28 year old Larry Bird...I was 15 and begged my Dad to go see him play. Never got to see him. Very rough childhood. Can't help not cheer for someone who endured so much coming up.
@@Amick44 DJ was outstanding but the guy who gets overlooked is Cedric Maxwell. He was an excellent forward and great teammate. MVP in the 81 Finals and game 7 of the 84 finals.
DJ did what the team needed and Larry knew that. Guys that obsess about stats dont win championships. Its the ultimate team game. Finals MVP is the best award a player can get. DJ knew how to get to the top with Seattle and Boston.
Bird was 28 years old in 1984. At that time Kevin McHale was coming off the bench. He was the 6th man. So at that time, Bird was not trying to be flattering to DJ. DJ probably was the best player he had played with at that time. If you asked that question to Bird 3 years later, you would have probably gotten a different answer.
Magic asked Bird the same question (who was the best player, who was the smartest player) about who he played with, probably 10 to 15 years ago, and got the same answer. Bird didn't change his answer years later.
Nah, DJ was a much better player than Michale. Especially on the court.. DJ was the point guard and had amazing chemistry with Bird. People forget that DJ was the best guard in the NBA from 79-83 before he went to Boston, MVP of the 79 Finals.
@@michaelerisman757 DJs role was way different that Kevin's - they both played a very different, equally important, game. The magic of DJ & Larry was that they played like 2 bodies controlled by one mind,
Larry always presented as a very grounded individual. Easy to let your own positive press, your success, new found money and growing fame go to your head, but not Larry Legend, he seemed to be able to just be the same "Hick from French Lick" he grew up as 👍🐐👍
I'm a huge fan of both Larry Bird and Chick Hearn - I'm a Laker hater, but Chick was superb - but Larry was wrong. Dennis Johnson was not Bird's best teammate. Dennis Johnson was overrated his whole professional life because he had that no-nonsense no-BS aura around him. He didn't talk trash, didn't get heated, just kept his head down and played. And that's great, and I think anyone would want that attitude on any team. But your actual production, the points, the assists, the shooting percentages, that stuff matters too, and DJ's production was always well below his reputation.
Statistically, I wouldn't argue with you. I will say that Dennis was a point guard who had very few turnovers, whether dribbling the ball, or passing. He also distributed the ball very well. He did play better than average defense, for his size. He also is credited with leading Seatle to their championship, as a shooting guard. If Bird, who has been called a basketball genius, by some of the very best players, and tells it like it is, in his mind, says Dennis Johnson is the best teammate, he has played with, I won't argue with him, either. Statistics are big and, really, are the most objective evaluation of a player's abilities, but are not always the whole story. Bird, himself, is a testimony to that.
@@srj34 You saying Larry Bird is wrong regarding a guy he played with is beyond comical. What DJ did went far beyond stats. DJ is the most underrated player in NBA history.
@@toddfrank3344 No it didn't. He was the weak link in those starting lineup, but those teams were so good it didn't usually matter. So you're saying DJ was better than Kevin McHale. GTFO
28 year old Larry Bird...I was 15 and begged my Dad to go see him play. Never got to see him. Very rough childhood. Can't help not cheer for someone who endured so much coming up.
Thanks to a fellow named Bill Hodges as well...
I wouldn't have expected him to name anyone other than DJ.
@@Amick44 DJ was outstanding but the guy who gets overlooked is Cedric Maxwell. He was an excellent forward and great teammate. MVP in the 81 Finals and game 7 of the 84 finals.
@Smokey Joe mvp of the Finals. Wow, never woulda guessed that.
@@smokeyjoe795 The big difference is that DJ an Bird played as if they were 2 bodies controlled by one mind.
The label of the series “NBA History and Legends” is well applied here. Legend interviewing legend. Two of the best ever in their chosen professions.
Two class acts. I'm a Boston Celtics fan, but fully admit, Chick Hearn is the greatest basketball announcer of all-time. Not even close.
DJ did what the team needed and Larry knew that. Guys that obsess about stats dont win championships. Its the ultimate team game. Finals MVP is the best award a player can get. DJ knew how to get to the top with Seattle and Boston.
i saw the last exhibition game vs the lakers. last game magic and bird’s last game against each other in 91.
Bird was 28 years old in 1984. At that time Kevin McHale was coming off the bench. He was the 6th man. So at that time, Bird was not trying to be flattering to DJ. DJ probably was the best player he had played with at that time. If you asked that question to Bird 3 years later, you would have probably gotten a different answer.
DJ was awesome!
I worked at the Garden during that time and it was awesome!
DJ was such a great player, he was completely underrated.
Magic asked Bird the same question (who was the best player, who was the smartest player) about who he played with, probably 10 to 15 years ago, and got the same answer. Bird didn't change his answer years later.
Nah, DJ was a much better player than Michale. Especially on the court.. DJ was the point guard and had amazing chemistry with Bird. People forget that DJ was the best guard in the NBA from 79-83 before he went to Boston, MVP of the 79 Finals.
@@michaelerisman757 DJs role was way different that Kevin's - they both played a very different, equally important, game. The magic of DJ & Larry was that they played like 2 bodies controlled by one mind,
So this kust have been January 1985.
Larry always presented as a very grounded individual. Easy to let your own positive press, your success, new found money and growing fame go to your head, but not Larry Legend, he seemed to be able to just be the same "Hick from French Lick" he grew up as 👍🐐👍
What a Champian!
And a champion
I'm a huge fan of both Larry Bird and Chick Hearn - I'm a Laker hater, but Chick was superb - but Larry was wrong. Dennis Johnson was not Bird's best teammate.
Dennis Johnson was overrated his whole professional life because he had that no-nonsense no-BS aura around him. He didn't talk trash, didn't get heated, just kept his head down and played. And that's great, and I think anyone would want that attitude on any team. But your actual production, the points, the assists, the shooting percentages, that stuff matters too, and DJ's production was always well below his reputation.
I trust Larry's opinion on DJ better than yours
@@venetoaward I'm not interested in opinions. Bird, and by extension you, are wrong FACTUALLY.
Statistically, I wouldn't argue with you. I will say that Dennis was a point guard who had very few turnovers, whether dribbling the ball, or passing. He also distributed the ball very well. He did play better than average defense, for his size. He also is credited with leading Seatle to their championship, as a shooting guard. If Bird, who has been called a basketball genius, by some of the very best players, and tells it like it is, in his mind, says Dennis Johnson is the best teammate, he has played with, I won't argue with him, either. Statistics are big and, really, are the most objective evaluation of a player's abilities, but are not always the whole story. Bird, himself, is a testimony to that.
@@srj34 You saying Larry Bird is wrong regarding a guy he played with is beyond comical. What DJ did went far beyond stats. DJ is the most underrated player in NBA history.
@@toddfrank3344 No it didn't. He was the weak link in those starting lineup, but those teams were so good it didn't usually matter.
So you're saying DJ was better than Kevin McHale. GTFO