I GOT MY TOP 3 DOWN NOW. | Larry Bird ULTIMATE Mixtape! | Larry Bird REACTION 

Excellent understanding of basketball from the perspective of a player, team leader, and management perspective. This man's whole life has been basketball, and he mastered it at the highest of levels.

played SF and PF depending on who's on the floor.

Bird started his career as a power forward in 1979-80. Cedric (Cornbread) Maxwell was the starting small forward.

From '79-'84 Larry was power forward, then McHale stepped into that role permanently and Larry moved to small forward.

@@jimmyboy131 Larry also went back to PF once McHale started coming off the bench again in the late 80’s, they had Larry start at PF and Kevin Gamble at SF.

LeBron isn't really a small forward. They say he is, but he plays the role of a point guard, bringing the ball up 80% of the time and being ball dominant

Couldn't agree more. Magic getting that pop in the garden gave me goosebumps ❤

He was a power forward for much of his career, but he was also on a lot of teams which were stacked at that position.

Even Larry's own team and staff were convinced that fall was it for Larry's career. He was already at the end of it, like you pointed out, but came back like a warrior to win a pivotal playoff game for his team out of sheer competitive will.

True..

Larry hiding down low to avoid the trainer after returning. 😎

Totally agree. We had the best era in basketball ever. Period. You could actually put your hands on the man you were guarding.

@@Darth_Lunas 😂😂🤣🤣🤣

Magic, MJ, Kareem and Bird. Followed by Steph, Lebron, Hakeem, Timmy and Shaq.

Plus Lebron had 4 extra years b/c he went straight into the NBA from high school

The numbers wouldn't even be close? That's bullshit. It's petty to take LeBrons longevity away from him. And btw, that is coming someone who would take Larry over anyone in his prime

You must be under 30 years old . I watched Birds entire career . I didn't like him because he was a go to guy for the last shot .He killed the lakers. Lebron is not a go to guy for the last shot .

Larry came back to win that pivotal playoff game against the Pacers because he couldn't stand seeing Chuck Person obnoxiously celebrating after he made a shot. Players aren't built like this anymore.

Hearing how loud the Boston Garden crowd was cheering when Larry emerged from the tunnel after having fractured his cheek and getting a concussion was unreal for me. The crowd noise was DEAFENING, and the Pacers team members had to be thinking to themselves "Oh Shit, we're f***ed!" I miss this kind of basketball!

Interesting stat comparison I haven’t seen before…he was the most “clutch” athlete I ever saw in any sport…elevated his teammates and was the only guy on this list that would dominate a game even if he his shooting was off - rebounding, assists, hustling, always moving off the ball.

#4 behind Magic, MJ, and Kareem.

@@billmorrison9068 BWAHAHAHAHAAAA

To any true basketball fan? Priceless. I could drive a dump truck filled to the roof with $100 bills up to the house and worry that I would look cheap as dirt.

Dont think is for sale

I'm almost with you, but Wilt scored a lot of fade aways in the 60s and 70s. The stat I've heard is 60% of his points were from fade aways, which sounds a bit much, but we can be sure he was using it. Larry didn't invent it, but he perfected it for outside shots - the 3-pointer was instituted in 1980, and Larry pushed the fade away from a mid-range shot out well beyond the line.

Not sure if Jordan or Magic is better overall. Bird and Magic may be the teo goats of NBA and then Jordan

@@innosanto I have Magic's prime in the second tier, alongside Russell, Oscar, Kareem, Hakeem, Kobe and Duncan. Wilt's prime is in the first tier, together with Bird and Jordan. Best guard? Jordan. Best forward? Bird. Best center? Wilt. Would I put Jordan and Wilt on the same team? Probably not, but I would happily pair Bird with either. Give that team even decent role-players, and I'd give them better than average odds against any combination not including those two. Wilt >> Walton + Parish, and Jordan >> Dennis Johnson + Danny Ainge. Give Bird either of those weapons of league destruction, and they're winning consecutive titles, because you can't stop Bird on his own, let alone with a partner at his level, and they will keep you from playing the offensive game you want to play. I give Jordan and Bird the unholy trinity of Duncan, Russell and Stockton, to form "Team Synergy". Duncan and Russell are my twin towers, the whole team's fed by Stockton, and nobody cares about anything except winning. I give Wilt and Bird the three greats Hakeem, West and Magic, because why not? Two great three-point shooters and two supreme big men, tailor made for Showtime, with Magic being the biggest defensive liability - which says something.

I also believe he scored 60 in the pros with no 3 point line .

That’ facts! I really wish Pete and LSU would’ve made an NCAA tournament!! Also disappointed in the fact that he never won a championship in the NBA! I wish he would’ve gone to Boston right out of school! I think he might’ve won a championship! It was rough that he ended his career with Boston only averaging 11.5 points a game! (Larry Bird’s rookie year ,79-80)Larry Bird, once said about Pete Maravich “ it’s like the ball is a part of his hand”

Prime influence on an entire generation, but never won a thing.

He had a very short career ,

After watching Lebron I say he is not even in my top 20.

I’ve been saying the same thing for years. LeBron isn’t even close to being in the top 20 of all time.

Lebron is weak ... he's a flop artist ... he's just weak ... he couldn't survive in the 80s and 90s with Real players ... he couldn't call foul when players look in his direction .. he's the biggest cry baby basketball has ever had .

And just cause he ain't in the Goat conversation don't mean he ain't great or one of the greatest ever. The Goat is reserved for the psychos who lived the sport 24/7 every day, all day. Bird, Jordan, Kobe were psychotic about it. Everybody else is human beings. Those 3 have documentaries devoted to how far they would go to get that much more of an edge. They are crazy. LeBron ain't crazy. He's crazy great, but not Goat crazy. I don't think Larry ever flopped once in his entire career. One, because it wouldn't have done any good in the 80's when you could be pistol whipped and still not draw a foul. But, two, just not having the flop option in your arsenal ever makes him first ballot Goat contender. LeBron is just the Millinial baller, a product of his era. Modern greats aren't the Gladiators of yesteryear. Kobe swam with actual sharks yo to eliminate fear. LeBron saw Jaws.

Not only that, but LeBron is a crybaby. You can take 10-15 % of his career points away for fouls he never would have gotten had he played in Birds day

Chamberlain had a lot of flaws, most of all he lacked the will to win. He's nowhere near being on the same tier as Magic or Kareem.

@@billmorrison9068maybe not the killer instinct, but it takes more than one guy to win championships. He's stats don't lie, he deserves #2.

Yeah, he was gonna cook everyone out there, which he did. He took it very personally to be underestimated. Never safe to count Larry out of the game.

Magic, MJ, Kareem, Bird=Basketball's Mount Rushmore. But we're definitely on the same page.

Chamberlain lacked the will to win. Magic, MJ, Kareem and Bird=Basketball's Mount Rushmore.