One of Larry’s weapons was his stamina. He never got tired. I heard he ran a 5 mile race before a game once. Yet people say he was un athletic. He would take you out to deep water and drown you.
Thinking about it now, I wonder if it was more physical stamina or a mental toughness that allowed him to ignore pain and fatigue. Either way, you make a great point that is often overlooked. Good on you.
And if you ask Larry, he would say MJ. If you asked Kobe, he would say Oscar Schmidt... Recognize a pattern? None of those legends would have ever sunken low enough to put up themselves on that list.
@@soramirez5473 I sure hope he didn't. But Larry seems to be in a don't bite the hand that feeds you mode nowadays. He also said he liked the game today at the as weekend ;-( I don't.
I played high school basketball in the 80s and it was not a sport for wimps. It's not a contact sport in the sense that football is, where you need to contact the opponent to make a play happen. But it's a rough sport where you are always on offense and defense. I've never been in as great of physical condition as when I was training for basketball.
Nobody will ever top Larry Legend for all around greatness. He had the killer instinct, he was (for my money) the clutchest player EVER, had an unparalleled bball IQ, and the most well-rounded skill set of any player EVER. He also had leadership qualities & lifted any team he was on to NEXT LEVEL greatness, and could control the game whether he had the ball or not. In short, Larry ticks ALL the boxes not just a few of them. LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE TRUE GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️
The 80’s and early 90’s were the best basketball to watch. No one was watching before that, and many haven’t watched the games like they did earlier. Our whole families watched.
Well you have to take into account that all those guys entered the league less than a decade after the merger. It was a completely different NBA. Stars were just starting to get the attention they deserve. That being said I still think that 20 years or so after the merger was the best basketball ever
@@SonicBoomC98 Everyone is biased to what they grew up with, but the 80-90’s saw some of the best players to ever grace the court. It shows, in how many of them, are in the hall of fame.
Larry was one of a kind. Any hand or distance, eyes in the back of his head, one tough mf, incapable of giving up, a better rebounder than Ewing and the clutchest player ever in any sport. The whole building knew who was gonna get the ball and still. The game winner with Jordan AND Scottie in his face. When Larry lost he didn't look for excuses like they do today - he would go on a court and practice.
If I were to be asked to pick an all-time greatest basketball team, the very first player I am calling is Larry Bird. Then I tell Bird to pick who HE wanted as teammates.
I don’t believe in the goat debate because it is a team sport and I believe that Larry Bird is the greatest team player and small forward of all time Jordan is the greatest shooting guard of all time
Thank you. Jordan is not the best player of all time! But definitely the best Shooting Guard ever. Bird, best Small Forward; Duncan, best Power Forward; Magic, best PG; best Center, Wilt, Kareem, Russell: take your pick on Centers. 😅
Amusing, Larry Bird is always listed in all time all NBA teams as a power forward. After his injuries were taking him out, Bird did play more like a small forward, but in his prime all power.
Loved your reaction to this video. Picking 1 guy as the "goat" is an impossible task because of all the variables = different teammates, opposition, positions etc. I have my #1 as Jordan and my #2 as Kareem and after that there are so many players that need to be discussed. FYI Bird as a rookie went to a 29 win team and with 1 player change to the roster in ML Carr and a new coach in Bill Fitch, Bird was the main reason for Boston to win 61 games = a 32 game turnaround. Bird won ROY by a large margin over Magic and was 4th in MVP. For the next 8 seasons before the dual heel surgeries and back issues, Bird in the MVP was 2,2,2,1,1,1,3 and 2nd again. Bird was all NBA first team his first 9 years. Bird led the league in defensive win shares 4 times and was 7 times in the top 5 in DWS. Bird in 1983 finished tied for 3rd place in the DPOY award, Bird was on 3 all defensive teams ( 2nd team). Bird created the 50-40-90 club did it 2 years back to back (87 and 88) and was so close in 85 and 86 that if you total Birds stats Bird averaged 50-40-90 shooting over 4 consecutive seasons!! Bird was a player ( like Magic) that could raise the level of play of the other 4 players on his team and Bird did this with every team he played on. Bird has the 2nd highest win% in the NBA = only slightly behind Magic and Bird played in the stronger Eastern conference and Bird never had a player as good as Kareem. Look at what Bird did at Indiana State!!! Keep digging into Bird and you will be amazed. When both players retired, Bird was seen as the better and more complete player than Magic. Today many people only look at the ring count, but we need to look at over all skills. Bird was a beast!!!
This was the one quote from Wilt Chamberlain that makes me really think about this argument on why Jordan couldn't be the NBA GOAT. “The difference between you and me is that they had to change the rules in the league for me, so I couldn't dominate. They changed the rules so that you could.”
Wilt played mj 1v1. I believe wilt was 37 and still beat him. Bird used to challenge 2 at once. 1v2 make em take em, 1st one to 7 wins but he would get the ball first. Most of the time he would win.
@@brentcoggin8580 I don't think Wilt ever played Jordan. But he played Magic 1v1 when Magic was around 20, which means Wilt was around 46 or 47. Jordan is younger than Magic.
Wilt has just a hater. For someone who was so smart, he sounded silly when he tried to criticize MJ and Kareem. What he said was completely illogical. So, it made sense to not have both offensive and defensive goaltending? It made sense to allow bigs to just cam out under the basket? It made sense to allow guys to inbound to themselves under the basket? It's also silly because MJ was already dominating before they changed the flagrant foul rule. It's not like they just stopped playing physical. No true NBA fan would think the rule changes made when Wilt played should be rolled back.
Larry, with a broken back and two lame feet, and age being a factor, held his own with Jordan in his prime in double overtime. Players like Magic and Jordan brought out the best in him. 80s and 90s basketball made me fall in love with the sport. So many legends and Larry gave them all hell. 😆
@richhousereviews I honestly can't answer that question as I haven't watched THE NBA in over 20 years. However watching the reaction videos about Larry Bird reminded me how much I enjoyed watching the game back then.
Beautiful moment when Magic Johnson said that Larry only told one lie in his career. And that was that there will be another Larry Bird someday. Magic said there will never ever ever be another a Larry Bird
Great stuff. I love Cooper talking about how active Bird was when away from the ball. When my dad used to take me to the Garden to see the Celtics, he'd spend the whole two-hour drive telling me that if I really wanted to understand basketball, I needed to watch Bird instead of the ball. Watching Larry off the ball taught me how to be a half-decent player despite being slow, having no shooting range, and boasting a 10-inch vertical. I think it is deceiving to call Bird "un-athletic", but he did give hope to those of us who looked at super-human athletes like Jordan, Dominique, and Drexler as if they were from another planet.
Jordan, Bird and Magic are the three greatest and most important ballers to ever walk onto the court. You can rank them in whatever order you like. To me theyre all the no1, the holy trinity of basketball.
In his last few years of playing, Larry's back was so bad, that he would wear a full torso back brace, and he said that with each game, he wondered if he was going to end up in a wheelchair. And he didn't use painkillers. Not sure why, other than maybe he had horrible side effects with them. I know some people who do, and they don't take painkillers either. Yet his numbers were still impressive. I can't imagine what he could have done if he had a full career without so much pain...he was in pain the last 7 years of his career.
@@highendservicesbarrieont8347when his back was acting up he would spend the night in a hospital near the arena. He had a fiberglass back brace he would put on. Then the hospital would put him in traction for the night. He didn’t wear the brace during games
Huge Bird fan starting from his last year in college. The goat conversation is more nuanced than you think. Maybe 8 to 10 players are in that discussion. My top 5 is Bird, Jordan, Magic , Tim Duncan, Bill Russell. Jordan was the greatest 1v1 player ever Bird wad the greatest all around team player ever. He is just a couple digits from a 50 40 90 career
Larry and Magic are no haters! They have a lot of respect for the younger guys. Larry once said about the younger guys, just leave the game in a better place than how you found it; it'll live on forever. And agreed, no one should apologize for their GOAT pick, these guys are all capital "G" GOATs to me.
Sadly They Didn't Leave It Better Though. Larry Love's BB So Much He Will Never Really Down It. He Has Given "Hints" In Interviews About It Though. More OR Less Saying, He Liked It Better In The 80's Playing Style.
You have to give it to Larry. He won 3 straigh MVPs with jordan in the league as well as a host of other legends. Plus sweeping him in the playoffs in back to back years. From 1979 to 1998 is my favorite time of basketball. Bascically for me when bird and magic came in to jordans first retirement. I havent really watched since. I did pay a little attention to the mavericks/heat finals that one year, but thats it since 1998 and jordans last chip.
Personally, I think PRIME Bird is the closest player in NBA history to challenge Jordan as the GOAT because Bird was dangerous everywhere on the court (shooting, passing, steals, rebounds, toughness, court vision/IQ, clutch, stamina, etc.). Dude could do it all and could score as many points as he wanted to, but chose to always involve his teammates because he knew that it takes a team to win a championship.... The problem is that Bird's prime was very short and his back injury especially made a HUGE difference in his playing and even somewhat impacted his legacy to the younger fans of the era who never saw him play without injury - whereas Jordan's prime seemed to last forever.... But for those few years when Bird was in his prime, if you could blast him into the future to Jordan's prime era you'd find he was A LOT closer than a lot of fans think because of his overall ability.... There really is an argument for both sides if we are talking prime..... Nevertheless, I can't imagine how both of them would do in today's era with all the weak rules.... They would average however many points they felt like averaging that game.... Whether that be 30, 40, 50, or 60.
I agree Larry stands shoulder to shoulder with Jordan as GOAT material….I myself have him number 1. However I also think Wilt Chamberlain has a good claim.
I completely agree. I do think that Jordan over all was a better player (Bird was a slightly better floor general and shooter while Jordan was a much better defender and more athletic), but it was a lot closer than a lot of people think. Jordan’s scoring numbers are higher and his assist numbers are lower because he didn’t have as deep a team as Bird did so Bird was able to score less and facilitate a lot more . I’m glad you brought up how similar their abilities were - both of these guys could beat you with outside shooting, they could beat you mid range, they could eat you alive in the post, they could both beat you at the rim and both of them could break ankles off the dribble. If you somehow took all of that away, Bird was an elite passer and Jordan was ridiculously under rated as a passer. To me it’s on defence that Jordan passes Bird as the GOAT. Bird was far from a bad defender, but he wasn’t close to MJ’s level. And your last bit about playing today - 100%!! Those two guys would do whatever they wanted today with the phantom foul calls, defensive 3 seconds, no legitimate rim protectors, refs with no clue what travelling is anymore, and no hand checking
Jordan did NOT have every skill like Larry. Larry was the 🐐. He didn't have a weakness. Jordan in his prime got beat in the playoffs by an injured Bird. Not even close IMO. Mike was great, but no doubt Bird is the 🐐
@@MBGolfer Let's face it... Jordan never beat Bird in the playoffs because Bird had a dynasty behind him. The 86' Celtics were one of the best teams of all time. Who did Jordan have in those 80s years?..... You cannot compare the Celtics to the Bulls in that era. Bird had more help.... And Jordan had 63 points against the Celtics in a playoff game where Bird scored half that amount... You put Jordan on the 86 Celtics and put Bird on the 86 Bulls and who do you think wins? Or let's put the 86 Celtics against the 96 Bulls and see what happens.... And Bird did have a weakness.... That weakness is he could not guard Jordan. Jordan was WAYYY too fast off the dribble and would eat Bird on any screen. Even contested, Bird had no chance blocking his faders because of his hang time.... The fact that he couldnt guard him is in fact a weakness.
@WanderleiSilva29 He torched him when they played. Larry Legend is the goat. He was a better passer, defender, more steals, ect. Michael was great, but Bird was the best ALL-AROUND player that ever played the game. Bird took Indiana State...who had nobody to a 33-0 season. Sorry, but you are wrong. Switch Bird and Jordan and Bird still wins.
I'm 60. The 80s was the best era, imo, followed by the 90s and 70s. All those eras had players with personality and a multitude of different playing styles. I hardly watch today's game. It's all running around the 3-pt line and chucking threes. You have a good style and good commentary. Keep it going. P.S. Dominique was robbed in the 88 Slam Dunk contest.
@@raydavies5249 : Good for you. Everyone who actually knows the game, and the history of who played against who under what rules, will always put Bird over Jordan as the very best complete player.
@@richardpare3538 I do know the game, I played it for many years... I am 67, saw all the greats play from the mid 60's all the way up to now and I'll take Jordan every time.
My favorite players, in order, are Bird, Bryant, and Stockton. The NBA has changed a lot since Bird and Jordan played. I think that today's players would get beat down by the physical play of the '80s-'90s. By that same dynamic, if you brought the old-school players to today's NBA, they would all foul out during the first period. Hell, Bird would get ejected just for his mouth. lol
Another little known fact. Larry Bird is the only player of that era that has a winning record against Jordan. Both in the regular season and in the playoffs. He's the only player of that era that Jordan couldn't get the best of. They faced each other a total of 34 times in NBA games. LB has a 23-11 winning record over MJ, including a 6-0 record in playoffs.
They are all great, just in a different way. Did you know that Larry played with crooked fingers on his right hand due to injuries. Also, It was said that the dream team played without calling any time outs for themselves, to prove they could do it.
Bird is my favorite because his hometown is less the. 2 hours from me, seen him at a (undisclosed location) and he was the most humble person. He was not stuck up at all and we probably talked for 5 minutes about just basketball and the league. Like I said very humble person off the court.
I don't know who is better. My top 3, in order are Wilt, MJ, and Bird. But Bird might've been the most complete, all around player I've ever seen. And I saw them all play...
In the years he didn't win MVP he was running up he was top 3 in MVP in voting and runner up four of those years his rookie year he was 4 the in MVP voting
It was awesome. Both styles of play were so very much fun to watch. Both of these guys were huge problems for other organizations to deal with. If ever there was such thing as “ must see tv”.
Just came upon your channel today on my lunch break. BTM with Mr. David has been my favorite NBA RUclips channel for years and I’m glad to find another true B-ball channel worth watching. Great content!
You should react to the two videos about the 4 and 5 times Bird was injured or hurt but didn't quit. I think you'll put him down as the most physically and mentally toughest player the has ever and will ever see.
Jordan was athletically an amazing player and fun to watch. Really enjoyed him. But he always had to have the ball. I get it. These Type A personalities have egos, like Magic in his prime, but Bird, I must say, has consistently been about the team and the team winning. He blew the game up in assists with phenomenal passing, regularly. No-look passes, bounce passes, around the back, bullet passes... He simply was not to be outdone by anyone. I would not want a team without Jordan, but I CANNOT have a team without Bird's B-Ball IQ and heart.
When I was growing up in Los Angeles in the ‘60’s, Elgin Baylor was my Favorite Player. Pistol Pete was an amazing player. Larry Bird never Lost a playoff game to Michael Jordan.
That Dream Team shot...Magic, to MJ for the save to Bird for the bucket...pretty much my entire childhood in one play! I grew up warching them and today's NBA has nothing on the old school NBA's work ethics, rivalries, crowd energy and more...Parish said it best..back then they played for the name on the front of the jersey...now they all play for the name on the back :/ the players now only care about their personal brand, their contracts/deals, and most of all money...they dont care what team they are on, no loyalties, and dont hesitate to join 2 or 3 others superstsrs to form superteams 🙄
In my 51 years, the top 3 players that I have seen are: 1) Larry Bird 2) Michael Jordan 3)Akeem/Hakeem Olajuwon. Much love and respect 🤙! I agree with your take on Jordan needing Pippen. When Bird was a rookie, he led the Celtics to 32 more wins than the year before with basically the same team. And he didn't have McHale, Parrish, DJ, Ainge or Walton!! He also led a not overly talented Indiana State team to 33 straight wins and to the national championship game. He made everyone better!!!
Ill say this look and see who took the clutch last second winning shot in the first few jorden championships i personally think that bumps him down a notch.
Bird founded the 50-40-90 club and achieved it twice. Won the first three 3-point contests and never saw a 3-point line until 1979 when he entered the NBA. He had great achievements individually but was a great team player. Frankly, MJ made me nuts with his dancing and fancy moves to the basket, tongue wagging. The first real NBA showboat with a lot to learn about playing on and with a team. Scoring in just one aspect of of great b-ball. Ask Magic and Larry.
I was at that game at the Chicago Stadium with my brother and law in 1988. I grew up a Bulls fan before the Jordan years, but I was also a Bird fan going back to his college days. It was a tough loss for my Bulls but what a great game! Jordan is the only player I rate above Bird but it is close!
In the interest of making Larry's case, I'll say this: Both players joined bad teams as rookies - no playoffs, fewer than 30 wins the season prior to the start of their professional careers. Both players improved their teams. Larry's first season, the Celtics won 33 more games than they had the previous year. The Celtics went to the Eastern Conference finals. MJ's first season, the Bulls improved their win total by 9, and were still under .500. They were swept in the first round of the playoffs - by the Celtics. MJ won his first ring in his sixth season. By Larry's sixth season, he had won three rings, two Finals MVPs, and three season MVPs. Not only did MJ never beat Bird in a playoff series, he never won a single game. Including the regular season, he had an overall losing record against Bird's Celtics. I'm a fan of both players. And in the barstool debate of "who's the best ever", I say it's Mike - easily. *BUT* , if you define "best" as the most impactful, most valuable, and best at elevating those around him, I say it's Larry. For real - are Dennis Johnson, Robert Parrish, and Kevin McHale in the Hall of Fame without Larry? Maybe, yes. But, I'm inclined to think perhaps not. That's the difference between them.
Bird was a full time team player. Larry was all round natural player. Jordan, on the other hand, had talent and only used it to enhance his game and salary. Larry Bird would be my first pick over all the rest for my team. Everybody needed Bird, Bird could do it all. He was a real team player. Jordan needed help.
80’s NBA was the best era due to so many competitive super teams. 76’rs, Celtics, Bad Boys then Bulls in the East. Lakers & Houston were the big dogs of the West. So conference finals were as great as Finals. Also defense was as important as offense. MJ needed Pip but Pippen wouldn’t be what he was without MJ pushing him.
Jordan needed help to win it all because basketball is a team game. Larry on the other hand helps his teammates to become better players to win games. That's the difference. The same consistent attribute of Larry can be traced back to his college days. He led an unheralded absolutely unknown team composed of less talented players to a surprising 33 - O season before falling in the championship to a team composed of highly skilled players headed by Magic Johnson. When he turned pro, he won the ROTY award and led one of the biggest team turnaround in NBA history. He is called Larry Legend for a reason.
One of Larry’s weapons was his stamina. He never got tired. I heard he ran a 5 mile race before a game once. Yet people say he was un athletic. He would take you out to deep water and drown you.
Thinking about it now, I wonder if it was more physical stamina or a mental toughness that allowed him to ignore pain and fatigue. Either way, you make a great point that is often overlooked. Good on you.
Some of the greatest players of all time talk about how Bird would outwork them
Bird had the brains...always two plays ahead of all of the athletes out there!
If you ask Michael, hell tell you Larry is the Best of all time. He said it already.
And if you ask Larry, he would say MJ. If you asked Kobe, he would say Oscar Schmidt...
Recognize a pattern? None of those legends would have ever sunken low enough to put up themselves on that list.
And if you asked scottie pippen he would say "Scottie Pippen".
@@nettlarry actually didnt bird say Lebron recently? disgusting.. and Lebron says lebron. Wilt says Wilt
@@soramirez5473 I sure hope he didn't. But Larry seems to be in a don't bite the hand that feeds you mode nowadays. He also said he liked the game today at the as weekend ;-( I don't.
So did Magic.
Funny thing is, Bird won the mvp in 84, 85, , and 86 but in my opionion, 87 was his best year.
Yep got robbed of his 4th in a row. They couldn't have a white boy win 4 in a row, lol
When I was a kid, we were told basketball was a non-contact sport. Tell that to the 80's NBA😂.
🤣🤣🤣
It is a non contact sport
lol that was 80's basketball no matter what level.....we played street ball and no one walked away unscathed.
I played high school basketball in the 80s and it was not a sport for wimps. It's not a contact sport in the sense that football is, where you need to contact the opponent to make a play happen. But it's a rough sport where you are always on offense and defense. I've never been in as great of physical condition as when I was training for basketball.
Nobody will ever top Larry Legend for all around greatness. He had the killer instinct, he was (for my money) the clutchest player EVER, had an unparalleled bball IQ, and the most well-rounded skill set of any player EVER. He also had leadership qualities & lifted any team he was on to NEXT LEVEL greatness, and could control the game whether he had the ball or not. In short, Larry ticks ALL the boxes not just a few of them. LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE TRUE GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️
They are both great, both in the Hall of Fame. Why bother comparing.
The 80’s and early 90’s were the best basketball to watch. No one was watching before that, and many haven’t watched the games like they did earlier. Our whole families watched.
Same! Our whole extended family got together to watch the NBA Finals throughout the late 80's, until the late 90's.
Well you have to take into account that all those guys entered the league less than a decade after the merger. It was a completely different NBA. Stars were just starting to get the attention they deserve. That being said I still think that 20 years or so after the merger was the best basketball ever
@@SonicBoomC98 Everyone is biased to what they grew up with, but the 80-90’s saw some of the best players to ever grace the court. It shows, in how many of them, are in the hall of fame.
Bird absolutely !
Larry was one of a kind. Any hand or distance, eyes in the back of his head, one tough mf, incapable of giving up, a better rebounder than Ewing and the clutchest player ever in any sport. The whole building knew who was gonna get the ball and still. The game winner with Jordan AND Scottie in his face.
When Larry lost he didn't look for excuses like they do today - he would go on a court and practice.
That pic for the Olympics....talk about the Holy Trinity of BB ! The 2 greats that saved the NBA & the one great that took it global!
You'll learn one day we don't live on a globe, ask a submariner.........level
Regards all Legends
WRONG on the global it was already Global cause the the rivalry that Magic and Bird had everyone back then knew about it
If I were to be asked to pick an all-time greatest basketball team, the very first player I am calling is Larry Bird. Then I tell Bird to pick who HE wanted as teammates.
I don’t believe in the goat debate because it is a team sport and I believe that Larry Bird is the greatest team player and small forward of all time Jordan is the greatest shooting guard of all time
Very well said.
I concur
regards Legends
Amen!
Thank you. Jordan is not the best player of all time! But definitely the best Shooting Guard ever.
Bird, best Small Forward; Duncan, best Power Forward; Magic, best PG; best Center, Wilt, Kareem, Russell: take your pick on Centers. 😅
Amusing, Larry Bird is always listed in all time all NBA teams as a power forward. After his injuries were taking him out, Bird did play more like a small forward, but in his prime all power.
Loved your reaction to this video. Picking 1 guy as the "goat" is an impossible task because of all the variables = different teammates, opposition, positions etc. I have my #1 as Jordan and my #2 as Kareem and after that there are so many players that need to be discussed. FYI Bird as a rookie went to a 29 win team and with 1 player change to the roster in ML Carr and a new coach in Bill Fitch, Bird was the main reason for Boston to win 61 games = a 32 game turnaround. Bird won ROY by a large margin over Magic and was 4th in MVP. For the next 8 seasons before the dual heel surgeries and back issues, Bird in the MVP was 2,2,2,1,1,1,3 and 2nd again. Bird was all NBA first team his first 9 years. Bird led the league in defensive win shares 4 times and was 7 times in the top 5 in DWS. Bird in 1983 finished tied for 3rd place in the DPOY award, Bird was on 3 all defensive teams ( 2nd team). Bird created the 50-40-90 club did it 2 years back to back (87 and 88) and was so close in 85 and 86 that if you total Birds stats Bird averaged 50-40-90 shooting over 4 consecutive seasons!! Bird was a player ( like Magic) that could raise the level of play of the other 4 players on his team and Bird did this with every team he played on. Bird has the 2nd highest win% in the NBA = only slightly behind Magic and Bird played in the stronger Eastern conference and Bird never had a player as good as Kareem. Look at what Bird did at Indiana State!!! Keep digging into Bird and you will be amazed. When both players retired, Bird was seen as the better and more complete player than Magic. Today many people only look at the ring count, but we need to look at over all skills. Bird was a beast!!!
true.... dat-a
This was the one quote from Wilt Chamberlain that makes me really think about this argument on why Jordan couldn't be the NBA GOAT.
“The difference between you and me is that they had to change the rules in the league for me, so I couldn't dominate.
They changed the rules so that you could.”
Oooooo....🤣
Yeah, Wilt and Jordan weren't exactly fans of each other. And Wilt wasn't wrong.
Wilt played mj 1v1. I believe wilt was 37 and still beat him. Bird used to challenge 2 at once. 1v2 make em take em, 1st one to 7 wins but he would get the ball first. Most of the time he would win.
@@brentcoggin8580 I don't think Wilt ever played Jordan. But he played Magic 1v1 when Magic was around 20, which means Wilt was around 46 or 47. Jordan is younger than Magic.
Wilt has just a hater. For someone who was so smart, he sounded silly when he tried to criticize MJ and Kareem. What he said was completely illogical. So, it made sense to not have both offensive and defensive goaltending? It made sense to allow bigs to just cam out under the basket? It made sense to allow guys to inbound to themselves under the basket? It's also silly because MJ was already dominating before they changed the flagrant foul rule. It's not like they just stopped playing physical. No true NBA fan would think the rule changes made when Wilt played should be rolled back.
Larry, with a broken back and two lame feet, and age being a factor, held his own with Jordan in his prime in double overtime. Players like Magic and Jordan brought out the best in him. 80s and 90s basketball made me fall in love with the sport. So many legends and Larry gave them all hell. 😆
I'm a fan of both Bird and MJ. I was an 80s child watching Basketball. The Olympic Dream Team is a *MUST* watch.
There will never ever be another Larry Bird or Michael Jordan.
At all👍 is there anybody currently in the league you feel is CLOSE?
@richhousereviews I honestly can't answer that question as I haven't watched THE NBA in over 20 years. However watching the reaction videos about Larry Bird reminded me how much I enjoyed watching the game back then.
Beautiful moment when Magic Johnson said that Larry only told one lie in his career. And that was that there will be another Larry Bird someday. Magic said there will never ever ever be another a Larry Bird
Kobe was pretty close to Jordan.
Watched it on TV and you could feel the energy
New family. Larry got me into basketball so he’s my personal favorite
Thanks for watching bro and welcome to the fam
Larry legend dropped the game winning bucket in Jordan & Pippins grills.
In Both of their faces.
Great stuff. I love Cooper talking about how active Bird was when away from the ball. When my dad used to take me to the Garden to see the Celtics, he'd spend the whole two-hour drive telling me that if I really wanted to understand basketball, I needed to watch Bird instead of the ball. Watching Larry off the ball taught me how to be a half-decent player despite being slow, having no shooting range, and boasting a 10-inch vertical. I think it is deceiving to call Bird "un-athletic", but he did give hope to those of us who looked at super-human athletes like Jordan, Dominique, and Drexler as if they were from another planet.
The most complete all-around player is Larry Bird… By far
Without one doubt! Bird is the GOAT.
Jordan, Bird and Magic are the three greatest and most important ballers to ever walk onto the court.
You can rank them in whatever order you like.
To me theyre all the no1, the holy trinity of basketball.
Most important is absolutely correct 🎉
@F1rstworldNOmad
I like your take on the holy trinity!!!
Larry Legend The Goat Of Basketball.
Larry Bird was an assassin
Definitely 💪
FAVORITE PLAYERS ..
Bird , Magic , DR j
GREATEST PLAYERS ..
Bird , Magic , Jordan
GREATEST ERA …
1980 ‘s by far
Your Boy took it in the shorts. Bird was the man.
Larry is the best all around player ever. In a picking a dream team he would always be my first pick.
Jordan could never bully Bird. Toss up to me.
In his last few years of playing, Larry's back was so bad, that he would wear a full torso back brace, and he said that with each game, he wondered if he was going to end up in a wheelchair.
And he didn't use painkillers. Not sure why, other than maybe he had horrible side effects with them. I know some people who do, and they don't take painkillers either. Yet his numbers were still impressive. I can't imagine what he could have done if he had a full career without so much pain...he was in pain the last 7 years of his career.
In a back brace?..wow
@@highendservicesbarrieont8347when his back was acting up he would spend the night in a hospital near the arena. He had a fiberglass back brace he would put on. Then the hospital would put him in traction for the night. He didn’t wear the brace during games
Larry Legend is the GOAT
My brotha welcome to Larry legend Bird from Boston
Huge Bird fan starting from his last year in college. The goat conversation is more nuanced than you think. Maybe 8 to 10 players are in that discussion. My top 5 is Bird, Jordan, Magic , Tim Duncan, Bill Russell. Jordan was the greatest 1v1 player ever Bird wad the greatest all around team player ever. He is just a couple digits from a 50 40 90 career
Jordan didn't start winning til bird retired.
80's and 90's are both great to me!
I can’t argue with that brother 💪
Larry and Magic are no haters! They have a lot of respect for the younger guys. Larry once said about the younger guys, just leave the game in a better place than how you found it; it'll live on forever. And agreed, no one should apologize for their GOAT pick, these guys are all capital "G" GOATs to me.
And that’s why we love the game bro 💪
Sadly They Didn't Leave It Better Though. Larry Love's BB So Much He Will Never Really Down It. He Has Given "Hints" In Interviews About It Though. More OR Less Saying, He Liked It Better In The 80's Playing Style.
Not sure Lebron listened to Larry on that one.
My facts are on point. Watched all of these games in real time
A great athlete scores points! A great player wins games! Think about it! 🤔😂
You have to give it to Larry. He won 3 straigh MVPs with jordan in the league as well as a host of other legends. Plus sweeping him in the playoffs in back to back years. From 1979 to 1998 is my favorite time of basketball. Bascically for me when bird and magic came in to jordans first retirement. I havent really watched since. I did pay a little attention to the mavericks/heat finals that one year, but thats it since 1998 and jordans last chip.
Larry Joe Bird is my favorite!!!!!! Larry Bird did so much for the NBA. Bob Coz, Wilt Chamblin, Bill Russell, Pistol Pete, and Robert Parish.
I’m not a fan of current basketball at all but watching old highlights of Bird and that era is so entertaining
Personally, I think PRIME Bird is the closest player in NBA history to challenge Jordan as the GOAT because Bird was dangerous everywhere on the court (shooting, passing, steals, rebounds, toughness, court vision/IQ, clutch, stamina, etc.). Dude could do it all and could score as many points as he wanted to, but chose to always involve his teammates because he knew that it takes a team to win a championship.... The problem is that Bird's prime was very short and his back injury especially made a HUGE difference in his playing and even somewhat impacted his legacy to the younger fans of the era who never saw him play without injury - whereas Jordan's prime seemed to last forever.... But for those few years when Bird was in his prime, if you could blast him into the future to Jordan's prime era you'd find he was A LOT closer than a lot of fans think because of his overall ability.... There really is an argument for both sides if we are talking prime..... Nevertheless, I can't imagine how both of them would do in today's era with all the weak rules.... They would average however many points they felt like averaging that game.... Whether that be 30, 40, 50, or 60.
I agree Larry stands shoulder to shoulder with Jordan as GOAT material….I myself have him number 1. However I also think Wilt Chamberlain has a good claim.
I completely agree. I do think that Jordan over all was a better player (Bird was a slightly better floor general and shooter while Jordan was a much better defender and more athletic), but it was a lot closer than a lot of people think. Jordan’s scoring numbers are higher and his assist numbers are lower because he didn’t have as deep a team as Bird did so Bird was able to score less and facilitate a lot more . I’m glad you brought up how similar their abilities were - both of these guys could beat you with outside shooting, they could beat you mid range, they could eat you alive in the post, they could both beat you at the rim and both of them could break ankles off the dribble. If you somehow took all of that away, Bird was an elite passer and Jordan was ridiculously under rated as a passer. To me it’s on defence that Jordan passes Bird as the GOAT. Bird was far from a bad defender, but he wasn’t close to MJ’s level. And your last bit about playing today - 100%!! Those two guys would do whatever they wanted today with the phantom foul calls, defensive 3 seconds, no legitimate rim protectors, refs with no clue what travelling is anymore, and no hand checking
Jordan did NOT have every skill like Larry. Larry was the 🐐. He didn't have a weakness. Jordan in his prime got beat in the playoffs by an injured Bird. Not even close IMO. Mike was great, but no doubt Bird is the 🐐
@@MBGolfer Let's face it... Jordan never beat Bird in the playoffs because Bird had a dynasty behind him. The 86' Celtics were one of the best teams of all time. Who did Jordan have in those 80s years?..... You cannot compare the Celtics to the Bulls in that era. Bird had more help.... And Jordan had 63 points against the Celtics in a playoff game where Bird scored half that amount... You put Jordan on the 86 Celtics and put Bird on the 86 Bulls and who do you think wins? Or let's put the 86 Celtics against the 96 Bulls and see what happens.... And Bird did have a weakness.... That weakness is he could not guard Jordan. Jordan was WAYYY too fast off the dribble and would eat Bird on any screen. Even contested, Bird had no chance blocking his faders because of his hang time.... The fact that he couldnt guard him is in fact a weakness.
@WanderleiSilva29 He torched him when they played. Larry Legend is the goat. He was a better passer, defender, more steals, ect. Michael was great, but Bird was the best ALL-AROUND player that ever played the game. Bird took Indiana State...who had nobody to a 33-0 season. Sorry, but you are wrong. Switch Bird and Jordan and Bird still wins.
I'm 60. The 80s was the best era, imo, followed by the 90s and 70s. All those eras had players with personality and a multitude of different playing styles. I hardly watch today's game. It's all running around the 3-pt line and chucking threes.
You have a good style and good commentary. Keep it going.
P.S. Dominique was robbed in the 88 Slam Dunk contest.
Been having fun watching your videos on Bird.
The 80s were the golden age of basketball.
HANDS DOWN
I always respected Larry for giving credit where it was due
The is NO QUESTION about the physical skills of Jordan, but he didn't even come close to Larry as a complete player.
As far as your heart in the game and dedication. Bird and Kobe get my vote
What are you nuts???? I'll take 6 titles over 3 anyday....and Jordan could have had more if he wanted...it's not even close
@@raydavies5249 : Good for you.
Everyone who actually knows the game, and the history of who played against who under what rules, will always put Bird over Jordan as the very best complete player.
@@richardpare3538 I do know the game, I played it for many years... I am 67, saw all the greats play from the mid 60's all the way up to now and I'll take Jordan every time.
@@raydavies5249 Then that shows that you only care about physical prowess,not the smarts it takes to play at Birds level.
My favorite players, in order, are Bird, Bryant, and Stockton. The NBA has changed a lot since Bird and Jordan played. I think that today's players would get beat down by the physical play of the '80s-'90s. By that same dynamic, if you brought the old-school players to today's NBA, they would all foul out during the first period. Hell, Bird would get ejected just for his mouth. lol
I can’t argue with that list the BEST players arrived in that era these NEW players are media and money hungry
@@richhousereviews
Like you said, I can't argue.
@@richhousereviews : And paid way too much.
When you start off getting paid that much....what incentive do they have to get better as a player?! Or to win games ....🤔
Mike the best individual player ever.. bird the best team player ever. I probably give it to bird tho.
Another little known fact. Larry Bird is the only player of that era that has a winning record against Jordan. Both in the regular season and in the playoffs. He's the only player of that era that Jordan couldn't get the best of. They faced each other a total of 34 times in NBA games. LB has a 23-11 winning record over MJ, including a 6-0 record in playoffs.
I also like how Bird gives other greats thier props
It was easier for him compared to others because he mopped the floor with everyone.
They are all great, just in a different way. Did you know that Larry played with crooked fingers on his right hand due to injuries.
Also, It was said that the dream team played without calling any time outs for themselves, to prove they could do it.
Great reaction. I just subscribed.
Bird is my favorite because his hometown is less the. 2 hours from me, seen him at a (undisclosed location) and he was the most humble person. He was not stuck up at all and we probably talked for 5 minutes about just basketball and the league. Like I said very humble person off the court.
I don't know who is better. My top 3, in order are Wilt, MJ, and Bird. But Bird might've been the most complete, all around player I've ever seen. And I saw them all play...
That’s a BOLD statement 🤣🤣 but thanks for watching
Agree , Bird is easily
the greatest All Around
player in NBA history !
In the years he didn't win MVP he was running up he was top 3 in MVP in voting and runner up four of those years his rookie year he was 4 the in MVP voting
I could tell you what the bar was like watching that game! WILD! Those were the glory days in the NBA!
It was awesome. Both styles of play were so very much fun to watch. Both of these guys were huge problems for other organizations to deal with. If ever there was such thing as “ must see tv”.
Just came upon your channel today on my lunch break. BTM with Mr. David has been my favorite NBA RUclips channel for years and I’m glad to find another true B-ball channel worth watching. Great content!
He had to have Pippin
You should react to the two videos about the 4 and 5 times Bird was injured or hurt but didn't quit. I think you'll put him down as the most physically and mentally toughest player the has ever and will ever see.
Jordan was athletically an amazing player and fun to watch. Really enjoyed him. But he always had to have the ball. I get it. These Type A personalities have egos, like Magic in his prime, but Bird, I must say, has consistently been about the team and the team winning. He blew the game up in assists with phenomenal passing, regularly. No-look passes, bounce passes, around the back, bullet passes... He simply was not to be outdone by anyone. I would not want a team without Jordan, but I CANNOT have a team without Bird's B-Ball IQ and heart.
Bird...G.O.A.T
When I was growing up in Los Angeles in the ‘60’s, Elgin Baylor was my Favorite Player. Pistol Pete was an amazing player. Larry Bird never Lost a playoff game to Michael Jordan.
Different positions, different skill sets, different roles. I have both in my starting five, along with Magic, Kareem, and Moses Malone.
GAME!!!
Nobody's sleeping on Michael Everybody sleeping on Bird. Even if you think Michael is the GOAT Larry Is the best all around basketball player ever
That Dream Team shot...Magic, to MJ for the save to Bird for the bucket...pretty much my entire childhood in one play! I grew up warching them and today's NBA has nothing on the old school NBA's work ethics, rivalries, crowd energy and more...Parish said it best..back then they played for the name on the front of the jersey...now they all play for the name on the back :/ the players now only care about their personal brand, their contracts/deals, and most of all money...they dont care what team they are on, no loyalties, and dont hesitate to join 2 or 3 others superstsrs to form superteams 🙄
‘80s hoops. They beat each other up to secure the win. Literally.
Lots of goats, only one legend!
In my 51 years, the top 3 players that I have seen are: 1) Larry Bird 2) Michael Jordan 3)Akeem/Hakeem Olajuwon. Much love and respect 🤙! I agree with your take on Jordan needing Pippen. When Bird was a rookie, he led the Celtics to 32 more wins than the year before with basically the same team. And he didn't have McHale, Parrish, DJ, Ainge or Walton!! He also led a not overly talented Indiana State team to 33 straight wins and to the national championship game. He made everyone better!!!
I am an old school 71 year old Marine and I list my top three as Bill Russel Wilt ,and Larry,
Kelly Trapuka....Pistons......................Marc Ivoroni Sixers
Ima Knicks fan I’ve hated them BOTH.. but got em BOTH as my GOATS
GOAT
Isaiah is talking big, but those are facts. Truth is truth.
80's, real basketball.
I remember a lot of them game
Ill say this look and see who took the clutch last second winning shot in the first few jorden championships i personally think that bumps him down a notch.
I respect your culture reference. 👏 love both. Bird and MJ, 4 different reasons
1980s was my favorite era
So many STARS✨⭐️✨✨
-Magic
-Bird
-Dr J
-Kareem
-Isaiah
-Moses
-MJ
-Olajuwon
-McHale
-Dominique
-B. King
-Worthy
-A. Toney
-Iceman
-Moncrief
-Drexler
-Bobby Jones
-Barkley
-Laimbeer
-K.Malone
-Stockton
-Aguire
-Dantley
-Walton
-Sampson
-DJ
-Gilmore
-Eaton
-Sikma
-D.Dawkins
-Chief
-D.Thompson
Nick Van Exel was by far my favorite college player being from Cincinnati. I saw him play live at the Shoe a lot.
Oh yeah, for the record...Magic also agrees, Larry was the best.
Personally I enjoyed the play of Bird and Jordan. They played the game differently but each was a GOAT in their own way.
Both 80s and 90s
Bird founded the 50-40-90 club and achieved it twice. Won the first three 3-point contests and never saw a 3-point line until 1979 when he entered the NBA. He had great achievements individually but was a great team player. Frankly, MJ made me nuts with his dancing and fancy moves to the basket, tongue wagging. The first real NBA showboat with a lot to learn about playing on and with a team. Scoring in just one aspect of of great b-ball. Ask Magic and Larry.
Give it up for Larry the Legend !!!!!!!
Bird gives that respect, earned respect
I was at that game at the Chicago Stadium with my brother and law in 1988. I grew up a Bulls fan before the Jordan years, but I was also a Bird fan going back to his college days. It was a tough loss for my Bulls but what a great game! Jordan is the only player I rate above Bird but it is close!
In the interest of making Larry's case, I'll say this:
Both players joined bad teams as rookies - no playoffs, fewer than 30 wins the season prior to the start of their professional careers.
Both players improved their teams. Larry's first season, the Celtics won 33 more games than they had the previous year. The Celtics went to the Eastern Conference finals.
MJ's first season, the Bulls improved their win total by 9, and were still under .500. They were swept in the first round of the playoffs - by the Celtics.
MJ won his first ring in his sixth season. By Larry's sixth season, he had won three rings, two Finals MVPs, and three season MVPs.
Not only did MJ never beat Bird in a playoff series, he never won a single game. Including the regular season, he had an overall losing record against Bird's Celtics.
I'm a fan of both players. And in the barstool debate of "who's the best ever", I say it's Mike - easily.
*BUT* , if you define "best" as the most impactful, most valuable, and best at elevating those around him, I say it's Larry. For real - are Dennis Johnson, Robert Parrish, and Kevin McHale in the Hall of Fame without Larry? Maybe, yes. But, I'm inclined to think perhaps not.
That's the difference between them.
Bird was a full time team player. Larry was all round natural player. Jordan, on the other hand, had talent and only used it to enhance
his game and salary. Larry Bird would be my first pick over all the rest for my team. Everybody needed Bird, Bird could do it all. He
was a real team player.
Jordan needed help.
Your Reactions are Great, like Larry :), Greetings from Austria
80’s NBA was the best era due to so many competitive super teams. 76’rs, Celtics, Bad Boys then Bulls in the East. Lakers & Houston were the big dogs of the West. So conference finals were as great as Finals. Also defense was as important as offense.
MJ needed Pip but Pippen wouldn’t be what he was without MJ pushing him.
Isaiah is a MJ hater, but he was also correct on this one.
If you want to watch a game, check out Larry's 60 points againsts Atlanta. It was a Bird vs Dominique shootout!! Epic!
Rich I'm a Larry legend fan, Larry and MJ really liked and respected each other, my list is Larry Legend and Magic saved the NBA, MJ, Kobe
New... Larry Joe for the win baby..
Jordan needed help to win it all because basketball is a team game. Larry on the other hand helps his teammates to become better players to win games. That's the difference. The same consistent attribute of Larry can be traced back to his college days. He led an unheralded absolutely unknown team composed of less talented players to a surprising 33 - O season before falling in the championship to a team composed of highly skilled players headed by Magic Johnson. When he turned pro, he won the ROTY award and led one of the biggest team turnaround in NBA history. He is called Larry Legend for a reason.
I agree, Jordan needed Pippen.