I understand how You may feel about Larry's Team being better BUT, The Year before Larry came in the Celtics were 2nd TO Last only Won 29 games. Then Larry comes in & They went up to 61 Won games, Only Larry was New on That Team. No Chief, Kevin, Dennis & Danny. Larry's 2nd Year Won Them a Ring. I Think Larry Just Had That Leadership Mixed With His Skills/IQ Quality That Made His First Team Celtics & 2nd Team Celtics Winners. Jordan Was A Great Player Just Took Him Years To Learn How To Be a Leader.
That's what I try to tell people. Once you get to the top 5 or maybe 10, it becomes who you want to take. I'm taking Bird over any other NBA player in history not just for the stats, but also for how he made his teammates better.
But here is the thing.. 1 v1 i think Jordan wins.. but if both teams are playing... well that changes things entirely. Bird just knew where everyone was.. Jordan HAD to have the ball to work his magic.. Bird didn't. And like Jordan said himself "One man cant beat the Celtic"@@silentios7336
And the way Bird hurt his back? Shoveling gravel and moving rocks putting in a new driveway at his mom’s house during the off-season. Bird could have bought the gravel company! But he was used to doing things on his own. And had an incredible work ethic! So, unfortunately, we lost one the greatest players EVER in any sport a few years early. C’est la vie!!
The GOAT list begins with MJ & Larry Bird. I don't really care who you put number 1 because they are BOTH GOATS. I feel blessed to have the joy of watching them both play basketball and really no player other than Kobe has shown the dedication, preparation, commitment & respect for the game than these two men right here. I could watch MJ & Bird highlights every day for the rest of my life & it would never ever get old.
No! You cannot separate the individual stats from the team stats. You cannot leave out the effects of the player to the success of the team. He took a 29 wins team to a 61 wins team in his first year in the league. Larry Joe Bird is the GOAT!
But the same goes for the Celltics the year Bird came in. They just meshed, and played together better and better as the years went on. Larry was a great Captain.
It is not a question of Jordan's passing ability, it was the fact that Bird would pass the ball to make sure everyone on the Celtics were a part of the offensive game, be it with assists or out right scoring, Bird made it a conscious effort to bring his team mates into the game..
Exactly. Otherwise, Bird would have had even higher shooting numbers. He used to pass easy shots to other teammates just to keep them involved in the game and their morale high.
@@russellburgess684 I think if Bird was on the 80s Bulls instead of MJ, the Bulls would have won more games. Bird raised up the team around him, Jordan would try team ball for a bit, then give up on the team and just keep the ball to score himself. BTW Scotty Pippen was a rookie in the 87-88 season and was there when Detroit beat them 4-1 in the playoffs. While many people think the Celtics had a team that didn't change there were plenty of guys like Rick Robey, Brian Shaw, Jerry Sichting, ML Carr, Greg Kite, and Brad Lohaus that flowed through while Bird was on the team.
Non-factor because the greats are Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain of the 60's and Kareem in the 70's. Note in the 80's Bird dominated all the players. Majority of the other teams aimed to hurt Bird in most games, the injuries Bird got were so brutal in the 80's and when they knew that Bird had been going to a doctor for his back/spine, they did all they can to hurt him more. Celtics team was so good they even tried to have the Cheerleaders of the opposing team had the Celtics players get drunk and left the bar only 6 hours before the game...still Celtics won!
I grew up with Magic, like in the same town and a block away from his parents. So, I by extension thru Michigan State and the Pistons got a TON of Bird. I could never dislike the guy. I looked forward to watching him play against the teams I was rooting for. I genuinely feel that Bird/Magic set the stage for Michael.
Yes MJ could do more than dunk and score. However I think the point being made is you didn’t worry or fear MJ’s passing or rebounding. Defensive next level yeah. Larry was killer on all aspects outside of his D which like MJs passing is severely underrated. Like coop said without the ball MJ faded off to the side and held his shorts. Bird moved well without the ball and did so many other things
I really think Bird just had an uncanny vision and science to his game. He unabashedly used the backboard, he would put a spin on his bounce passes, his turn-around jumper and passes were literally an "eyes in the back of his head" level. It's like the court was his Matrix.
I play competitive volleyball and have a slipped disc in my back thst acts up and, like you said, it is so painful and difficult to play when it hurts but i still fight thru it..Bird was one of those tough old schoolers who played thru the pain...
Love Robert Parrish, what character and great player - and given the fact that Jordan was so much more athletic than Bird that meant Larry had to work that much harder to go up against him. Im a huge Bird fan but he had his work cut out going up against such a strong player as Michael Jordan.
Jordans 1988 season puts him in a class by himself. I do have Bird 3. Also Bird turned the second worst team in the league into a 61 win team his rookie year, by himself. That puts him in a class by himself.
Yes please react to that Jordan/Bird game seen at the end. Bird was in the hospital the night before and was wearing a heavy back brace for the game. Great reaction as always bro.
Larry Birds Rookie year took the Celtics from 29 wins the year before to 61 wins. With out the help he got later. And won rookie of the year. Watch Larry Bird “Alpha Male Rookie”
You can look at greatness as most rings, or highest stats, but what really matters is how you feel when you watch a great player. What we feel always matters more than what we know as facts. So I will continue to watch all the great ones, and appreciate them all. But Bird owns my heart.
And TECHNICALLY what zeke said was right. If you were those guys, in the scope of the season and who was gunna contend, they had zero fear of MJ and the Bulls. Sixers,pistons, lakers, Celtics we’re who worried about each other
i agree with you they go overboard to try and prove there point when staying with the basics is good enough to make a point. actually by going over board you make it unbelievable. and by the way the didn't get certain parts of the story correct number 1 Larry did not kick the ball overJordans head he threw it
If you watch that game between the celtics and the bulls think about this. Bird had to wear a body cast to support his back that year anytime he wasn't playing. He would spent an hour or more on a bike before each game to loosen it up enough to play. He was one tuff dude.
Bird had a raw talent of making people work harder than they had to. He would tell them what he was going to do. They thought he was lying. That faked them out by telling the truth. It's an unusual strategy, but it worked
It was Jordan when he was drafted but let's not forget the Celtics were in the tank when Bird was drafted. It was only him and he took that 20 win team to over 40 wins as a rookie and 60 wins and a championship as a sophomore
That was a comment Dr J made, but it was inaccurate. Larry came to a 29 win team & elevated it to a 61 win team AS A ROOKIE without Parish McHale Ainge or DJ…
@lathedauphinot6820 just pointed out how he sigle handedly turned a franchise around by himself. Because they were making a excuse for Jordan not having help. Bird could elevate his team Jordan did not have that
@@ricklove8588 I think they know that. It is just Dr.J was complimenting Bird and used the wrong numbers. He thought it took Bird 2 years to get to 61 wins, but he did it in his rookie year. In Bird's second year he led the Celtics to a NBA championship win. So this proves your point even more dramatically.
@@ricklove8588 Reading it back, my comment seems a little short, nearly rude. I apologize. I didn’t mean it that way. @irishgrl is right: Dr J was trying to send a compliment, but Bird was actually even better than that. Bird improved the Celtics’ record by himself. People make excuses for Jordan, but to Jordan’s credit, he never makes excuses for himself. Bird helped toughen him up and become the player he became.
One thing I think most people overlook is the nba is a team game, not a 1 on 1 sport. So while you can have players who might beat another player 1 on 1, when speaking in terms of the nba and the team aspect I don't think the 1 on 1 argument holds water. So I feel whoever is considered the best has to be graded in that context
Listen I was around for that decade. I can GUARANTEE you that NOBODY called JORDAN the GOAT in the 80s. NOBODY. Folks that grew up in the 90s and who were inundated with the non-stop Jordan Hype CANT remember a time when Jordan wasn’t the “it” player. So, sorry, but this is proof that the NBA Jordan marketing campaign was the most successful hype in marketing history. If you’d seen Dr J play in the mid 70s you’d have seen the blueprint for Jordan & his high flying dunks! The fact is the 80s were CHOCK FULL of superstars. And Larry DOMINATED THEM ALL.
I just found this. Great reaction!!!! It’s all subjective as you said!!! For all games in 91 Larry needed 2 to 3 HOURS of back exercises so he could play a single game!!!! Talk about toughness and dedication!!!!! Sheesh 🙄
In my eyes, the peak of basketball is occupied by 3 legends, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. The big 3 of NBA history. Larry is number 1 for me due to his overall aptitude for basketball, he truly could do it all, even with a broken back. Honestly, everyone was lucky Larry was as injured as he was, just imagine how great he would have been if his body didn't betray him.
There's a documentary on Larry and Magic. Goes into their back stories in great detail. It was on HBO Sports. Jordan's in it a little bit, but mainly it explains how these two elevated each other's skills. It's 1-1/2 hours long, but worth it.
It's true. MJ, one of my favorite players did not win until the old guard retired! Today's player's would have a hard time in the 80's. I lived it. Hated Bird, bad boys Pistons fan. Bird was deadly.
The problem with your argument is that Bird could have scored 50 points every game, but he didn’t care about that. He just wanted to win. Bird has told a story where one night he was pissed at McHale and Walton and told them to screw, he didn’t need them and went out and scored 54 points but they lost. He said that game showed him the importance of including the whole team to win. Jordan apparently never learned that lesson.
Speaking to him being a non factor, isn't saying he didn't make an impact. But his impact at the end of the day didn't lead to anything. Now look at what Bird did for the Celtics in his first season prior to getting all the help people try and use in arguments against him.
THAT'S WHY THEY CALL HIM, "LARRY LEGEND BIRD." HE'S THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER EVER!!! WHEN HIS TIME COMES AND I HOPE IT'S MANY YEARS FROM TODAY! I BELIEVE LARRY LEGEND'S HEADSTONE SHOULD READ "DON'T PUT NO WHITE BOY ON ME!" 👏👍🤣 ENOUGH SAID!!! ✌️
Everybody wants to compare the best players of each era...but I want to watch MJ, Larry, LeBron, etc... play together. Any team that starts with Mike at the 2, Larry at the 3, and Lebron at the 4....it almost doesn't matter who starts the other positions. lol The best part about Larry Bird is that he competed every game and dared the rest of the league to compete on his level. Larry's legacy is embedded in Mike's game, Isiah's game, 'Nique's game, Barkley, MAGIC, Dr. J, and more...He challenged every top player he played against to give him their best. He made trash talk a legitimate weapon when you could back it up. Ask Kobe, KG, and Mike about trash talk. You gotta check out Larry's 100 Passes video. It's really worth it.
He hurt his back the 1st time only 6 years into his career. He had a unusable finger on his shooting hand before he came into the league. Achilles surgeries on both Achilles and still had the career he had. I don't like people saying Jordan did not have a team early because Bird took a 20 win team to a 60 win team as a rookie
15:05 - I just love how & where the narrator puts emphasis in such provocative way - it just _oozes_ of cheap, instigating resentment - sums up 80's basketball really... 🤣😂
For me it's Bird #1 and Jordan #2. Jordan certainly had more athleticism but Bird was the more complete player. Both players competed in a FAR more physical era and had the intangibles and killer instinct and the court awareness. It was only when Bird retired in '92 that the Jordan and Bulls dynasty began. Jordan has the 6 championship rings but was also 0-6 against Bird (who has 3 rings) and the Celtics in the postseason, let that sink in. Both players are in my All-Time starting 5 which is as automatic as breathing. Everyone has their favorite which is subjective and for me it's Bird at the top.
Chicago's record the year before Jordan came into the league was 27-55. Jordan's first year they had a record of 38-44. 2nd year 30-52. Boston's record the year before Bird was 29-53. Bird's first year Boston's record was 61-21 a 32 game improvement. There was no McHale, Parrish, DJ or Ainge on that team. The next year it was 62-20 McHale's' rookie year. The next year it even jumped to 63-19. Bird made everyone around him better.
For those that think Larry Bird was not as good as he really was and never had the chance to see him play this comment is for you. Remember in this comment I am just highlighting Larry's NBA accomplishments. Little know thing about Larry to those that never saw him play , he could effect the outcome of a game and never take a shot thats how devastating his passing skills were. Here is one thing that most fans (people) either don't know or try to ignore, prior to Larry joining the NBA there was no such thing as a three point line, that came in when Bird was starting his first year of his NBA career. Just think about it, what would todays game be without the three point line or if the line was one foot farther out like it was when it was first introduced. Food for thought. At that time it was not about the individuals stats it was about the win. But if you need some stats here you go: Here are some of Larry Bird's notable career achievements and statistics: Three-time NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986); Two-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986); Three-time NBA MVP (1984-86); 12-time NBA All-Star (1980-88, 1990-92); Nine-time All-NBA First Team (1980-88); All-NBA Second Team (1990); Three-time All-NBA Defensive Second Team (1982-84); NBA Rookie of the Year (1980); NBA All-Rookie Team (1980); Three-time NBA Three-Point Contest champion (1986-88); Career-high in points: 60 (March 12, 1985) -- tied for franchise record with Jayson Tatum; Named NBA Coach of the Year (1998); and Named NBA Executive of the Year (2012). Larry Bird, was the first player to accomplish the 50-40-90 achievement, and one of two players to achieve the feat in multiple seasons. Career averages: 24.3 points per game 10.0 rebounds per game 6.3 assists per game 88.6% free throw percentage 49.6% field goal percentage 37.6% 3-point percentage Now we can't forget that Bird famously played with two injured ankles and a notoriously cranky back that forced him to lay down on the floor during practice breaks. After season-ending foot surgery just six games into the 1988-89 season James Worthy, who played against both Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, said, I'd much rather play. against Michael Jordan than Larry Bird. Jordan made you look slow, but Bird made you look stupid.
The real problem is this is a team sport. Individual play matters ..but it's only good in regard to how the team functions. Keep in mind that ...WITHOUT Parrish, McHale, DJ, Ainge, Bill Walton..... as a ROOKIE, Larry added 32 EXTRA wins ( 29 to 61)...Larry's impact...as a rookie ..with a broke finger and less feel for the ball ..had HUGE impact. Look at MJ's team impact as a rookie compared to the previous year. See a difference? 😉
It's hard to say, but if Larry played a full career of approx. 15-17 seasons without back issues. He could have been the GOAT, maybe. He had a bizarre way of shooting, however, whenever he was attempting a shot, it turned to gold. I think he was a better shooter than Steph Curry. I was born in Feb. of '78, so I remember Larry, Magic and MJ, quite well. The top 5 for me, goes like this: #5) Magic #4) Kobe #3) LeBron #2) Larry #1) MJ
I'll take a healthy, prime Bird over anyone. in terms of career, Jordan is better but if you throw every player who played into a draft pool at the age of 25 and fully healthy, I'd take Bird
"What happened to his back!?" Here's an interesting tid-bit: Larry Bird is one the very few who WILLINGLY PLAYS HURT!! There's this one game where Bird shattered one side of his skull and rather than go out to get it treated, he went back on the court like it was nothing.
I think all these young fans of the NBA now don't know how good the teams of the 80's really were! The Eastern Conference was just a bunch of bulldogs! In the Westernern Conference, they had the Lakers as dominant but the other teams were not that dominant. 😮
I always laugh when someone says "that Jordan did not have any help the first few years". The year before Larry joined the team the Celtics had only won 20 games. The year Larry joined the team they won over 40 games. The next year Larry and the Celtics won the Championship. So your theory is not quite correct.
What most people doesn't know back in this time. Bird had to go stay in traction the night before a game. He also had to wear a hard plastic back brace to just play. He still beat MJ.
You have a good point. But just if you didn’t know, Bird arrive to the Celtics when the Celts were the 2nd worst team of the league, and in the first season of Bird with the Celtics, he took the exactly same people to the eastern conference finals vs Philly and Philly was juggernaut with Dr J, Dawkins, Cheeks and other great players.
Prime Bird was so unstoppable it was almost boring to Bird, especially since the last half of his career he was injured worse every year to the point that Bird was barely mobile off the court
I’ve lived in Northern Indiana, now in Indianapolis, so one might think that I’m a Pacer’s and Colt’s fan. However, I grew up on Chicago’s Southside where I learned to love the Bulls and Bears, still do. So I was in Heaven during the Bull’s run in the Nineties. I followed Bird in the Seventies and Eighties, and Jordan in the Eighties and Nineties. Here’s my assessment of difference; Jordan needed Pippen to win, but Bird immediately took his team to greatness. I believe that the Legend could have taken any team to greatness. Bird is the GOAT!
when Bird got drafted, the year before the celtics won 20+ games after Bird got drafted that same team won 60+ can't say that for MJ. the next year for Bird they won the championship and that was before Parish and DJ
Yes individual's can play at a high level but Basketball is a team game. Bird wasn't about dominanting he was about making his teammates better so hiis team would win. When the Celtics were down in the fourth Larry dominanted the fourth.
I just want to point out a fact about something you said. Most of the games that Jordan put a big scoring numbers came up as a loss for the bulls.. when Jordan face the Celtics in the playoffs, the Celtics definitely had the better team, but MJ had a couple of Hall of Famer‘s on his team that he admitted later in his career if he were to use them more, the results might have been just a little different.
These two and Magic are my favorite players. The best era. Second best era (excluding the Wilt etc era) may be now actually. The era of Giannis, Luka, Jokic and Steph.
The thing that makes Bird better than MJ is that he did what any player has to do to make my list of truly greats -- he made the other 4 guys in the floor with him an EXTENSION OF him. He did this primarily with his passing. Though he didn't have massive assist totals like Magic (another true great in my book), his ability to thread the needle in heavy traffic with either hand with eyes in the back and sides of his head combined with his quick (and extremely accurate) shot release and ability to quickly change directions made him such a threat to very quickly shoot, pass or drive that defenders would try to guard against all three -- which is why you see Bird breaking so many ankles in those highlights. They're trying to go 3 different directions at the same time, which means you go down in a heap. Obviously being the GOAT clutch shooter didn't hurt. But being such a great passer that you make the other 4 guys an extension of you makes you unstoppable. As Worthy said, you had to THINK (and think HARD) when you guard Bird. That adds a lot to a defender's fatigue. Jordan didn't have that ability, nor did Kobe. Lebron does to a lesser degree, you see flashes of it from time to time. But nothing like Bird or Magic. And being able to run fast and jump high does not make up for it, because no-one can outrun or out-jump the ball...
It's like asking which car is better; a brand new Corvette (Jordan) or a brand new Chevy Blazer (Bird). Sure, the Vette can run circles around the Blazer on a racetrack. But when it comes to all around durability and usefulness to the owner..... 'think you know the answer.
Actually the team record is just one fraction of Larry Bird. You have to look at his complete picture. Extraordinary shooting oh, the same shooting with the trash talk, the injuries, and most important of all the total to Second clutch shots with trash talk. This is the Larry Bird picture and the only one to ever do it the bird way. Great vid by the way, 63 year old old texan here who love to watch Birdman play
MJ and Bird were both grat and top 3-4 of all time… if any players should get mad about never being mentioned it is Tim Duncan, Karl “the mailman” Malone, Dr J and George “the iceman” Gervin.. maybe even David Robinson (the admiral)
That's why Jordan is the goat, he played the best and learned(stole) from the best...You'll later in the 90's see traits of Magic and Bird in Jordan...He was phenomenal because he never stopped wanting to be better...Who's Lebrons nemesis?
I agree that Isaiah went overboard saying that Jordan wasn't a factor. Sounds like maybe he was still salty about being left off of the Dream Team. :) Even after beating the Bulls, Bird showed respect to Jordan saying he was god in tennis shoes.
Jordan was an awesome all round player. He was still coming into his own. Bird is my all time favorite but one on one, I have to give it to Jordan. I don't think anyone beats Jordan. Bird was right there though. A few years later and Bird would have had big trouble, even without the injuries. 90's Jordon couldn't be beat.
MMBxMOB good one but say, it's just not about team, some players elevate the play of all around them, that counts for something...Larry Legend in his first year took a 29 win team to 60+ wins- by himself! No one else was with him then, then in his 2nd year he wins the title...so comon man, I was there, Isiah was right about MJ in the 80s and everyone was saying it then too- talented player, great scorer- but not a winner and didn't elevate his team...anyway, of course he is awesome, no doubt- but we know who the real GOAT is, only injuries stopped Larry Legend, ok, keep it up..
When it comes down to it it is subjective Larry Bird's my goat but if you told me that Michael Jordan is yours I ain't going to argue with you you have just as much right to believe that as I do too believe that Larry Bird is The goat both were definitely fun to watch
Larry got mauled by a street tiger. Back then, some ballers were pure thugs and sharpen their finger nails and scratch your arm pits while going for a rebound. The sweat would make it sting like the devil. Pretty savage.
