Yup

I’d take Bird both times, it’s pretty weird he separated the 2.

@@skunkdoctor I think that was a diplomatic way of praising Bird without dissing Jordan. I might be inclined to agree with you, but then we wouldn't have this iconic quotation.

Jordan never won a championship until Bird retired. Jordan went 7 years before he won a championship.

Id rather look slow...than stupid. 😄 And I think James Worthy would agree.

@@rustydaboyrobot 👊

@@wc7480 bird swept Jordan 2x in the playoffs

Homes is 80’s slang for homeboy, someone who lives nearby you.

He could not have done it without Parish, McHale and DJ.

@@seattlewa8500 Correction. His first year he did it without Parish Mchale or dj. Might I suggest finding new sources?🤭

No way he is picked over Duncan. Sorry bud, if you are starting a franchise Duncan is 100% the #1 pick and it really isnt even close. NOT EVEN close, and I ama diehard bird fan.

@@Dejusticed Dunc is on my all-time starting 5.

@@Dejusticed Duncan is atop 10? Yes. Over Bird? Never!

youre either delusional or straight up racist if you genuinely believe this

Damn straight.

Bill Russell.

Come up for a breath bro😂😂

@@bradleyhamilton8237 whatever!🤣🤣🤣

You know your basketball!

So would KD. He couldn't compete with Bird.

@@sherry6825 Larry beat everybody then, And I believe he could beat everyone after himself. He's proven quite the problem solver.

Exactly.

AMEN!!!

No, it was 3 quarters against Portland in 1986. When asked why he shot so much with his left hand he answered, "I'm saving my right hand for the Lakers." The Celtics won both games, btw. THAT'S why he's Larry Legend.

Larry put up 47 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks in that game and didn't miss a single left handed shot!

He played left handed three quarters and wore the other team out!!

@@joshuam4614 In other words, Larry *never* missed a beat.

He had to shoot a few right handed in OT, but it's still quite the feat.

OR just 😭CRY😭, if They had to Play any Defense, at all 🐐Larry🏀Legend🐐 would Foul Out, Today, for HURTing Feelings 😭😭😭🐐🏀🐐😭😭😭

@15:21 "It's hard to get a bucket in today's game." ..... Worst statement ever!!! Dude, today's era is the easiest time to get a bucket. There's no emphasis on defense in today's era...everyone knows that. Guys like Jordan, Wilt, Bird, etc would average between 35 and 40 points a game

@@FreedomFighter2112 Ya lol that comment was wild

@@ianc3934 but accurate

@@hookedonreactions7649 BWAHAHAHAHAAAA

@@FreedomFighter2112 these guys are too young and no clue about basketball fundamentals

Only Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, & Bird have done that.

and Bird founded the 50-40-90 club

And jokic in Tha future.... Go jokic

​@@michaelwaller7365 yes he did ,ty was coming in here to say the same ,gotta put respect on larry birds 🐦 name ,tysm, seeing is believing and I watched it live ,and so sorry but I don't care for how the game is played now (but that's just me ) and don't get me wrong there some real talent out there, but damn refs let em play hoops #realtalk

Russel won 5 MVPs and ELEVEN NBA championships.

Facts.

Bird was actually "captain" to his team & the opponent. Just as the Atlanta Hawks🤣

Yessir..I'm a Celtic fan... Fuckin Magic was too good!!!! Lol

If he had played with Russell, Bird never would have been captain.

And DID!

Larry is def top 5. I have a hard time putting him ahead of Duncan/kareem/russell/ Duncan is the True Goat, lary is def there with the others, just not Timmy D.

@@Dejusticed the most underappreciated overlooked of all time is olajuwon. The only player in history, who's top five stats went up, across the board, from regular season to playoffs. Changed the offensive and defensive strategies of every team that played against him. Regularly ate the lunch of...Ewing, Duncan, Robinson, Malone, the triangle offense, Shaq, Rollins, Carr, etc. He and drexler dropped 40 and 44 points, in one game against the stacked up Spurs, when they had Duncan and Elliot and Robinson. Ate the Magic, who were undefeated against Chicago. When they had Penny, Shaq, and their 3 point maniacs. When asked multiple times, who Chicago didn't wanna play in the finals, Jackson always said, Rockets. Truly there was zero answer, for olajuwon.

And don’t forget 8 straight seasons finishing 1 or 2 in MVP voting…he very well could have won 5 or 6 straight!

I think he only scored 20 or 27 points with his left hand. One article mentioned he went 7-for-7 at the free throw line in the same sentence that they mentioned he made 10 of his 21 made shots with his left hand.

Truth.

Talked through every fucking second. Like why even react to a video like this if you are just going to talk over every single word?

they already came to the conclusion before they watched the video

Exactly. That was my main criticism of this video. They missed almost all of the good stuff.

And at the end said KD's defense is nice... what

I was thinking the same thing. They never listen to the comments.

Yessir..preach on...lol

I think the stats don't agree that Larry was a better shooter. Kevin has a higher 3pt% and a higher 2pt%. Kevin Durant might have the best mid-range game of all time. Kevin doesn't get to the basket all that much so most of his shots are in the mid range and he has years where he shoots 60% from 2pt range. Larry is a better rebounder, play maker and winner. Obviously Larry is a greater all-time player at this point. But not a better shooter.

Forget KD, Bird was a far greater player than LeBron.

KD a bus rider.

TRUTH!

Yes he was 😊

Bird. McHale, Parish, Dennis Johnson, Walton, Ainge. Bird didn’t win on his own.

It's really embarrassing!

Career wise its a real question in my opinion because Bird had injuries which shortened his career. But at both of their peaks most would take Bird.

@@finnburke2709 The Slim Reaper could play twenty five years and not be close to Bird.

@finnburke2709 no it's not a question Bird: 3x Champ (all against Magic) 2x FMVP 3x MVP (back to back to back) 12x All-Star 9x All NBA First Team 3x All Defensive Second Team 3x 3pt Champ (back to back to back) 2x member of the 50-40-90 club (first player to do so) Durant: 2x Champ 2x FMVP 1x MVP 12x All-Star 6x All NBA First Team 4x Scoring Title 1x member of the 50-40-90 The only reason Bird doesn't have a scoring title is because Michael Jordan existed

@@TheMissiIe he only won one championship against magic FYI. His other two were against Houston. He was 1-2 against the Lakers in the finals. Just letting you know. Also, the scoring had nothing to do with Jordan. Jordan didn't win one until Larry was already in the league for 6-7 years. Bird just did this crazy thing called passing. Bird just wanted to win. He passed just as much as he shot. He never would have won a scoring title because he didn't see the game that way.

Exactly! Coming back after twin achilles surgery is remarkable, then playing 3 or 4 years with a broken back at an all star level. Larry Bird is not of this planet.

How about when he became the head coach of the Pacers - with no coaching exp - and set a franchise record his first season - took the Pacers to the Conference finals his first two years and to the Finals his third year - and then retired

@@jamesrawlins735 and coach of the year in that first season (1998), and lost the conference final to the bulls 88-83 in game 7 (the most trouble the bulls ever had in a conference final)... And eventually, executive of the year (2012, i think) a short time after rejoining the pacers in the front office

That year he was out was miserable for me as a grade schooler. He was my basketball idol by then (6th grade). When he came back we were so jazzed up!

@@fezzik7619 yep. 88-89 was my junior year in HS

100% right.I used to go to Celtic games when I could afford it. Would drive from Newport Rhode Island to the Garden.I Was at the Sixers game in 1984 when Doctor J and Bird fought. Barkley and Malone had Bird in a headlock while Dr.J was punching him.Love Irving but still hate Charles and Malone. Anyway Larry Bird was Mr.Basketball! Players of today could never hang with Bird. They couldn't take the physical abuse of the 60's 70's and 80's!!

I love when people call professionals cry babies while typing a paragraph out crying like a bitch Lack of self awareness is astonishing. I think if you complain more in KZfaq comments it will reverse time back to “the good ol days”

Exactly. In a scuffle fist would fly and throats would be choked and blood was spilled. Today way to much soy and estrogen

LOL@LeFlopper. As someone who can't stand LeBron--but admits he's an absolutely fantastic player--I also have Bird as the greatest small forward in NBA history. Bird was the more clutch shooter, FT shooter, rebounder, and better passer than James (James is also a great passer, but Bird was still better, IMO). I also think many ppl tend to forget that Bird not only was just 1 of 3 players in NBA history (the other 2 being no less than Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain) to ever win 3 MVPs in a row ('84-'86), but he won those while Michael Jordan, Magic, etc., were playing in the league. Prior to Bird's horrific bad back and his 2 achilles heel injuries, Bird in his prime was an ABSOLUTE TERROR. Averaging almost 30 PPG, around 10 RPG and over 7 APG, the guy was just money. That is the other thing that can't be emphasized enough about Bird; he was not only VERY clutch when the game was on the line, but he notoriously talked trash to opposing teams' best defenders on what he was about to do on them...and usually there was nothing defenders could do about it. That is killer confidence personified, and that was Larry Bird.

Bird broke his cheek, kept 0laying

Amen to that! LeBron getting hecklers removed Courtside, (women) to boot... imagine him playing Larry? LeBron would have quit for being bullied by Larry! Then would sue the NBA.

Also a far better defender

Had back surgery was as advanced as now he wouldn’t had retired and him and pierce would had blown out every team

Larry can’t even shoot off the dribble. KD would shoot his lights out and Larry can shoot but the eye test is real

@@stylescasino1006 Larry cant shoot off the dribble he says.. lol. 🤣😭🤣😭

@@stylescasino1006 spoken like a guy that never saw him play. Hell he humble jordan . Yes the goat that would put KD,Lebron and Kobe in tears and tell them Larry was better.

Back then you play or you get blown out

@@heribertosarmiento1265 100% FACTS.

my era as well

@@heribertosarmiento1265 no blood, no foul. You get paid to pay basketball, and that was the reward. Simple rules everyone can agree to. The technical rules and "me me me" mentally came around with huge contacts. I think Larry, the best college player going to the most prestigious club at the time, had like a single year contract or something. Magic got a huge contract (at the time - multiple years for multiple millions) with LA at the same time, so maybe I'm just jaded. Still, things were great when they were raw and getting paid to play was reasonable without being extortive in either stat boarding, or the opposite as happens with unpaid college players of all sports.

@@ScottLovenberg thats what I meanplay hard ,play clean and give it all for your team. The 80-90’s were 2 decades that if you give up you get blown out and that what made those two decades so great. Now we have the ultimate athletes going to to toe but some just give up because of the contracts . Don’t get me wrong I do agree with you. We disagree but with love sports and that’s what makes it even more fun , having a rival to talk to is fun because we can love our teams ,throw some jabs but still respect the game .

Bird played half his career with crippling back pain.... and still excelled (liked your comment, just wanted to add those 3 words)

@@alanela6761 AND crippled finger *shooting hand his entire career

Lebron doesn't even belong in the same category as Bird. When did Bird ever sit out a game with cramps? Bird played with pain all of the time. Also the rules today allow for a more wide-open game that creates more points scored. Lebron may be more powerful but Bird was more crafty and inventive.

@@chris93703 LeBron is the ALL TIME leading scorer in league history. Just stop it! You sound silly and bitter. Larry's an all time great, but LeBron is in the greatest of all time conversation. He was in the NBA Finals for a freaking decade straight!

@@armonwilliams4735 LeBron is the all time leading scorer in a league that has rules that make it easier to score. He also accumulated a lot of his points of of players who would not even be considered the top players in the league. Bird did it consistently against teams loaded with talent like the Lakers. There have also been many times where Lebron has not put forward full effort to win a game or even seemed uninterested. I have seen the videos and I have seen the evidence. Bird would give 110% every game. Lebron will probably still get in the Hall but he doesn't belong in the same league as Bird. Unlike you I don't base my opinions on feelings but what I have seen. Did Lebron ever win 3 MVP's in a row? Also what kind of GOAT calls himself the GOAT? That seems rather conceited.

Excellent comment. 🙂 He is a joy to watch. I wish there was more full game footage available too.

*Boston Celtic fan here and I know you right!*

Agreed, except Bird did not save the game “ single-handedly”. Magic played an equal role in making the NBA mainstream.

@@johndavis9196This is true. Both of them had to come together to make it happen. It was almost divine intervention I feel

Larry and Mike...relentless.

@@Darth_Lunas Larry taught MJ but both can back it up!!

The GOAT, period.

Is your mother watching you play tonight? That was Craig Ehlo with Cleveland.

Actually he said, "I've done enough damage." Or was it "Coach take me out, they're not even a challenge tonight". It was hard to keep track of then. It's really hard for some reason to keep track now.

Yep but he’s also too 2 in scoring and top 5 in assists, could play or guard all five positions. Let’s be very serious. Bron is the One. 13yr career is a cop out.

@@OrondeBranch Even the NBA agree that Bird is better than LeBron at the position they share!

lmao bird aint better than lebron. it aint even close tbh. bird is second best sf tho

@@DavinderSingh-zr9fn look at the bron bro soi boi lol Bird is too smart for Lebron. Get over yourself

And what does lebron have to do with this? This is a prime example of some people not knowing how to stay on topic

right he saw the court like gretzky saw the rink. Durant is not better than Bird, whose talent was in his viewing the game better than anyone. As Kareem and Wilt both said, his greatest skill was his mind and he was playing chess while others were playing checkers. Only Luka and Le Bron have had similar skills at that size

I don't know if it's embarrassing; but it's definitely insulting - to BIRD.

@@kingsbrace3736 obviously to Bird

VERY LAUGHABLE

Totally agree

@@kingsbrace3736 Only if Larry felt it to be insulting. If Larry doesn't care, nobody should. Think Larry would back that up.

Everything is uncontested now. It's way easier to get points now

Facts Larry played in the era where 7 foot 300 lbs guys could swing their elbows to make space, get into a legit fist fight and other physical things. The numbers show the 80s to mid 90s were the most physical basketball played, its why scoring was so low compared to today, it wasn't because guys were less skilled but because guys would damn near judo throw you around when you'd attempt a layup

@@emanuelmartinez7267 preach.

If Larry could carry the ball like Luka and Jokic he'd have been even better. And then on top of that, if 3s were as common back then, even more so

I don’t know if Larry is better but you are definitely right that it’s easier now so many rules cater to the offensive player.

teams were better back when Bird played

You couldn't stop Bird with two people brawling him, either. I was at a Timberwolves game where they called a flagrant, and you literally couldn't see it in the replays while the refs debated whether it was or not (they decided it was. Apparently I don't understand what "flagrant" means, but I'd say Larry Legend and Dr. J holding each other by the throat would qualify these days). I think the intimidation factor of Bird being known to have no issues with throwing down anywhere against anyone (or multiple people) would give him so much more mental advantage today. I really miss the "no blood, no foul" style play and viscous smack talking; you had to be good and concentrate while navigating the mental and physical obstacles your opponent threw at you. Now you just decide where you feel comfortable shooting from or dunking effectively unopposed it feels like. I definitely feel it in the pacing and lack of energy in today's game. Even the passing game feels weak compared to say, '86 Celtics/Lakers. To be fair, maybe I'm just romanticizing an era of my youth with rose colored glasses, but now that I live in Minneapolis and go to live games, I'm just not feeling it for basketball the way I did watching on TV in the sticks. But hockey and football still do it for me mostly the way they used to (I do miss hockey bench clearing brawls with goalie fights like the Flyers/Caps game that was a melee for 2 full periods until all the players and coaches were ejected and the game ended with almost all eligible players on the ice), so I think it's really a problem with basketball.

Larry Bird made basketball ball look effortlessly. Best small forward ever. Have you guys seen videos of pistol Pete.? He was a great basketball player.

by paying off the refs I guess.... that might work half the time

these young kids just dont know

Yes, I had a Danny Ainge baseball card when I was a kid. He really didn't do much as a baseball player, but I thought it was cool to have when he joined the Celtics, my favorite team. Still, he had to be pretty good to even be on a MLB roster.

Yup. Dr. J. With his teammates holding Bird. Bird shrugged that off too. They were cool again at the next meeting. Neither of them ever autographs the photo taken of that. It was just a flash-in-the-pan. In an interview some time afterward Bird said he got into fights with his brothers too but that doesn't mean he doesn't love them and respect them. Same with Dr. J.

LeBron has never had to go into the lane against Bill Laimbeer.

@@chrisd7047 laimbeer would beat lebron to death.

@@chrisd7047 Bill would have mauled him lol

One of the greats. Dude was crazy. He'd tell professional players exactly what he was gonna do, then still do it right in their face and STILL score.

@@SRTBOAT as far as IQ and skill goes. He is one of the best for sure 💯

this is genuinely absurd, the average level today is so far above what it was back then its hard to even quantify. Larry would be good but to claim todays players have no chance stands in the face of larry himselfs opinion.

That's just the facts! 🔥👊

false. he is behind lebron and it aint close lmao

@@DavinderSingh-zr9fn he's absolutely better than lebron

@@alanela6761 lmao he isnt even close to lebron

@@DavinderSingh-zr9fn ok. If you think he's THAT much better, then he's not close to Lebron

He's right. There's no pressure, defense or smack talking and the shooters are still shitty. It's hard to get buckets when every obstacle has been removed and you're still trash. 😂

Right? Wide open shots, no traffic or contact anywhere... this is the easiest time they've ever had to get buckets, and "greats" like steph are shooting 45% and people marvel at it like it's a great accomplishment

True! I had the feeling like what was the point of even playing the video if they weren't even going to bother watching and listening to it?

Completely agree! It was so well done! I cannot recommend it enough. Even for people who aren't into basketball or sports, the human factor is more than compelling. Larry Legend and Magic is one of the most legendary modern stories of competition, rivalry and friendship that I'm aware of.

Agree they ruin reactions sometimes

The only thing that limits how effective past players could be today is that once you go back far enough, athleticism becomes an issue. But there's nothing about today's game that would be HARDER. It's just that the scoring can come from outside now, marginalizing the Hakeems and Kareems, and there weren't as many shooting specialists back in the 80s-90s. Those 12-footers are even more available now, but the coach might bench you for taking those shots instead of kicking it out.