MJ as a rookie averaged 28 ppg on 51.5% shooting, with 6 apg, 6 rpg, and 2.4 spg. Many people also don't know this, but he actually led the entire league in overall points in his rookie season. Good freakin grief that is just beast.
"During my career in the NBA, I've gone up against hundreds, maybe even thousands of players. Many were good. A few were very good. A tiny handful even deserved to be called great. But there was nobody greater than Larry Bird. Machael Jordan could do incredible things, including moves I've never seen before. There's nobody like him. But Larry was the only player I ever feared" Magic Johnson
There’s Larry Legend and then there’s everyone else. You can tell that Jordan is one of the only players to make Larry work and bring out the best in each other, which I’m sure they appreciated.
That's what the Great one's do they compete no matter the disadvantages. Competing against 5 HOF player's wit no other All-stars and you made them sweat plus giving them da business... Extremely impressive!!!
Red Auerbach gets right to business 'He's a terrific athlete...but he reads the court good' That's that old style, work for the best shot and make the correct pass. That's what impressed Red.
Birds movement without the ball is something that is just like poetry. He was the best ever without the ball and catch and shoot, good night. That said, Jordan greatest ever.
People try to pretend Larry's success only came from the HOF players. To tell u the truth, Larry was already a 6th year player, Parish was already a 10 year veteran, so was DJ.
MJ - greatest player ever! This was back when pro basketball players were so fundamentally sound. The celtics were like a bball clinic. One thing people forget was how fundmentally sound MJ was. I wish the younger players saw that instead of obsessing over his extra-ordinary physical gifts. Strangely had the effect of reducing the fundamentals of the NBA, while MJ had awesome fundaments to go with his other-worldly talents.
Thanks and yes, Bird was very really aggressive from the start. Commentators said he scored at least 30 in his last five games, so I guess he was extra hot during that stretch. That's where post game quotes help. They provide context but I could not find them for this game.
Yes, they're from work related databases which holds the back issues of various newspapers such as Chicago-Sun Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, NY Times etc. I go and dig for the issues for a particular date.
Yeah gotta love the respect..He was at his rookie year and they would say things like "this kid has come to lead'em (refering to the Bulls)" , "he's gonna be one of the greats", "thats just God given talent"..He was a blast right from the start
I think you could shrink the rim by about 25% and it wouldn't affect his shooting. Also, it's clear Bird wanted to show the rookie a thing or two, and we know how he responds to confrontation.
Check out those kicks M.J. is wearing-the ones with the black going around the front toe and the red around the heel. Those are the rare Air Jordan 1s I always wanted to get.
Larry was the man, but this was Jordan as a rookie and he is out of this world. Plays like a 10 year vet. Tough as nails. Jordan made this Bulls team respsectable against a Celtics team that made it to the finals between '84-'87 and won it twice. Love "The Bird", but credit goes to Jordan, on a sub-mediocre Bulls team, pushing a Celtics team full of H.O.Fers and argubly one of the best Teams ever to within 10.
the Jordan Rules I refer to are simple, even if unnecessary, keep MJ on top, looking awesome, making fans who dont really understand or truly appreciate the fundamentals and subtleties of the sport, and otherwise wouldnt be watching it, glued to their tubes if they arent buying tickets, and buying up all the merchandise advertised
Look at the ball movement for the Celtics, absolutely beautiful. And all created by Birds attitude, while Jordan had the exact opposite attitude. See, Jordan had to score lots of points just to be in the game because he didn't make his teammates better as Bird did. Bird didn't care about points, he cared about winning, and could do so without scoring a point. It's called "unselfishness". . .while Jordan was selfish. That's why he couldn't beat Magic or Bird in their prime. For that matter he couldn't beat the Isiah and the Pistons in their prime! He had to wait to they all got OLD before winning anything.
And as per usual, the Jordan detractors fail to notice the super teams Bird and Magic had around them which made life easier for them. Jordan worked twice as hard as Magic and Larry ever did. MJ was not only the Bulls primary scorer, but also their best defender too for YEARS before they finally built a decent team around him. Neither the Celtics nor the Lakers ever contained Jordan, they merely exploited the weakness of the rest of the Chicago team and shut them down.
jaboo82681 DJ wasn't there Bird's first championship and McHale was a rookie coming off the bench, lol. Hell, no one even wanted Parish at the time. . . So, YOU KNOCK IT OFF. You don't have a clue what you're talking about.
jaboo82681 Funny how you only mentioned the bottom of the bench of the Bulls. You for some reason didn't mention Hot Rod Higgins, George Iceman Gervin, Orlando Woolrich, Charles Oakley, Sidney Green, a one Scottie Pippen etc. Looks like a pretty good lineup to me, but then again I;m not biased. Looks like 2 Hall Of Famer's on that team, where as Bird had 2 on on 1st Championship team. So, again, that's just an excuse by you (and many others) who love to complain Jordan didn't have any good teammates, and Bird did. . .Bird's rookie year (with roughly the same team as the year before) Bird's Celts had the biggest single season turnaround in NBA history. What did Jordan do his rookie year, lol? Bird had decent teammates, no doubt, Funny those same teammates weren't winning until he came along.
jaboo82681 I never said Parish and McHale weren't "high picks", did I. However, McHale's first year, he did NOT start. Not to mention no one really wanted Parish at that time. But Auerbach saw his potential and traded for him. Let's face it, had you given Bird Jordan's teammates, he would've won with them. He most certainly would've done more with them than a selfish Jordan did. Had Jordan decided to be a good teammate and winner, instead of a shoot first, then shoot again and again, and again, player, he might have won a few more games. It took a coach like Jackson to rein him in.
@Flipper79 If Jordan had to learn its a team game, how do you explain his higher assist totals in the 80's? FOUR of his FIVE highest APG totals were in the 80's
the reason why mchale had great FG is due to the amazing passing of bird. u r a passer not by ur assist number but by the FG of ur team i.e. how u make ur teammates better. Bird raised the FG of every1 in his team
Anyone who places Kobe in the same sentence as MJ or Bird, Magic, and even Doctor J in my opinion doesn't really know basketball and has forgotten its a team game and teams win rings not just individuals. Kobe has been hyped to no end. Just to make money
I never knew Michael Jordan played an NBA game in Connecticut, I wonder if this was his only one, as far as I'm aware it was. Also noticed the shot clock is in the corner of the floor still in Hartford, very dated even by 1985
Kobe taught me what Phil Jackson meant when he'd refer in 96-98 to MJ's "letting the game come to him." MJ didnt force things like Kobe does. MJ also had a conscience with shot selection. The entire game is so different today, and not for the better. I think the 3pt shooting is not something players should be praised for doing more of unless they are still hitting above 50%FG overall per game.I think MJ taking so few 3pters made him better, not worse. 3ptshots decrease from offballmovement.
Speak for yourself. Bird's games was equally beautiful, just different. For starters his passing was superior to Jordan's and his shooting...let's not even go there.
Well sure that's one point of view i dont have nothing against, since im not a Wilt fan and i sure didnt watch him play. But its still impressive what he did.
Jordan just came in 4 yrs after bird..not 8 or 10...and he won 1 mvp in the 80s...(1987-1988) if I recall correctly only his 3rd year in the league...with Magic Bird and Isaiah well in the league.
Having players star in that many commercials shown during all the games by all the channels who air them actually constitutes a conflict of interest which this country has managed to completely overlook...
I dont know if u got me right, im talkin about the uniform, not the shoes. The white uniform didnt fit him like the red did, weird thing i know but that's how i see it. About the shoes..there have been some air jordans i didnt like too. MY fav is the AJ14
I could not say it best. The basic head fakes, defensive reads...and on the court looks to see the gaps in the defenses...were immaculate on MJ. The Celtics as a team were unreal...the ball didn't even touch the floor...but let's also understand that look who their coach was...lol. The guy leaked fundamentals.
MJ brought all those fans in who werent true fans of the game, wouldnt watch unless their own team was in it, and maybe not even then. Spectacular highlights and big stats sell as do a clean image.Manning brings southern fanbase back to table, one which otherwise watches nascar on Sun after spendin fri w/highschool&sat w/college ball.
Any game where the Bulls are in red is good for me. MJ looks much better in the red uniform, specially in his athletical years, he was so exciting to watch. Bird was his usual self a deadly shooter
At least what he said about Bird was true: he was a better shooter, rebounder and passer than Jordan. Of course, most everyone, including Bird, would say that Jordan is the better player overall. He was just so dang quick and athletic. Hard to beat that.
Magic got to the finals more. I aint saying hes better than MJ, but show some respect for the greatest PG in NBA history, one of the 5 best players in NBA history overall as well.
Yeah, appreciate the work a lot man, especially seeing as you've been filling your games with original articles and post game notes and interviews. Out curiosity bro, do you have a personal database with the notes and articles?
Yeah Oakley big shot! George freakin Gervin? Do we have to go through that again? He came only for the '86 season, same season MJ lost almost in its entirety to a broken foot! Remember that? Then in the playoffs Gervin delivers a monster performance playing a grand total of 11 MINUTES in 3 games! Talk about dominance! U keep freestyling..
Bird was a much better teammate. He made all of his teammates better, he did have much better teams also. I'll take those 86 Celtics over every team in post 80s NBA history.
I used to have serious rage fits watching watching Jordan play because he was a traveling maniac. The commentators called it a "Stutter-step".. Uhhhhgggg...... I respect Jordan's athletic ability, but man... Does that boy travel. I was raised watching Larry Bird play. That guy was a friggin basketball ninja disguised as a geeky white dude. His passing game "Slap passes" used to boggle my mind. And of any player in history... I would NOT want to be defending Bird with 2 seconds left on the clock
Ur talkin about Larry's rookie season right? That team had 2 HOF in Cowens and Tiny. I know that judging by the previous season (by the way Cowens and Tiny missed 14 games each in '79) both of them benefited a lot from Larry's presence, but Larry sure benefited from theirs too. Larry had the oportunity to team up with HOF players. MJ on the other hand didnt have the luxury of havin one, let alone 2 HOF in his first season. Noone of that caliber whom he could combine his talent with.
Well Bird had a great team lets not forget that. The Celtics were not just Larry Bird, he got the chance to build a great team early in his career. MJ had to wait 4, 5, 6 years for that to be a reality. Take the '93 Bulls or the '96 Bulls and they would stand against any great team in the 80's.
Wilt's passing wasnt comparable to what MJ did at PG during that stretch, nor in the 1991Finals. When Wilt decided to go for assists, he went out of his way to get them, often passing up easy shots, including lay-ups/dunks, so that he could pass to teammate to get the assist. Wilt was a 1960s version of Shaq, playing in a league where virtually no one was 7feet tall, let alone that athletic at such a height. I'll take Russell over Chamberlain EVERYDAY. 11rings in 13yrs.
I've HESISTANTLY concluded that despite the way the refs treated him, MJ still was likely the best individual player Ive seen & probably ever will.These numerous MJ gamehighlight vids only reinforce my case.Bird,Magic,Kareem,&B.Russell finish off top 5, & 1 could make a case for each guy being better. However, its not an insult to be 2nd to MJ; after 1strd gm2 of 1986playoffs, Bird himself said,"God came down disguised as Michael Jordan." 86 Celts would have stomped those 96 Bulls tho.
If Wilt, Bill Russell and MJ were in the same league... Wilt and Bill would be the better player. Size matters when we are talking similar level of players. MJ would be 3rd just like West/Oscar were back then.
The toughest defense he saw was what Detriot threw at him and they DID contain him.I acknowledge his sweep of Det in 91, but age had begun to catch up to them. The expansion draft took Mahorn away, age had begun to catch up, and the refs did the rest, which was the real reason most of the Pistons wouldnt shake the Bulls hands after Gm4, not that ESPN or any "reporters" have ever acknowledged this, and I know its sacriledge to MJ fans ears, but its true. Refs swung more pts than victory margin.
MJ did get away with shoving off constantly, but he still is the best we've seen. However, the 86 Celtics were better than any team MJ ever had, as well as all the rest of the teams that we've seen in the last 15yrs or so... Also, Id rather have Bird to build a TEAM around than anyone playing today, and one could make a case for selecting him as a fanchise player ahead of MJ.. MJ and Larry are 2 of the 3-5 best players ever. Kobe cant sniff either guys jock.
Rocky versus Apollo. David versus Goliath. Use whatever analogies you want to. Even though this is Michael Jordan getting started I will still take this era of basketball. Maybe there's nothing wrong with the athletes of today and they are being unfairly judged. Maybe it's nostalgia blinding me. But something about this just seems to have more tension to it. It has more drama.
Well MJ is recognized by the media and most of his peers as the greatest to ever play. U wanted facts and that's a fact so live with it and stop hating.
I never said the whole 50 agreed. Of course some didnt, but the majority clearly states is the greatest. Remember 1988? The season after he scored 37.1ppg? The NBA introduced the "anti-isolation rule" to slow MJ down.
I respect Magic make no mistake about it, i was just replying to mikenotnumber1 who was saying "can MJ say 9 finals in 13 years?". He doesnt give Jordan credit for anything good, but all the credit for the bad. Lets not forget MJ gave up on 2 years of his prime, of course i know that's his choice and noone's to blame, but is there any doubts about the Bulls making at least 2 other appearances in the Finals? That would make 8 Finals for MJ.
His field goal percentage was a tiny bit higher, but Bird's 3 point percentage is far far higher. And shooting 33% from 3 point land is the same as shooting 50% from the field. Jordan was a crappy passer for a guard, Bird a far better passer, far better rebounder. Bird took the 1980 celtics to 60 wins his rookie year. Was the biggest turn around in NBA history. Same thing he did with crap Indiana state. Greatest team player ever!
The stats are undeniable and there for all of u to see. In his rookie season MJ made a bigger individual impact than Bird did in his. Bird had less win shares than MJ which tells u that 79-80 Celtics team actually had other players who could contribute and wasnt as bad as ppl make it seem. MJ had more ppg, more assists, better FG%, better defense, he just didnt have the talent around him like Bird, that's why he didnt win earlier.
@Flipper79able Pippen Cartwright and Paxon? Pippen was pretty awesome, but I hope you aren't comparing Cartwright to Parrish, let alone Kareem. And Paxson? Nice little player, but I think maybe guys like Worthy and McHale were just a tad better, plus DJ was awesome and the Lakers were sooo deep I woulda brought up Ho Grant and Oakley-Grant was a nice low-post player-instead of Big Bill & Paxson
In game 3,ECF 1991, MJ makes a wrap around from behind steal on James Edwards, but the replay angle shows he got Edwards' wrist also, no call. During the 2nd half of MJs63pts mg in Boston, DJ makes the same exact type of steal on MJ, but the refs call DJ for a foul, even tho DJ also had a reputation as a great defensive player. Ive seen MJ almost rip Olajuwons hand off "swatting" him during an allstar game, no call. MJ was the best individual player Ive EVER seen, but the refs did help him.
Depends. If MJ had the type of supporting cast that Bird and Magic had, he'd probably be in the running for MVP too. I ain't dissing Bird or Magic cuz they're definitely some of the greatest, but to be fair, they had great supporting casts in the 80s.
How do u analyse playoff contention in the beginning of the season? Either way u look at it first 10 games - more W than L; first 15 games - more W than L; first 20 - more W than L. I dont get how u go from there and say they werent in playoff contention. That just isnt true. MJ led that team at 34 with a cracked bone on his index finger that took him quite a few games to adjust his shooting, and he got them to a 24-11 record without Pippen, pretty good considering the circumstances.
this nat'lly embraced superstar brings in a broader fan base to the league, keeps them coming when their own teams suck. MJ was sick, and he might actually be the best ever, the player he was before his 1st retirement, but because of David Stern and the refs, what he accomplished isnt what people think. Even w/o my ref/D.Stern theory, expansion and the lack of a great rival, solo or team, never playing vs Hakeem or a great center in finals, also takes away. Harder to win in 80s
Bird had HOF in his rookie year team, that says it all, they were a better team than what MJ had in '85 so stop trying to convince everyone of the contrary. Kareem won a title b4 Magic! Lol can Magic say the same??
@Flipper79able OH and Boston never faced the Bulls in the playoffs with Cartwright [he got there in 88-89] Celtics beat MJ in his first 2 years, 85-86, 86-87] Dave Corzine was their center, I believe On the team player thing...I think once he got a better team around him he trusted them more, and I think that's why he utilized his teammates more. I'm sure the pistons weren't the first to adopt the 'stop Jordan and make his team beat you' thing-MJ was dominant for years before that
MJ as a rookie averaged 28 ppg on 51.5% shooting, with 6 apg, 6 rpg, and 2.4 spg. Many people also don't know this, but he actually led the entire league in overall points in his rookie season. Good freakin grief that is just beast.
Larry and his deadly stroke. MJ just going against 3 people, layup and 1. Classic basketball, you sure don't see performers like this anymore.
"During my career in the NBA, I've gone up against hundreds, maybe even thousands of players. Many were good. A few were very good. A tiny handful even deserved to be called great. But there was nobody greater than Larry Bird. Machael Jordan could do incredible things, including moves I've never seen before. There's nobody like him. But Larry was the only player I ever feared" Magic Johnson
Enough said!
Larry bird. My favorite player of all time!
Larry and Dr. J, are the only 2 players from opposing teams, that the home crowd even cheers for!
Jordan cheered by NY Knicks' crowd
Kobe and Vince and AI got cheered too
It was a Celtics home game in Hartford Connecticut
Larry Bird is the Greatest SF of All-time.
No, Alexandria... LBJ is better than Bird and MJ
Nah man, even mj said bird is better than lebron. Bird was more fundamentally sound than lebron and had higher iq
There’s Larry Legend and then there’s everyone else. You can tell that Jordan is one of the only players to make Larry work and bring out the best in each other, which I’m sure they appreciated.
Great vid btw, love the two superstars highlights instead of just one of them.
Rookie Jordan, with a bunch of average players vs a Celtics in there prime and he held his own and made it a very competitive game.
please carry n travel every move n reachin fouls protected all title given by refs same as lew n diet jordans NBA died 1989
yawn
Blahblahblah
That's what the Great one's do they compete no matter the disadvantages. Competing against 5 HOF player's wit no other All-stars and you made them sweat plus giving them da business... Extremely impressive!!!
@Vidal Hodges be my friend
Red Auerbach gets right to business 'He's a terrific athlete...but he reads the court good'
That's that old style, work for the best shot and make the correct pass. That's what impressed Red.
Bro bird just never missed , he’s always gonna be my favorite basketball player other than Jordan ofc
Who would you let hit it first?
Birds movement without the ball is something that is just like poetry. He was the best ever without the ball and catch and shoot, good night. That said, Jordan greatest ever.
People try to pretend Larry's success only came from the HOF players. To tell u the truth, Larry was already a 6th year player, Parish was already a 10 year veteran, so was DJ.
And Jordan was a rookie playing shit team mates..
Larry is was the best damn player to ever play, period!
@@arvinsosmena1086
Boo Hoo.
Nobody said that about Larry in his rookie year even tho he carried that Celtics team to the finals….stop making EXCUSES.
What a real treat to see rookie MJ visit Hartford and Larry's Celtics!!!! And of course the goat doesn't disappoint!!!!
Larry with that beatiful stroke and high basketball IQ Against rookie MJ with scrubs team mates!
MJ - greatest player ever! This was back when pro basketball players were so fundamentally sound. The celtics were like a bball clinic. One thing people forget was how fundmentally sound MJ was. I wish the younger players saw that instead of obsessing over his extra-ordinary physical gifts. Strangely had the effect of reducing the fundamentals of the NBA, while MJ had awesome fundaments to go with his other-worldly talents.
Thank you, I appreciate your comments. I still have two more games to upload in the very near future.
@8:33 Bird the rebound…it’s always Bird, the key play on both ends of the floor!
You trying to let Bird thrash the booty?
OMG that's my birth date!!!! So cool that something really cool happened the day I was born :)
Thanks and yes, Bird was very really aggressive from the start. Commentators said he scored at least 30 in his last five games, so I guess he was extra hot during that stretch. That's where post game quotes help. They provide context but I could not find them for this game.
Going into game 3 of 1991 playoff series with Det, Bulls have been handed 42 more FT attempts.
Yes, they're from work related databases which holds the back issues of various newspapers such as Chicago-Sun Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, NY Times etc. I go and dig for the issues for a particular date.
Politicus Rex? Is dat you?
Yeah gotta love the respect..He was at his rookie year and they would say things like "this kid has come to lead'em (refering to the Bulls)" , "he's gonna be one of the greats", "thats just God given talent"..He was a blast right from the start
fantastic highlights
Man u gotta love that that steal around the 5:55 mark. He wasnt even looking, pure instinct
I think you could shrink the rim by about 25% and it wouldn't affect his shooting.
Also, it's clear Bird wanted to show the rookie a thing or two, and we know how he responds to confrontation.
Wow, you've been on a crazy run lately with the rare games, starks23. I know that myself and others appreciate the effort.
Check out those kicks M.J. is wearing-the ones with the black going around the front toe and the red around the heel. Those are the rare Air Jordan 1s
I always wanted to get.
Larry was the man, but this was Jordan as a rookie and he is out of this world. Plays like a 10 year vet. Tough as nails. Jordan made this Bulls team respsectable against a Celtics team that made it to the finals between '84-'87 and won it twice. Love "The Bird", but credit goes to Jordan, on a sub-mediocre Bulls team, pushing a Celtics team full of H.O.Fers and argubly one of the best Teams ever to within 10.
the Jordan Rules I refer to are simple, even if unnecessary, keep MJ on top, looking awesome, making fans who dont really understand or truly appreciate the fundamentals and subtleties of the sport, and otherwise wouldnt be watching it, glued to their tubes if they arent buying tickets, and buying up all the merchandise advertised
bill hazen alongside red in the booth, and the celtics played at the garden and hartford civic center until 85
So Larry Bird just knows he's the shit when he can shot the ball @00:59 and walked off before it hit rim
Jordan amazing and no question Bird was better in his prime than Lebron :)
Mike Jordan...they tried that for awhile but it never quite stuck lol.
And the ill-fated "Captain Marvel" lol
Look at the ball movement for the Celtics, absolutely beautiful. And all created by Birds attitude, while Jordan had the exact opposite attitude. See, Jordan had to score lots of points just to be in the game because he didn't make his teammates better as Bird did. Bird didn't care about points, he cared about winning, and could do so without scoring a point. It's called "unselfishness". . .while Jordan was selfish. That's why he couldn't beat Magic or Bird in their prime. For that matter he couldn't beat the Isiah and the Pistons in their prime! He had to wait to they all got OLD before winning anything.
someone finally put it to words, i 100% agree with you
And as per usual, the Jordan detractors fail to notice the super teams Bird and Magic had around them which made life easier for them. Jordan worked twice as hard as Magic and Larry ever did. MJ was not only the Bulls primary scorer, but also their best defender too for YEARS before they finally built a decent team around him.
Neither the Celtics nor the Lakers ever contained Jordan, they merely exploited the weakness of the rest of the Chicago team and shut them down.
jaboo82681
DJ wasn't there Bird's first championship and McHale was a rookie coming off the bench, lol. Hell, no one even wanted Parish at the time. . .
So, YOU KNOCK IT OFF. You don't have a clue what you're talking about.
jaboo82681
Funny how you only mentioned the bottom of the bench of the Bulls. You for some reason didn't mention Hot Rod Higgins, George Iceman Gervin, Orlando Woolrich, Charles Oakley, Sidney Green, a one Scottie Pippen etc.
Looks like a pretty good lineup to me, but then again I;m not biased. Looks like 2 Hall Of Famer's on that team, where as Bird had 2 on on 1st Championship team.
So, again, that's just an excuse by you (and many others) who love to complain Jordan didn't have any good teammates, and Bird did. . .Bird's rookie year (with roughly the same team as the year before) Bird's Celts had the biggest single season turnaround in NBA history. What did Jordan do his rookie year, lol?
Bird had decent teammates, no doubt, Funny those same teammates weren't winning until he came along.
jaboo82681
I never said Parish and McHale weren't "high picks", did I. However, McHale's first year, he did NOT start. Not to mention no one really wanted Parish at that time. But Auerbach saw his potential and traded for him.
Let's face it, had you given Bird Jordan's teammates, he would've won with them. He most certainly would've done more with them than a selfish Jordan did. Had Jordan decided to be a good teammate and winner, instead of a shoot first, then shoot again and again, and again, player, he might have won a few more games. It took a coach like Jackson to rein him in.
@Flipper79 If Jordan had to learn its a team game, how do you explain his higher assist totals in the 80's? FOUR of his FIVE highest APG totals were in the 80's
the reason why mchale had great FG is due to the amazing passing of bird. u r a passer not by ur assist number but by the FG of ur team i.e. how u make ur teammates better. Bird raised the FG of every1 in his team
The time was 4:30, Larry swished a 3 in jordan's face!
Anyone who places Kobe in the same sentence as MJ or Bird, Magic, and even Doctor J in my opinion doesn't really know basketball and has forgotten its a team game and teams win rings not just individuals. Kobe has been hyped to no end. Just to make money
I never knew Michael Jordan played an NBA game in Connecticut, I wonder if this was his only one, as far as I'm aware it was. Also noticed the shot clock is in the corner of the floor still in Hartford, very dated even by 1985
Kobe taught me what Phil Jackson meant when he'd refer in 96-98 to MJ's "letting the game come to him." MJ didnt force things like Kobe does. MJ also had a conscience with shot selection. The entire game is so different today, and not for the better.
I think the 3pt shooting is not something players should be praised for doing more of unless they are still hitting above 50%FG overall per game.I think MJ taking so few 3pters made him better, not worse. 3ptshots decrease from offballmovement.
Red Auerbach's eloquence deserted him. 4:28 talk about draining a shot, that is beautiful
the celtics announcer sounds bored, "at guard ah from wisconsin ah six foot one ah number one wes matthews." classic.
I agree, the numbers are staggering
Ive seen a plethera of both guys games. Grew up watchin Bird vs Magic, then MJ.
Speak for yourself. Bird's games was equally beautiful, just different. For starters his passing was superior to Jordan's and his shooting...let's not even go there.
Well sure that's one point of view i dont have nothing against, since im not a Wilt fan and i sure didnt watch him play. But its still impressive what he did.
Jordan just came in 4 yrs after bird..not 8 or 10...and he won 1 mvp in the 80s...(1987-1988) if I recall correctly only his 3rd year in the league...with Magic Bird and Isaiah well in the league.
Having players star in that many commercials shown during all the games by all the channels who air them actually constitutes a conflict of interest which this country has managed to completely overlook...
I dont know if u got me right, im talkin about the uniform, not the shoes. The white uniform didnt fit him like the red did, weird thing i know but that's how i see it. About the shoes..there have been some air jordans i didnt like too. MY fav is the AJ14
I could not say it best. The basic head fakes, defensive reads...and on the court looks to see the gaps in the defenses...were immaculate on MJ. The Celtics as a team were unreal...the ball didn't even touch the floor...but let's also understand that look who their coach was...lol. The guy leaked fundamentals.
MJ brought all those fans in who werent true fans of the game, wouldnt watch unless their own team was in it, and maybe not even then. Spectacular highlights and big stats sell as do a clean image.Manning brings southern fanbase back to table, one which otherwise watches nascar on Sun after spendin fri w/highschool&sat w/college ball.
Any game where the Bulls are in red is good for me. MJ looks much better in the red uniform, specially in his athletical years, he was so exciting to watch. Bird was his usual self a deadly shooter
The Celtics played three games in Boston that year- anyone know the story behind that?
0:59 "There's the Bird shooting" That's Mr. Bird to you chump.
At least what he said about Bird was true: he was a better shooter, rebounder and passer than Jordan. Of course, most everyone, including Bird, would say that Jordan is the better player overall. He was just so dang quick and athletic. Hard to beat that.
Why did the Celtics play some of their games there instead of Boston Garden?
Lol when i see thumbs down i laugh. Its like his signature "mikenotnumber1 was here". Keep it up man lol
Magic got to the finals more. I aint saying hes better than MJ, but show some respect for the greatest PG in NBA history, one of the 5 best players in NBA history overall as well.
Watching this game there's no doubt in my mind the Jordan, Pippen and Rodman team would've murdered these Celtics.
Hahaha you are delusional
Hano Sekona and then the meds wore off...
Bird killed them.
Yeah, appreciate the work a lot man, especially seeing as you've been filling your games with original articles and post game notes and interviews. Out curiosity bro, do you have a personal database with the notes and articles?
Yeah Oakley big shot! George freakin Gervin? Do we have to go through that again? He came
only for the '86 season, same season MJ lost almost in its entirety to a broken foot! Remember that? Then in the playoffs Gervin delivers a monster performance playing a grand total of 11 MINUTES in 3 games! Talk about dominance! U keep freestyling..
2:17
Bird was a much better teammate. He made all of his teammates better, he did have much better teams also. I'll take those 86 Celtics over every team in post 80s NBA history.
I used to have serious rage fits watching watching Jordan play because he was a traveling maniac. The commentators called it a "Stutter-step".. Uhhhhgggg...... I respect Jordan's athletic ability, but man... Does that boy travel. I was raised watching Larry Bird play. That guy was a friggin basketball ninja disguised as a geeky white dude. His passing game "Slap passes" used to boggle my mind. And of any player in history... I would NOT want to be defending Bird with 2 seconds left on the clock
He didn't travel moron
Ur talkin about Larry's rookie season right? That team had 2 HOF in Cowens and Tiny. I know that judging by the previous season (by the way Cowens and Tiny missed 14 games each in '79) both of them benefited a lot from Larry's presence, but Larry sure benefited from theirs too. Larry had the oportunity to team up with HOF players. MJ on the other hand didnt have the luxury of havin one, let alone 2 HOF in his first season. Noone of that caliber whom he could combine his talent with.
Well Bird had a great team lets not forget that. The Celtics were not just Larry Bird, he got the chance to build a great team early in his career. MJ had to wait 4, 5, 6 years for that to be a reality. Take the '93 Bulls or the '96 Bulls and they would stand against any great team in the 80's.
Marty Glickman and Don Mengelt doing the game through WFLD 32?!?!?!?
Wilt's passing wasnt comparable to what MJ did at PG during that stretch, nor in the 1991Finals. When Wilt decided to go for assists, he went out of his way to get them, often passing up easy shots, including lay-ups/dunks, so that he could pass to teammate to get the assist. Wilt was a 1960s version of Shaq, playing in a league where virtually no one was 7feet tall, let alone that athletic at such a height.
I'll take Russell over Chamberlain EVERYDAY. 11rings in 13yrs.
I've HESISTANTLY concluded that despite the way the refs treated him, MJ still was likely the best individual player Ive seen & probably ever will.These numerous MJ gamehighlight vids only reinforce my case.Bird,Magic,Kareem,&B.Russell finish off top 5, & 1 could make a case for each guy being better. However, its not an insult to be 2nd to MJ; after 1strd gm2 of 1986playoffs, Bird himself said,"God came down disguised as Michael Jordan."
86 Celts would have stomped those 96 Bulls tho.
If Wilt, Bill Russell and MJ were in the same league... Wilt and Bill would be the better player. Size matters when we are talking similar level of players. MJ would be 3rd just like West/Oscar were back then.
The toughest defense he saw was what Detriot threw at him and they DID contain him.I acknowledge his sweep of Det in 91, but age had begun to catch up to them. The expansion draft took Mahorn away, age had begun to catch up, and the refs did the rest, which was the real reason most of the Pistons wouldnt shake the Bulls hands after Gm4, not that ESPN or any "reporters" have ever acknowledged this, and I know its sacriledge to MJ fans ears, but its true. Refs swung more pts than victory margin.
I had no idea the Celtics played a few games in Hartford every year during that era....what was the reasoning for this?
They did that when the bruins were playing at the garden.
is this marty glickman as the announcer?!
Wilts claim of having been with 20,000women is also jawdropping.
The thing about Magic wasnt directed at you, sorry about the misunderstanding. It was in response to someone elses.
"CIVIC" arena. Who is on the home court here?
hartford connecticut, i think boston
MJ did get away with shoving off constantly, but he still is the best we've seen.
However, the 86 Celtics were better than any team MJ ever had, as well as all the rest of the teams that we've seen in the last 15yrs or so...
Also, Id rather have Bird to build a TEAM around than anyone playing today, and one could make a case for selecting him as a fanchise player ahead of MJ..
MJ and Larry are 2 of the 3-5 best players ever. Kobe cant sniff either guys jock.
03:15 isn't that what people hate when they critique the game now? I thought that didn't exist.
Rocky versus Apollo. David versus Goliath. Use whatever analogies you want to. Even though this is Michael Jordan getting started I will still take this era of basketball. Maybe there's nothing wrong with the athletes of today and they are being unfairly judged. Maybe it's nostalgia blinding me. But something about this just seems to have more tension to it. It has more drama.
Classic!
Well MJ is recognized by the media and most of his peers as the greatest to ever play. U wanted facts and that's a fact so live with it and stop hating.
I never said the whole 50 agreed. Of course some didnt, but the majority clearly states is the greatest. Remember 1988? The season after he scored 37.1ppg? The NBA introduced the "anti-isolation rule" to slow MJ down.
I respect Magic make no mistake about it, i was just replying to mikenotnumber1 who was saying "can MJ say 9 finals in 13 years?". He doesnt give Jordan credit for anything good, but all the credit for the bad.
Lets not forget MJ gave up on 2 years of his prime, of course i know that's his choice and noone's to blame, but is there any doubts about the Bulls making at least 2 other appearances in the Finals? That would make 8 Finals for MJ.
His field goal percentage was a tiny bit higher, but Bird's 3 point percentage is far far higher. And shooting 33% from 3 point land is the same as shooting 50% from the field. Jordan was a crappy passer for a guard, Bird a far better passer, far better rebounder. Bird took the 1980 celtics to 60 wins his rookie year. Was the biggest turn around in NBA history. Same thing he did with crap Indiana state. Greatest team player ever!
The stats are undeniable and there for all of u to see. In his rookie season MJ made a bigger individual impact than Bird did in his. Bird had less win shares than MJ which tells u that 79-80 Celtics team actually had other players who could contribute and wasnt as bad as ppl make it seem. MJ had more ppg, more assists, better FG%, better defense, he just didnt have the talent around him like Bird, that's why he didnt win earlier.
@Flipper79able Pippen Cartwright and Paxon? Pippen was pretty awesome, but I hope you aren't comparing Cartwright to Parrish, let alone Kareem. And Paxson? Nice little player, but I think maybe guys like Worthy and McHale were just a tad better, plus DJ was awesome and the Lakers were sooo deep
I woulda brought up Ho Grant and Oakley-Grant was a nice low-post player-instead of Big Bill & Paxson
In game 3,ECF 1991, MJ makes a wrap around from behind steal on James Edwards, but the replay angle shows he got Edwards' wrist also, no call. During the 2nd half of MJs63pts mg in Boston, DJ makes the same exact type of steal on MJ, but the refs call DJ for a foul, even tho DJ also had a reputation as a great defensive player. Ive seen MJ almost rip Olajuwons hand off "swatting" him during an allstar game, no call.
MJ was the best individual player Ive EVER seen, but the refs did help him.
What about Patric Ewing?
Actually it wasnt just '97, it was '96 and '98 as well.
The Celtics simply play their best in connecticut
Prime Bird > Prime Jordan
All day long.
Depends. If MJ had the type of supporting cast that Bird and Magic had, he'd probably be in the running for MVP too. I ain't dissing Bird or Magic cuz they're definitely some of the greatest, but to be fair, they had great supporting casts in the 80s.
How do u analyse playoff contention in the beginning of the season? Either way u look at it first 10 games - more W than L; first 15 games - more W than L; first 20 - more W than L. I dont get how u go from there and say they werent in playoff contention. That just isnt true. MJ led that team at 34 with a cracked bone on his index finger that took him quite a few games to adjust his shooting, and he got them to a 24-11 record without Pippen, pretty good considering the circumstances.
this nat'lly embraced superstar brings in a broader fan base to the league, keeps them coming when their own teams suck. MJ was sick, and he might actually be the best ever, the player he was before his 1st retirement, but because of David Stern and the refs, what he accomplished isnt what people think. Even w/o my ref/D.Stern theory, expansion and the lack of a great rival, solo or team, never playing vs Hakeem or a great center in finals, also takes away. Harder to win in 80s
Jordan kept his terrible team in the game by himself, Bird 5 HOFers on his team that explain who great Jordan was
2:18 Bird is just smarter than everyone
2:29 and Jordan is just better than anyone . EVER!
Bird had a better team but 1on1, Jordan is better
jordan walking nonstop no calls jordan such a myth
Bird had HOF in his rookie year team, that says it all, they were a better team than what MJ had in '85 so stop trying to convince everyone of the contrary.
Kareem won a title b4 Magic! Lol can Magic say the same??
@Flipper79able OH and Boston never faced the Bulls in the playoffs with Cartwright [he got there in 88-89] Celtics beat MJ in his first 2 years, 85-86, 86-87] Dave Corzine was their center, I believe
On the team player thing...I think once he got a better team around him he trusted them more, and I think that's why he utilized his teammates more. I'm sure the pistons weren't the first to adopt the 'stop Jordan and make his team beat you' thing-MJ was dominant for years before that