@@mohamedmaiza3866 1000X SMARTER . I THINK ONLY COUSY & MARAVICH ARE THAT SMART. JOKIC IS JUST COPYCAT OF SABONIS + DIVAC. BUT BIRD IS SMART LIKE NONE.
I’m a Lakers fan since 79-80. Larry Bird is the :3rd greatest player I’ve ever seen. That dude was unstoppable. Tatum is a fine player, but he can be stopped. There is absolutely no comparison.
Stephen A Smith only disrespected Larry Bird because he is WHITE! Smith is a racist! He is one of the reasons I have not watched ESPN in years! BTW, I rate Larry Bird only behind Michael Jordan as the GOAT!!!
THIRD !? Good Sir .... come now ! Larry Legend made even MJ look bad. MJ - to his credit AGREES WITH OTHERS OF THE ERA >>>>>> Larry Bird was the best ! That is saying everything. GBjj
All the grumpy old Nba fans should type in on RU-vid "Wilt chamberlain conan O'brien 1997 interview on Michael Jordan", about if Michael Jordan had played in the 1960's "It wouldn't be kind.. I know he would be crushed"..It doesn't matter what year it is 1964, 1984, 2004, 2024, 2044..There will always be grumpy old people saying "Basketball ( or any sport) players were much better when I was younger"..It's like that famous Socrates Quote where he says the youth of today lack manners and don't work hard
@@inunyjah bro said magic and diesel, magic is debatable but larry outclasses in scoring, defense and rebounding while being a solid playmaker. Diesel is just wrong though im sorry
Larry Bird controlled the tempo of the game better than almost anyone ever. That’s what makes him so much better than Tatum and almost every other human. To me, clutch is to make the right play when it matters no matter the point in the game…it’s not just about the end of the game, that’s what Stephen A doesn’t get. It was very difficult to beat bird in any aspect of the game as well, at any point, because he was so well rounded. His defense is extremely underrated as well. He is statistically one of the best defenders to ever play the game, I know that’s hard to believe. 4,706 players have ever played in the NBA. These are Bird’s ranks (lower is better): Defensive Rebounding %, 71st (Top 2%); Block %, 242nd (Top 5%); Steal % 132nd (Top 3%); Defensive Rating, 63rd (Top 1%); Defensive Box +/-, 37th (Top 1%); Defensive Win Shares, 30th (Top 1%). The dude was a force like hardly we have ever seen for almost a decade before his feet and back failed on him in his early 30’s. Tatum is good, but he can’t hold this guys jock.
Very well put. In addition, he was a better free throw shooter, better leader, better with his left hand, bigger heart, tougher and created a new position. He was the first “ Point forward” of all time & it can be argued the first (effective) strech 3 and sometimes 4 of all time. And lastly better then both in the clutch.
@@vsymoh MJ had Charles Oakley as his second option while Le3-6on had Kyrie averaging 30 against the Warriors. MJ never had half the talent Lebron has had and still won double his championships. That’s why we hold Lebron to a higher standard since he loves forming superteams and big 3s.
@@vsymoh2007 and 2015 are the only finals Ls lebron is excused for the rest is fair game cause Bron fans wouldn’t complain if he had a stacked team but the moment someone else does it and he has to face them it’s a problem.
I remember Smith & Skip agreeing that they'd take Bird over LeBron years ago. This is just Stephen trying to be "BLASPHEMOUS" to generate some conversations about him.
Exactly. And he could guard multiple positions. And rebound. People who say Bird couldn't defend never saw him play. Third best player all-time, in my opinion.
People just look at him and say, "oh he is slow, he can't jump, and he is white. he cant play D", its absolutely insane because he was a good defender based on his basketball IQ.
@@poooky321that steal against the Isaiah and the Pistons as time expired iconic. Highest IQ ever Tatum could never make that play Actually not many could He’s a top 3 player up there with Jordan in Goat debate
diminishing a Hall of Famer like Bird who retired over thirty years ago isn’t going to suddenly elevate one of their favorite players now…all it does is show how desperate they are to create a hot take
Larry broke his hand playing baseball before his rookie season with the Celtics and he's been quoted as saying "it's never felt the same shooting the ball."
Anyone who compares Tatum to Bird is crazy. I live in Massachusetts and saw Bird literally every game for the first 7 years of his career, mostly on the old WBZ TV station in Boston and he was unbelievable. In my opinion Bird had the best "First Seven Year" career in NBA history, and that includes Jordan. Injuries in the second half of his career obviously affected his play but still was a decent player. In summary, saying Tatum is better than Bird is laughable. I think saying Tatum is better than Pierce is laughable.
That's why I'd take Kobe over LeBron all day. LeBron isn't even close to MJ. MJ, Bird, Kobe had killer instinct. LeBron has "well, I tried. One of you guys f'd it up" instinct.
@@mneugent7658 agree MJ, bird an magic had something special. in his last years at charlotte it looked like CP3 had it, but somehow it has not been the same. yes many other great players but those three another level
I became a Lakers fan in the early 80s. And I hated when we played Boston, because I knew Larry Legend would be killing us. I wouldn't have felt that way if Tatum would've been there.
You are spot on! I was on the Celtics side of that era and I HATED showtime. Wow they were great! I was just thinking how lucky our generation was to see this stuff in real time.
@@ianfoirfe5879 Yes. No way Durant is over him. Larry Bird is a better passer, rebounder, leader including defense in almost every categories. His basketball high IQ made up the fact that he lacked of speed and athleticism(3 time All defensive 2nd teams with much higher spg) . He is a better version of Luka Dončić except ball handling.
Odd. I liked great players regardless of color my entire life. They hate Luka, Jokic, and Bird. Its so obvious. They say Magic is the best point gaurd ever. BS. Stockton is.
@@COLDHRTDKILLAWho’s “they?” Also saying Stockton is better than Magic is objectively more racist than just about anything Stephen A Smith has ever said.
Larry played with a messed up back...had knuckles on shooting hand crushed before he entered NBA...had his orbital bone broken...and still played like a freaking LEGEND!
Bird was physically very good but his IQ was what made him so fantastic. He was way smarter than most NBA players. What degree did Tatum get in college?
They know that they are losing the hardcore basketball fans. They're desperate to create the narrative that the current crop of basketball players are the best that have ever played. They're using this to create the illusion you are seeing a superior product. Those of us who know the old NBA know that this is a false narrative. It's being created to drive viewers and casual fans who don't know the games history to believe they're seeing a good product. They can only do this by ripping down the old legends. They'll soon be going after Majic and Jordan.
If Magic wasn’t around, Bird would have won that many more rings, and same with Magic if Bird wasn’t around. Their rivalry captured the worlds attention and people got to see two amazing ‘Team” athletes going at it in 80s. Then came Athleticism/individualism
Not really. It's not like they played in the same conference and could prevent one another from going to the finals. They met 3 times in the finals during the 80s. The same as the Lakers and Philly.
I love it when people start saying Larry Bird wasn't that great of a defender. He literally averaged more steals and blocks than LeBron James. So if we're going to continue saying that Larry Bird wasn't that great of a defender then we need to start acknowledging the fact that maybe LeBron isn't either Edit: to add to what I'm saying, the vast majority of Larry Bird's career was not filmed and placed on Twitter and reddit and TikTok etc. Modern players have every single time they touch the ball dissected and scrutinized so recentcy bias kicks in quite easy
lebron in his prime could stay in front of whoever he's guarding can't say the same about bird and bron was clearly a better more versatile defender that could slow down quick guards and guard bigs
Horrible point. That would be like saying the 1977 Monte Carlo had great numbers against other vehicles of the time. I'm sure it did, but that was during that time, during the competition of that era. You can't pull stats for a player during their run, i mean it's all you got to go by, but that don't mean that player will do the same stats today against different competition. Two different eras man.
Bird is the most all around player I've ever seen, and also the smartest. The hate for him from so many "experts" is some of the most ignorant in all of sports.
I remember when Larry came into the league. There were some people who did not think that a 6' 9" college center from Indiana State would make it. There has never been a shortage of idiots.
Bird did whatever the team needed. I remember one game where Bird had 8 points at the half and one color commentator said that Bird was off his game, the other color commentator replied "Yes he only has 8 points at the half, but he also has 18 rebounds and 13 assists. I also remember when A J had a triple double at the half out at Golden State. His coach was Danny Ainge who replied to a reporter "Yes that was quite a half for A J and I can only remember one other player ever doing it, but he did it all the time.". He then named Bird as the player who did it regularly. When Thomas and Rodman made the statement after Bird stole the ball and the game in the eastern conference finals "If he was black he would just be another good ball player. When they asked Frank Laden about it he replied " I never looked at any of my players as being either black or white, in Bird's case I never believed the SOB was human, first time I coached against him at the end of the first quarter we had 19 points, Bird had 21 so I told my guys that we weren't going to beat them there in the garden so let's work real hard and see if we can't outscore Bird.
Larry Legend was top three MVP vote getter nine years in a row. In those nine years he was top two vote getter eight times. He came in second MVP in his first three years, then he won it three times in a row. In a few words: Larry Legend was MVP top vote getter, three times in a row, came in second five times and once in third.
Tatum cant even be the best player on a championship team everyone said that Celtics have the most talent last season which was true but doesn’t matter 'cause you will never win anything with Tatum being your best player. Fraud superstars will never get it done and Tatum is polar opposite of Larry he is anti clutch
Why anyone would listen to or give any credence to Smith is beyond me. The only reason he has a job is ESPN is too scared of a discrimination lawsuit. Horrible...absolutely horrible.
Because today Bird doesn't pick fights and downplays his abilities, I feel like commentators use him as a target. Nique, a great athletic player, defends himself and his era, and Bird, despite knowing he never got a ring was because of him. Larry doesn't do that. He defends players today. Yet, he walks out on a Pacers practice, picks up the ball and chucks 3's with laser point accuracy. To him, it's a game, he had fun, made some money, got some shiny stuff and went home. In his mind he was paid to win games and stopped playing when he was losing that ability. So why just taking him the last 2 minutes of the game is better?? Stephen A. accepts he is Mr. Clutch. He's here to win games, not to be the kicker on a football team. He was clutch because he was playing the games. Felt the ebb and flow of the court. knew when to get the ball and when to shoot it or pass it. His career 10 boards didn't come from the last 2 minutes of the game. Nor did the steals (well Detroit '87) . Or the blocks. So, all of that work is useless because he is only good in the last 2 minutes??? I don't know if this is stupider than JJ's remarks.
Tatum may have the edge in athleticism and verticality but there's no doubt that Bird holds an advantage you can't measure....the will to hustle on each play.
Said it perfectly" Guys like Dominique and Dr.J who were better athletes got outplayed by Bird" And they were guarding Bird mostly and couldn't do anything with him most of the time lol.
Great video and thank you!! It is unreal the amount of disrespect Bird is getting today. All you have to do is watch film of Bird to see how good and well rounded and skilled he was as a player. Bird led the league in defensive win shares 4 times and was 7 times in the top 5 in DWS.
One thing I never understood was that people will say without a doubt that magic is a top 2 point guard of all time, And that Kareem is a top 2 center of all time. But Bird gets no credit for being their rival and even beating them once. I don’t know about you but if someone told me Bird and the Celtics beat a team with one of the best point guards and one of the best centers of all time I would be pretty impressed lol
One team beating another doesn't mean that every individual on the winning team was better than every individual on the losing team. Besides...Kareem was well past his prime when The Celtics beat The Lakers in the 80s.
A couple things: 1. Magic is not a top 2 point guard, he is the greatest point guard of all time. 2. Bird is the greatest SF of all time, but he is not better than Magic.
Bird didn't have flaws on defense. He was a 3x 2nd team ALL DEFENSE. Bird had a Flaw with his back and his feet. He retires in 88 like he said he should have. He's deservedly in the argument as greatest player ever.
And he didn't hurt his back in a game but by doing work at his mom's house I believe. I wonder how many of these players today do their own yard work lol.
@@jtremaine23 Yep, He actually paved his mothers driveway, shoveling gravel and that's where he hurt it. He came from a hard life where his father worked his ass off every week before coming home on the weekend where he was too tried to do anything. So he obviously instilled hard work into his son and he obviously wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He might have also been cheap and not paid to have it done. but it's obvious that he was more a guy not afraid of hard work. Hence all the countless hours he's famous for for showing up 1st to the gym hours before anyone else and the countless rehab he had to do for multiple serious injuries. You get a healthy Bird and if the club refused Mchale to play a whole season on a broken foot(that only got worse and really screwed him) and you are talking probably another chip and maybe 2. You add a Alive Len Bias and they might have won even more. Regardless, Legendary Career for Mr. Legend.
@@countfloydschillerhorrorth2090ird Story was tough when he was young. Apparently his dad divorced them and he was a struggling man even had to pay child support which he couldn't do which led to his death where he committed suicide. He told his family that they were better without him.
Larry Bird is NOT a bad defender. He was selected to 3 time All defensive 2nd teams. Look at his game. His high basketball high IQ made up his lack of speed and athleticism even when it came to defense, and he averaged 1.7 spg, higher than Lebron.
he was actually very athletic before the back injuries. other than Magic there wasn't another 6'9" player that could move like Larry in that era. give him some of Lebron's "magic German stuff" and he'd be an absolute beast. add 10 inches to his vert minimum.
And while he is not super athletic, he looks like a prtetty solid athlete to me. I don't know why they always bring the unathletic with Bird when Doncic and other actual players look less athletic.
Not to mention Bird was strong as shit, you don't post up other big guys and just hip Check Kareem of all people and send him fucking flying. The only Players I see hanging with him in this department were Eiwing, Mutumbo, Robinson, Barkley, and Bill Lambieer.
Recency bias is a hell of a thing 😂😂😂. Tatum can’t even carry bird’s jockstrap let alone exceed him as a basketball player. These media members are goofy af wit these proclamations
Good one...I was not a big fan of professional Baskerball...But rarely did I miss watching the Celtics...look at the team... it amazed me that bird seem to have eyes on back of his head....notice how many times Kevin McHale, Lance Parrish, And rest of players could be out of Postion yet Bird found them even behind, off sided ect ect they were like a well oiled machine....Bird played with many things physically wrong yet he always had the let's beat those guys..aditude....players like him come along once in a while...and aren' t a dime a dozen...I have seen baseball,Softball,and other sports where the one who gets it done is the one who has Heart for the game itself....several years back there was a softball pitcher on Mississippi team( think it was Ole Miss.) that got attention. ..she really was having a good time. ..she put her heart and soul into her pitching...what's more is she made it fun to watch College softball championship ....
recently biased or skin color biased??? It's ESPN and SA Smith we're talking about here....Gotta be a fool to think ESPN and SA Smith aren't skin color biased at this point.
i’m kind of almost a celtics fan only because of larry bird, and never got the pleasure of watching him but i’ve learned alot about him and seen a lot of his games. it’s insane to me, that analysts much older than myself, who got to watch him live and analyze basketball as their JOB could make such idiotic comments. to say a player like tatum who is a good basketball player in his own right is even in the highest echelon of basketball players ever like jordan, magic, kobe, bird, kareem and hakeem etc which is what you say when you say he’s better than bird is mind boggling. the amount of mental gymnastics you have to do to reach that conclusion is olympic level.
These so called analysts need to disclose their conflicts of interest. These kind of takes are highly suspect, and for someone like Stephen A Smith to make it? He should know better, he watched Bird. This is either a terrible attempt at Stephen A Smith to pick a black player over a white player and gain some kind of weird credibility with black people, or he has close ties with Tatum's camp and is benefiting financially or otherwise. He didn't even stop to think that in the very same example he gave (First 46min vs Last 2min) that he equated Tatum with LeBron, now whether you think LeBron is better than Bird or not, you for damn sure do not believe Tatum is in the same discussion as either of them!
If you want to talk about being injured in a game and dealing with it, you can compare Tatum and his ankle in Game 7 against bird smacking his face on the court, fracturing his eye socket, his cheek and likely having a concussion and coming back to beat Chuck person and the Pacers
Bird played well and even dominated games when he had injuries that would put a player on the sidelines today for weeks or months. He played his entire career with a messed up finger (had 2 surgeries to correct it and neither took).
@@joefrederick6471 Yeah, he shattered those fingers in the summer of his rookie year and he said it did negatively affect his shooting and that the ball never felt the same in his hands. Can you imagine he could have been an even better shooter!? I've also heard stories from teammates about him having notoriously bad feet. Torn toenails and blisters that would tear open and he'd change socks at halftime because his feet were bleeding so much. He just played through it.
Convenient how you left out the fact that the 79 team had a shit ton of injuries. McAdoo plays - 20 games, Robby - 36, Knight - 40, White - 47 and everyone else besides Maxwell missed at least a dozen. They literally had to play 18 different players that year. Not to mention Bird had many horrible playoff performances.
@@BrandonlLuster It's the narrative that non--athletic slow, low jumping player cannot lead a team to win. Which both Bird and Jokic is considered to be.
Bird would be much better in todays league than he was back then as well. His main drawback was all the injuries holding him back from playing at his peak. That likely wouldn’t be the case at all if he grew into todays game with all the medical science etc. People are too stat obsessed and Larrie’s stats are artificially low because of how badly he injured his back and ankles halfway through his career. Edit: Larry’s
What would you expect from a person who talks about things they know little about. That is one of many reasons why I don't watch ESPN for anything. He should have been fired just like others who were recently fired.
As a black man who has watching the NBA since 1968-69, Tatum nor LeBron can't even unlace Larry Bird's sneakers. Bird is the greatest forward of all-time.
You also forgot mention about Tatum failed big time in the 2022 Finals against the Warriors. Tatum averaged 36.7% FG, 45.5% 3PT, 65.6% FT with 21.5 points in the series. That is not super stardom numbers nor championship numbers.
How about the 100 turnovers for the playoffs that was just him ! The blank look he has in the 4th quarter looks like he's lost and forgot how to play ! Tatum, no leadership or killer instinct.
I would pick Larry Bird with his back hurt and not able to play whole games rather than Tatum. The ONLY reason the Celtics did not absolutelly dominate the 80s was that Magic was also playing in the 80s
Did this guy just say tatum is better that one of the most high IQ,most smart and an absolutely shooting demi god player to ever play THis guy was smoking really hard lmao and on top of that he was so clutch as well
I’ve seen Stephen A Smiths comments before, I’ve come to the conclusion that he’d pick ANY black player over ANY white player regardless of facts & stats, especially if that white player is Larry Legend.
They like to bash older players when they can’t prove they were better then any new player now. That’s like comparing a special needs kid to a kid with no special needs. Leave the past alone, compare new players to new players. The more accomplished player is the better player 💯
Remember, we're talking about commentators from ESPN who, back in 2007 or 2008, who wanted to put Tony Romo in the top 5 NFL QB's of all time. I can't remember which commentators said it but I do remember that it was ESPN station on my XM radio when I was driving OTR.
Stopped taking "experts" like SAS seriously after he crowned Donovan Mitchell the greatest Jazz of all time THREE years ago. I'm sure someone can find a correlational between that one and this take. Considering Donovan was 23 at the time makes it equally as ridiculous as seeing Tatum as an top 10 player all time.
Robert Horry: "Steven A, if what you are saying was true, I'd have added more rings. Larry Legend was an unstoppable baller. I was not watching from the studio, Urkle Boy."
If Luka and Jokic are dominating the supposedly athletic players like Tatum who chokes when the game is on the line then think of what Bird, West, Magic, and the rest of the "unathletic" players of 70's and 80's can do.
