WHO WAS THE BETTER SHOOTER, MJ OR LARRY?

If Larry isn’t the greatest player ever. He definitely is the best teammate ever. He makes everyone around him so much better.

I've never been a basketball fan - not my game and the egos. But I was a Celtics fan in the 80s. What impressed me most about Larry Bird was, unlike too many other supposed GOATs, he didn't chase records and he was a true team player. To me, the mark of a true GOAT is when they make the others around them look even better that they are. It's hard to imagine what his stats would be if he was chasing records. Respect, Mr. Bird.

Larry made his teammates look like hall of famers. Basketball wasn’t the same after he and magic retired.

God, great era for basketball. Glad i was there for it 💞

Bird played smart as you say, "Basketball IQ."

YOUNG PLAYERS OUGHT TO BE FORCED TO WATCH THIS GAME. Bird is so underrated by those who did not experience his total game genius.

Just can't get enough of the Bird✨

Spot on. One of the things( among many others) that makes Larry Bird a Legend was/is the fact that he make it feel so easy to shoot and "Score" from any distance or any side of the floor. He's Awareness of the game was on another level than everyone else.

When I heard Jordan ranked Bird above Lebron I knew exactly why, Jordan remembered that 0-6 run of the Bulls against the Celtics. Young basketball fans today really don't understand how great Bird was, and how competitive 1980s and 1990s were for the NBA. Bird won 3 Championships in the most competitive era in the NBA. Great video! I may be getting up in age now, but I was lucky enough to grow up in the 80s and got to see Bird dominate.

Larry Bird a brilliant court thinker great passer.couldnt jump high but he used the skills he had that made him a winner.What ever the mind of a man can believe & conceive he can achieve

Diehard laker fan who hated bird. Have to admit and this kills me bird was a BAD man.

The golden age of basketball. Skill, toughness, and heart. Today soft, crying, and selfish.

Bird what a PLAYER!!!

Thanks - never be another Bird or team like 80s Celtics, such chemistry

This video reminds me of the times my Houston Rockets played The Celtics and I would get sooo mad! Larry Bird was phenomenal, though I hated it back then. But now that sooo many years have passed, the guy had the "midas touch" and made BB look magical!

Memories. Bird= Heart, Hustle, and Hard Work

And Larry Bird was telling Michael Jordan what he was going to do with the ball 🏀 before he did it on Mike. And Michael Jordan was Defensive Player of the Year and he still didn't want to guard Larry Bird because Larry Bird was making Michael Jordan look bad. And I Loved every moment. Larry Bird G.O.A.T. LEGEND!!!

I’d like to preface this by saying that I played basketball in NYC in an all black high school and got my nick name from the brothers playing at The Cage and at Rucker Park. We were all trying to emulate what Larry bird was doing on the playground and it was impossible for us. However, I remember hearing what Pat Riley said, “If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game, I’d choose Michael Jordan, but if I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life, I’d take Larry Bird."

The greatest era in NBA Basketball history was the Bird/Johnson rivalry. There were others but none more dramatic, visceral and powerful. Those two were the geniuses of the game. And the contests were epic to watch. I loved the Lakers but knew Bird was unstoppable. Magic the point guard played center against Philadelphia in the Championships. He scored 50 points I think. Bunch of ribbies too!

I would pick prime Bird over prime anybody, ever, as my first draft choice to start a team. Of winners.

Undisputed all time best ever. I wish his body would have lasted longer

No one better. Birds the Word

"If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game, I’d choose Michael Jordan," Pat said. "If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life, I’d take Larry Bird." I agreed with Pat Riley🎉

Great! I loved the Celtics back then. One thing you notice watching these old highlights - today's NBA can't compare to the sheer fundamdental basketball greatness and Bird's miraculous passing ability!

Many black KZfaq pundits saying Larry Bird is not even in the top 5 of the G. O. A. T discussion really need to watch his and digest. Today's generation talk about stats, stats, stats.... Nonsense there are many players with STATS due to longevity in the game! Most if not all could not touch Larry Joe Bird as a player. There is alot of bias out there due to Basketball being hailed as a black man's sport. It's not all about athleticism, it helps for sure but ability, vision, ability to see a pass others cannot, clutchness (LeBron has none) ability to make those around you play better, team work all traits a G. O. A. T must have. I would put Larry Birds best season up against any.... 13 years of greatness even in his rookie year he was smashing most. Let's be real, generational ideas about who is best will always play a factor.... But.... Hail, hail, hail Laryy Bird #33 my man 🏀🏀🏆🥇

Greatest player of all time. LARRY JOE BIRD

And in the end, both MJ and Magic called Bird the GOAT.

No player scared me as much as Larry Bird. As a Laker fan, in the 1987 Finals Game 4, I knew for certain Bird would hit that game winning 3 to tie the series at 2. I was ecstatic when it went off the rim.

Wow. Bird made the whole Bulls team look bad in 1986.

You said it the Birdman was "legendary". Heck the whole 80s era of Basketball was Legendary ! 🤣🤣

Bird is the GOAT.

Bird a thinker, so only best way to guard Bird, it to also be a thinker. Sounds like a good Chess player.

Truthfully, Bird was easily the best player in the league every year from his rookie season through 87. They can't give it to one guy for that many years in a row. It was basically an antitrust maneuver against a Bird monopoly

WHEN HE WAS WINNING GAMES WITH CLUTCH SHOTS, PASSING, STEALING, GETTING RINGS, PERSONAL AWARDS, STOPPING GREATS, DEFEATING THE LIKES OF M.J. / Magic / others who were greats ..... Larry Legend just blew people's minds .... in prevailing in regular season and Championship play as well. NO ONE LIKE HIM, not then and not now. GBjj

Bird simply flew at a higher altitude than anyone else: ball control, passing, scoring. He embodied the Celtics with an iconic skill and leadership. Super style, above and beyond stats. Edit. PS: The above comment comes from a diehard Lakers fan since 1964.

I've been guilty of under-rating Bird, and I watched him play. His awareness and passing made the entire team better. Definitely all time greatest starting lineup before he was hurt.

LARRY LEGEND IS A UNICORN AND THE TRUE GOAT!!! 🐐 ☘️

Thank you. I had to replay at least 3 scenes multiple times.

I'm from Indiana. I had the pleasure of watching Larry develop. Let me tell you, it was a pleasure.😊

When I was a kid I thought Magic was the best player. Basically I like Magic because he looked cooler and I tended to like black players better. Now that I’m older and understand the game better, there’s no doubt In my mind that Bird is better than Magic. People always mention Magic in GOAT conversations but not Bird. I realize the general population just repeats what other people say. Most people are followers.

I thought James Worthy said it best when asked which he would prefer to play. He said he would rather play Jorden. Because as he put it, Jorden made you look slow, but Bird made you look stupid. Lol

Very nice. Well explained, great footage. It helped me appreciate Birds expertise and value to the game even more.

Bird's rookie contract was not the highest ever. Pete Maravich got almost three times as much as a rookie in 1970, making him not only the highest-paid rookie, but he earned more than ANY player in the NBA at the time.

Larry Bird is the GOAT.

Bird court IQ was quite noticeable. He made passes that were crazy, he saw teammates in place before they got there. He played defense and shot the ball effortlessly. Team player was why Celtics achieved a lot with him.

Mr.Bird probably the best all around player ever. He did everything. I love it today when some fans dare to say labron is better than bird. Not even close and bird had somethinf only a handful of players had the want to take the last shot, the money shot that labron never had. Tas Larrys the goat.

Very difficult to say who was the greatest of all-time, because players of other era's are either not in the discussion or overlooked because a particular generation doesn't even know anything about them. Bird was definitely one of the greatest. But, what about Chamberlain, Baylor, Russell, West, etc. And remember the rules have changed and "carrying the ball" was strictly enforced years ago. Now, 6'8 guards are common place. Back in Cousy's day, that would have been disastrous.

Bird could never be trapped and his high arcing shot could not be blocked. He would eat up today's NBA.

Bird understood that a clever assist is worth 2 points. Jordan did not!

Might not have been the greatest player ever, but his leadership MADE him the best.

Larry Bird is the GOAT. Put me on any city court as a captain. Standing there are PRIME Michael, Lebron, Kareem, Magic, Wilt, and Larry (the only players with a legit claim to GOAT). I have first pick. I take Larry Legend. Because I KNOW he will grind us to a chance to win, and I KNOW he will make the winning shot.

Lakers Coach Pat Riley: "If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan," Riley said. "If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life... I'd take Larry Bird." It's a fact! In his prime no one, and no one, could touch Larry (Legend) Bird with his all around skills, game saving heroics and court awareness! Compare his highlight reel to anyone and it's pure magic to watch! He's the G.O.A.T.

Bird is the GOAT. There are better scorers, better defenders, on and on. But not one other player was better at everything than Bird. He was also the GOAT because his vision on the court from defensive through offensive transition. Magic was similar. Jordan is a beast, but he wasn't as all around. The league IMO was the best during the 70's, 80's and 90's. Now, there is no defense, and it is just offense, which lets be honest, isn't that hard at their level. Just look at the all-star game. And why LeBron can continue to play. If this was back in the day, he would have already been gone. Just my 2 cents.

Great video - born in '78, I was a kid in school when he was on his tear and remember well saying "I'm Larry Bird" on the schoolyard courts.

Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics ❤👑 Los Angeles Lakers Fan. Bird was truly entertaining. 🏀

nice show, thanks...

Bird, but after Mike’s broken foot in the 1985-1986 season he developed a clutch mid range jump shot, that expanded his arsenal and made him even more dynamic than just being Air Jordan.

Saw a recent interview with Bird and he said he was proud of his career mainly because he went all out every minute he was on the court. He admitted it's probably the reason his career ended early, but said he felt obligated to bring it every play, because the Celtics were paying him a lot of money (for those days) to help the team win and he was confident he was the best player on the court night in and night out.

Great video❤

bird and magic changed the league , jordan raised it from there.

"Larry was always in the right place at the right time doing the right thing" DR. J.

Indeed. Only Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird were thee Only ones who won the NBA MVP 3 years in a row. A ROW. In addition, Larry Legend is thee only one that won the NBA's 3 point contest 3 years on a Row. A ROW. GOAT,,, perhaps. What is know to be a true statement is that for 3 years, no one could touch him.

Bird did not care about being known as the best basketball player, that would not be something that he concerned himself with. He just wanted to come to work, give the fans a show every night and most importantly, win.

Jokić is on the path now and gotta lot of seasons ahead. Larry would agree..

I believe it is pronounced Jerry Seech-ting. Nice, informative and entertaining video. Thanks.

Larry was the greatest of all time.

Bird 🐦🕊️ had Jordan by 4 inches so he could easily post Jordan up and he couldn't do nothing anything else with it he couldn't stop birds post up turn around fadeaway jumper which was money 🤑💰 good as gold

Bird's mission was never to be the "goat". His mission was to have the best team (win most championships). Don't get wrong he is a competitor but he said it himself in 87, "Magic was the best".

Larry Bird has had so many adjectives used by others to explain his game I couldn't possibly list them. This one`s mine...The day after winning the NBA championship he received a call and his Mom said he`s not here he`s running laps at the gym because he is trying to get into shape for the oncoming season?? Then it finally occurred to me because Im a procrastinator and have a history of always being late. DO YOU THINK AS I DO THAT LARRY BIRD WAS THE FIRST AND POSSIBLY ONLY PERSON i`VE SEEN WHO GENUINLY UNDERSTOOD THE ENITITY OF TIME? EVEN THOUGH IT IS IN THE BACKGROUND IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND IT MOVES OH SO UNASSUMINGLY UNTIL IT SNEAKS UP FROM BEHIND. HE SAID FORGET THE PLAY I`LL SHOOT IT, SAVES TIME, ALWAYS MOVING ALWAYS IN A HURRY NO MATTER WHAT UP THE FLOOR OR DOWN THE FLOOR. I`VE WASTED SO MUCH OF MY LIFE I1S NOT FUNNY, HELL, I THOUGHT TIME WAS MY FRIEND UNTIL LAST SUNDAY. YOUR opinion or mine but I don`t think LARRY BIRD has ever been accused of wasting time.

Larry, I believe, was the best ALL-AROUND player so far. If he didn't utilize all his skills because he was a TEAM PLAYER, he probably could've led the league in scoring or assists a number of times. According to PHIL JACKSON, Jordan had to score a lot of points, or he wasn't happy. Larry wasn't like that. PHIL also said that if he wasn't the HEAD COACH, the BULLS would NOT have won all those championships. I believe him. He won a lot of games, and he was a very smart coach.

At this point only the brainwashed youngsters and OG media hype sponges have failed to realize that Bird has always been the goat.

Best of all time. He did everything not just scored

Bird need not be rated as anything compared to Jordan. He's straight-up GOAT. That's why he dominated Jordan like everyone else.

2:32 ... correct. Larry Legend CLEARLY had the edge. No question about that.

Bird signing the cobtract with his left hand and shoots with his right... Crazy😮😮

Bird's mind was the GOAT.

The “Hick from French Lick” & the “Big 3” ! Celtics 4eva. Red built an amazing dynasty that was a pleasure to watch, so was MJ, he was a show of his own, as were the showtime Lakers. Future NBA would be fortunate to have anything even come close to their greatness.😊fantastic rivalries.

Loved the show. All about the game✨

Larry Bird was to the 1980's Celtics what Bobby Orr was to the 1970's Bruins. The wind that sailed the team.

If Larry Bird didn't have a back injury, he'd be a GOAT candidate.

Yes, Bird was a monster on offense and a great defender. But Bird was always 1.5 moves ahead in a split second. That was his biggest asset. His work ethic was his second. Jordan hadnt got that possesed “win at all cost, there is no second place. Only one winning team and the rest are losers” attitude. And that was Larrys third biggest asset. His “we will not lose this game” every night. Jordan didnt have that just yet. Would have been interesting to see the 1986 Celtics vs the early 90s Bulls. Now that would be a game.

Just an FYI - Jerry Sichting (pronounced \CEASE-sting\)

In there every single match up, MJ was no match to Larry legend. Thus, Bird is the GOAT🎉

I always said of Bird in his prime.... "The second best team in the league is Larry Bird and four other guys". And I meant that as a compliment. His passing was legendary. When I watch these clips, it reminds me of why I don't watch the NBA these days.

Larry Bird, the original ankle breaker.

" they say history is written by the winners, and very few people have won more than Jordan " ... Larry has won more than Jordan. Larry Bird is the 2nd most winning player in NBA history behind Magic by 0.1%. Also add into that, Larry won NBA coach of the Year and NBA Executive of the Year. Larry has won the most prestigious NBA award in every facet of the game. He went to the Conf Finals in his rookie year, and turned the bottom of the league Celtics to the Easter Conf Champs. He single handily improved the Celtics win ratio by 31 games. Thats the largest single season turn around still to this day. Larry won his first NBA ring on his second year in the league, with an average team. Faster than MJ did, Faster than Kobe, Faster than lebron ... MJ never won a title while Bird was in the league :) GOAT Nov 4th 1989 .. Even after 2 chilies surgeries, spinal surgery and sitting out for 12 months, Larry bird came back and put on a clinic and shot the game winner on a MJ / Pippen double Team and put that nonsense to bed. Two of the best defenders the NBA has ever seen, couldn't shut down a triple surgery, hurt and old Larry Bird coming off a 12 month lay off.

When I hear old opponents of Bird say he wouldn't be on the NBA today I just laugh. Usually it's from "bros" who he punished year in year out. He's the best all around player ever to play the game.

Mike Could not Guard Bird!!! Nobody on Chicago team could guard Bird.

Larry Bird was amazing. A true Joy to watch him play.

Larry makes friends and foes proud to have been there.

He was also a monumental trash talker.

I believe that Mr.Bill Russel taught Larry Bird to be an inglorious bastard on the court. It’s true theres no I in team, but there is in leadership… and win.

KInd of funny to say Larry made his teammates better in this instance. Larry had Robert Parish and Kevin McHale while Michael had Dave Corzine and Brad Sellers.

Excellent commentary

"If I had to choose a player to make a shot to win a game I'd take Jordan. If I had to choose a player to make a shot to save my life I'd take Larry Bird." - Pat Riley

Even ML Carr and Greg Kite got buckets when they played with Larry!

Look at that left hand!

Larry is always in my top 10

Bird was THE bad mfer in the NBA !