidate... cant take that serious
Adam Sarduci I believe this should be the argument not LeBron and Jordan. LeBron vs Bird is much closer than a lot of people think
Coach in the video himself concluded if we take the productions value lbj is better than bird since lbj will retire with many more years in his career. If we put prime vs prime that's crazy close actually it would be close with anybody. Larry is such a genius on the court is a match that is scary for any player. Larry is a one in a lifetime type of player.
Thanongrit Suriyarungka lets see Lebron play as many seasons as he will if he had a lingering back injury. The amount of seasons people play is irrelevant if the opposing player suffered from injuries and had to retire because of it
Lebron is better you fucking knuckle dragger
Although it is hard to compare athletes of different eras it’s made more difficult because of the offense minded rule changes. Bird played small forward exclusively in an old school offense structure. LeBron has played in a flex offense primarily geared to free him up offensively. His shooting percentage is boosted by his lay ups and dunks which compensate for his outside shot being average. I know some will say how clutch he is but percentages don’t lie, if you’re the one taking the shot you’re the one who gets the credit. I would also point out that LeBron particularly in Cleveland controlled the ball more than any other player in the league. Most often over thirty minutes a game. With this in mind his stats are enhanced by time of possession alone. If Larry’s and LeBron’s stats are similar you have to consider who did more with less time of possession.
Unlike LeBron, Larry played hard every minute of every game. While the self proclaimed goat seems to disappear all to often defensively. In my opinion given the fact Mr. James is given more opportunity to score than any other player in the game today he is a gross under achiever.
I realize it was from 5 or 6 years ago and Lebron has padded his cumulative stats a fair bit since it was released, that video comparing Jordan and Lebron that goes beyond just basic stats and looks at both analytics and era/positional comparisons pretty clearly exposes Lebron for what he is - a very good, but very hyped player who isn’t nearly as great as we’ve been told to believe.
Could you imagine Larry Bird playing in this era of the defense cant really touch you.... he would rewrite the record books.
No he wouldn't In spite of what people think Bird didn't go against many good defensive small forwards in his day. Go look back at that era, Nique, Dr. J, Bernard King, all great small forwards but they weren't good defenders at all. Bird ate up a lot of those guys while today's players are more athletic, defensive strategy is superior, plus he, nor did anyone in the 80s, have to constantly run and rotate on defense like they do today. Plus, Bird was never that selfish, he was a scorer-passer but I think he would still thrive in today's game due to his shooting, passing, dribbling, and brains. He would be a liability on defense due to his athleticism at the small forward position but he would make a great power forward in today's game not to mention he would be taking advantage of his greatest strength a lot more, his three point shooting. 80s defense wasn't nearly as good as people think it was. We think of the Pistons but the NBA really didn't play great defense as a league until starting in the very late 80s when you started to see a plethora of athletic defensive oriented wings entering the league like Pippen, Rodman, and others. Honestly, go look back at the 80s and the statistics, most teams really didn't play that hard on defense like we think we remember. People like Bill Simmons and others have discussed this before.
He would emphasise shooting 10 threes a night and average much more point than he did
Defenses are better now that they were in the 80s. He would not "rewrite the record books"
Imagine him with the right nutrition and lifestyle..
He couldn't rewrite the record books with his lack of athleticism. Curry and Klay rewrite the record books with their ability to run, run around picks, catch and shoot. Birds not exceling in that type of NBA. Also A zone is something bird didn't really have to face. Curry played against a box and 1 in the finals when players went down and he was really the only major threat. He almost went scoreless. That used to be illegal defense back in Birds day. Those types of zones (5 on 1) will stop the best of them.
I'll take bird over Lebron any day
Bobby Ramirez ill take lebron over any bums all day everyday
Bobby Ramirez Reggie Miller agrees with you! Reggie would pick Bird before LeBron.
LeBron knows the "right" things to say. How would it look if he said, "Yeah, I'm better than Bird."? Come on...
In truth, if the two of them went at it one-on-one, I think Bird would get wrecked. Bron is a freight train. As skilled as Bird is, we're talking about two different kinds of athletes here.
I never said Bird wasn't a great player. But if the two of them went head-to-head, Lebron's athleticism and better defense would stifle Bird, and there is no one that can stop LeBron on offense one-on-one. That's just a fact. The dude is built like a tank- super strong, and fast. And he has a shot that can keep you honest.
MJ has no problem with saying that he's better than guys like Kobe or LeBron (players that came after him). I haven't done research on this, but I don't recall seeing video of MJ saying that he was better than players who came before him. Would MJ say, "Yeah, I'm better than Kareem." Or, "I'm better than Magic."
The RightStuff Thats the worst argument I‘ve ever read. LeBron has already played more minutes than Bird and was by far more dominant in his prime AND IS STILL GOING. A decline in numbers, at 34 years old when Bird was basically out of the league at the same age, to something like 26/8/8 is in no way an argument pro Bird
Lebron has played against weaker competition in the conference. And also isn't as clutch as Bird and not as efficient either. He's just more athletic but not nearly as skilled
You do know LeBron shoots more efficiently from the field than Bird and has better clutch stats right? Nah you don't know that.
No he doesn't dumbass lol. Stop making up "stats"
Andrew Blackop actually, he does. What "Coach" didn't include here was Birds playoff percentages where he shot .472 form the field and .321 from 3. LeBron shoots the same from 3 and .478 from the field. But I'm guessing you guys only counted the regular season and find not include their ENTIRE careers which include the post seasons. Idiots.
That played against the weaker conference is some BS. Lebron plays just fine against the Western Conference. It's not his fault he was drafted in the Eastern Conference.
shut up lebron is number 2 alltime best
Was he better than WHO???? You gotta be kiddin me jo....smdh. Bird woulda talked #LeBroom rite off the court.
Bird would tell you Bron is better
@LonelyGoat DJ yup this comment section is absolutely retarded for thinking this is even a competition at this point in his career
Who would you rather have in a Game 7? I think the answer for anyone who saw them both would be obvious: Bird.
I want Lebron .. go ahead and call me Bronsexual or some shit u hater used to
@TheChongmaster always the fkng STATS
@flash 22 So free throws=clutch performance? Not saying Lebron's more clutch, but the mans performed better then everyone in game 7s for a while now. BTW if Bird is so much better, why the hell did he not win all 3 FMVPs?
@flash 22 And yet he still averages more points and is more efficient.
@flash 22 So you're saying that despite people knowing where he's gonna go, he still gets buckets. While That early stuff you mentioned is true, Lebron still ended up leading a better career with more accomplishments and better stats to boot. Even though he has less moves and offensive options, he still averages more on better efficiency. BTW you wanna bring up Lebron having his career saved by Ray Allen and Kyrie (even though that's what they are there for. No idea why you fault Lebron for having teammates do their jobs) But you don't wanna bring up how he got his teammates into those situations in the first place. If not for Lebron paving the way for that comeback, they wouldn't have won, is what I'm saying. Also, pretty sure Bird's teammate ended up wining an FMVP, wonder how that happened. Now I will admit, 2011 is the biggest black stain in Lebron's career, but if that's the only thing you can think of then it isn't enough to make Lebron worse than Bird career-wise.
Larry Bird was the greatest of all time... this man called his shots and made them all.. he beat everyone including Jordan...
@Stevie Keyz Jordan had a bad team Larry was put on a great team, look it up
@Stevie Keyz he was on a bad team, that's why but Jordan 1 on 1 Jordan would've destroyed Bird
@gerizzyYMcrew lebron makes loterry teams into 1 seeds, bird did too
If you say LeBron is better...you have to be too young to have seen Larry play. Because its not even close. Lebron excels in a soft offensive league in the softer of the two conferences for majority of his career. You can't say that about Bird...ever. Bird never jumped teams to make "Super teams" either. And Bird beat every notable star of his era in the playoffs...and no other player can lay claim to that...no one.
Larry was not the greatest....MJ was, don't kid yourself....however....Larry was definitely one of the best of all time.
In terms of careers it's debatable (or it will be when LeBron retires, can even surpass him), but considering both at their prime/peak as an overall player: Larry Bird > LeBron James.
And all of that athleticism talk is pure BS... Larry was guarded by and killed such players as Rodman, Bobby Jones, Pippen, Cooper, Jordan, McCray, Worthy, Ho Grant, Roundfield, Pressey, Nance, Karl Malone, Woolridge, Moncrief, Kenny Walker, Cliff Robinson (who was still all-defensive in the 2000's), Barkley... Great defenders, great athletes, or a combination of both... Larry wouldn't be seeing nothing new today, especially with softer rules and weaker centers in the paint. Plus, Bird was the best SF of the era (to say the least), not - skilled - athletic freaks like Nique Wilkins or Dr J; Larry was winning most matchups against players like that.
stats mean nothing
+Mac Tonight Moonman You have to put stats in context though. LeBron's individual stats aren't that much better than Larry's and could even be a bit inflated by years of playing with horrible teams who he needed to carry the offensive load for.
If individual stats were everything, Wilt Chamberlain would have a lot more than 2 championships.
+Mac Tonight Moonman Not to mention that there are rule changes throughout the years that made it harder to get credited for an assist in the '80s than now. The defensive handchecking rules also changed which made it way easier to score in the NBA today as well.
LOL LBJ plays weak eastern teams 4x a year. Stats would be inflated
+kaninglamig2008 Weak eastern teams as in like Bulls making playoffs with 30-52 record in 1986?
Title should be; "Is Larry Bird better than LeBron James?"
Jacob Maron answer, only using his left hand.
I have MJ & Lebron as Co GOAT (saw them both play) but Larry is super underrated bc he didn’t play as long and injuries hurt him after 9-10 years but in those 9-10 years he won 3 straight MVPs and was 2nd in the other 4 years from 82-88! He was absolutely incredible!
And yet Dr J has better stats than both of them. Go figure
Oh sick Larry bird uses his left hand for a lay up. Lebron uses his right hand for a lay up.... They r both 2 points!
If you didnt knew, LBJ is left-handed
you obviously haven't been on an organized basketball team...
smh
You obviously don't watch Allen iversons ability to use to right hand. The ability to use your right hand and contort your body. Use your athleticism instead of using your left hand. The ends justify the means. As long as u get the bucket then by all means get the bucket.
Ymca don't count
Mike C who are you talking to?
I would like to see any of LeBrons teams go up against any of birds championship teams. Or any laker championship teams from the 80s
@Thelondonbadger Nah, during the 80s they averaged more points then 2010s, Defenses were worse
@Thelondonbadger why do people always think that rougher=better?
@Thelondonbadger what are you talking about, they didn't shoot many threes in the 80s much less take more of them and the field goal percentage was low. Now I don't blame them, it was still fairly new and not emphasized but don't tell me to go watch games when I have. Not only that they couldn't do more in the 80s because again you either played man to man or doubled hard, that was it, the rules didn't allow for much variety and again you're not watching as much tape as you claim. Hand checking was a part of the game but the game didn't have as much hand checking as people remember. Again, you're all remembering the 90s and thinking it was the 80s as the game through most of the 80s was free flowing. When they got physical they got really physical but the defense wasn't as suffocating as your nostalgia believes. The game tape AND the statistics back up they didn't play defense as well in the 80s and not only that they averaged more free throws per game in the 80s. In fact when you compare the last ten years to the 80s this is the only season in which the league averaged more total ppg than any year in the 80s. The next highest ppg of the previous nine years is lower than any other year of the 80s so again, game tape and statistics show they didn't play better defense, even with the ability to mug.
Bird had the unique ability to change his game based off of who he was playing. Bird wouldn't allow quick outlet passes to try and neutralize the fast break. Bird would beat LeBron in the half court. His post game and free throws would kill LeBron's squad. Can you imagine Larry with today's foul rules? Lol, he'd drop 14ppg from the line alone today. Anthony Davis would have to foul bird to get his rebounds. Bird would beat everyone to the ball.
Being an old man and having watched Larry his entire career as a Knicks fan, I can say with conviction that Larry was the only player I ever feared for the Knicks to play.
His shooting touch is unmatched, period. This is in an era of the NBA where you could actually play defense. You put Larry in today's NBA he'd score 30 a game with his size advantage.
LeBron is a physical freak and also a super smart player. But he does play in a watered down, non physical league. Jordan, Bird, Magic, Ewing, Mailman, etc would devastate today's pretty boy, hugs and kisses NBA where everybody is friends. The 80s and 90s NBA was a fucking war. Not this bullshit we have now.
Larry would tell you "I'm going to shoot from here and there is nothing you can do about it"
Fucking Larry Legend.
Lebron would dominate in any era bro
Just his trash talking alone makes him a legend!
I like when he told an injured Magic, who was sitting on the bench watching: "Man I'm sorry you're not able to play tonight. But since you're here I'm gonna put on a show for you." And then he did put on a show and irritated the heck out of Magic! LOL Who says things like that to the best players in the league?
I'll take bird. And then when its game point, he'll tell LeBron exactly what he's gonna do, then do it.
@Thelondonbadger So we ignoring the fact that Lebron played the GOAT team, as well as many greats? Also, Lebron would be fine in the 80s. The man is built like a truck and has a much higher IQ than most.
@Thelondonbadger I don't have a bias for this topic thougg. Not even a Lebron fan. I'm a Kyrie fan. Regardless if Lebron were in the 80s he would tear through people without a foul being called, just like you said.
@Thelondonbadger You must be smoking something special if you think Lebron is mentally weak. I don't know what you mean by barged (do you mean blown by?). It's like you keep underestimating how big, fast, strong, and smart Lebron is. Look, I get that Lebron would probably be attacked and hit and all that, but that also means he can do to them what they do to him. And since he's built better, he would inevitably do more damage.
@@trollking4058 like ur name suggeats.. troll lol hahahaha not worth an actual response.
@@Klla420 That's the kind of thing people say when they don't know what to say
lol
I thought about it, for about 5 seconds.
Larry Bird, every day all day long
NO DOUBT
think about it again
June 2009
Two months later...
Still agree with this comment.
Right bron passed bird in like 2012
June 2009
"Passed Bird"..? That's not even a fair comparison to resort to just stats..
Bird.. Jordan.. college guys. For one.
Two. It's not fair to give extra credit when you get extra time - retrospectively it is equally unjust to get compared to one that got extra time.
I mean look at MJ vs James in just playoff.
If you cut James off at equal games to Jordan - there's no contest that MJ is GOAT.
Now give James his extra *40* plus games in the playoffs and he now exceeds Jordan.
Not really a valid way of comparing either direction.
Physically yes mentally ABSOLUTELY NO!!!
Larry Legend all the way
Huge Respect to both Larry and Bron but this ring has proven he surpassed Bird and is a top 5 player of all time. Stop dissing and recognize greatness.
Do research on what Bird did with a bunch of college scrubs: turned them into final contenders. He took a 'bottom of the league' team, Celtics, and turned them into winners almost immediately. He is, along with Bill Russell, the greatest TEAM player ever! If this sport was NOT a team sport, then you may say Wilt, Kareem, Lebron, MJ, Shaq, Kobe, and Iverson are the best players ever! But IT IS a team sport. Need proof on that? MJ's stats go down after 6 years, he starts to believe in his teammates, and then his team starts winning every year... hmmm!! Kareem, who was considered extremely introvert, thrived in the 70's with 5 MVP's, big stats, and 2 finals/1 title, but in the 80's Magic shows up and Kareem has less stats, only 1 MVP, and 8 finals / 5 titles... hmmm!! Wilt admitted that his individualistic style takes away from teammates and also adds that had HE been with Boston, the team wouldn't have done as well as they did with Russell... hmmm!! Shaq had a stacked healthy 60 win team SWEPT in the '96 conference finals, he had constant problems with both Penny and Kobe on who gets the touches, he's arrogant and lacks team leadership, he needed Kobe to mature enough into a superstar to finally win titles, and then needed a ridiculous deep stacked team in 06 Miami, with Wade to put on a show, in order to win another title... otherwise, he is just a dominant force who's play is very predictable, and who's free throws actually got worse over time, as if they weren't already horrid... hmmm!! Kobe is ripped out of high school, never understood leadership, and could never make players around play better if the test of an average team were given to him, so instead needed stacked teams from 00-04 and 08-10... hmmm!! Lebron did not show confidence in his teammates in playoffs '07, or '10(!) where his body language was horrible toward teammates and they were not contributing as a result of this poor leadership, then cheats and stacks a Miami team with the best players from the conference in 3 of the 5 positions - though still wasn't enough and needed a 4th star to make a key shot (Allen) to not lose in 6 games in '13, then a healthy Miami team in '14 loses AT HOME to the Spurs in back to back games by 20+ points each game - NOT EVEN BADLY INJURED TEAMS HAVE EVER LOST BACK TO BACK GAMES AT HOME BY 20 POINTS IN THE FINALS IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE NBA, the result being a breakup of a bunch of spoiled crybabies, including a homesick Lebron begging to return to Cleveland. An incredible player who holds the biggest asterix ever beside any success he's shown, and, just like Kobe, he was ripped out of high school and never understood/learned leadership. Iverson was pound for pound incredible, but he played 1 on 5 and didn't understand that team has no "i" in it, otherwise his team would have been more successful! The greatest players ever 1) Russell 2) Bird 3) Magic... the next best, in no particular order, are Duncan, Havlicek, Jordan, Pippen and Pettit. It's a team sport, not a stats or superstar sport which unfortunately people are obsessed with more and more over the past 30 years. Pettit was widely considered THE greatest ever at work ethic and spread that onto his teammates. Duncan took a team with few all-stars to 5 titles over a 15 year span, playing both ends of the floor with superiority, fantastic floor IQ at both ends, never leaving the team, not part of a team that made silly trades for superstars to stack the team, and leading his team to over 15 seasons of 50+ wins, making his starless Spurs the longest duration powerhouse ever to exist in the NBA. Magic went to the finals 9 times from 80-91 and proved he didn't have to ride the back of Kareem, by taking a somewhat different roster to the finals in '91 and also taking an old minimally used Jabbar to the finals in '89 (though major injuries on the team ruined '89 finals). Pippen is very underrated for his stardom. He was the most versatile defender to ever play the game, and disrupted the entire flow of the other team's offensive sets. He was a consistent scorer and had one of the deadliest unassisted fast breaks the game has ever seen, where he had a patent on the one dribble/four steps from half court to score. He was also an incredible fast break defender. Pippen's teammates have widely admitted that they were able to thrive and play their roles perfectly under Pippen's encouraging attitude, and Pippen was always helping his teammates understand floor IQ, during games and in practice... he won a second triennial of titles with a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ROSTER (aside from MJ), and Pippen/Jordan had 24 playoff series in the title years with only 2 of them going the full 7 games - only TWO!! As a veteran he took a superstarLESS Portland team to 7 games against the powerhouse Lakers in '00, almost beating them (had Rasheed not missed 6 of the 13 shots consecutively missed by the team when they were up 15 later in the game), and if not for the refs bad call on his great defense - he beats New York in '94 without Jordan! Pippen can be compared as the closest clone to what Havlicek was, along with the fact that both players were guard/forward type hybrids and where Havlicek was the first true 'point forward' before the term was ever coined. Russell and Bird turned role players and good players into Hall of Famers. They were the greatest psychological destroyers and trash talkers (Russell being the ultimate ever at this). Teammates thrived under their true leadership, making them the best players ever in the sense of how the game was designed to be played - a team sport, not solo sport!! Havlicek proved himself beyond his fame of the 60's by maintaining stellar play and leadership into the 70's leading the Celtics to two more titles. He had 8 wins and 0 losses in finals appearances. He excelled in defense and was a proficient scorer, making him a constant threat at both ends of the floor. He motivated his teammates with encouragement, helped teammates with floor IQ in game and during practice, and would lead by example with his incredible stamina.
Jordan was a prolific scorer, had incredible stamina and strength, clutch offense and defense, incredible at both ends of the floor, was a psychological killer, and with his god given talents he willed his team to 6 wins and 0 losses in finals appearnaces, though without the incredible new coaching staff in the 90's along with the emergence and maturity of Pippen (who was one of the best hybrid players of all-time), he may have struggled to ever win a title, let alone reach the finals, mainly because of his solo style of playing, as evident in his first several years, a style that Iverson adopted when he came into the league with his warrior dominance, and much like Chamberlain was with his incomparible dominance. James and Bryant do not possess the important qualities of team encouragement and leadership, despite their raw talent. A combination of both coming straight out of high school and being born into the 'entitlement' era are the reasons neither are a top ten. Need proof on that? Garnett comes straight out of high school and his only understanding of team leadership, throughout his career, is to bang his chest and scream 'Yeah mother------' to his teammates, and he needed the veteran leadership of Sam Cassell to finally win a playoff series with the Timberwolves, and let's not forget his success in Boston with those ridiculous trades to stack the team, though that still wasn't enough without the x-factor of Rondo playing beyond expectations... and just look at Rondo's personality bloom in the worst possible way under the 'veteran' influence of Garnett. If you've read this far into the essay, then perhaps you can appreciate that raw talent and/or dominant force is a plus, but not a determinant to winning titles. Also, I rank Jabbar and Chamberlain as being 9 and 10 to round out the final 10. However, if you consider overall individual basketball dominance (college and high school included), then it's easy to say that no one comes close to Chamberlain and Jabbar!
Julius Paul Lebron needs his teammates tho.
@@TokyoBalletReprise Every great player needs their teammates, but the key is how to make your teammates play better than their expected potential, and also how to encourage roll players to make consistent plays and big plays if needed!
if larry and magic was not in the same era they would win at least 3 more chips
Fair
Let's remember, LeBron has the ball all the time. Birds scoring came from within the offense.
LeBron IS the offense, and it’s very cheap to make with him in the equation
Many people forget that the Eastern Conference was stacked during the 80s.There was Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Philly, Atlanta, and Cleveland.If LeBron had came in the league at that time, he,d be playing with Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, and Larry Nance, SR.as his teammates.Plus the Cavs, couldn,t dethrone the Celtics, Pistons,76ers, and Bulls.Plus New York eventually started making the playoffs going into the 90s.
Bron cant hit a free throw to save his life in the last minute of a game. Larry CLUTCH!
That doesn't make larry a better player tho
Larry won 3 championships in 7 years. Lebron took 8 years to get 1 and he had to go to a stacked team to get it. Larry is better.
@@benjaminmcclure1427 So Robert Horry better than Larry based on your logic?
@@sebastiangonzales46 overall I agree with you but I will say this to simplify these two in comparison bird was a more skilled and refined player James was more raw physical ability overall bird was probably the better player taking everything into consideration I've seen him play his career and James play his career that's how I would put these two in comparison
@@richardcerritelli9657 True both of them are legends in their own way
There are quite a few SF I would take before Lebron... Bird is on the very top of the list
Idk how some of y’all can bring up stats when the video literally showing how bird is just as good if not better than Bron in his own right.
This video still stands today tbh