Bob Ryan on PRIME Larry BIRD & Kevin McHALE in 2021-22  

Of course

He played zone in the 80’s lol. He’d kill the zone today. He’d be all defense

Very true

MJ is THE perfect player. Ask Jerry West!

Not 5v5, but “player” is correct.

In the air! Bird is the Goat on the ground!

You might as well have said ....ask his mom! 😂😂😂

Maxwell still holds celtics record for FGP in a season and 2nd in free throw attempts. Imagine him today along side bird or mchale in rotation. And don’t even get me going on Chief.

We’ll have to check back in another couple of years & see where Durant’s at….

​@@ericstrat3579 No, NO, No . . . . Durant is a Great Offensive Player, But Now, Larry was The most Complete Player ever🏀🏀🏀 🏀🏀🏀

Probably not

YOU'RE CRAZY.

I agree, he isn't. Durant is great but not Larry great.

Plus, Bird’s jumper was tougher to block as he often released the ball behind his head creating natural separation between him and the defender. Curry’s shot starts much lower and he makes up for it with an ultra quick release Either way, Bird’s decision making was his biggest asset. It’s unfair to say a classic player wouldn’t do well today due to the athleticism of today’s players. That’s bad assumption because if you’re bringing a player over to today’s era, you also have to give them today’s conditioning and sports therapy methods. It’s not like Bird would skip that stuff lol

@@Edd1e8 I probably haven't watched enough of these videos. I sure haven't watched any of today's live games. From what I have seen the biggest difference between today and the 1980s is the ball handling. I think the "impressive" ball handling and related aspects of getting a shot off, are directly attributable to the traveling and ball carrying that is not called, even if a player takes 4 steps before shooting, depending on who the player is. The medical care is better, now, but there were some very athletic players, in the past. Wilt is probably the prime example, but he wasn't the only one. Just a few are; David Thompson, Dr.J, George Gerving, Walt Frazier, John Havlicek, Bill Russel, and many more, but I figure you get my drift.

Bird was a powerforward with a small forward's game. he played center in college, and if he was center here, he would be playing like Anthony Davis, only with better shooting and post up moves. Larry would be a monster in todays game

@wmden1 • What player today would play in your face defense like Michael Cooper did on Bird back in the 80's? Everything is spaced out now. Bird would have absolutely no issues getting his shot off

I disagree with Durant clising on Bird. Did Bob Ryan forgot what non hand-checking, Celtic defense did to Durant's game in last year's playoffs? Now imagine if he had to face a Dr. J led 76ers, or Magic's lakers and Isiah's Detroit defenses through the 80's, with no travelling, moving screens allowed? I'm sure is numbers would've plunged deeply and today's top five conversation wouldn't occur.

Amen to that.

Nope.

😩😩😩 He's touching me!!! He called me a bad name!!

😂😂😂

Mama!!! 😭😭😭

Bob Ryan has definitely lost his mind. Kevin Durant is top 10????... Let's get something straight.... Today you cannot hand-check a player like you could back in the '80s.... You can barely touch a player today... without getting called for a foul... Do you have any idea what bird and MHale would do today??.... THEY WOULD ABSOLUTELY DOMINATE.... Kevin McHale is probably the greatest low post player in the history of the NBA with the possible exception of jabbar. He would destroy the league today because today you would not be able to touch him or hand check him at the low post, because if you did you would get called for a foul. And Bob Ryan says that today everybody has to be three-point shooter. This man has definitely lost his mind. I cannot believe he asked the question "what would a team do with Kevin McHale today"? And how does he know that McHale would not develop into a great three-point shooter or at least a decent three-point shooter, if he tremendously worked at it with the proper coaching and motivation. Great athletes evolve... That's what makes them great. magic Johnson was not a three-point shooter either... So going by Bob Ryan's logic, no team would want Magic Johnson today either or Moses Malone or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Wilt Chamberlain or Karl Malone, etc , etc. just like they wouldn't want Kevin mchale. I guess Bob Ryan has unfortunately entered the realms of senility.

I want to agree with u but that’s a tough one.

@@dannysullivan8929 McHale would be a roughly 32% shooter like Laimbeer with practice as he shot free throws at 80%.

​@@deathtoideologues But he wouldn't have to be because he would be even more unstoppable at the low post today than he was in the 80s. You do NOT have to be a three-point shooter today just because Bob Ryan says so. Do you really think that Kareem abdul-jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Karl malone, Shaq, Olajuwon, etc, couldn't play today?? Really??

Well said!

They’d all be fouled out or thrown out for complaining about physicality

I agree, and turn a prime, 180 pound, Wilt Chamberlain loose and tell him to score as much as he wants, for a short while anyway, just to prove a point. Boy, I would love to see all named in your comment plus Dominique, and Wilt, even Jordan, turned loose, on the same team. I might even buy a ticket and fly to see that. I believe, strongly, that the modern players would be crying home to their mommas, so to speak.

Well that's an easy 100 point game for Wilt ...again!

Durant's great, but he's a second-string forward to Bird. Could Durant pass like Bird? Not even close. There is no better clutch player than Bird in the history of the game.

Exactly 💯

And Larry isn’t think skinned like KD. Guy gets offended at the wind blowing

Your right

Well that's a game it's over before it's even begun! Hands down teams from the 80s would slaughter them! LOL

I agree, especially with your first statement. I hadn't thought of reducing the size of the hoop, but it would certainly bring back the post up game, and the natural role of the big men. I think the game would be better without the 3 point shot. What other major ball sport gives bonus points for distance of a shot, or a kick?

@wmden1 Yes indeed, sir! Let's get the 3 point shot out of there! Happy New Year to you.

They should only allow threes in final two minutes of each half.. like the great John havlicek once suggested

That's not a bad idea!

Bird would dominate even more so in today's soft ass league. You can't even touch a guy today (on defense) without a foul being called. Bird had monsters guarding/mugging him on a nightly basis. He'd kill guys today. His post game, rebounds and creativity would dominate. Add his long range shooting and there's no one that could touch him.

Well that 1980 team essentially was stacked w HOFers.

@@NBAHistoryCLNS his college team was nothing without him, he immediately had a great impact on the Celtics team. shit almost beat Jordan as a coach

Your right

…i actually think the game would develop for them. Throughout history, to this day with steph curry, the all-time greats would have the rules, styles changed around their dominance. Also, it’s an amazing question BECAUSE ppl keep asking it and it’s polarizing, generational and indicative of how much the game has evolved (some would say devolved). You think it’s a stupid question here but u should see the way the fans of todays PLAYERS behave on twitter. They act like this amazing mint content is a beat of shag rug from the 70’s, if only they knew what a “shag rug” was 😂

Of course your right

Well said

The host of our Celtics post game live on CLNS has been preaching about 2.5 point shot. It’s an interesting concept.

My opinion for a while now is limit 3s to two per player per game. I'm so tired of watching a player drive to the basket...then he kicks it out to the 3 point line. Almost every single time!

2 three pointers are worth 3 two pointers. If they changed the scoring to where a regular basket is worth 3 points and beyond the arc would be worth 4 points it would fix everything. 2 beyond the arc baskets would be worth 8 and 3 regular baskets would be worth 9 and this would shift the power a little bit back into the importance of making a regular bucket

4/10 × 3 = 12 6/10 x 2 = 12 4/10 x a 4 pt bucket = 16 6/10 for the new 3 pt bucket = 18

I agree w you mostly. Accept The late/mid 90’s was some bad basketball. 70 Point games etc. lol. Early 90’s was a good transition from 80’s…. Magic/Bird… to MJ.

Your right

You have said it exactly right.

Doubt bob ryan is ignorant but ur reply proves worth the question 😂

Well, I own the company and i don’t know Gary’s wife or her financial status. I was honored to have him join the team and he allows bob/Jeff to play their more natural analyst opinion roles and Gary directs traffic like the Pro he is. I’ve been a fan of Gary’s since 2007 or so. He’s extremely talented whether u like his opinions or not.

The game would likely adjust for guys like mchale and Kareem.

@@NBAHistoryCLNS They would have to. McHale had a 60% year against players that had a post game.

Lol .. come on