He’s T-5 imo but could be T-3 if you high ball him. A lot of point forwards resemble him but he just had that edge and tenacity to his game that made him a winner. He was a true cerebral assassin and to this day one of the best & most important figures to pick up a ball in any sport.
Larry Legend in the 1980s MVP race 79 - 80 rookie of the year 4th in MVP votes 80 - 81 2nd to Dr J 81 - 82 2nd to Moses Malone 82 - 83 2nd to Moses Malone 83 - 84 won 84 - 85 won 85 - 86 won 86 - 87 3rd, Magic won and MJ was 2nd 87 - 88 2nd to MJ perhaps you heard of these guys
L LL MJ was robbed of the 87 n 90 MVP easily also prob the biggest robbery ever was the 1987 defensive player of the year MJ averaged 3.0 steals and 1.5 blocks they gave it to Michael Cooper who averaged 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks 🤦🏿♂️
“If I had to choose a player to take a final shot to win a game, I’d choose Michael Jordan. But if I could pick one to shoot to save my life I would pick Larry Bird.” -Pat Riley
@@ricardovera116 yup..guys like Pat, jerry west are the real basketball gurus, they have more basketball intelligence than even most players..guys like nick wright don't even come close
@@koreypaul6698 No, he's saying there is another level of clutch. One is just a game winning shot. The other is his life on the line. The quote in no way insinuates your misunderstanding of it.
@@princemjbp695 - he was a great spot up shooter. He also could drive with either hand. He could also rebound. He was a great passer with excellent court awareness. He ran the break well. His only real weakness was that he was a mediocre defender
True dat! What Chris had to say BARELY BROKE THE SURFACE! I won't say GOAT, but definitely in the top 10, and the way he helped the Celts turn it around right from the start says it all. Could he play today? Bro, they couldn't stop him!!!
I thought at the time that Larry was the best player and MVP a couple years BEFORE his 3 straight MVPs. I thought he was better than DR J in '80-81 and better than Moses in both the years Moses won. Larry was the best all-around player in the NBA the first 8 years of his career at least. If not for his injuries, it would have been longer.
Imagine how much easier it would be for him to shoot? You can't touch anyone today without a foul call. He'd probably be a 40 percent 3 point shooter easy. With these new "freedom of movement" rules in the nba, it'd be like a pickup game for him.
It has been said that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved the NBA at a time when interest in basketball was waning. I was not a serious basketball fan but Larry 'Legend' aroused my curiosity and made me, as well as many others watch basketball. In short, I was, and still am absolutely amazed by the incredible Larry Bird....! He is the G.O.A.T...!!!
Larry Bird is the best all-around player I ever saw. The year before Larry joined the Celtics, they had the second worst record in the NBA. As a rookie he took pretty much the same team to the best record in the league and in his second year the Celtics won the chip, that's how good he was. His all out hustle set the tone for the Celtics so if you were his teammate, you were bringing it every night. His passing and selfless play was also contagious so every team he ever played on was one of the greatest passing teams of all time, that how much his teams took on his personality. If he and McHale hadn't started getting seriously hurt in '87, they would have no doubt won even more chips. Nobody was stopping Bird, nobody.
Bird's only mistake was sacrificing his body on dives and hustle plays. If not for that, he could have been in the league for a few more seasons and possibly change Eastern Conference playoff history as we know it.
@@jordanjenkins1671 his real mistake was building a road at his mother's house. He hurt his back from slinging asphalt with a shovel and digging. That back injury probably robbed 3 years from his career and hurt his play after 1988.
One score from behind the bucket is common, but I've seen another one. Probably less common because the points were deleted for some faults, if I remember well.
I love bird but stop it please, I really wish people would stop saying this, it makes all Bird fans look delusional and stupid! I absolutely hate when people call him the GOAT because it makes all your Bird props and everything you might say mean nothing at all because you obviously do not know basketball. Kareem has 6 MVPs 6 rings 💍 was on 10 all defensive teams and He definitely would have won a defensive player of the year award if it was around in the 1970s. On top if that, He won 3 national titles and 3 collegiant national player of the year award in a row. Lebron has 4 MVPs and 4 rings and his career is so much longer then Larry's plus he's the NBAs all time leading scorer. MJ is the obvious GOAT for more reasons then I have time to wrote. Magic has 5 rings 3 MVPs and 3 Finals MVPs and is far and away the vest point guard ever. Bird only has 3 titles and 2 finals mvps. You can put Bird anywhere you want from 5th to 10th and I gave no problem with it but please don't call him the GOAT, it shows you either don't know basketball at all or that your only saying that because he's White. Larry wasn't a great individual defender, and his career was not long enough for him to be considered the Goat.
A combination of: Michael Jordan’s mid range Kyle Korver’s three ball Magic Johnson’s creativity Bill Russell’s toughness Reggie Miller’s smack talk Kobe Bryant’s intensity
@@RR-vu3ol He didn't say handles, he said creativity! And anyone that really watched Larry know it's spot on when it came to his court vision. Nobody saw the floor better than those two in the 80s, Nobody! Period There was no such thing as a point forward till Larry Bird, they coined the term because of him.
One thing you forgot to mention: Larry played HARD, every moment of the game, every game. That's why his career is so short from diving on the floor so much and why he's not just "a white guy who shoots well." Modern-day fans who hate how players take games off mentally in the middle of january would absolutely love Bird. He's the type of guy who's so good at creating his own shot, but in the middle of january on the 4th game in 5 nights, would still dive headfirst into the crowd trying to save a loose ball.
Larry always felt like he owed it to the fans. In an interview, he mentioned that people would get off work and head straight to the garden. These people would be at every game. Larry said he felt an obligation to play hard for these folks...that THEY (the fans) were the reason he was there. He even talked about how he would use the media to get the fans fired up and 'tweak' them before the less important opponents. The fans were why he played hard EVERY DAY...that, and he wanted to win every loose ball...every ball fake...every rebound...every shot...every one-on-one. GOAT - simply because there is no one to ever play the game who (if you saw him play) you would want to take that last shot more than Larry Bird. One second on the clock; need 3pts to win, 2 to tie; literally has to be a catch and shoot from beyond the arc; the other team is playing sticky defense; the crowd is dripping with anxiety. It's gotta be Larry
Imagine playing a dude who just doesn't miss. Drops absolutely dimes, always seems to be in the perfect spot to grab rebounds and fights for every loose ball. That was Larry Bird, you keep waiting for his shot to go cold, it never did.
@@kingconann9998 the only reason Bird is not being compared to MJ nowadays is because LARRY LEGEND has been retired for 28 years now. And why would you compare 2 retired greats in todays NBA? IT WONT BE APPEALING AM I RIGHT? LOL 😂 IDIOT. 😎
Bird would’ve killed it in today’s league. I hate when kids say that Bird wouldn’t have made it today. You can’t blame where the game was at the time on any player. With access to today’s modern sports medicine and nutrition, Bird would be ballin’ today.
People don't realize - Bird was the definition of clutch and he was hitting crazy shots before Steph came around. Not just 3's - he was scooping up rebounds in the air and tossing them in with his left hand before landing, shooting behind the basket, jumping over the baseline as he put it in, and raining 3's with the best of them. In today's game, with the 3 being what it is, imagine if Steph Curry was 6'10'' and had an attitude like Kevin Garnett. Lebron would get beat down.
Yeah, I've said before that if you put Bird in today's league, he'd emulsify people. He'd end careers. People don't realize how hardcore-competitive the league was up until around the early 2000s or so, when all these guys started hanging out together and figuring out how to build super-teams via free agency. The 70s and 80s in particular were dogfights--the league was full of legitimate tough guys and street fighters, not the pampered AAU and camp circuit plushies they have these days. Bird became one of the best of all-time in this environment; he'd turn today's game into a five-course meal and probably average over 30 points a game.
Bird played small forward in a power forwards body. He and Magic Johnson were great because they played fundamental basketball. Hit the open shot, position self for rebounds, play team defense...pass to the open guy.. and think before you move. What made hthem great was how they never forgot the basics or relied solely on athleticism
He was nothin but the nba's GWH. Great white hope. He couldn't guard Jordan, Dominique, Barkely, Malone, Bernard King, etc. " If he was black he would be just another guy" FATCZ!
@@terrenceliburd917 Let go of your racist hatred of Larry Bird son. It's 2020....and its still eating you alive.. You sound like a follower of Farrakhan. Bird is a TOP 3 player of ALL TIME. PERIOD. Perhaps It's about time you let it go.
@@gogetter5137 I don't hate Bird, but love my black players first and foremost! White Supremacy always thinks that black admiration of blackness means hatred towards white folks. On the contrary I recognized my own first. aways remember this, that racism is an European/ American construct. White Supremacy tries to dominate in all areas of entertainment. The most dominate players from 84-88 were Magic and Kareem. 3 chips to Birds 2 chips. 🎤 DROP!!!!!!
Terrence Liburd it takes quite a dumb person to bring the arguement that white supremacy is the reason bird was who he was. I think you should stop arguing all that is basketball, because anybody that brings up race in the argument doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
The science of sports medicine and training today would have helped a lot of greats' careers in those days. Now even golfers and bowlers lift weights and do calisthenics.
Kevin mchale said the other day the the only the only way him and larry took care of their body was drink a 12 pack after a win and eat some burgers or steak. Lol
@@street1013 lol, though there careers were shorter, it was probably funner playing without being so hardcore on your body. Though I'm sure Bird would have preferred to have the sports science and be even more hardcore to have a longer and better career.
PREACH IT! My all time favorite player. Also, the rivalry with Magic was electric! I am not a watcher of tv Sports BUT! I WATCHED LARRY BIRD! Larry Bird IS THE TRUTH!
He's wrong! In THIS era Bird wouldn't do what he did back then, he'd be much MORE unstoppable! Now there's no hand checking, no just because hard fouls, you can now take 4 steps and carry. Bird not being shoved into the court, equals 15 to 20 points per quarter, REAL TALK!
Kenneth Bryant but now illegal defense is not called as a foul, so bird doesn’t get the easy 1v1 he used to get. He have to play against zone defenses. I do still think he’ll be better because he was always a great shooter, but not unstoppable
@@erroneouse1929 Ha,ha,ha,ha,bwah,haa,haa!! BIRD would eat these guys and their respective zones as snacks. Have you ever seen Bird play? Just watch game 6 of the 86 finals against Houston, then get back to me.
C'mon man, Bird was a monster but no need to disrespect MJ, he droped playoff record 63 against that Celtics "the jesus disguised as mike". And still lose, that team was that good.
@@ReidoFutebol98 mj was 22 for 41 from field and 19 for 21 at ft line in the ot game 2 so u should get at least 50 if you shoot 41 times. McHale said Celtics did not really take bulls seriously until after game 2...Jordan had 19 pts in game 3 series sweep for Cs. Interesting that 3 historically great players, bird, magic, mj, came into nba within 5 years of each other.....Wilt and Russell were 2 others who came in around same time. I did not know how great mj was until I watched game 2 of 86. I liked the way bird and magic played over mj because they were such great team players that could elevate the other 4 guys on court ....Jordan was more of a scoring assassin
If you gon say something like that then make sure you use some context cause bird had 4 other hall of famers on his team too other then himself with Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish, and Bill Walton. Did you even take the time to look at Jordan's roster in 86' and 87'??....with Gene Banks, Dave Corzine, Orlando WoolRidge, ( a rookie Charles Oakley )...(a over the hill George Gervin )...you said that like Bird was beating Jordan and the bulls was in their prime in the 90's.
@@traslenpatterson3478 McHale, Parrish and Dj weren't HOF'ers BEFORE they started playing with Larry Bird. They BECAME HOF'ers BECAUSE they played with Larry Bird. Pretty big distinction.
Not only was Larry one of the best all around players ever but i loved how hard he played the game he always gave his all left everything he had to give out on the floor the guy put his heart and soul into the game he loved! Thank you Larry Bird!
MILAN FERNANDEZ Very true but I’m not a fan of this comment. I wouldn’t be a fan if someone called Tiger the baddest black dude to play golf even though it’s technically true. However I will admit my cool white friends would find no issue with this.
MILAN FERNANDEZ there’s only a handful of players that anyone could name that were arguably better than Bird, regardless of race. Very few have played equal to Bird and even fewer have played better.
Love your comment man. I always say. I can not...CAN NOT imagine Larry Bird or M. Jordan jumping from one team to another to win a championship. You could give them any players and he would still think he could beat you. Today you have Lebron and Wade and Durant etc... type of players that want to ride championships. Yes. They are GREAT players in themselves. But really. Bird would be laughing at them for jumping and trying to ploy together super teams. He'd say, "Bring em on." And would shoot, dribble pass and trash talk them to death.
@@tyleraguilar2474 Kind of a weird comment since they CAN'T PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER!! Shish. I could say the same thing the other way and nobody could prove differently either. But I think they could beat the Warriors. They couldn't ""beat"" the Warriors cause Curry (who's a GREAT GREAT player) and Durant (when with them) and the rest of them would probably start crying and the commish would order Bird and Parrish and McHale and Ainge to quit throwing elbows and beating them like babies. Beatings are not allowed anymore in the soft NBA. But as far as who would win? I don't know. ( I really am not even a Celtic or Bulls fan. But I know good when I see it.) That's why I just said, that Bird would at least, "....shoot, dribble pass and trash talk them to death." Heck...I could say the Warriors couldn't beat the 1980-1990s version of the Cavs and you still couldn't argue it. They can't play each other. -- I'm not old school or new school. They are all great and different styles. I just see what I see.........annnnnddddddd there you go. Next time see if you can find another fellow 12 or 13 year old to argue with. I'll put a like on your comment anyway.
He dominated the game from '-82 - '88 before he got hurt. Should've won the MVP in '88 as well.That was an amazing year he had while he was hurt. 30/9/6 with two steals and a block average for the season.
I totally agree although I think he was the best player in the NBA from his second year, '81, through 88. Also, I don't know if any rookie ever had a bigger impact than Larry did when he totally turned around a Celtic team that went from the second worst record in the league to the best Bird's rookie year.
Bird was great in '88 but Jordan was the unquestioned MVP that year. Jordan led the NBA in PER, Offensive Win Shares, Total Win Shares, OBPM, DBPM, Total BPM, and VORP.
Larry was great, but 88 was arguably MJ's best year. He led the league in scoring and steals, won DPOY, All-Star MVP and slam dunk, and became the only player in history to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season twice.
@@seanfelder3286 Bird made his team mates better. jordan did not. Bird was a better rebounder, passer, shooter, and better team defender with an IQ that was second to none. AND..... he played hurt that entire year. He was also more of a psychological assassin. His trash talking did a number on his opponents brain.
Thank you. People keep comparing Luka to Bird because they're white, but what they don't understand about Bird was he was in the same class as MJ and Kobe when it came to confidence, fearlessness, and cold-blooded killer instinct. I'm not seeing that in Luka. Also Luka is a downhill player like LeBron, Harden, Westbrook, and Giannis. Bird played in the wings, mid-post, and low-post. He was more unpredictable.
People compare them because they both have no standout athletic trait and color. Though I would argue Bird had quicker feet. Luka has the stats but he doesn't have that thing Bird has though. That hick from French Lick thing. The mental games, that stone cold thing. The psycho level competitiveness that only Bird, Jordan, Kobe and maybe Isiaih had. Bird had the Bravado. Luka is indeed brilliant, but Bird is a special.
Dirk Nowitzki played in the same style as Bird. He wasn't as good as the latter in every aspect of the game, yet still outperformed LeBron in the Finals. Not to say that it's always gonna be like that, but it gives an idea of how Bird would've competed against today's elite.
He was one of the toughest in arguably the toughest era, but that was just one of so many qualities, an incredible will to win, clutch, one of the greatest foul shooters, made his teammates better. It just goes on and on.
I’ve been watching basketball since the late 60s (although it doesn’t interest me much anymore). I was a New York Knicks fan, but whenever Larry was on, I was watching. I was blessed to be able to attend a few games and watch him play live, and he never disappointed. The highest basketball, IQ ever. It wasn’t just his shooting, there are players that say when he passed the ball to someone else, he became more dangerous as he would be setting up place. As I always say, he was a once in a lifetime gift from the basketball gods!
@Real he was overall best player in nba for most of 80s which is regarded as the glory era of NBA...averaged 60 wins a year in a stacked east his first 9 years.
@Real Kareem said bird may have Been best player he ever played against which would include old Wilt and prime mj...magic would laugh at you saying Larry Legend is maybe top 50...any more good jokes?
Don't give up on Luka yet. If he matures his game mentally he can be pretty awesome. Teams know they can foul Luka to make him miss a shot because for some reason he is not clutch at free throws yet.
Bird played with a shattered knuckle in his shooting hand for his entire career. Bird played with a fractured skull. Bird played with a bad back. And not only did he play with those injuries, he led the team to WIN with those injuries.
I've been a Celtics fan since the mid-70s and I didn't know he finished that high in the MVP race that many years before his injuries. Were it not for his injuries his points, rebounds, and assists totals would have been a lot higher. He is an all-time great and should legitimately be in the GOAT conversation much more than he is.
@@surveying482 different injuries. Back injuries/problems ruin careers. Birds back was so bad when he played on the Dream Team that he couldn't sit on thw bench. Had to lay on the ground. Steve Nash had similar problems near the end of his career
Surveying yes because broken foot and back injuries are the same. Not even close. Your foot heals and you are fine, your back never heals the same, ever.
In today's NBA where they have basically BANNED DEFENSE, Bird would tear this league up!!! All the players of the 80's and 90's would be better today. Imagine a league where Defense is banned........and players are encouraged to shoot nothing but 3's!!? Bird would terrorize this league. Today's players would probably try to get Bird banned! lol!!!
"All the players of the 80's and 90's would be better today." Can you imagine todays big men trying to guard McHale in the low post? He would foul out everybody on the other team that was over 6 6 by half time.
@@richardmather1906 -- Mchale's post moves were difficult to stop back when Defense was allowed, imagine him in today's league where you could not even touch him! lol!! Let's remember that he was a player that other players paid to teach them post moves. Him and Hakeem were making $$$$ from other players to be their Mr. Miyagi.
@@encyclopediaamericana7234 -- I agree, the NFL has also Banned Defense. Both the NBA and the NFL have done so because they know that most people love the Offense. The general public loves high scoring games. So to get teams to score more points, they change the Rules and basically Ban Defense. In the NBA, the only time a players hits the floor is when they Flop. In the NFL, the Defensive player will get a Flag for thought crimes! It's sick. I don't watch Hockey, but I wonder if they've done something similar. Anyone out there a Hockey fan? Has the NHL changed rules to make scoring a joke/too easy now like in these other 2 leagues?
Without hand checks, and like Jordan and a few others, Bird would score more, especially when making 3s is more frequent today - something Bird was good at.
Bird made his teammates better,, mchale & especially parish wouldn’t have been the players they were without bird & if he shot the ball 90 percent of the time like Jordan his scoring average would have been a lot better but he was unselfish
@@southernflavamaker He shot over 50% from the field and over 80% from freethrow. Of course if you score big games u gonna have more shots. What type of debate is that?... also lmk where u get 35 shots and 10+ freethrows. Cuz I never seen them stats pop up, that sounds like something u just made up
@@southernflavamaker bro, u must been one of these young kids who never seen MJ play. I actually grew up in a Pistons household in Michigan. But Im not gonna deny Jordan is the Goat. I watch nba since 1983, Jordan is by far the best player I've ever seen. He wasnt a ball hog, he was the main scorer on the team, the only player who could play both on and off ball, who could take u outside or post up, and the only guy who could get his own shot. 22 shots per game career avg isnt bad. In comparison Kobe, Lebron and KD all avg 20 shots. He played point gaurd one month avg 34ppg, 11rebs and 12 asts. The only reason he dont have more assists is becuz the bulls decided they'd rather have him post people up and score, so they moved him back to shooting guard. He wasnt a ballhog, scoring was just the role the bulls wanted him to fill. Thats what the team wanted him to do. If Jordan was ball dominant and played main ball handler, by those numbers he'd probably avg a triple double over his career. Thats not where they wanted him to play tho
grew up in Boston for my first 45 years of life...Celtics, led by Bird, were gods among men. Best series of all time is Celtics/Lakers in the 80s...nothing else compares
There's a reason why Larry Bird is in the conversation for goat. Yes he was gifted with great size and had a great shooting touch. But there is no basketball player that I've heard of who came into the league for the shattered knuckle and still managed to shoot the ball as effectively as he did. What other player in league history has gone to the bumps and bruises that Larry Bird has gone through?
ruminator3570 he isn’t in that conversation he isn’t even the best of his era Magic is so stop it you have to white this stupidity would make sense he never won or led the league in anything defensively
I want people to know that Larry was a GREAT DEFENDER. In addition to his 3 All NBA Defensive Team Selections in a row, you need to know this: "Larry Legend' paced the league in defensive win shares four times and offensive win shares only once. He excelled at team defense principles, and his near 6-foot-10 size was a major factor on the backboards. He ranks 18th in defensive rebound percentage (22.4) among forwards.
I always idolized Michael and Kobe growing up, but the more I hear about Larry Bird's stories the more I realized him and Magic were the reason Michael fought so hard. Larry and Magic pretty much passed the torch to Mike. And Kobe took the torch from Michael. Greatness being handed down generation after generation
When I was a kid I’d tune in to watch Bird play. It was like watching Brady in NE; you knew it was coming, everyone knew it was coming, he was gonna demand the ball, and the win would unfold.
Oh just a reminder Bird was the best player in the world for a couple of years when MJ, Magic, Kareem, Scottie, Dr. J, Hakeem were playing at a high level.
I would have loved to watch that game live. I waited all week for it to start on Saturday... Sadly, it rained hard that day, and comcast cable went out. We couldn't even get the local NBC station, and no internet back then.
For a kid born in Massachusetts in the mid 70’s Larry was THE man and still is. Young people just watch his highlights. You’ll be amazed at what he could do.
@@Forever_Soul I have been saying for YRS it was Bird THAT SAVED theNBA Not Magic and Bird' white's were jealous of BLACKS because they were physically better then MOST whites at SPORTS and here come's Magic just what they did NOT need another GreaTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT BlacK player'
I was talking to someone the other day about Bird. The best way I can sum up Bird for people who watch the NBA today is "Imagine a better rebounding, better passing Kevin Durant". That was Larry Bird.
Chris said that the players of the Eighties weren't as athletic as the players of today. That would be news to James Worthy, Sean Kemp, Isiah Thomas, Scottie Pippen and oh yeah, Michael Jordan himself, and a lot of other players I could name. My guess is that they'd be every bit as dominant now as then.
Bird said he would've liked to play now because game is freer and much less physical. He never says players of his era are better but does think they could compete now.
Werd. He's extremely respectful of every era, past and present. A mark of true greatness. He might like his chances in today's era tho with how it is. I'd imagine his trainers and doctors would be stricter on him, thus giving him a much longer career.
@@u-mixtapes with modern training and better surgerys I think bird would've been healthier longer. The Celtics new facility is light years ahead of what they had in 60s, 70s and 80s.
Come on , No one could pass like Bird - Any angle anywhere , Instant releases, Magic and a few other players had more beautiful looking passes and we’re incredibly talented but On this one there’s never been a better passer !
what about whipping theball with theRight spins at his team mates' LarrY Legend COULD have been GreaTTTTTTTTTT at football OR baseball he had a great arm or arm's lol LJB = theGoaT.
I'm an IU guy, and Bob Knight and the talent he had assembled in the mid 70's to 1980 would have resulted in at least two more national titles for the Hoosiers had Bird stayed on board. The Indiana State Sycamores only lost one game Bird's senior season, and that was to Magic and the MSU Spartans. Bird saw everything, had eyes in the back of his head. He was simply a basketball Einstein. He went on to coach the Pacers to an NBA final and win NBA executive of the year once he moved on to the front office. He's an Indiana guy, and we are very proud of him. I love 1980's NBA basketball, it was just a purer game. I don't watch it anymore, gave it up when Reggie Miller retired and Ron Artest went into the stands like a lunatic. And Dennis Johnson is my all time favorite point guard. Completely underrated. DJ and Bird communicated telepathically. So much fun to watch.
In a league if “load management bird could have played another 5-6 years. AND HE WEBT TO COLLEGE 4 YEARS. He didn’t come straight into the league out of HS or do a one and done
What are your thoughts on Larry Bird's legendary career?
He was the best at any shooting position ⛹️♂️🏀🙏
He’s T-5 imo but could be T-3 if you high ball him. A lot of point forwards resemble him but he just had that edge and tenacity to his game that made him a winner. He was a true cerebral assassin and to this day one of the best & most important figures to pick up a ball in any sport.
Why not bring up the game he murdered a team using only his left hand? No one else has done that.
A healthy Larry Legend is better than Air Jordan
LARRY BIRD, was one of the top 3 players to ever play.
Kareem said Bird was the best that he played against. That says a lot.
only player ever to make KAJ lose his temper
@@ermannosorricchiodivalfort4905 Not true. Ever see Kareem punch Kent Benson? Dude was out of basketball for a long time because of that
Yes, I believe Kareem says Oscar Robertson and Larry bird are the greatest he's ever seen.
Didn't Kareem say Earl Manigault was the best?
@@basketballarcadeninja6623 . The interview I saw he said Nate Thurmond was the best center that he played against.
Larry Legend in the 1980s MVP race
79 - 80 rookie of the year 4th in MVP votes
80 - 81 2nd to Dr J
81 - 82 2nd to Moses Malone
82 - 83 2nd to Moses Malone
83 - 84 won
84 - 85 won
85 - 86 won
86 - 87 3rd, Magic won and MJ was 2nd
87 - 88 2nd to MJ
perhaps you heard of these guys
I dont think they heard of Moses Malone.
wise table. yes
Yes 😁👍🏾
L LL MJ was robbed of the 87 n 90 MVP easily also prob the biggest robbery ever was the 1987 defensive player of the year MJ averaged 3.0 steals and 1.5 blocks they gave it to Michael Cooper who averaged 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks 🤦🏿♂️
Sea Pea I did but only cause I’m the more uncommon young basketball history nerd I guess. Most wouldn’t know him though you’re right.
“If I had to choose a player to take a final shot to win a game, I’d choose Michael Jordan. But if I could pick one to shoot to save my life I would pick Larry Bird.” -Pat Riley
Agreed ...Bird wasn’t as athletic but as a clutch shooter I’d take him over anybody
JA S thank you. Nuff said. Pat Riley has more credibility than most of the world combined when it comes to basketball.
Why pick Michael Jordan then?? Lol! Is he saying Bird could handle that kind of pressure moreso than MJ?
@@ricardovera116 yup..guys like Pat, jerry west are the real basketball gurus, they have more basketball intelligence than even most players..guys like nick wright don't even come close
@@koreypaul6698 No, he's saying there is another level of clutch. One is just a game winning shot. The other is his life on the line. The quote in no way insinuates your misunderstanding of it.
actually, with the decrease in physical play, Bird would be better today
Defenses were rough in those days. You could play the Rocky Soundtrack to those games.
I mean, he’s basically a WAY better version of Luka Doncic.
And some people thinks he's just a spot up shooter 🤦♂️
@@princemjbp695 - he was a great spot up shooter. He also could drive with either hand. He could also rebound. He was a great passer with excellent court awareness. He ran the break well. His only real weakness was that he was a mediocre defender
While I tend to agree you have to remember Bird took full advantage of that to. He was a very physical player.
Chris Broussard did an excellent job on telling you how good Larry Bird was and still didn’t tell enough!!
True dat! What Chris had to say BARELY BROKE THE SURFACE! I won't say GOAT, but definitely in the top 10, and the way he helped the Celts turn it around right from the start says it all. Could he play today? Bro, they couldn't stop him!!!
I thought at the time that Larry was the best player and MVP a couple years BEFORE his 3 straight MVPs. I thought he was better than DR J in '80-81 and better than Moses in both the years Moses won. Larry was the best all-around player in the NBA the first 8 years of his career at least. If not for his injuries, it would have been longer.
If Bird played in todays nba, he would make most players cry
All of them. Just like he did. In his era.
Imagine how much easier it would be for him to shoot? You can't touch anyone today without a foul call. He'd probably be a 40 percent 3 point shooter easy. With these new "freedom of movement" rules in the nba, it'd be like a pickup game for him.
It has been said that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson saved the NBA at a time when interest in basketball was waning. I was not a serious basketball fan but Larry 'Legend' aroused my curiosity and made me, as well as many others watch basketball. In short, I was, and still am absolutely amazed by the incredible Larry Bird....! He is the G.O.A.T...!!!
After that they still dont know, Bird is the G.O.A.T.
Coming from a lifelong Lakers fan (45 years) Bird was the truth.
Larry Bird is the best all-around player I ever saw. The year before Larry joined the Celtics, they had the second worst record in the NBA. As a rookie he took pretty much the same team to the best record in the league and in his second year the Celtics won the chip, that's how good he was. His all out hustle set the tone for the Celtics so if you were his teammate, you were bringing it every night. His passing and selfless play was also contagious so every team he ever played on was one of the greatest passing teams of all time, that how much his teams took on his personality. If he and McHale hadn't started getting seriously hurt in '87, they would have no doubt won even more chips. Nobody was stopping Bird, nobody.
Bird's only mistake was sacrificing his body on dives and hustle plays. If not for that, he could have been in the league for a few more seasons and possibly change Eastern Conference playoff history as we know it.
@@jordanjenkins1671 He paved his driveway and hurt is back, he wasn't healthy for much of the latter half of the 80s.
@@jordanjenkins1671 his real mistake was building a road at his mother's house. He hurt his back from slinging asphalt with a shovel and digging. That back injury probably robbed 3 years from his career and hurt his play after 1988.
@@jordanjenkins1671Playing with hustle is one of the most underrated winning basketball plays. I dont think thats a mistake.
@@jordanjenkins1671 It wasn't a mistake, as Larry himself said "that's the way I play".
He was an absolute phenomenon. Ball handling, passing, he even scored from BEHIND the bucket.
One score from behind the bucket is common, but I've seen another one. Probably less common because the points were deleted for some faults, if I remember well.
Let's not forget he told everybody what to do. Including the ref
Larry Bird was and will always be the G O A T ⛹️♂️🏀🙏
I love bird but stop it please, I really wish people would stop saying this, it makes all Bird fans look delusional and stupid! I absolutely hate when people call him the GOAT because it makes all your Bird props and everything you might say mean nothing at all because you obviously do not know basketball. Kareem has 6 MVPs 6 rings 💍 was on 10 all defensive teams and He definitely would have won a defensive player of the year award if it was around in the 1970s. On top if that, He won 3 national titles and 3 collegiant national player of the year award in a row. Lebron has 4 MVPs and 4 rings and his career is so much longer then Larry's plus he's the NBAs all time leading scorer. MJ is the obvious GOAT for more reasons then I have time to wrote. Magic has 5 rings 3 MVPs and 3 Finals MVPs and is far and away the vest point guard ever. Bird only has 3 titles and 2 finals mvps. You can put Bird anywhere you want from 5th to 10th and I gave no problem with it but please don't call him the GOAT, it shows you either don't know basketball at all or that your only saying that because he's White. Larry wasn't a great individual defender, and his career was not long enough for him to be considered the Goat.
A combination of:
Michael Jordan’s mid range
Kyle Korver’s three ball
Magic Johnson’s creativity
Bill Russell’s toughness
Reggie Miller’s smack talk
Kobe Bryant’s intensity
And so much more
Nice assessment.
Actually that's pretty close assessment.
He's not like Magic, Larry didn't have that great of handles
@@RR-vu3ol He didn't say handles, he said creativity! And anyone that really watched Larry know it's spot on when it came to his court vision. Nobody saw the floor better than those two in the 80s, Nobody! Period There was no such thing as a point forward till Larry Bird, they coined the term because of him.
Larry Bird owned real estate in so many players heads.
And lived there rent-free.
Bird’s specialty was telling his opponent what he was about to go, then doing it.
As MJ once said, "He's the greatest trash talker of all time - but in a good way" or something close to that.
One thing you forgot to mention: Larry played HARD, every moment of the game, every game. That's why his career is so short from diving on the floor so much and why he's not just "a white guy who shoots well."
Modern-day fans who hate how players take games off mentally in the middle of january would absolutely love Bird.
He's the type of guy who's so good at creating his own shot, but in the middle of january on the 4th game in 5 nights, would still dive headfirst into the crowd trying to save a loose ball.
Yeah, when you watch him play, you totally get where all the longevity went.
His career was shortened because he decided to pave his mother's driveway by himself and destroyed his back in the off-season...
When you look up the definition of "Hoosier Hustle", that's Larry's picture.
Larry always felt like he owed it to the fans. In an interview, he mentioned that people would get off work and head straight to the garden. These people would be at every game. Larry said he felt an obligation to play hard for these folks...that THEY (the fans) were the reason he was there. He even talked about how he would use the media to get the fans fired up and 'tweak' them before the less important opponents. The fans were why he played hard EVERY DAY...that, and he wanted to win every loose ball...every ball fake...every rebound...every shot...every one-on-one.
GOAT - simply because there is no one to ever play the game who (if you saw him play) you would want to take that last shot more than Larry Bird.
One second on the clock; need 3pts to win, 2 to tie; literally has to be a catch and shoot from beyond the arc; the other team is playing sticky defense; the crowd is dripping with anxiety. It's gotta be Larry
@@colinthecatguy8155 yeah, but it was worsened in his later years as he had still been diving and getting on his back for loose balls.
I love it when respect is put on Larry Legend’s name 👌🏻
Imagine playing a dude who just doesn't miss. Drops absolutely dimes, always seems to be in the perfect spot to grab rebounds and fights for every loose ball. That was Larry Bird, you keep waiting for his shot to go cold, it never did.
He's the greatest all-around player ever
I'm 47 and have been a Lakers fan since I was 5. Still the mention of the name "Larry Bird" gives me nightmares...
Don't feel bad... Magic said the same thing. 😅
I'll pick LARRY BIRD any day OVER LEBRON JAMES. He's tougher he can SHOOT BETTER from anywhere on the floor and he's CLUTCH.🤷♂️
and a better rebounder and especially free throw shooter
MONK 30 are you high? Bird is great but there’s a reason he isn’t compared to Jordan on a daily basis the way Lebron is.
Bron
AVERY TATE you misspelled Bird (Bron, what’s that?)
@@kingconann9998 the only reason Bird is not being compared to MJ nowadays is because LARRY LEGEND has been retired for 28 years now. And why would you compare 2 retired greats in todays NBA? IT WONT BE APPEALING AM I RIGHT? LOL 😂
IDIOT. 😎
Bird would’ve killed it in today’s league. I hate when kids say that Bird wouldn’t have made it today. You can’t blame
where the game was at the time on any player. With access to today’s modern sports medicine and nutrition, Bird would be ballin’ today.
People don't realize - Bird was the definition of clutch and he was hitting crazy shots before Steph came around. Not just 3's - he was scooping up rebounds in the air and tossing them in with his left hand before landing, shooting behind the basket, jumping over the baseline as he put it in, and raining 3's with the best of them. In today's game, with the 3 being what it is, imagine if Steph Curry was 6'10'' and had an attitude like Kevin Garnett. Lebron would get beat down.
DerrickKet562, those people are stupid. Larry Bird was like Luka Doncic with higher basketball iq and better shooting touch.
You guys also forget that they played defense back then
My response is to anyone with that mentality is watch birds highlights! Thatl silence them
Yeah, I've said before that if you put Bird in today's league, he'd emulsify people. He'd end careers. People don't realize how hardcore-competitive the league was up until around the early 2000s or so, when all these guys started hanging out together and figuring out how to build super-teams via free agency. The 70s and 80s in particular were dogfights--the league was full of legitimate tough guys and street fighters, not the pampered AAU and camp circuit plushies they have these days. Bird became one of the best of all-time in this environment; he'd turn today's game into a five-course meal and probably average over 30 points a game.
One of the best basketball players to ever do it
Larry legend was fantastic. He’s so underrated these days
Bird played small forward in a power forwards body. He and Magic Johnson were great because they played fundamental basketball. Hit the open shot, position self for rebounds, play team defense...pass to the open guy.. and think before you move. What made hthem great was how they never forgot the basics or relied solely on athleticism
the bred them differently back then.
Bird and Jordan - they were OBSESSED
now - they try to be cool - where's the passion?
84-88 there was no one better and his back was hurting the entire time.
He was nothin but the nba's GWH. Great white hope. He couldn't guard Jordan, Dominique, Barkely, Malone, Bernard King, etc. " If he was black he would be just another guy" FATCZ!
Ok Isiah. Way to work yourself off the dream team.
@@terrenceliburd917 Let go of your racist hatred of Larry Bird son. It's 2020....and its still eating you alive.. You sound like a follower of Farrakhan. Bird is a TOP 3 player of ALL TIME. PERIOD. Perhaps It's about time you let it go.
@@gogetter5137 I don't hate Bird, but love my black players first and foremost! White Supremacy always thinks that black admiration of blackness means hatred towards white folks. On the contrary I recognized my own first. aways remember this, that racism is an European/ American construct. White Supremacy tries to dominate in all areas of entertainment. The most dominate players from 84-88 were Magic and Kareem. 3 chips to Birds 2 chips. 🎤 DROP!!!!!!
Terrence Liburd it takes quite a dumb person to bring the arguement that white supremacy is the reason bird was who he was. I think you should stop arguing all that is basketball, because anybody that brings up race in the argument doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
People forget he would do farm work and built a house while he was playing in the NBA. Imagine if he took care of his body the way kawhi does
The science of sports medicine and training today would have helped a lot of greats' careers in those days. Now even golfers and bowlers lift weights and do calisthenics.
Kevin mchale said the other day the the only the only way him and larry took care of their body was drink a 12 pack after a win and eat some burgers or steak. Lol
@@street1013 dude, are you type-stuttering
@@vasjaklun6008 vasja klun? Dude, no one cares
@@street1013 lol, though there careers were shorter, it was probably funner playing without being so hardcore on your body. Though I'm sure Bird would have preferred to have the sports science and be even more hardcore to have a longer and better career.
ESPN always debate on Jordan, Magic, LeBron while bird never mention... They all kids smh
They just don’t know. Man, Bird was amazing.
PREACH IT! My all time favorite player. Also, the rivalry with Magic was electric! I am not a watcher of tv Sports BUT! I WATCHED LARRY BIRD!
Larry Bird IS THE TRUTH!
Bird was my favorite player as a kid. What a player. So intelligent. I think that was his best weapon.
In today's game Bird would make half the "greats" playing take early retirement.
Bird was made for today’s NBA
Larry Legend would have reason to get SERIOUS about the 3 - and would eat today's JOKE defenses alive.
He's wrong! In THIS era Bird wouldn't do what he did back then, he'd be much MORE unstoppable! Now there's no hand checking, no just because hard fouls, you can now take 4 steps and carry. Bird not being shoved into the court, equals 15 to 20 points per quarter, REAL TALK!
Kenneth Bryant but now illegal defense is not called as a foul, so bird doesn’t get the easy 1v1 he used to get. He have to play against zone defenses. I do still think he’ll be better because he was always a great shooter, but not unstoppable
@@erroneouse1929 Ha,ha,ha,ha,bwah,haa,haa!! BIRD would eat these guys and their respective zones as snacks. Have you ever seen Bird play? Just watch game 6 of the 86 finals against Houston, then get back to me.
I'm back, and I watched the whole series, and my point still stands.
@@erroneouse1929 your point being? Ķ
@@erroneouse1929 They played zone back in the day, kid. Go to bed now.
When bird retired that’s when Jordan started winning, Jordan couldn’t beat bird lol, kids just don’t know.
When Bird started getting hurt is when the Eastern conference opened up. Bird retired in '92 after Jordan's second ring.
C'mon man, Bird was a monster but no need to disrespect MJ, he droped playoff record 63 against that Celtics "the jesus disguised as mike". And still lose, that team was that good.
@@ReidoFutebol98 mj was 22 for 41 from field and 19 for 21 at ft line in the ot game 2 so u should get at least 50 if you shoot 41 times. McHale said Celtics did not really take bulls seriously until after game 2...Jordan had 19 pts in game 3 series sweep for Cs. Interesting that 3 historically great players, bird, magic, mj, came into nba within 5 years of each other.....Wilt and Russell were 2 others who came in around same time. I did not know how great mj was until I watched game 2 of 86. I liked the way bird and magic played over mj because they were such great team players that could elevate the other 4 guys on court ....Jordan was more of a scoring assassin
If you gon say something like that then make sure you use some context cause bird had 4 other hall of famers on his team too other then himself with Dennis Johnson, Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish, and Bill Walton. Did you even take the time to look at Jordan's roster in 86' and 87'??....with Gene Banks, Dave Corzine, Orlando WoolRidge, ( a rookie Charles Oakley )...(a over the hill George Gervin )...you said that like Bird was beating Jordan and the bulls was in their prime in the 90's.
@@traslenpatterson3478 McHale, Parrish and Dj weren't HOF'ers BEFORE they started playing with Larry Bird. They BECAME HOF'ers BECAUSE they played with Larry Bird. Pretty big distinction.
Not only was Larry one of the best all around players ever but i loved how hard he played the game he always gave his all left everything he had to give out on the floor the guy put his heart and soul into the game he loved! Thank you Larry Bird!
Larry Legend = PHENOMENAL!!🔥🔥🔥
Larry bird is the baddest white man to ever play basketball...
MILAN FERNANDEZ
Very true but I’m not a fan of this comment. I wouldn’t be a fan if someone called Tiger the baddest black dude to play golf even though it’s technically true. However I will admit my cool white friends would find no issue with this.
Cormel yeah I agree race doesn’t have to be factored in to everything, Larry is one of the baddest to ever do it period regardless of race
Bill Laimbeer xD
MILAN FERNANDEZ let me introduce you to Alex Caruso
MILAN FERNANDEZ there’s only a handful of players that anyone could name that were arguably better than Bird, regardless of race. Very few have played equal to Bird and even fewer have played better.
Bird was amazing, and remember Magic Johnson was just over his shoulder.
Kids don't know how great Larry was because all y'all do is diminish former Legends achievements in order to prop up Lebron smh
Love your comment man. I always say. I can not...CAN NOT imagine Larry Bird or M. Jordan jumping from one team to another to win a championship. You could give them any players and he would still think he could beat you. Today you have Lebron and Wade and Durant etc... type of players that want to ride championships. Yes. They are GREAT players in themselves. But really. Bird would be laughing at them for jumping and trying to ploy together super teams. He'd say, "Bring em on." And would shoot, dribble pass and trash talk them to death.
isaac padron annnnndddddd none of them with there best teams could beat the warriors
@@tyleraguilar2474 Kind of a weird comment since they CAN'T PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER!! Shish. I could say the same thing the other way and nobody could prove differently either. But I think they could beat the Warriors. They couldn't ""beat"" the Warriors cause Curry (who's a GREAT GREAT player) and Durant (when with them) and the rest of them would probably start crying and the commish would order Bird and Parrish and McHale and Ainge to quit throwing elbows and beating them like babies. Beatings are not allowed anymore in the soft NBA. But as far as who would win? I don't know. ( I really am not even a Celtic or Bulls fan. But I know good when I see it.) That's why I just said, that Bird would at least, "....shoot, dribble pass and trash talk them to death." Heck...I could say the Warriors couldn't beat the 1980-1990s version of the Cavs and you still couldn't argue it. They can't play each other. -- I'm not old school or new school. They are all great and different styles. I just see what I see.........annnnnddddddd there you go. Next time see if you can find another fellow 12 or 13 year old to argue with. I'll put a like on your comment anyway.
This 💯
Bird and MJ had amazing franchises behind them. Great owners... savvy GMs... excellent coaches... compare that to what Lebron had in CLE lol...
I can’t comprehend why anyone would down vote this.
Cause they're kids who just don't know
Millennials and young gangbangers
Players that Bird talked trash to then beat. Lol
The only reason I would have is because I would've wanted to see some footage of Bird instead of looking at Chris Broussard the whole time.
betacucks
He dominated the game from '-82 - '88 before he got hurt. Should've won the MVP in '88 as well.That was an amazing year he had while he was hurt. 30/9/6 with two steals and a block average for the season.
I totally agree although I think he was the best player in the NBA from his second year, '81, through 88. Also, I don't know if any rookie ever had a bigger impact than Larry did when he totally turned around a Celtic team that went from the second worst record in the league to the best Bird's rookie year.
Bird was great in '88 but Jordan was the unquestioned MVP that year. Jordan led the NBA in PER, Offensive Win Shares, Total Win Shares, OBPM, DBPM, Total BPM, and VORP.
Larry was great, but 88 was arguably MJ's best year. He led the league in scoring and steals, won DPOY, All-Star MVP and slam dunk, and became the only player in history to record 200 steals and 100 blocks in a season twice.
Wrong Micheal Jordan deserve to win 1988 NBA MVP and he dominated the league.detriot pistons was ready to dethrone Boston Celtics in Easten conference
@@seanfelder3286 Bird made his team mates better. jordan did not. Bird was a better rebounder, passer, shooter, and better team defender with an IQ that was second to none. AND..... he played hurt that entire year. He was also more of a psychological assassin. His trash talking did a number on his opponents brain.
Larry Bird would be what everyone wishes Luka Doncic would be
The best answer
Thank you. People keep comparing Luka to Bird because they're white, but what they don't understand about Bird was he was in the same class as MJ and Kobe when it came to confidence, fearlessness, and cold-blooded killer instinct. I'm not seeing that in Luka.
Also Luka is a downhill player like LeBron, Harden, Westbrook, and Giannis. Bird played in the wings, mid-post, and low-post. He was more unpredictable.
People compare them because they both have no standout athletic trait and color. Though I would argue Bird had quicker feet. Luka has the stats but he doesn't have that thing Bird has though. That hick from French Lick thing. The mental games, that stone cold thing. The psycho level competitiveness that only Bird, Jordan, Kobe and maybe Isiaih had. Bird had the Bravado. Luka is indeed brilliant, but Bird is a special.
Once Luka Doncic learns to hit clutch free throws then maybe he is on the way.
Luka is just fine... you'd have to be a hater, or have a low bball IQ to diss him.
Dirk Nowitzki played in the same style as Bird. He wasn't as good as the latter in every aspect of the game, yet still outperformed LeBron in the Finals. Not to say that it's always gonna be like that, but it gives an idea of how Bird would've competed against today's elite.
Imagine Dirk a step faster and can pass like Steve Nash and average 10 rebounds and cold blooded killer.
Yeah, that last thing you mentioned. Larry, JUST DID NOT CARE!
I can't do it. Bird was too tough and intense. On a whole other level than Dirk. I can compare him to Magic. All around beast.
He was one of the toughest in arguably the toughest era, but that was just one of so many qualities, an incredible will to win, clutch, one of the greatest foul shooters, made his teammates better. It just goes on and on.
Larry Bird was the truth.
I’ve been watching basketball since the late 60s (although it doesn’t interest me much anymore). I was a New York Knicks fan, but whenever Larry was on, I was watching. I was blessed to be able to attend a few games and watch him play live, and he never disappointed. The highest basketball, IQ ever. It wasn’t just his shooting, there are players that say when he passed the ball to someone else, he became more dangerous as he would be setting up place. As I always say, he was a once in a lifetime gift from the basketball gods!
He's a 4 time MVP. The press just gave it to the Dr.
and 1 more Cedrick maxwell they say Bird there was the word'
like literally nobody says larry bird is the best of all time but i think he is. Im a celtics fan
@Real you don't know basketball
Eddie Everything exactly
Real he had better career stats than lebron james
@Real he was overall best player in nba for most of 80s which is regarded as the glory era of NBA...averaged 60 wins a year in a stacked east his first 9 years.
@Real Kareem said bird may have Been best player he ever played against which would include old Wilt and prime mj...magic would laugh at you saying Larry Legend is maybe top 50...any more good jokes?
Larry Bird would run a marathon around Luka and the rest of the League.
Don't give up on Luka yet. If he matures his game mentally he can be pretty awesome. Teams know they can foul Luka to make him miss a shot because for some reason he is not clutch at free throws yet.
Facts bruh ...... I’d take prime bird in 86’ over any player including jordan
Kendrick H. Rhee thats actually good. would love to see 86 bird vs 92 mj. prime vs prime and both already won the nba finals
They call him Larry Legend for a reason.
Imagine Luka with a better shot & 2 extra inches
Luka is soft tho and bird was out there fist fighting and calling nba games when he got mad
choncho2585 luka isn’t soft he just has a finesse game because he’s smart, he’s not going to wow with athleticism so he uses finesse and intelligence
Bird played with a shattered knuckle in his shooting hand for his entire career. Bird played with a fractured skull. Bird played with a bad back.
And not only did he play with those injuries, he led the team to WIN with those injuries.
@@123fourfive5 team of 6 hall of famers
@@carokann4397 Tell me which of Bird's teams had 6 Hall of Famers. I'll wait.
I accept your apology in advance.
9x 1st tm All-NBA
3x 1st tm All-Defensive
3x MVP
2x Finals MVP & 3x champ
His MVP finishes
Starting w/ his rookie year:
'80- (4) won ROY over Magic
'81- (2)
'82- (2)
'83- (2)
'84- (1)
'85- (1)
'86- (1)
'87- (3)
'88- (2)
Then he got hurt
I've been a Celtics fan since the mid-70s and I didn't know he finished that high in the MVP race that many years before his injuries. Were it not for his injuries his points, rebounds, and assists totals would have been a lot higher. He is an all-time great and should legitimately be in the GOAT conversation much more than he is.
Tim Wing he got hurt and returned what an excuse Jordan broke his foot in his 2nd year so??????
@@surveying482 different injuries. Back injuries/problems ruin careers. Birds back was so bad when he played on the Dream Team that he couldn't sit on thw bench. Had to lay on the ground. Steve Nash had similar problems near the end of his career
Surveying yes because broken foot and back injuries are the same. Not even close. Your foot heals and you are fine, your back never heals the same, ever.
In today's NBA where they have basically BANNED DEFENSE, Bird would tear this league up!!! All the players of the 80's and 90's would be better today.
Imagine a league where Defense is banned........and players are encouraged to shoot nothing but 3's!!? Bird would terrorize this league. Today's players would probably try to get Bird banned! lol!!!
"All the players of the 80's and 90's would be better today."
Can you imagine todays big men trying to guard McHale in the low post? He would foul out everybody on the other team that was over 6 6 by half time.
@@richardmather1906 -- Mchale's post moves were difficult to stop back when Defense was allowed, imagine him in today's league where you could not even touch him! lol!!
Let's remember that he was a player that other players paid to teach them post moves. Him and Hakeem were making $$$$ from other players to be their Mr. Miyagi.
A league where defense is banned is called the NFL.
@@encyclopediaamericana7234 -- I agree, the NFL has also Banned Defense. Both the NBA and the NFL have done so because they know that most people love the Offense. The general public loves high scoring games. So to get teams to score more points, they change the Rules and basically Ban Defense.
In the NBA, the only time a players hits the floor is when they Flop. In the NFL, the Defensive player will get a Flag for thought crimes! It's sick.
I don't watch Hockey, but I wonder if they've done something similar. Anyone out there a Hockey fan? Has the NHL changed rules to make scoring a joke/too easy now like in these other 2 leagues?
Without hand checks, and like Jordan and a few others, Bird would score more, especially when making 3s is more frequent today - something Bird was good at.
One of the most cocky players ever too! He would tell defenders what he was going to do before he did it. One of my favs of all time.
Bird made his teammates better,, mchale & especially parish wouldn’t have been the players they were without bird & if he shot the ball 90 percent of the time like Jordan his scoring average would have been a lot better but he was unselfish
Jordan only avg 22 shots a game
@@darrellhardy90 career...Games he scored big he shot 35+ with 10+ free throws
@@southernflavamaker He shot over 50% from the field and over 80% from freethrow. Of course if you score big games u gonna have more shots. What type of debate is that?... also lmk where u get 35 shots and 10+ freethrows. Cuz I never seen them stats pop up, that sounds like something u just made up
@@darrellhardy90 MJ was a animal, more hog then goat tho...
@@southernflavamaker bro, u must been one of these young kids who never seen MJ play. I actually grew up in a Pistons household in Michigan. But Im not gonna deny Jordan is the Goat. I watch nba since 1983, Jordan is by far the best player I've ever seen. He wasnt a ball hog, he was the main scorer on the team, the only player who could play both on and off ball, who could take u outside or post up, and the only guy who could get his own shot. 22 shots per game career avg isnt bad. In comparison Kobe, Lebron and KD all avg 20 shots. He played point gaurd one month avg 34ppg, 11rebs and 12 asts. The only reason he dont have more assists is becuz the bulls decided they'd rather have him post people up and score, so they moved him back to shooting guard. He wasnt a ballhog, scoring was just the role the bulls wanted him to fill. Thats what the team wanted him to do. If Jordan was ball dominant and played main ball handler, by those numbers he'd probably avg a triple double over his career. Thats not where they wanted him to play tho
grew up in Boston for my first 45 years of life...Celtics, led by Bird, were gods among men. Best series of all time is Celtics/Lakers in the 80s...nothing else compares
Not only prominence of ther three but the rules have been changed to favor offense.
There's a reason why Larry Bird is in the conversation for goat. Yes he was gifted with great size and had a great shooting touch. But there is no basketball player that I've heard of who came into the league for the shattered knuckle and still managed to shoot the ball as effectively as he did. What other player in league history has gone to the bumps and bruises that Larry Bird has gone through?
That sounds painful but certainly not the worst thing that can happen. I know Penny Hardaway played with a bullet in his leg for a year or so.
ruminator3570 he isn’t in that conversation he isn’t even the best of his era Magic is so stop it you have to white this stupidity would make sense he never won or led the league in anything defensively
The only player who can be mentioned with Michael in the GOAT debate is Kareem. Period.
Founding father of the 50 40 90 club btw..
Twice.
I want people to know that Larry was a GREAT DEFENDER. In addition to his 3 All NBA Defensive Team Selections in a row, you need to know this: "Larry Legend' paced the league in defensive win shares four times and offensive win shares only once.
He excelled at team defense principles, and his near 6-foot-10 size was a major factor on the backboards.
He ranks 18th in defensive rebound percentage (22.4) among forwards.
He was the Ric Flair of Basketball.
Larry Bird pick and roll with Bird setting the screen for a modern point guard may be the most unstoppable thing.
I always idolized Michael and Kobe growing up, but the more I hear about Larry Bird's stories the more I realized him and Magic were the reason Michael fought so hard. Larry and Magic pretty much passed the torch to Mike. And Kobe took the torch from Michael. Greatness being handed down generation after generation
When I was a kid I’d tune in to watch Bird play. It was like watching Brady in NE; you knew it was coming, everyone knew it was coming, he was gonna demand the ball, and the win would unfold.
Larry Legend actually said "which one of you m'fkas is coming in 2nd" and it was in '88
Al O. No it was ‘86. ‘88 was the ☝️ in the air before the last money ball winner.
Just like was said at the beginning, you just don't know just how good Larry really was.. He is arguably the best to have ever played the game!
Big S/O to Chris for this, we need to know our NBA history and enjoy the journey
Respect to my favorite player I like that
Oh just a reminder Bird was the best player in the world for a couple of years when MJ, Magic, Kareem, Scottie, Dr. J, Hakeem were playing at a high level.
Yes Absolutely RIGHT 👍Living Legend
He would be Ryan Anderson today??!! 😂😂😂 That really is how some people feel today! Crazy what the "other generation" mentality does to people 🤣🤣😂😂
GOAT. Period. He was 6’10’’ actually...
If you think he couldn’t play against athletic players still, watch his game vs the Blazers from his final season. That’s a perfect example
I would have loved to watch that game live. I waited all week for it to start on Saturday... Sadly, it rained hard that day, and comcast cable went out. We couldn't even get the local NBC station, and no internet back then.
Larry shattered his knuckle playing softball before his rookie season and said his jump shot was never as good as it was in college.
Bird: Ill give you 7 years before you win a ring.
For a kid born in Massachusetts in the mid 70’s Larry was THE man and still is. Young people just watch his highlights. You’ll be amazed at what he could do.
BEST PASSER EVER.. Better than Magic, LeBron..ANYONE!!!
Legend speaks for itself.The Great White Hope saves the NBA
@@Forever_Soul I have been saying for YRS it was Bird THAT SAVED theNBA Not Magic and Bird' white's were jealous of BLACKS because they were physically better then MOST whites at SPORTS and here come's Magic just what they did NOT need another GreaTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT BlacK player'
The BEST all around player in NBA history past or present !!!
Preach!!!!!
I was talking to someone the other day about Bird. The best way I can sum up Bird for people who watch the NBA today is "Imagine a better rebounding, better passing Kevin Durant".
That was Larry Bird.
With mental toughness.
He's only the GOAT
Chris said that the players of the Eighties weren't as athletic as the players of today. That would be news to James Worthy, Sean Kemp, Isiah Thomas, Scottie Pippen and oh yeah, Michael Jordan himself, and a lot of other players I could name. My guess is that they'd be every bit as dominant now as then.
I still have Bird over LeBron. Bird is the greatest small forward. Bird would be the best player today if he was playing.
I disagree, LeBron is better as a total package but Bird was a bad man. I can't be mad about that opinion.
Totally agree
😂😂😂😂 OMG THE DISRESPECT! A
@@brendonsheffield6372 LeBron isn't the total package. He's just bigger than everyone.
@@milesaheadpodcast
He is a better scorer, better distributor and better defender than Bird. I'd put Bird above Durant but certainly not Lebron.
Amazing player Mr Larry Bird
Bird was a bad man
love love LOVE Chris Broussard
Bird said he would've liked to play now because game is freer and much less physical. He never says players of his era are better but does think they could compete now.
Werd. He's extremely respectful of every era, past and present. A mark of true greatness. He might like his chances in today's era tho with how it is. I'd imagine his trainers and doctors would be stricter on him, thus giving him a much longer career.
@@u-mixtapes with modern training and better surgerys I think bird would've been healthier longer. The Celtics new facility is light years ahead of what they had in 60s, 70s and 80s.
PREACH! That was fantastic! Lots of greats of the past deserve a refresh of the public consciousness.
No way lebron gets to 8 straight finals if prime Larry was in the league..he might of sniffed two.
Bird once told Robert Reid “he should’ve stayed in preaching.” I’m pretty sure it was a playoff game and Bird was torching hm.
Come on , No one could pass like Bird - Any angle anywhere , Instant releases, Magic and a few other players had more beautiful looking passes and we’re incredibly talented but On this one there’s never been a better passer !
what about whipping theball with theRight spins at his team mates' LarrY Legend COULD have been GreaTTTTTTTTTT at football OR baseball he had a great arm or arm's lol
LJB = theGoaT.
Magic made simple passes look amazing, Larry made amazing passes look simple.
I'm an IU guy, and Bob Knight and the talent he had assembled in the mid 70's to 1980 would have resulted in at least two more national titles for the Hoosiers had Bird stayed on board. The Indiana State Sycamores only lost one game Bird's senior season, and that was to Magic and the MSU Spartans. Bird saw everything, had eyes in the back of his head. He was simply a basketball Einstein. He went on to coach the Pacers to an NBA final and win NBA executive of the year once he moved on to the front office. He's an Indiana guy, and we are very proud of him. I love 1980's NBA basketball, it was just a purer game. I don't watch it anymore, gave it up when Reggie Miller retired and Ron Artest went into the stands like a lunatic. And Dennis Johnson is my all time favorite point guard. Completely underrated. DJ and Bird communicated telepathically. So much fun to watch.
In a league if “load management bird could have played another 5-6 years. AND HE WEBT TO COLLEGE 4 YEARS. He didn’t come straight into the league out of HS or do a one and done
Indeed!..."You kids just don't know!" Super job!