"Larry being unathletic is gods' way of making it fair".. - Charles Barkley.

Jordan referred to Bird as an equal. The only reason people can't see Bird's ability objectively is his race and appearance.

Ok , I am going to explain lots about Bird here that you need to know and why Bird is the best all-around player of all time. First - even before Bird started his NBA career he broke the index finger and shattered the knuckle on his shooting hand and he said he never shot as well after that. You made fun of Bird sticking his finger up but did you look at it? He can't straighten it and the knuckle is hideous. Second - Birds affect on the Celtics was immediate. The year before Bird played for the Celtics, the Celtics were 29-53. With Bird being the only significant change to Boston's roster, the Celtics record in Bird's first year was 61-21. Third - Bird won Rookie of the Year and came in 4th in the MVP voting his rookie year. This is where Bird placed in the MVP voting the next 8 years - 2,2,2,1,1,1,3,2, becoming only the 3rd player in NBA history(Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell are the other 2) to win 3 straight MVPs Fourth- Bird founded the 50-40-90 club, which is 50% or more field goal percentage, 40% or more 3-pt field goal percentage and 90% or more free throw percentage. There are only 9 players in NBA history who have accomplished this and only 2 who have done it more than once. Bird did it in back to back seasons and Steve Nash did it 3 times in a row(4 times overall). Fifth - in games Bird played in, his team won 73.58% of the time, only 2nd to Magic at 73.95% Sixth - even after the Celtics got McHale, Parish, Ainge and Dennis Johnson, Bird still made a huge difference - how huge, the Celtics record in the 87-88 season was 57-25. In the 88-89 season Bird only played in 6 games and had surgery for bone spurs on both feet, the Celtics record that years was 42-40. Seventh - his overall statistics - He's not the best shooter ever He's not the best rebounder ever He's not the best scorer ever What he is is a complete player and is in the top 250 NBA players of all time in these 8 categories Field goal % Free Throw % Points per game Assists per game Rebounds per game Steals per game Blocks per game Minutes per game Lebron isn't, Jordan isn't, Steph isn't, Kobe isn't, Durant isn't Dirk isn't, Magic isn't, Kareem isn't, Wilt isn't, Bill Russell isn't, and the list goes on and on. Bird is in the top 60 players of all time in 6 of the 8 categories. And last there are the things he did that I don't so anyone else doing. He played most of a game shooting with his off-hand just because he wanted to. Time after time in big spots he would tell the other team what the play was and where he would shoot from , before the play even started and they could not stop him. Byron Scott who played for the Lakers tells it best kzfaq.info/get/bejne/npiZrKlmyc3NeaM.html He knew where all players on the court were at all times. Additionally, Bird accomplished all this while playing hurt his entire career, the worst of it playing with a bad back after, get this, shoveling gravel while building a driveway at his mothers house. If Bird was breathing and could move he was playing.

Larry Bird was simply awesome and unique. If one is attempting to select a GOAT in the NBA - considering such players as MJ and Lebron, remember that it is a team sport. A GOAT must enable his teammates to be their best as well. Bird was truly transformational as a team player. The Celtics had their worst team performance in their history the year prior to Larry's arrival to Boston - only 29 wins. With Bird as their only significant addition to their line-up, they won 61 games his first year (+32), and the following year with McHale & Parrish won the NBA Championship. Despite his "superlative" individual stats, MJ was not transformational, but only added to his team's performance by his singular action - and in fact his play often reduced the potential of his team mates. MJ arrived to a weak Bulls team to be sure, but it would be 4 yrs before the Bulls got to .500, and only after Pippen and Grant arrived did the Bulls make their move upward. Further proof comes later when MJ "retired" to play baseball, and the Bulls did not suffer a major downturn (55 wins to the previous year's 57), with Pippen having a better year than ever now without MJ. Larry B gets my nod for all he could do in all situations, plus his unbelievable positive impact on the team as a whole

The amazing thing about Bird is that he was able to understand how ball movement forced player movement and vice versa; and that he did this on the fly during games. Just an amazing gift to watch.

Larry legend was the smartest player to ever play. He was 3 steps ahead of everyone. He is still to this day the greatest shooter I have ever seen. He was also the clutchest player to ever play. Larry bird is the GOAT.

Nobody played like Larry Bird, his basketball IQ as you say was unmatched

Bird was the greatest small forward ever. I watched him all through his career and no one even came close. ☘️

He is not on jordans level, because he is on a higher level than jordan.

Smartest player of all time

He was an unbelievable player. I can’t imagine coming back the same game and playing with a fractured right cheek.

Larry Bird is... UNCOMPARABLE! He compares to No One! It is almost universally accepted by the Sports writers association and the greatest NBA players ever: "By acclamation, Larry Bird is one of the greatest, most Complete basketball players of all time."

Bird is definitely top 5 all time and probably the best small forward ever

You're right, Larry and Jordan are on the same level. Larry might have been the only player that Jordan couldn't beat in the playoffs. There was one game where Jordan scored 63 points against the Larry and the Celtics, the game went to double over time, and the Celtics won. That's unreal.

Larry had eyes in the back of his head. He always knew where his teammates were.

Jordan played bird 28 times with bird coming out 17-11 in his favour. They met 6 times in the play offs with birds celtics sweeping jordans bulls aside all 6 times. Try birds best thrash talking video and making the case for bird being the goat video. He has many more the deeper you go the better it gets as it leads you to players like Magic Jordan , Kareem Worthy , Dominique , Moses , Drexler , Thomas , Hakeem , Erving , McHale , Barkley and many more. Bird and magics rivalry saved basketball in the 80s.

Larry Bird had what could have been a career ending knuckle injury after he signed with the Celtics & didn’t tell them. He had a permanently bent finger & said he never had the same feel for the ball after that. So his entire professional career he didn’t play at the level he could have, and still he was that good.

You were watching the greatest basketball player to ever lace up a pair of sneakers.❤️🍀🏀🐐

Great reaction video! Please research more on Larry Bird... He was doing stuff that Magic and Jordan did in their careers, but he did it with his own style and I.Q.... He was super smart and really set himself apart from the rest... No wonder he won MVP three years in a row! The Larry Legend continues to grow in 2022!!

Simply put, when he was healthy- he was what every organization wanted:a competitor and clutch to the end of his career 👏

When Larry hit his head on the floor and came back out to beat the Pacers, what you didn’t hear in the video is the entire Boston Garden crowd chanting “Larry” “Larry”. About 5-6 minutes of that, out Bird came from the locker room on a mission to win the game.

Larry is 6-0 against Jordan in playoffs. In 28 head to head games, Larry won 17 to MJs 11. Larry beat every other HOFER in his era. EVERY ONE. He is the ONLY player to say that. I have Larry OVER MJ myself. You should react to his greatest passes or his greatest assists….also some buzzer beaters…..Larry is phenomenal. MY TRUE GOAT 🐐

When he fell and hit his face and come back he played with a fracture of the right check and was seeing double but still hit every shot he threw.

Nobody was at Birds level, and no one is at MJ's level.

Larry is still the only player to rebound his own missed shot.

I work security at TD Garden and I see a lot of young people with 33 jerseys coming through the detectors. I ask them how they know about Larry. I’m 45 and watched him in the 80s. They all say KZfaq and that he was the man. They don’t have to tell ME that haha 😂

That's the biggest difference with Larry Bird from any other players, his I.Q,that's what Kareem Abdul Jabbar said of the legend

Thanks for the reaction. Glad you liked the video. One thing, to a Bird fan saying Bird was at MJ's level is an insult. Watch Birds 50 greatest assists and Bird is no Choir Boy.

Rookie of the year and 3 consecutive MVPs tells you how special Larry was.

I like Larry Bird always have because he makes the game beautiful. He does everything with quiet finesse. That's what makes him the goat for me!

I watched Bird as a young kid. All of my coaches from little league to high school told us to ONLY watch Bird. He plays hurt, plays full on 💯, has his team mates backs, no excuses. He IS MR. Clutch.

Check out Larry Bird Making the case , 5 times Larry Bird refuse to quit and Larry Heartbreaking story u didn't know

MJ was just getting started in the league when Larry was finishing up. They played against each other many times, but Larry always came out ahead. In their only playoff meeting, Bird and team swept MJ and team, 3-0. MJ said he learned a lot from that.

Now you have to follow this video up with the Magic Johnson video, from the same makers.

Jordan came in about the middle of Larry's career, so they played against each other. Larry won most of the time. Good question about playing against todays players. His IQ would lead the way for sure. Here is a story of him at the end of his career, playing with the 1992 Dream Team and how great he was to control the game. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p5mDiZp6lp_bh2g.html His trash talking was, "I'm going to do this to you, and you can't stop me". Supreme confidence and skill!

Larry Bird was league MVP 3 years in a row, even when Michael Jordan was in the league.

Larry Bird was MVP 3 yrs in a row...Jordan never did that

Bird, Magic, and Maravich were the best passers who made opponents look like fools. There's a Magic mixtape where he fast braked and threw the ball between the defenders legs, just to catch it again all while running straight the goal. These old dogs were something out of a nightmare who made the opponents restless at night.

Bird's retirement ceremony was filled to compactly but it wasn't a game night. Also when Magic came out to give him a signed jersey Magic was wearing a Celtics jersey under his warm-up.

Bird is the greatest all around player ever. He saved the NBA and dominated the greatest players during the golden age of basketball. No one could stop him.

Having been able to follow Bird throughout the 80s I can assure you it was as amazing as you can imagine. Larry Legend. Great review.

larry was the john wick of basketball. the era he played, the 80s-mid 90, was the most talent rich of any era of basketball, before or since. and all those legends from that era, the best to ever play the game, have horror stories of how scary good larry bird was and what a utter nightmare it was to play against him.

5:10 I just subscribed!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, for being honest and truthful about prejudice in sports I seek the truth and those who believe and speak the same As far as Larry Legend goes, they called him “Legend “ While he was playing !!!!! ☮️❤️🙏🌎🌏🌍🇺🇸❤️☮️

The trhree-point shot didn't exist in the NBA until bird was entering the league and he managed to immediately use it to his advantage. I like to imagine what he would've been like, had he grew up with the three pointer being a known thing to practice.

Bird was a real team player, passing, allowing others to score. Today, players are for themselves. They try to score the most

Birds lack of athleticism forced him to be mentally ahead. He was so crafty. Basketball iQ was the highest ever.

I get that about Bird's looks, but the man is 6'10"! He should def be playing bball :P Jokes aside, yeah, Bird doesn't look like your typical basketballplayer, yet he kicked all them typical's asses ten ways to sunday! :D

3 Straight League MVP's, 3 Straight 3 Point Contest Winner, 3 time NBA Champion. All as the leader of the Celtics. Leader of the 1986 NBA Champion Celtics which is widely considered the greatest team of all time. Went to the Finals 5 times with the greatest degree of difficulty in NBA history. In the '80's, many thought Bird the greatest player ever. Certainly the toughest NBA player ever. One of the greatest shooters in league history. One of the best rebounders in history. One of the best passers ever. Without any doubt, the most Clutch player in NBA history. Any questions?

You need to find and watch a making the case for Bird being the GOAT. Even after his on court days were over, he won accolades for being a coach of the year and then for being an executive of the years. Bird was basketball in the 1980s.

Apart from the other vids I've seen mentioned, there's a video all about his passing game. Larry Bird - The Greatest Passer Ever (re-edit with new footage)

React to Larry Bird - Making the case

I absolutely LOVE watching You Young Bloods watching THEE GOAT for first time ever!

Even the great players said Larry Bird was like bad weather. He could not be stopped

Lots of people say that Larry is the GOAT. Lots of people say otherwise too. Larry was a badass. He screwed with the minds of the best. I loved it when he told people to come guard me.

Michael Jordan came in the league in the early 80s, bird in the late 70s. They had overlap. Birds celtics, never lost a playoff series to michael jordans bulls. Infact, Jordcan scored like 56 pts against the celtics in the playoffs, and they still lost the game.

Michael Jordan never had a winning record against Bird, so I have to dispute that Bird was on the level of Jordan.

Your view of what people think of stereotypical is spot on. When you look at Bird one has to think of Brady. Obviously different sports but the same work ethic and thought process.

He was playing chess while the rest was playing checkers! GOAT!!!!!!!!

In many ways he's the Peyton Manning of the NBA.. Read the defense like no one else could.. Crazy IQ for his sport.. Just like Peyton

Bird is Top 10 of All Time. He has to be. My dad was a huge fan of the Lakers in the 80's and 90's and would tell me how much he hated Bird because Bird could and would prove to be that one man standing in the way of the Lakers winning a game or a championship. He was too good.

they year he came in as a rookie the team won 32 more games than the year before

6-0 vs Jordan in the playoffs

He won 3 mvp in a row. Against those great players.

Larry IS GOAT, the most complete player at the highest level ever!

I agree too, Larry definitely don't look like some one that plays basketball 😂 but he proved us wrong

If you want to see a great documentary I highly recommend Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals. You will see how both grew up and what shaped their lives and their rivaly from college into the NBA.

More Bird videos and you’ll be convinced 🦾

You nailed it, it was his drive to win and his IQ that set him apart

If you want to find out how truly great a player is all you have to do is ask his enemies. Larry Bird knew how to win and he made people around him winners

Bird is the Goat... excited to go down this journey with ya

He won 3 straight league MVP's in the greatest era of NBA history.

Larry Legend ! I still go back & rewatch Celtics games from the Bird era. He gave his best every game & his unselfishness with the ball made his team mates better.

I started watching Basketball the year that Bird & Magic played the national championship game in college & I followed them both through their 13 year pro careers & watched religiously up until around 2013 or 14 and about everybody would say that the time frame I was watching every televised game was the hay day of The NBA. THE very best teams & the top ranked players of all time. In my opinion Larry Birds game was the most complete of any player in history & I rank Jordan let's say 1/2 of 1 percent below Bird & Magic about the same distance below Jordan but Bird will always be #1. Nobody else could come up with a knowledge for the game that could match his Basketball IQ.

Bird won MVP. Finals MVP, GM of the year, and Coach of the year. He played hurt so much that his career was shorter than most.

Bird was scoring like 10 straight shots in a row, then in the last shot he did it with left handed, and then asked his opponent " Is your mother watching this? "

Yeah, Jordan came after Bird and started winning rings once Bird retired :P About the GOAT: I personally think that once we get into top 5 or top 7 it gets too close to single any one player out, it's just too tight, with too many legit claims: Bird, Jordan, Wilt, Bill Russell, Magic, Kareem, Dr. J... You could make a case for any one of them. :D

He swept MJ twice. He's not only on his level, he was the only one MJ couldn't beat. and MJ in his legendarily petty ways was pretty openly relieved when Bird retired

His retirement was not on a game night...they filled the garden... :)

I got Larry #3 all time. The dude was absolutely sick. 🔥🔥🔥

Your point is well taken Jordongk. I'm a Chicago boy and I always liked to say Michael was the GOAT but I could never say it with conviction because he never beat Larry Legend.

Larry Bird was an elite rebounder! He averaged 10.0 for his career, and 6.3 assists as well! He was a very good defensive player his first 7 years (led NBA in Defensive Win Shares 4x in that span), before hurting his back. ...and he was definitely on MJ's level before the back injury. In fact Bird was 6-0 against MJ in playoffs. P.S. Larry has highest basketball IQ in NBA history (at least since 1975, when I started watching).

Making the case: Larry Bird being the GOAT. It’s another great compilation.

Larry Bird is the greatest forward to ever play the game. He absolutely is on the level with Chamberlain, Russell, Magic, Jordan; the very best the game has ever seen.

"Making the Case - Larry Bird" by Clayton Crowley

Birds basketball IQ was off the charts. Loved your reaction. Please go down the Larry Bird rabbit hole. ❤️ James Worthy said he'd rather play Michael Jordan than Larry Bird bc you had to be a thinker when playing Bird.

This is how good Bird was…if he had stayed healthy and played a full career he would be sharing the #1 title with M.J.!

Bird was a surgeon when everyone else was just muscle. That's the best way I can explain it.

Greatest shooting forward ever. Greatest passing forward ever. Greatest small forward ever.

When Jordan's Bulls played Bird's Celtics in the playoffs, the Celtics won every time. One of the Lakers greats (James Worthy, I think) who played against both of them said that he'd rather guard Jordan than Bird. Jordan was scarily physical, but Bird's game was so mental that you constantly had to think and try to get into his head. Jordan was smart on the court, but Bird was like the basketball Albert Einstein.

Larry Bird was the player he was due to pure hard work and love of the game. Shows that natural talent helps, but is not everything. Btw he sustained his career-ending back injury chopping wood on his childhood family farm, not through playing sport. A down to earth farm boy who just loved the game of basketball.

Bird’s record vs Jordan. 17-11 in regular season, and 6-0 in the playoffs. After Bird retired, Jordan started winning titles. Just imagine how much longer Bird would’ve played, with todays medical advances.

For you "younger" folks watching these. You all missed something very special. The 1980's was an incredible decade.

he averaged more rebounds per game for career than patrick ewing and averged 7 assists per game and invented 50/40/90 club, HE"S BEST ALL AROUND PLAYER EVER. plus, tough as nails

Subbed, just because I know more good times are coming with Bird videos, lol. "Making The Case: Larry Bird" video.

Understand that Bird's retirement was not after a game. The Garden was filled with Celtics fans for his retirement only. I was at the Garden several times to watch epic games when Bird, McHale, Parrish, DJ, Ange and Walton played and while it's hard to compare generation to generation of players, Bird was clearly an incredible player. Bird also had a tremendous supporting cast of teammates that were always waiting on those no-look passes. You don't get there by yourself. Interestingly when Doc Rivers talks about himself and his teammates trying to guard Bird and their bench reaction to Bird's shot, after he called out what he was going to do, the bench of the other team was fined for cheering for Bird's shot. If you would like to watch some of the best from that ERA play, check out the Dream Team of 1992. Bird and Magic came together for the last games of their careers. Jordan let everyone know that there was a "new sheriff in town" and Barkley was the strongest player of the entire tournament. Make sure to check it out.

If the oldschool players played the newschool it wouldn't even be close. Newschool would get demolished

Jordan came in while Bird was playing. They played against each other and Larry's Celtics beat Jordan's Bull's 6-0. When Larry retired in 92 Jordan congratulated him on his career but also said he was glad, Larry caused him many sad moments for his career. Larry was a menace to society.

My favorite scene is when the other team is falling over laughing, Bird is so on fire. Jordan made you look slow, Bird made you look stupid. 🤪

What this track didn't show was when Magic gave Larry that jersey, Magic took his shirt off and was wearing a Celtics shirt. Mad respect for each other. Another idea "Larry Bird, Making the Case" gives a deeper look into him and includes MJ.

Story is he went in at halftime and chugged a beer and then came back out that was his treatment