Why Michael Jordan RATES Larry Bird OVER LeBron James.. 

Michael Cooper, a great defender, put it this way “ Jordan made me look slow, Bird made me look stupid.”

I'd take bird everyday all day. Bird is the perfect team player, leader, and a guy who can do it all

Bird is so underrated it’s crazy. The things he could do, even the legends say how amazing he was

Bird is the only guy in the conversation with Jordan for the GOAT. Pat Riley said " if I had to choose someone to take the shot to win the game I'd pick Jordan, but If I had to choose someone to take the shot to save my life I'd pick Bird".

Larry Bird won MVP 3 times in a row with the entire dream team in the frigging league. Marinate on that

Bird is a top 3 talent all time. People just don't understand what he did in a short time. Bird better passer, better IQ, better shooter, more moves, better footwork, close enough in defense, better leader, makes players better, did more quality things with less, more clutch, better free throw, far better rebounder, better post player, and more iconic moments.

Larry stayed on one team, PERIOD! HE DIDN'T CRY, LEBRON!!

Prime Bird is unstoppable against anybody. If he wasn’t hot on any given night, he would use his team to beat you. Bird would dominate this era and the old school players know it and speak his greatness. That was a tougher basketball generation.

Larry Bird was so far ahead of James. Larry made his whole team look good. He was the heart of the Celtics. He played every second with brains and guts. He never gave up. He was always out there fighting and he usually won. Great Video!

Given that defense was allowed to be A LOT rougher back then. Larry made guys that would shut Lebron down look like children.

Larry told his teammates he would shoot with his left hand the whole game. And he DID🙀

Larry legends ridiculous passes used to blow my mind. How the heck he could see 2 seconds ahead of everyone else is truly staggering..

Comparing LeChoke with Bird is the most insane comparison ever.

LeBron can't be One. He's not even the greatest Laker.

I’d take prime Bird any day. People nowadays forget about something called heart. Maybe because it doesn’t exist anymore so people don’t recognize it. Bird is definitely in the top 5 all time in heart maybe #1. Jordan and Kobe are on that list too.

bird stayed with one team and achieved keeping them relavent even as they aged , lbj jumped teams chasing rings.

Imagine the contracts MJ and Bird (in their primes) would command today!

Bird is truly in a class by himself. The IQ, the moves, the quick decisions, the shooting ability(he could shoot with the opposite hand just as great btw). And to do it with little and in a short time makes it even more impressive.

The more you know about Bird, the more he moves up the tier. In his prime he was aggravating and untouchable. There are enough video interviews of the greatest players of that era to prove that - and none have changed their story.

Larry put fear in his opponent. Even though he lacked athleticism. He looked slow. But someone that slow who can trash talk his opponents and humble them. Thats undeniable greatness. Note that he will tell them What he intend to do.

Bird has the most flawless looking jump shot I've ever seen

Couple of Larry points. He took a 29 win Celtics team his rookie year to 61 wins. Larry was THE BEST at elevating his team's game...besides being an MVP himself 3 times with runner up 4 more times. And he did all this without having a significant amount of touches unlike a LeBron - the offense didn't get stifled through him. And lastly, if Len Bias hadn't tragically died, the late eighties into 90's would have been all Celtics...not just because of Bias' almost MJ level talents, but the core Bird, McHale, DJ, Parish and even Walton a bit could have reduced just enough PT to last and dominate. C's may have closed out the '80's in titles. As the video said, Lebron over 20 years is just staggering what he consistently produced. But for my fantasy all time draft, I'm going Larry Bird #1 and I know my team will elevate over any other.

Bird anytime over LaChoke 🤣🤣

Back when Bird played, people said "He isn't athletic enough". People use that argument against him now, when comparing him to LeBron. Trust me, that didn't matter. Bird was a different kind of competitor, as crazy as MJ, with the skills to back it up. Bird would feast on today's weaker minded, less competitive players.

His name isn't Larry legendary Bird for nothing. Basketball IQ counts for something and Larry's IQ is off the charts

Larry is a legend

The 1978-79 Celtics (the year before Bird): 29W - 53L, 10th place in the Eastern Conference, no playoffs. The 1979-80 Celtics (Bird's rookie season): 61W - 21L, 1st place in the Eastern Conference, made it to the conference finals (Bird was ROY). The next year (Bird's second season, 62W - 20L) the Celtics won the NBA title. BTW: the other rookies at Boston w Bird were Rick Roby and Gerald Henderson.

Larry Bird NEVER missed a lay-up 😂😂😂😂

it truly is a wonderful world we live in, with the likes of Micheal Jordan and Larry Bird, who very truly to their great character would both say the other is the best. that is respect from two men who gave their lives to intertaining as many people as they could.

The thing people don't get about Bird is his incredible works ethics and winning mentality. Bird was, probably, the only other player in the NBA that was as competitve as Jordan, and that worked as hard as Jordan did as well. And Michael Jordan respects that.

It’s not even a question, Bird is the man!

The best of the best always praised Bird ! If you wasn’t watching it , you don’t understand

It cracks me up when kids say that Larry couldn't compete in today's game. Nikola Jokic isn't as good as Bird and is even less athletic, but he's been absolutely dominating the league the last few years. But the best thing about Bird wasn't that he flat out wanted to eat your soul in a game. It's that he also wanted to tell you how it tasted.

When you think he's going to shoot, he won't. And when you don't think he's going to shoot, he will. MJ on Bird

2 best players I have ever seen in my life are easily MJ and Bird

Here's what these things always come down to to me: it's game 7, 4th quarter, 1 minute to go, your team is down 5...who do you want? Nothing against LeBron but in that situation, I'm going with Bird. Just my personal opinion.

The game was harder back then. The defenses hands weren’t tied. There’s no comparison in that matter between modern players. I wasn’t a pro but I played the game & what seems like a small change really opened up the score board, it’s easy to side with Lebrun when you didn’t live through & see those stars of the past. The game was violent. Nobody that I saw took a WWE bump like I’ve seen certain players do from barely being touched either. Not saying they’re not good but the hoop is handed to them.(to an extent)

When Jordan and bird played, the refs used to call a foul called traveling. They let guys run from half court without dribbling in the LeBron era

One thing that is not mentioned in the video about the Olympic dream team. Charles Barkley was actually the most impressive player on that team in the Olympics. He ended up being the one that really got it done.

Bird first off never quit on his team. LeBron has. Bird was a killer if the game was close and time was running out. Sorry LeBron you may have the title but back when Bird first got in the League they did not keep those stats at that time. Bird made everyone around him better LeBron pretty much a one-man show.

Michael, Larry, and Magic are Beasts. They can't be compared.

Those who played with and against Larry know exactly how good he was. They know what he could do and how devastating he was on the court.

Bird swept Jordan twice

As odd as it may sound, hockey provides a perfect example for comparison. Back in the 80's, hockey had an open, run-and-gun, style offense. Defense and goaltenders were powerless to stop guys like Gretzky and Lemieux, and both of them put up 200+ point seasons. Even Luc Robitaille said that a fire hydrant could score 40 goals on a line with Lemieux (and that fire hydrant was named Robbie Brown.) Then compare that to the clutch and grab era combined with the emergence of the butterfly style goaltending, of the 90's, where it was a challenge to even break 100 points. Whereas basketball is the exact opposite. Back in the 80's, if you left your feet in the paint you were catching a forearm to the chest and there was no call. Just ask anyone who played against the Pistons. Now, it's a lot less physical and the offense is much less restricted. While players in both sports are in better shape and condition today, that's more if a distraction from the argument than anything else. The bottom line is, when the offense is allowed to run roughshod over the defense, even mid rank talent is going to look good, but when the defense is able to tighten up and be more physical, even the best in the game are going to going to have their numbers drop significantly but they're still going to be the top of the field. But when you're doing stuff like Magic, Bird and Jordan were doing during those tough defenses, if you give those guys all the free reign that the guys today have they'd just demolish everyone, and it wouldn't even be close.

That dream team was awesome. I've RU-vid it a dozen times. My favorite was Jordan catching a ball almost out of bounds and behind the backs it to Bird for a 3

Listen there's no way LeBron was running down that Middle Lane back in the 90s in the 80s untouched with Barkley , mason , Williams !

I was blessed, I got to see Bird in his prime several times live. Bird scored in spurts, which is a key metric you rarely hear about. He put in 8-12 points when the team needed it. Along with all the hustle plays. Im not going to debate whos better etc. Kobe, Jordan, Bird, Lebron, Russel, Wilt, Dr J. They are all great. Its like playing a video game and one is rated "96" the other is "97".

They need a Dominator award named after Wilt Chamberlain!

If Larry shopped around for teammates like LeBron did how many titles would he have won?

Larry played with back pain that would have crippled any other player. But Larry played with his mind. He willed his body to do things that were impossible for anyone else. He was the greatest player in history because he has the greatest mind for pure basketball. That's really what other great players admired most. His mind and will.

Larry is simply an all time great and had a complete game, no weaknesses other than his vertical jumping and that didn’t stop him from rebounding.

LeBron is the most egotistsical player of all time... not the goat, not the best small forward. If he played in the era that Bird and Jordan played in, LeBron would take the fetal position from all the contact.

Jordan knows , he never got one game on Bird . Came so close with that 3 pointer called off . Never got one . Alot of respect between these two legends .

He ain't lyin. I got him starting at SF all time.

Nobody has a highlight video like Birds. He does Everything!

No one hustled more than Bird. He played the game hard as nails. Back when the game had heart. Now it’s just dollars.

That pyramid with Bird on tier 3 is a joke.

You just have ask Patrick Ewing, Magic, Wilt, Russell, and everyone who has seen Bird play. He's the GOAT.

No comparing Bird to ANYONE! We are lucky to have gotten to see him as a player like him maybe comes around once in a lifetime. There was a quality in him that so many good, even great players lack...a heart like Secretariat.

The only thing Lebron has over Bird is longevity

I got bird above lebron too.

Larry would never quit on his team and admit defeat before the game was over. Nor did he try to team up with Magic and Jordan to form a super team.

Someone a lot more knowledgeable than I once put it supremely succinctly - I'd take MJ to win me a championship game, but Bird to play for my life (end paraphrase). No room for floppers and runners away from the FT line here.

Pat Reilly said he'd take Bird to save his life

I can never talk about Larry and Magic without mentioning the other. One was the King of the West, the other, the King of the East and together, the NBA struck pure gold. They really are responsible for the modern NBA. I just thought they also made each other reach their ultimate potential as players. I rank them as 1A and 1B.

To have Wilt on tier 3 is blasphemy.

You can ask Michael or Magic........and they won't hesitate for a second as to who their SF is gonna be. You can make the argument that MJ and Magic are being biased in favor of Larry. Hes THEIR Small Forward. Their era. But when you watch Larry, or played against/with him, do you really even NEED to be biased????

Both are elite go-to players in any situation. In a lot of ways LeBron is the perfect basketball player but if starting a team, I’d take Bird. What LeBron gives you you can find elsewhere - maybe not as good but you can find it. Bird gives you something special and rarer. A guy on the court with unmatched awareness.

Larry had bad back pain at the time and coudn't sit so he had to lay down instead.

Bird > LeChoke

Wilt, Jabbar, Magic, Bird, Jordan. Thats the real all time top 5.

I would take Bird everyday and twice on Sundays

"What's Bird doing on the floor playing with kids' toys?" There's a photo from the Dream Team time showing Bird playing with some of his teammates' kids. Hardly a big mystery.

Lebron could really learn a thing or two from MJ about humility.

There's no debate. Larry hands down. Lebron has no heart to win.

How about the "Wilt Chamberlain participation award" for most minutes played in a season? :D

Birds ability to know where almost everyone at all times was crazy.........it seemed to go beyond even that. Larry seemed to know where others would most likely be.

Lebron plays in an era that has too many rules. Like hands. He wouldnt last in Jordan's era.

Bird, Jordan…. The two most cold blooded clutch players ever.

Honestly, If I was a GM and could start a team today with all NBA talent available...I would pick Bird first and do it without hesitation.

Too many living in the moment! Bird is on my first 5 ...MJ, Magic, Kareem and Duncan

Top two ever . Jordan , Bird . No one better

1:31 He started at Power Forward, then shifted to "small forward" after 3 years or so to make space for McHale in the starting lineup. So he played BOTH.

Birds defence was like a pressure cooker. Today's NBA does know what defence is.

LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN & THE TRUE GOAT 🐐 ☘️

Larry Bird is not only over Lebron James but he's also over Michael Jordan as well.

MJ saying he is not the best is a newer video clip. He used to say he was the best and got in a argument with Wilt about it at 50th Anniversary night ceremony before it begun. In 1996. Wilt told MJ he never played him, Oscar, West and on and on. It shut MJ down and ended the argument. After that MJ changed to saying he is not the greatest ever.

LeBron can only wish that he could have the all around game as Larry especially when it came to shooting the ball and rebounding the ball forget about it Bird was the best ever

I'm a BIG Lakers fan. He was the only player who scared the bejesus out of me when he played my boys back in the day.

Hakeem, Russell, Bird, Jordan, Payton

Most of my friends who have played basketball rate about 7 players over Lebron,, it was very easy to do,,,

Michael Jordan was dominant both on offense and defense, Jordan will always be the GOAT. 👍

Lebron is all about Lebron Larry was all about the team

I'd put Bird as my small forward, Wilt at center, Magic or Oscar at point, Jordan at 2 and either Russell, Olajuwaon or Karl Malone at 4.

Love that there is a magic and larry award that's great. It was awesome to be a kid learning basketball as a team game and then watching these guys play the game as a team.

I love MJ. I think he is the goat and always will be. I loved watching him play but I grew up a Celtic fan. And what I think is important is that Larry won championships with guys already on the team and a team that had bad records before he got there. LeBron had to stack his teams for rings and Jordan didn't start winning until Pippin got there. And yes Bird had Parish and DJ and McHale but at that time in history you never heard of them until Bird got there which says a lot.

No comparison comparing Larry Bird to LeBron James different time different era

LeBron is a great player for this time period. Basketball was played different when Bird played. Now Bird would dominate if the rules in basketball were like they are now. I would like to see LeBron play back in the early days

Because Bird would toast James.

LeBron would cry himself to sleep after every game if he had to play in MJ’s prime. The physical toughness of yesterday’s players separates them more than anything.