And LeBron went to the locker room and quit on his team when they were losing. Just that action alone drops LeBron to the bottom of the barrel and out of the GOAT conversation. I am a Bird fan. My top 3 are Jordon, Magic, and Bird in no particular order.
If u were alive to watch jordan live i dont see how anyone in thhere right mind thinks lebron, thats like watching prime tyson and delousional people would wilder is better
@@jessefiordimondo154 Ever had to spend the night in traction at the hospital in an effort to unlock your spine and then, not only play, but dominate the game the next day? Cramps hurt, definitely. But, also definitely, respect due to someone who plays through it.
@@jessefiordimondo154 yeah, and also had my shinbone shattered by a car and made it to work without treatment-called being a man and a team player-things that jordan and bird know all about- lebron should look into it.
I’m 63 grew up in LA huge Laker fan. Chamberlain, West, Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, you have to respect Larry Bird. If you don’t he’ll rip your heart out and show it to you.
Man... Lebron is not a Laker... he's just a bandwagoner who jumped on the Lakers to build another superteam and chase more rings... he doesn't give a fuck's fuck about the purple and gold... that's a fact... he's not Kobe, Kareem, West, Magic, Worthy... these guys lived their whole careers with a purple and gold jersey on (Shaq didn't give a shit about Lakers as well to be completely honest)... If Lakers retire Lebron's number or something like that it would be blasphemy... seeing Lebron's (a bandwagon ring chaser with no loyalty to anyone) jersey next to Kobe's and Magic's will be a sad day for the sport of basketball... it will mean we've lost all sense of morality and loyalty and we should just close up the shop and move on... we've ruined the game completely...
@@laurogatapia3782 Not every great laker needs to have been drafted by them... be reasonable... Kareem played for the Lakers for 10 seasons (or 9 or 11... something like that) and won 5 rings with them... he is A GREAT LAKER... My point is that Lebron doesn't give a shit about the team or the jersey or the purple and gold... he's just a selfish prick that wants to tweet about his individual accomplishments and call himself the GOAT for no fucking reason...
"If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan.. If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life... I'd take Larry Bird." - Pat Riley
So true... I was born in 1990 but I've seen hours upon hours of videos on all the old superstars/GOAT candidates... Larry is a very very legit candidate for GOAT... the man was as close to unbeatable as you can get... I know Jordan is supposed to be the GOAT but think about this... Larry was the only player that Jordan himself says he was SCARY to play against... and Jordan barely faced him healthy... Larry Bird only played 5-6 healthy seasons... half his career he had pretty much a broken back and in that time he won a championship, he won an MVP, he went to the NBA Finals twice and he was still so good that people consider him a top 10 or top 5 player ever and he's still underrated... Larry Joe Bird was the scariest MF-er anyone could ever face on a basketball court...
It’s between Bird, Magic, and MJ for me. All clutch players. All with an assassin’s mentality, especially Bird & Jordan. Super competitive. Super talented. Super chess-players on the court. It wouldn’t matter what they played - they’d want to destroy you at tiddlywinks! BTW - Bird is the ONLY NBA player to get the best of MJ. 6-0 in the playoffs, and 17-11 overall. No one else can say that. It makes you wonder….
For me it's bird because he did what he did without the athleticism as the others while also telling them that he was going to do it. Who would have put up their own numbers if they were telling the other team what they were going to do
LeBron is more athletic, yes. But to me, it is because of Larry’s heart and clutch play that he was better. People already mentioned Pat Riley’s quote about Jordan and Bird taking shots to win the game and save his life, respectively. He brought LeBron to Miami as President for the Heat. He also coached Kareem, Magic, and Worthy, 3 of the most clutch players ever. Keep that in mind. Bird played with the back, yes. He also returned in a playoff game, down 18, and had 17 pts, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the 4th to win the game. With a broken cheekbone, concussion, and double vision. That’s the guy I want on my team at crunch time…….
I agree. Another reason I pick him over LeBron is because he is also a much better free throw shooter. He is a better rebounder and a better passer also, but free throws win championships.
He was just stupid great in every facetof the game(maybe some weaker spots on D lol). Even being from Boston and watching his entire career, I have a tough time calling him *the* GOAT, but he's on the Mt Rushmore/tottem pole without a doubt. And, for me, LeBron isn't. Too much quit in his tin man heart. If he had a warriors heart? Pshhhh, that GOAT conversation would be very, very different I think. His talent and skill are ridiculous.
One thing that’s really overlooked is the fact that he played basketball while suffering. You can not see it but when he hurt his back, he was plagued with extreme pain. It’s been compared to as like having your fingers caught in a door while playing. Apparently his spine would slip and cause extreme pain. He also got elbowed in the face and suffered double vision… And he still played. This double vision lasted into his following game, where you can tell because he is wearing those special glasses/goggles. Team doctors would tell him that he could leave because his injuries were bad enough to bench him… And still he played. I wouldn’t have ever been able to endure that kind of pain. That is why Bird only played 13 seasons.. some mad respect there.
Larry dominated the most talented era in NBA history. 9 years of being the best player in the league until the surgeries on both feet. 2 years of domination after a back injury so serious it would have made most players retire immediately. Even after his surgeries he was still an all star and triple double machine for his last 2 years. Oh yeah,he was the most clutch player EVER!
I'm still a youngster but I respectfully Just Disagree. I do not think Larry Bird was Superior to Michael Jordan. I mean just best all-around. I'm basing everything on people like you, sure on the web and just people in life along with UA-cam videos. Larry Legend is very underrated Imo
I’d argue MJ dominated the most talented era of the nba. I’d also argue that MJ was just as clutch, had the same kind of ridiculous basketball IQ, but was also a ridiculous athletic freak of nature. Larry was great, and definitely in the conversation of top 5 or top 10 players, but there is no conversation about MJ being the best ever - unless you’re biased.
@@uchihadayne6506 There's a reason Jordan didn't win until Bird and Magic were gone. I'm not hating on MJ,he really was the 2nd greatest athlete to play in the NBA. He is definitely on the GOAT list that only has 5 other guys on it. But close examination of Bird's skill set and contributions to the team game of basketball make him my pick as best basketball player ever.
@@targetservicer2221 yeah, the reason is he was a rookie and didn’t have a complete game. Or any other pieces around him when the ease coast had stacked pistons and Celtic rosters. If you don’t think the bulls, even with their worst team, wouldn’t have won championships against the Celtics or Lakers, or any other team, you’re sorely mistaken.
@@uchihadayne6506 but MJ's bulls did play Celtics in playoffs in '86 and '87. In '86 MJ scored 63 points in a playoff game which is still playoff scoring record. In '87 he made it to all NBA first team, and very next year he won regular season MVP. So you can't say MJ was still not good enough when he played Celtics in playoffs. And you know how many games, not series - games, his Bulls won in those 2 series? Zero.
Bird had more overall skill than any player and the best mind to ever play. He did everything top notch with zero holes in his game and made his teammates better. Taking a team of nobody’s to 33-0 in college is the best achievement in sports history. Here’s the tell. If Lebron had Birds body he wouldn’t be what he is. If bird had kedroms body he would own the record book. He had to be more talented to get his shot off and had the widest array of shot making ability. Maybe not the best as far as being able to bully someone to the hole or jump over people but more overall skill than any of em. If I had to start a team today I’m taking bird over everybody
Quick injury list for Larry. He broke his shooting hand playing baseball in college. People said he really lost his touch after that. He came back to finish three separate games with broken bones in his face. One with a concussion so bad he was seeing triple for weeks, and one where he single handedly made up a 30 point deficit. He finished a game with a broken back. Injured his back so badly working at his mom's house that it shortened his career. The next year he still won MVP, but spent the rest of his career with progressively worse back problems to the point he was in traction for hours every day just to take enough edge off so he could dress himself. 89 he had surgery on both feet. Dude spent his entire career in pain, and still had more hustle than any three guys, still was always at the top of MVP votes, still literally gave his opponents nightmares. Larry was a bad man.
He broke/ twisted/ mangled his right index finger in a Softball game. A bunch of Birds friends talked him into playing in a softball game and Larry's Brother shows up playing for the other team. Bird broke his finger going all out while trying to rob his brother of a hit. Bird went to the hospital and they took an X-Ray but no one there was qualified to read it. When a Doctor saw the X-Ray he summoned Bird immediately for surgery. Bird was hunting mushrooms when he was told that he needed to get to the hospital. The used everything in the book to try to fix it. Eventually the Celtics heard about the injury, looked at the finger and determined it was no good. Red Auerbach gave Bird a ball and watched him shoot and pass and then signed him to the biggest rookie contract in NBA history (at the time) Everything else is correct. The baseball game he played in was another story in which he collided with his own catcher going after a foul ball. oddsportsstories.com/2020/04/20/larry-bird-the-greatest-college-baseball-player-ever/
@@adamr6794 my friend, you just won the award for best replier of the year. I was wondering if anyone else knew about this. You saved me from typing it out. Super cool to see Larry do it live not highlights.
That's exactly why I have him as my GOAT. More than half his career was played after that back injury and he still accomplished what he did. Not to mention that the guy most people say is the GOAT, Michael Jordan, has a losing record in the regular season against Bird AND he never beat Bird in the playoffs while he was a player. The supposed GOAT is 0-6 vs Bird in the playoffs... 🧹🧹
Thank u so much for your comment my friend..LARRY IS ONE OF TNE GOATS NO DOUBT..TO ME HES THE GOAT CUZ HES SUCH AN ALL AROUND PLAYER AND HE'S NOT AFRAID TO THROW HANDS 😉
Probably the most entertaining player ever and an amazing team man. Tough as nails with a strange grace and the intelligence and clutch genes of an assassin.
There was another Celtic that was better. More entertaining than Bird. Actually hated because of the way he played the game. He was the first true artist of basketball. ua-cam.com/video/tG2sJIJ9G84/v-deo.html
Bird was a KILLER, bro. You can't just knock him down, you gotta kill him. Dude broke his FACE and came back into the game. He was helping the Celtics beat teams when his back was so bad he could only play in 5-8 minutes at a time. GREATEST trash talker in league history. Simply having him on the floor was a 10 point advantage for the Celtics. When he was on 100, he was unstoppable. When he was mad he was unguardable. He was a 6'9" small forward that could play the 3 and the 4. If he played in this era, he could play the 5. He could shoot ANY shot with EITHER hand. He was like a boxer telling you which punch and which hand he was gonna throw, but you STILL couldn't defend yourself.
Speaking of Larry not being very muscular, one of my favorite quotes told by Kevin McHale, is when Larry pointed out Anthony Mason and how muscular he was. "Hey Kevin, look at all those muscles!" And Anthony flexes. "Yeah all those muscles aren't going to help you." What a savage Larry was! But here's one of the things that sets Larry apart from all the others: he not only trashed talked but he said what he was going to do before he did it. And not just small stuff like "I'm probably gonna make a basket". No he said things to entire teams telling them what he was going to do to them, and then he'd do it. He'd tell the best players in the league they weren't good enough and then he'd prove it! You simply DO NOT do that if you're not good enough to back up your talk, especially to the best players in the world. Otherwise you'd be laughed out of the arena and no one would ever take you seriously or give you respect. In my eyes if someone can do that consistently and earn the undying respect of all those great players, even the ones he trashed and brawled with, that man is truly a candidate as #1 all time. Because he is actually that good!
And he was doing that to everyone, including the best defenders in the league. Also, people don't realize that, while Bird was defined, he was very strong. He was just country strong. That "raised in a farm" strong you get from just working sun-up to sun-down since you are 3 years old.
How can you not say Larry is a GOAT? He's a true GOAT. Today's game is no where near Larry's days. Breathe on someone it's a foul. Larry played with a career ending back injury in 85. And he still made all those records! He played hurt. All these highlights Larry's playing with back pain. The dr said Larry lost stability in his back. The dr said it was like someone slamming your fingers in a car door and keeps smashing it. Larry played thru that without pain meds. He even injured his orbital arch. I think in the game against the Pacers. Larry said “When I hit the floor, I thought I broke my jaw, because I couldn’t move my mouth. I was in a lot of pain, but I could hear the crowd out there and I thought, ‘I can’t leave those guys out there all by themselves.'” Then he came back & dominated.
Lebron himself is a big fan of Larry Legend. I agree with you, if they could compete today, they would be pushing each other to greatness. That's what great players do to each other.
Born 76 myself, Larry Bird's career started when I was in kindergarten to a year before my graduation and grade 11. We were damn lucky to live through the 80s and early 90s with that level of skill and talent in the league.
I have Bird at #2 after Jordan. If Bird had Jordan's freakish athletic gifts, no one could come close to Bird. When you beat Moses Malone, Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Olajuwon, and Sampson in the Finals for your titles, you're easily one of the greatest ever.
235-13.... Reminds me of the Dr. J fight when Bird kept track of the scoring difference between the two superstars. The difference peaked at 42-6, at which time Bird threw in the Doctor should just retire! You can stay in your pro Labron lane all you want... But you put the challenge forward.... 235.... To 13... Hmmm maybe trying to tell you something....
I went to school with James Worthy from 1977 to 1979 at Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, NC. He was amazing then. His dad was one of my coaches on the football team.
Its just so hard to say... I think he is definitely "One of the 'GOATS.' " I am not trying to sound like i am picking a disagreement with you, but.... Lebron has shown he is not strong mentally as a player at times. With the way Bird got into people's heads (including All-Stars), he would mentally destroy him. I like the Charles Barkley Quote: "God made Bird slow to make it fair." (Something like that....I was too lazy to Google. It is Friday)
Not sure why I've never thought about Larry _playing_ LeBron and trash talking. Gahd... hahaha haha ha haha hahaha oh he'd be MAD mad and pull himself early and probably head to the locker room.
@@RAHONLYFAM I think you need to understand that the narrator wasn't stating his own opinion, you were making crazy faces at what he said, but he was being objective the point was to make the case for Bird. He has a whole series called "Making the Case" where he takes a player and makes the case of why they're the greatest of all time, he did one for MJ and Magic too
I think Bird was the greatest. there are few players that in my opinion rank in the top 5. to be the best in my mind requires you being the best in most if not all areas. bird was so good he was a great player, coach , and executive. what other top 5 can match that.
The greatest athlete I ever saw play basketball was Michael Jordan. But the best basketball player I ever saw was Larry Bird. A lot of folks make the argument that Bird shouldn't be considered for the GOAT because he wasn't very athletic. Actually, that's exactly why he should be...
I was alive back then. I watched Larry legend, I watched Magic (from michigan we watched Magic in the late 70's in college) and I watched your whole video from beginning to end. THANK YOU for giving the respect. Hard to gage players from different time periods but Larry is for sure one of the Greatest. Up there with MJ, Lebron, and Kobe. Larry was a complete player. He only played 13 seasons but what a beautiful 13 seasons. He made Magic better and Magic made Larry better. I'm suscribing to your channel. Great video my man.
I definitely had Bird in the top 7. Bron is more athletic but not in the top 5 as Bird has so many more angles to his greatness that lebron is still looking for.. He's real but he's trying to claim a spot that actual LEGENDS own.
@@DrFonzo I guess with Larry being a passing guru big man, it's livable. Still...gotta go with Magic. He can honestly do everything Stockton can...and is a nightmare matchup. Trade Tim for Karl, and the teammate knowledge of one another makes Stockton a wise choice. 😊
Bird and Rodman are 2 psycho workhorses that I'd want to be the basis of a team. Shaq or Wiltin the big man slot. Jordan and Kobe can round out the team.
His career averages were 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 897 regular season games. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, finished 2nd three times, and was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games. Also 59 career triple-doubles. All this in the era of Magic, Jordan, Dr.J., Kareem,Moses Malone, Isiah Thomas etc. Not bad for a kid from French Lick, Indiana.
The reason he didn't get the quadruple double, was, because he opted not to. He saw no reason to do it because they were destroying the other team and he was not motivated by records. He played the last 7 seasons with a completely destroyed spine, which required him to get treatment before games, just so he could move(this is why he was unathletic, slow and could not jump). The season he was not an all star was because he was ineligible, because he only played 5 games that season. Essentially, he was 12 for 12.
Larry Bird Is My Greatest Player Of All Time And Here's My Top 5 Greatest Players, 1) Larry Bird 2) Magic Johnson 3) Dr. J 4) Kareem Abdul Jabbar 5) Wilt Chamberlain
As a rookie in 1980, Bird won the Rookie of the Year award and finished 4th in the MVP voting. Then his finishes in the MVP voting for the next 8 years were: 1981: 2nd 1982: 2nd 1983: 2nd 1984: MVP 1985: MVP 1986: MVP 1987: 3rd 1988: 2nd So he not only won 3 straight MVPs, but in his first 9 years in the league, he also finished runner-up 4 times, third once, and fourth once. His career was diminished and cut short by injuries, but before that, he was unquestionably the best player in the league. And I say that as a Laker fan whose favorite players were Magic and Kareem...
Larry would catapult any team into a championship team. Look at the Celtics before he came to them. If you build a team and Bird isn't 1 of your top 5 players. You have issues. Larry schooled all the greats in that era. Few players could play in any era and still be awesome. Hes definitely 1 that would. His heart is immeasurable. He played always to win!!!! No fear, just game!!!! He drove me nuts. I wasn't a Celtics fan at ALL!!! But im a fan of the amazing. Bird, brother you were amazing!!!
I watched pretty heavily in the 80s. Cedric Maxwell was the second-best star-player on the 84 championship team that beat the Lakers (McHale still young). In 1985, he was hurt (knee) and in the playoffs he could barely jump - that's why they lost the finals to the Lakers that year. Red got pissed at what he perceived was not enough work from Maxwell to recover quicker. In 1986, he traded Maxwell for Walton and they won the championship against Houston, but that team had talked all year long about beating the Lakers. In 1987, Walton went down for the whole year and Robert Parish went down in the finals against the Lakers. The Lakers won in like six. Also, McHale played the whole year on a broken foot to the detriment of his career. So I don't really hold Bird accountable for going 1-2 against Magic in the Finals. Not sure why the guy making the case blamed the 1-2 record on Worthy/Kareem being better than McHale/Parish. Parish, while not as good as Kareem, was still a good matchup against Kareem and McHale was better than Worthy (IMO). Injuries to Bird himself after that really doomed his ever getting back to the Finals. It was frustrating to watch, he would have to lie on his stomach when he wasn't in the game at some points because his back hurt so much. They would have fixed that back in a single off-season these days.
Saw you shaking your head when he said that Bird saved basketball. You have to remember that basketball during the 80s and 90s was a new mainstream sport that was televised internationally. Teams NEEDED crazy athletic scorers to not only get on TV but to sell tickets to games. People weren't even thinking about going to games or buying jerseys back then. Bird, Magic, Isiah, Ewing, MJ, etc were the draw. It was their show and no one was going to take that away from them.
I'm a Chicago boy so I've always said Michael is probably the GOAT, but I could never say it with conviction because he never beat Larry legend. If you ask is Bird top 5 that question insults my intelligence. The real question is he the GOAT???? Tough to say, my top 5 - Michael, Larry, Magic, Kareem, Wilt. No disrespect to Lebron or Kobe, they just played in a different era. Shout out to Oscar!
Kareem Abdul's Sky Hook. It's the most unstoppable shot in the history of basketball. We can contribute the college rule of no dunking when he played that created his hook shot. Did you know when he played College freshmen weren't eligible to play until sophomore yr. UCLA had a tradition that before the season began there would be a game between freshmen class and the varsity team. UCLA varsity was the defending NCAA Champions. The Champions returned their starting 5 from previous year. The freshmen lead by Kareem Abdul Jabbar ( know as Lew Alcindor before he became Muslim and changed his name ) and feisty Lucius Allen ( later became a pro ) destroyed UCLA NCAA defending champs. Kareem was so dominant that the rule of no dunking was basically made because of him. Hence he developed the hook. ✌️
Young man, I'm 48 and was blessed to watch the nba ar this time. It was a different time and the game was played by men. No blood no call!!! They played with heart for the love of the game. It was about pride of the team you played for. No days it's all about the money. Just my opinion, right or wrong. Mush respect to you on how you objectively looked at this tape.
Larry really raised the level of all his teammates. Put Mchale , Ainge, Dennis Johnson or Parrish on other teams they would probably be after thoughts. The season before bird entered the league Boston won 29 games. Birds rookie season they Won 61.
You need to watch the one with his back Dr. What he played through was incredible itself. I think he also finished 1 or 2 in the MVP voting for like 9 straight years.
In 1986, the Eastern Conference had 4 teams playing over 600% with Boston @ 720 The Western Conference had only 2 teams over 600% with the Lakers @ 793 Good reason why the Lakers ended up in the Finals more than anyone else at the time, because the tougher teams were in the East.
They say when he found about Magic that for the 1st time he didn't want to play that night & he cried! I was alive to see it! Loved him. LeBron had to leave for a cramp!! Bird shattered his face & came back to win the game.
First of all, I'm a 61 year old white male, I graduated in 1978. Never saw him in person but on TV as much as I could. I live in San Antonio, you know how to do the math. I've personally met The Iceman, the big dawg, the rifleman, and a couple other players. OH,lest I forget, The Admiral. My question is this, what if The Hick and The King played with/against each other? The league would Definitely be different, don't ya think? Thanks for posting and commenting on this. Nothing but Respect
'GOAT' is an idea invented by people who love to argue. Folks like Bird and Magic and Lebron don't like to argue, they like to _play._ Forget all this GOAT b.s., and salute _all_ of basketball history's fantastic artists. Also: I can't wait until America progresses to the point where skin colour isn't the _first_ label we put on a player. B.B. should remain that special community where merit & talent is the only thing that matters, and friendship & respect transcend DNA heritage - like Larry & Earvin showed us so well.
Lebron is an actor, he gets poked in the eye or has a cramp and falls to the floor like he broke his ankle. It's ridiculous how basketball is played today. Larry Bird played with blood dripping from his face and broken bones. Larry Bird prime vs Lebron prime no doubt I would take Larry Bird even with a sprained ankle.
My top 10: 1(a) Larry Bird, 2(b) Michael Jordan, 3 Bill Russell, 4 John Stockton, 5 Tim Duncan, 6 Julius Erving, 7 Kevin McHale, 8;James Worthy, 9 Karl Malone, 10 Dirk Nowitski
During the port at the end, where Magic Johnson is talking on microphone to Larry Bird, and causing my friend, they didn’t show what magic was wearing under his warm-up jacket. I’ve seen it one time on UA-cam but he’s wearing a number 33 Celtics jersey under the warm-up jacket, that’s called true friendship.
I would build my all-time team around Larry Bird. The single most-devastating clutch player in NBA history. My starting 5: Alan Iverson, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Wilt Chamberlain. Funny thing is, though... I can produce five or six different starting 5's with so many great players that is truly is nothing but personal opinion. Think of the players NOT on the list above... Kobe, LeBron, Hakeem, Julius, Kareem, Bill, Steph, Stockton, Duncan, Barkley, Robertson, etc...
bron would have pushed larry to be better, larry would have pushed bron and laughed when he flopped. joking but ....kinda facts. i was born in 80 so i watched the later part of bird's career through my childhood and always loved his game. his work ethic and heart were unmatched, and his court iq was a thing of brilliance to watch. my top 3 list hasnt changed since the 90s. 1. jordan 2. bird 3. magic the one things highlight reels dont show is the overall dominance throughout the entire game that all of the greats were able to accomplish.
The most compelling portion of the video's persuasive argument is: -- Lakers three Hall-of-Fame superstars -vs- Celtics three Hall-of-Fame superstars. Magic vs. Bird; Abdul-Jabbar vs. Parish; Worthy vs. McHale. All six of these players are NBA All-Time Top 50 but only three could arguably be top 10 discussion: Magic, Bird and Abdul-Jabbar. Worthy, the #1 pick in 1982, shot 58% his rookie year and 62% in the 1985 playoffs vs. Celtics. This created a Ford vs. Ferrari matchup and offensively became Bird vs Magic-Kareem-Worthy. (With all due respect to Dennis Johnson) The Finals outcomes were very close but Addul-Jabbar's sky-hook and Worthy's youth and athleticism proved insurmountable. Add Magic's incredible assists (and one notable sky-hook) the Lakers became unbeatable. Despite this advantage the Celtics held their ground. In the three Finals it was 2 -1 Lakers but very nearly was 2 - 1 Celtics. In 1986 Bird won his third consecutive league MVP and the Celtics selected Len Bias #2 in the NBA draft. This could have been the Celtics equivalent to Lakers #1 Worthy but fate and tragedy intervened, Bias died from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose. Cocaine in the 80's robbed us all of a talented young man in Len Bias. As Bird said, it was a cruel loss.
Grew up in Boston during Bird era. Birds body broke down after 89 so he only had 10 great years. There are more exciting players, but Magic & bird transcend the game; they would dominate in any era. I do think that Jordan is the best ever, but Bird & Magic made other players around them so much better. And, I don't think there is any better clutch players than Larry and Magic. My top 7 (positions excluded): Jordan, Labron, Bird, Magic, Russell, Kareem, Wilt. Obviously I respect other opinions, but the defense was just nasty back then. Most underrated players: Ice man Gervin, Isaiah Thomas & Hakeem
Top: Walter Davis, Ralph Sampson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley, Moses Malone, Bill Lambier Middle: Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale Bottom: Akeem Olajuwon, George Gervin, Dennis Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, Mark Agguire, Sidney Moncrief
Bird was the Batman of the NBA. He was always several moves ahead of the competition, best clutch shooter of all-time, #2 all-time with winning percentage (Jordan is #40), he had the passing gift, and he could beat you more ways than just shooting. Jordan was dangerous when he had the ball. Bird was always dangerous - with or without the ball.
The Bird-Magic story is Epic. Almost Faerie Tale like. Team loyalty and basketball morals are what made this possible and will never be duplicated. Too much team jumping now for it to ever happen again. And keeping it all about basketball without off the court distractions is another reason.
Not the goat but my absolute favorite as a kid. Hes a top 10 player ever and so so so much fun to think about, to talk about, and to argue about. Very unique guy
I’m glad you can see the talent, the intelligence and all around greatness of Larry Bird. I’ve been watching basketball since the late 60s. I was a Knicks fan, but never missed a moment to watch Larry Bird play. I also watched every Magic Johnson game I could. But I think something important to consider, is that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were doing these things over 30 years ago. LeBron has been the beneficiary of all kinds of medical advancements, and the game is certainly not as rough and tough as it was in the 80s. So I just don’t see LeBron as committed to winning as Larry Bird was - LeBron doesn’t play hurt - Not even a little hurt, LeBron doesn’t play when his feelings are hurt. And to say Larry’s not athletic, look at everything he achieved… you don’t do that without being athletic. So my top three are Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson. Regardless of ranking, I just have to say what absolute joy they all brought to my life.
(left to right / top to bottom) Walter Davis, Ralph Sampson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley, Moses Malone, Bill Laimbeer, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkens, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale, Hakeem Olajuwon, George Gervin, Dennis Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Mark Aguirre, Sidney Moncrief.
DAMN.. I missed Walter Davis (i thought Bernard King), Adrian Dantley (is said Vinnie Johnson but I knew I was wrong), Dennis Johnson (I knew it was him but forgot his name) and Sidney Moncrief I didnt recognize at all.. wow good eye.. I saw Barkley under Aguirre and maybe Craig Ehlo also?
It's like Pat Riley said if I had to pick a guy to win a game he picked Michael Jordan but if he had to take a guy to shoot the ball to win a game for his life he picked Larry Bird that's a great coach telling you right there who he thinks is better
@@RAHONLYFAM True, however he more than made up for it with his absolutely superior IQ and drive. I played pro soccer and I know all about playing without the ball, how crucial it is. Bird could teach any pro soccer player how to play without the ball. That's how he loses his defenders and gets pen shots. His brain was absolutely off the charts, just looks at his passes when he is not even a guard!!
@@RAHONLYFAM You don't realize that Bird basically broke his back in 1985... Dan Dyrek, Bird’s orthopedic therapist, explained in a UA-cam video. “Larry Bird, the superstar, out there breaking his back, literally, shoveling gravel. And that was the beginning of a process.” From then on, the forward was never the same. As Dyrek explained, Bird’s back would slip out of alignment and lock into abnormal positions, trying to create some stability. While the pain could be managed for a few hours at a time, allowing Larry Legend to hit the court, the issues lingered. Even surgery couldn’t completely return the star to his best. “Every time I would play, I was wondering if I was gonna be in a wheelchair,” Bird explained. “Was I ever going to be able to, you know, walk on the beach or hold my kids?” How fast do you think you could run with a broken back? On top of that, Bird played the 1988 season with bone spurs in both feet... while putting up the best numbers of his career!! 29.9 ppg, 52 FG%, 92 FT%, 9 rpg, 6 apg
My top team; Kareem, center, Bill Russell, power forward, Larry, small forward, Pete Maravich, shooting guard, Kevin McHale, 6th man and Jason Williams guard.
Rating a GOAT is tremendously subjective. There are so many factors to consider: fundamental skills, athleticism, basketball IQ, mental toughness, era, draft team, mentoring and coaching. Does the NBA past have a precedent? Bill Russell had incredible fundamentals and technique. Wilt Chamberlain was physically dominant and scored 100 in one game. Russell and Chamberlain both played in the same era. Russell had 11 NBA Championships. Chamberlain only had 2. My GOAT list follows the Russell vs Chamberlain precedent. Consequently I value technical skills over physical skills at an 11:2 ratio. The next criteria is mental toughness and the psychological resolve to win "at all cost". Kobe called it the Mamba mentality. Kobe and Michael Jordan had the strongest, most effective mental focus I've ever seen. Bill Russell was before my time but he must have had the same mental focus and confidence when battling Wilt. Larry Bird had a unique, effective mental focus and confidence as well. Bird used highly disciplined technique, strong mental resolve with only average physical skills and turned them into championship rings for himself and his teammates. Likewise, Bill Russel was 4-inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter than Wilt but employed a distinct mental resolve and skillset to earn eleven rings and become the Finals measure for all to follow. Was Larry Bird the GOAT? With all due respect, no. For my list Jordan is the GOAT, then Bill Russell, then Bird followed by Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron and Wilt. The criteria is physical and mental skillset strong enough to lead your team to the Finals and win. My alternate GOAT list: Wilt, LeBron, MJ, Bird and Kobe simply based on how they played the game and not all about the rings. In every statistical scenario that doesn't include rings the top three should be Jordan, LeBron, and Russell but I have to factor in Finals losses as well as mental/psych dominance. Unfortunately LeBron has the same fate as Wilt Chamberlain. They are the most physically gifted and dominant players in NBA history but somehow did not dominant in the Finals. To achieve Jordan and Bill Russell levels there cannot be NBA Finals losses. It's a very high bar and unfairly tenuous because it's solely about being the winner. #1 status based on how many rings you have. But in the 60's and 70's it wasn't about rings and big money rather is was your public image. Wilt was also a movie star and had more "beautiful female" friends than all the NBA rings ever made. For real, he was bigger than life. I've seen interviews of the retired Wilt Chamberlain and he is the nicest person ever. And LeBron is a genuine and real person whom is mentoring his son. These are great individuals equally devoted to their lives outside of basketball...is that their Achilles heal? Do you need a pinch of meanness and selfishness to dominate a sport? Would Reggie Miller or Rick Barry have success if they were not Type-A personalities with nasty chips on their shoulders? You don't have to be Bill Laimbeer but maybe must want to crush, kill and destroy your opponent 48 minutes of every night of every season you play. If it's in your personality to do so, that's fine. If not...is it worth it? There's an old Biblical saying in Mark 8: "What profit a man to gain the entire world and lose his soul." Let LeBron be LeBron and let Jordan be Jordan. Maybe two GOATs is ok and maybe three GOATS if we include Bill Russell and the quest for eleven rings. Bird won 3 Finals and lost 2. But his will to win and his mental dominance put him at a level of competition that has no peer. It's a cliché but Bird did more to motivate his teammates to win than any other Finals champion has ever done. Kobe did it too but in a different way...a non-verbal, lead by excellence way. It's a shame that Kobe's mental strength didn't help improve Shaq's free-throws because Shaq is top 5 if he could just make some free-throws. Kobe had great success and his combined skill levels are the closest to Jordan's that I've ever seen. LeBron comes very, very close but not enough rings to match Jordan. It's all good though. Why does Jordan stand alone as the true GOAT? Jordan's six rings didn't surpass Bill Russell's eleven, but the eras need to have some sort of factoring. Could Russell repeat 11 rings today? No. Back in Russel's day the league had only a handful of superstar athletes. In today's NBA the entire league is full of world class athletes. The two eras are just too different to compare and it is improbable if not impossible that anyone today, even Bill Russell, could get 11 rings in this modern, highly athletic NBA era. If anyone could have won like Russell it should have been LeBron James. He has all the skills and attributes but his destiny is similar to Wilt's. Wilt Chamberlain, the most physically gifted player of his era and only player to score 100 points in a single game, only won 2 rings in 6 Finals appearances while the smaller Bill Russell won eleven. Likewise, LeBron only got 4 wins out of 10 Finals. LeBron exceeds Wilt's 2 Finals but that does not create a clear path to GOAT. Why not? What are the intangibles? Did smaller players like Russell have to develop a stronger mental strategy in addition to being a highly skilled and motivated ball player? I don't know. The dawn of the modern era was ushered in by Magic and Bird. Bird's physical attributes were ordinary but his mental skills, work ethic, court vision and ability to motivate teammates expanded his game above any other in NBA history. His unique ability on a 6' 9" frame created the third greatest NBA player I've ever seen. And the NBA eras are set to change yet again with players like LeBron and Curry becoming the old guard. Younger, faster players are entering the league from all over the world and from sources other than college basketball. The NBA is changing to even higher athleticism and a 7' 5" Frenchman named Wembanyama is waiting in the wings. How will he compare to Wilt, LeBron, MJ, Bird and Kobe? Does Wembanyama have an Achilles heal and will Bill Russel's untouchable 11 rings be challenged, ever?
Lebron had a cramp. Crying and being carried off. Bird had a broken cheek bone, but returned to the game to win it... You tell me...
And LeBron went to the locker room and quit on his team when they were losing. Just that action alone drops LeBron to the bottom of the barrel and out of the GOAT conversation. I am a Bird fan. My top 3 are Jordon, Magic, and Bird in no particular order.
Ever have a real leg cramp...
If u were alive to watch jordan live i dont see how anyone in thhere right mind thinks lebron, thats like watching prime tyson and delousional people would wilder is better
@@jessefiordimondo154 Ever had to spend the night in traction at the hospital in an effort to unlock your spine and then, not only play, but dominate the game the next day?
Cramps hurt, definitely. But, also definitely, respect due to someone who plays through it.
@@jessefiordimondo154 yeah, and also had my shinbone shattered by a car and made it to work without treatment-called being a man and a team player-things that jordan and bird know all about- lebron should look into it.
I’m 63 grew up in LA huge Laker fan. Chamberlain, West, Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, you have to respect Larry Bird. If you don’t he’ll rip your heart out and show it to you.
Man... Lebron is not a Laker... he's just a bandwagoner who jumped on the Lakers to build another superteam and chase more rings... he doesn't give a fuck's fuck about the purple and gold... that's a fact... he's not Kobe, Kareem, West, Magic, Worthy... these guys lived their whole careers with a purple and gold jersey on (Shaq didn't give a shit about Lakers as well to be completely honest)...
If Lakers retire Lebron's number or something like that it would be blasphemy... seeing Lebron's (a bandwagon ring chaser with no loyalty to anyone) jersey next to Kobe's and Magic's will be a sad day for the sport of basketball... it will mean we've lost all sense of morality and loyalty and we should just close up the shop and move on... we've ruined the game completely...
My Father would have said "He'll pull your eyeballs out and show em' to you"
And look dead at you when he did..
@@sportschool3537 Kareem?
He didn't start as a Laker.
@@laurogatapia3782 Not every great laker needs to have been drafted by them... be reasonable... Kareem played for the Lakers for 10 seasons (or 9 or 11... something like that) and won 5 rings with them... he is A GREAT LAKER...
My point is that Lebron doesn't give a shit about the team or the jersey or the purple and gold... he's just a selfish prick that wants to tweet about his individual accomplishments and call himself the GOAT for no fucking reason...
Bird would psychologically destroy lebron in the first playoff series against each other
If only, we had the medical we have today, during the top peak of NBA, we would have even more amazing games.
Emotional fouls LOL
People are such pussies these days. Larry would get cancelled by the Twitter mafia because his trash talk would be considered racist.
Despite the fact that those he shit talked were some of his best friends
@@stevenphillips6127 Impossible....Twitter founders like Bird so much that the little blue twitter Bird is named after Larry.
"If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save a game I'd choose Michael Jordan.. If I had to choose a player to take a shot to save my life... I'd take Larry Bird." - Pat Riley
You forgot to mention that Pat Riley was the coach of the LA Lakers while Jordan was on the team.
HELL YA !!! SO TRUE..LARRY IS THE BEST CLUTCH PLAYER EVER!!!!!
@@andidreyes5323 😳🤦🏻
When was Jordan a Laker?
@@ChiefBones Your right...m'bad...Chicago Bulls. It's trying to recall my childhood. Thanks.
“I didn’t see it, therefore it didn’t happen.” - Young fans
So true... I was born in 1990 but I've seen hours upon hours of videos on all the old superstars/GOAT candidates... Larry is a very very legit candidate for GOAT... the man was as close to unbeatable as you can get... I know Jordan is supposed to be the GOAT but think about this... Larry was the only player that Jordan himself says he was SCARY to play against... and Jordan barely faced him healthy... Larry Bird only played 5-6 healthy seasons... half his career he had pretty much a broken back and in that time he won a championship, he won an MVP, he went to the NBA Finals twice and he was still so good that people consider him a top 10 or top 5 player ever and he's still underrated...
Larry Joe Bird was the scariest MF-er anyone could ever face on a basketball court...
@@sportschool3537 Larry is the only person that won league MVP, Coach of the year, and executive of the year!
@@davejeanmougin3341 I know... but we're rating him as a player... not a coach or an executive...
@@sportschool3537 I was born in 1958...lol...here enjoy.......ua-cam.com/video/tG2sJIJ9G84/v-deo.html
It’s between Bird, Magic, and MJ for me. All clutch players. All with an assassin’s mentality, especially Bird & Jordan. Super competitive. Super talented. Super chess-players on the court. It wouldn’t matter what they played - they’d want to destroy you at tiddlywinks! BTW - Bird is the ONLY NBA player to get the best of MJ. 6-0 in the playoffs, and 17-11 overall. No one else can say that. It makes you wonder….
Hakeem can
Not playoff wise.
Never see a drream team like that again
MJ and Bird were the best. Kobe and lebron have a lot of weaknesses in their game. You can make the argument for Hakeem too
For me it's bird because he did what he did without the athleticism as the others while also telling them that he was going to do it. Who would have put up their own numbers if they were telling the other team what they were going to do
@@uchihadayne6506 ua-cam.com/video/tG2sJIJ9G84/v-deo.html
LeBron is more athletic, yes. But to me, it is because of Larry’s heart and clutch play that he was better. People already mentioned Pat Riley’s quote about Jordan and Bird taking shots to win the game and save his life, respectively. He brought LeBron to Miami as President for the Heat. He also coached Kareem, Magic, and Worthy, 3 of the most clutch players ever. Keep that in mind. Bird played with the back, yes. He also returned in a playoff game, down 18, and had 17 pts, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the 4th to win the game. With a broken cheekbone, concussion, and double vision. That’s the guy I want on my team at crunch time…….
I agree. Another reason I pick him over LeBron is because he is also a much better free throw shooter. He is a better rebounder and a better passer also, but free throws win championships.
Larry is top 5 for sure.
You had to be there to understand, I rooted against him every time. But at the end of the day, best I've ever seen.
He was just stupid great in every facetof the game(maybe some weaker spots on D lol). Even being from Boston and watching his entire career, I have a tough time calling him *the* GOAT, but he's on the Mt Rushmore/tottem pole without a doubt.
And, for me, LeBron isn't. Too much quit in his tin man heart. If he had a warriors heart? Pshhhh, that GOAT conversation would be very, very different I think. His talent and skill are ridiculous.
Just say’n, Bird doesn’t have memes disrespectful of his reputation as a pussy. Cuz he’d fuck you up if we made them….. unlike Le Bron.
One thing that’s really overlooked is the fact that he played basketball while suffering. You can not see it but when he hurt his back, he was plagued with extreme pain. It’s been compared to as like having your fingers caught in a door while playing. Apparently his spine would slip and cause extreme pain.
He also got elbowed in the face and suffered double vision… And he still played. This double vision lasted into his following game, where you can tell because he is wearing those special glasses/goggles.
Team doctors would tell him that he could leave because his injuries were bad enough to bench him… And still he played.
I wouldn’t have ever been able to endure that kind of pain. That is why Bird only played 13 seasons.. some mad respect there.
Larry Bird would take Le Bron to the cleaners absolutely annihilate him
Lebron's mental toughness has been questioned, but imagine if he had Bird in his head. It would be epic to see that unfold.
Larry dominated the most talented era in NBA history. 9 years of being the best player in the league until the surgeries on both feet. 2 years of domination after a back injury so serious it would have made most players retire immediately. Even after his surgeries he was still an all star and triple double machine for his last 2 years. Oh yeah,he was the most clutch player EVER!
I'm still a youngster but I respectfully Just Disagree. I do not think Larry Bird was Superior to Michael Jordan. I mean just best all-around. I'm basing everything on people like you, sure on the web and just people in life along with UA-cam videos. Larry Legend is very underrated Imo
I’d argue MJ dominated the most talented era of the nba. I’d also argue that MJ was just as clutch, had the same kind of ridiculous basketball IQ, but was also a ridiculous athletic freak of nature. Larry was great, and definitely in the conversation of top 5 or top 10 players, but there is no conversation about MJ being the best ever - unless you’re biased.
@@uchihadayne6506 There's a reason Jordan didn't win until Bird and Magic were gone. I'm not hating on MJ,he really was the 2nd greatest athlete to play in the NBA. He is definitely on the GOAT list that only has 5 other guys on it. But close examination of Bird's skill set and contributions to the team game of basketball make him my pick as best basketball player ever.
@@targetservicer2221 yeah, the reason is he was a rookie and didn’t have a complete game. Or any other pieces around him when the ease coast had stacked pistons and Celtic rosters. If you don’t think the bulls, even with their worst team, wouldn’t have won championships against the Celtics or Lakers, or any other team, you’re sorely mistaken.
@@uchihadayne6506 but MJ's bulls did play Celtics in playoffs in '86 and '87. In '86 MJ scored 63 points in a playoff game which is still playoff scoring record. In '87 he made it to all NBA first team, and very next year he won regular season MVP. So you can't say MJ was still not good enough when he played Celtics in playoffs. And you know how many games, not series - games, his Bulls won in those 2 series? Zero.
Bird had more overall skill than any player and the best mind to ever play. He did everything top notch with zero holes in his game and made his teammates better. Taking a team of nobody’s to 33-0 in college is the best achievement in sports history. Here’s the tell. If Lebron had Birds body he wouldn’t be what he is. If bird had kedroms body he would own the record book. He had to be more talented to get his shot off and had the widest array of shot making ability. Maybe not the best as far as being able to bully someone to the hole or jump over people but more overall skill than any of em. If I had to start a team today I’m taking bird over everybody
Quick injury list for Larry. He broke his shooting hand playing baseball in college. People said he really lost his touch after that. He came back to finish three separate games with broken bones in his face. One with a concussion so bad he was seeing triple for weeks, and one where he single handedly made up a 30 point deficit. He finished a game with a broken back. Injured his back so badly working at his mom's house that it shortened his career. The next year he still won MVP, but spent the rest of his career with progressively worse back problems to the point he was in traction for hours every day just to take enough edge off so he could dress himself. 89 he had surgery on both feet. Dude spent his entire career in pain, and still had more hustle than any three guys, still was always at the top of MVP votes, still literally gave his opponents nightmares. Larry was a bad man.
He broke/ twisted/ mangled his right index finger in a Softball game. A bunch of Birds friends talked him into playing in a softball game and Larry's Brother shows up playing for the other team. Bird broke his finger going all out while trying to rob his brother of a hit. Bird went to the hospital and they took an X-Ray but no one there was qualified to read it. When a Doctor saw the X-Ray he summoned Bird immediately for surgery. Bird was hunting mushrooms when he was told that he needed to get to the hospital. The used everything in the book to try to fix it. Eventually the Celtics heard about the injury, looked at the finger and determined it was no good. Red Auerbach gave Bird a ball and watched him shoot and pass and then signed him to the biggest rookie contract in NBA history (at the time) Everything else is correct. The baseball game he played in was another story in which he collided with his own catcher going after a foul ball.
oddsportsstories.com/2020/04/20/larry-bird-the-greatest-college-baseball-player-ever/
@@adamr6794 my friend, you just won the award for best replier of the year. I was wondering if anyone else knew about this. You saved me from typing it out. Super cool to see Larry do it live not highlights.
That's exactly why I have him as my GOAT. More than half his career was played after that back injury and he still accomplished what he did. Not to mention that the guy most people say is the GOAT, Michael Jordan, has a losing record in the regular season against Bird AND he never beat Bird in the playoffs while he was a player. The supposed GOAT is 0-6 vs Bird in the playoffs... 🧹🧹
Thank u so much for your comment my friend..LARRY IS ONE OF TNE GOATS NO DOUBT..TO ME HES THE GOAT CUZ HES SUCH AN ALL AROUND PLAYER AND HE'S NOT AFRAID TO THROW HANDS 😉
63-year-old Texan here, your damn straight brother.
Probably the most entertaining player ever and an amazing team man. Tough as nails with a strange grace and the intelligence and clutch genes of an assassin.
There was another Celtic that was better. More entertaining than Bird. Actually hated because of the way he played the game. He was the first true artist of basketball.
ua-cam.com/video/tG2sJIJ9G84/v-deo.html
Bird was a KILLER, bro. You can't just knock him down, you gotta kill him. Dude broke his FACE and came back into the game. He was helping the Celtics beat teams when his back was so bad he could only play in 5-8 minutes at a time. GREATEST trash talker in league history. Simply having him on the floor was a 10 point advantage for the Celtics. When he was on 100, he was unstoppable. When he was mad he was unguardable. He was a 6'9" small forward that could play the 3 and the 4. If he played in this era, he could play the 5. He could shoot ANY shot with EITHER hand. He was like a boxer telling you which punch and which hand he was gonna throw, but you STILL couldn't defend yourself.
Bird was disgustingly good... and that was when he was hurt, dont get him started when he was healtly!
There are too many greats for ONE to be the greatest of all time. I respect and love all the greats for what they brought to the sport.
Speaking of Larry not being very muscular, one of my favorite quotes told by Kevin McHale, is when Larry pointed out Anthony Mason and how muscular he was. "Hey Kevin, look at all those muscles!" And Anthony flexes. "Yeah all those muscles aren't going to help you." What a savage Larry was!
But here's one of the things that sets Larry apart from all the others: he not only trashed talked but he said what he was going to do before he did it. And not just small stuff like "I'm probably gonna make a basket". No he said things to entire teams telling them what he was going to do to them, and then he'd do it. He'd tell the best players in the league they weren't good enough and then he'd prove it! You simply DO NOT do that if you're not good enough to back up your talk, especially to the best players in the world. Otherwise you'd be laughed out of the arena and no one would ever take you seriously or give you respect.
In my eyes if someone can do that consistently and earn the undying respect of all those great players, even the ones he trashed and brawled with, that man is truly a candidate as #1 all time. Because he is actually that good!
Man, anyone who sees Larry’s quarterback passes HAS to realize Larry has muscles. He’s no weakling!
Wow well put
And he was doing that to everyone, including the best defenders in the league.
Also, people don't realize that, while Bird was defined, he was very strong. He was just country strong. That "raised in a farm" strong you get from just working sun-up to sun-down since you are 3 years old.
How can you not say Larry is a GOAT? He's a true GOAT. Today's game is no where near Larry's days. Breathe on someone it's a foul. Larry played with a career ending back injury in 85. And he still made all those records! He played hurt. All these highlights Larry's playing with back pain. The dr said Larry lost stability in his back. The dr said it was like someone slamming your fingers in a car door and keeps smashing it. Larry played thru that without pain meds. He even injured his orbital arch. I think in the game against the Pacers. Larry said “When I hit the floor, I thought I broke my jaw, because I couldn’t move my mouth. I was in a lot of pain, but I could hear the crowd out there and I thought, ‘I can’t leave those guys out there all by themselves.'” Then he came back & dominated.
I would take Bird over anybody in today's NBA. If these guys today break a nail they are out for the season
@@fan1.0 LOL True...
Lebron himself is a big fan of Larry Legend. I agree with you, if they could compete today, they would be pushing each other to greatness. That's what great players do to each other.
I’m old enough to have seen nearly 4 decades of basketball. Bird is the GOAT.
Born 76 myself, Larry Bird's career started when I was in kindergarten to a year before my graduation and grade 11.
We were damn lucky to live through the 80s and early 90s with that level of skill and talent in the league.
I have Bird at #2 after Jordan. If Bird had Jordan's freakish athletic gifts, no one could come close to Bird. When you beat Moses Malone, Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Olajuwon, and Sampson in the Finals for your titles, you're easily one of the greatest ever.
235-13.... Reminds me of the Dr. J fight when Bird kept track of the scoring difference between the two superstars. The difference peaked at 42-6, at which time Bird threw in the Doctor should just retire! You can stay in your pro Labron lane all you want... But you put the challenge forward.... 235.... To 13... Hmmm maybe trying to tell you something....
I went to school with James Worthy from 1977 to 1979 at Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, NC. He was amazing then. His dad was one of my coaches on the football team.
Its just so hard to say...
I think he is definitely "One of the 'GOATS.' "
I am not trying to sound like i am picking a disagreement with you, but....
Lebron has shown he is not strong mentally as a player at times. With the way Bird got into people's heads (including All-Stars), he would mentally destroy him.
I like the Charles Barkley Quote: "God made Bird slow to make it fair." (Something like that....I was too lazy to Google. It is Friday)
Not sure why I've never thought about Larry _playing_ LeBron and trash talking.
Gahd... hahaha haha ha haha hahaha oh he'd be MAD mad and pull himself early and probably head to the locker room.
@@Spthomas47 facts
I love basketball...and I love watching your reaction videos. Your comments are always on point.
Best reaction channel. I started watching ball in 92 and appreciate Rah going backwards to learn the game - in entertaining fashion at that 🔥😂🙏
Preciate that homie 🦂🏆
@@RAHONLYFAM I think you need to understand that the narrator wasn't stating his own opinion, you were making crazy faces at what he said, but he was being objective the point was to make the case for Bird. He has a whole series called "Making the Case" where he takes a player and makes the case of why they're the greatest of all time, he did one for MJ and Magic too
@@trinidad510 and LeBron, Wilt, Bill Russell, Kareem, and Tim Duncan
I think Bird was the greatest. there are few players that in my opinion rank in the top 5. to be the best in my mind requires you being the best in most if not all areas. bird was so good he was a great player, coach , and executive. what other top 5 can match that.
The greatest athlete I ever saw play basketball was Michael Jordan.
But the best basketball player I ever saw was Larry Bird.
A lot of folks make the argument that Bird shouldn't be considered for the GOAT
because he wasn't very athletic.
Actually, that's exactly why he should be...
Larry Bird is among some of the best players that ever played basketball and not just because he was white
I was alive back then. I watched Larry legend, I watched Magic (from michigan we watched Magic in the late 70's in college) and I watched your whole video from beginning to end. THANK YOU for giving the respect. Hard to gage players from different time periods but Larry is for sure one of the Greatest. Up there with MJ, Lebron, and Kobe. Larry was a complete player. He only played 13 seasons but what a beautiful 13 seasons. He made Magic better and Magic made Larry better. I'm suscribing to your channel. Great video my man.
if they had the 3 pointer in Pistol Pete's era just imagine what his point totals would be
your right
I definitely had Bird in the top 7. Bron is more athletic but not in the top 5 as Bird has so many more angles to his greatness that lebron is still looking for.. He's real but he's trying to claim a spot that actual LEGENDS own.
Starting five:
PG - Magic Johnson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Kareem Abdul-Jabaar
VERY strong line up.
I’d put Stockton at PG
@@DrFonzo Over a 6' 9" #1 overall point guard that has amazing passing skills? Stockton is very underrated...but....? 😄
@@rustydaboyrobot I’m not saying he’s better than magic…but that lineup…I’ll take the all time assist leader running point…
@@DrFonzo I guess with Larry being a passing guru big man, it's livable. Still...gotta go with Magic. He can honestly do everything Stockton can...and is a nightmare matchup. Trade Tim for Karl, and the teammate knowledge of one another makes Stockton a wise choice. 😊
Bird and Rodman are 2 psycho workhorses that I'd want to be the basis of a team. Shaq or Wiltin the big man slot. Jordan and Kobe can round out the team.
id take isiah thomas over Kobe in a heart beat. internets lol.
His career averages were 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in 897 regular season games. Bird won 3 MVP Awards, finished 2nd three times, and was selected to play in 12 All-Star Games. Also 59 career triple-doubles. All this in the era of Magic, Jordan, Dr.J., Kareem,Moses Malone, Isiah Thomas etc.
Not bad for a kid from French Lick, Indiana.
The reason he didn't get the quadruple double, was, because he opted not to. He saw no reason to do it because they were destroying the other team and he was not motivated by records. He played the last 7 seasons with a completely destroyed spine, which required him to get treatment before games, just so he could move(this is why he was unathletic, slow and could not jump). The season he was not an all star was because he was ineligible, because he only played 5 games that season. Essentially, he was 12 for 12.
Facts
I think he is in the discussion. Thats all I can really say. beyond that it is opinion. I put it between Him, Jordan, Magic, Kareem, and Wilt
Larry Bird Is My Greatest Player Of All Time
And Here's My Top 5 Greatest Players,
1) Larry Bird
2) Magic Johnson
3) Dr. J
4) Kareem Abdul Jabbar
5) Wilt Chamberlain
Perfect!
As a rookie in 1980, Bird won the Rookie of the Year award and finished 4th in the MVP voting. Then his finishes in the MVP voting for the next 8 years were:
1981: 2nd
1982: 2nd
1983: 2nd
1984: MVP
1985: MVP
1986: MVP
1987: 3rd
1988: 2nd
So he not only won 3 straight MVPs, but in his first 9 years in the league, he also finished runner-up 4 times, third once, and fourth once. His career was diminished and cut short by injuries, but before that, he was unquestionably the best player in the league.
And I say that as a Laker fan whose favorite players were Magic and Kareem...
The thing about Magic and Bird is they both were great AND made everyone else on the court great too.
That Zeke inbound play haunts me to this day!……..to this day!
Thanks for the reaction. Bird should be in everyone's top five, rounded out with other O.Gs.
Thanks again.
Love your channel from Jacksonville Florida!
Larry would catapult any team into a championship team. Look at the Celtics before he came to them. If you build a team and Bird isn't 1 of your top 5 players. You have issues. Larry schooled all the greats in that era. Few players could play in any era and still be awesome. Hes definitely 1 that would. His heart is immeasurable. He played always to win!!!! No fear, just game!!!! He drove me nuts. I wasn't a Celtics fan at ALL!!! But im a fan of the amazing. Bird, brother you were amazing!!!
When Magic dunks that ball
And let’s it come down and roll over his back, I cheer every time. So cool.
Larry, MJ, Magic, LeBron and Wilt are probably my 5 with Rodman on there for his D skills. Don't ask, I have my reasons 😌
I watched pretty heavily in the 80s. Cedric Maxwell was the second-best star-player on the 84 championship team that beat the Lakers (McHale still young). In 1985, he was hurt (knee) and in the playoffs he could barely jump - that's why they lost the finals to the Lakers that year. Red got pissed at what he perceived was not enough work from Maxwell to recover quicker. In 1986, he traded Maxwell for Walton and they won the championship against Houston, but that team had talked all year long about beating the Lakers. In 1987, Walton went down for the whole year and Robert Parish went down in the finals against the Lakers. The Lakers won in like six. Also, McHale played the whole year on a broken foot to the detriment of his career.
So I don't really hold Bird accountable for going 1-2 against Magic in the Finals. Not sure why the guy making the case blamed the 1-2 record on Worthy/Kareem being better than McHale/Parish. Parish, while not as good as Kareem, was still a good matchup against Kareem and McHale was better than Worthy (IMO).
Injuries to Bird himself after that really doomed his ever getting back to the Finals. It was frustrating to watch, he would have to lie on his stomach when he wasn't in the game at some points because his back hurt so much. They would have fixed that back in a single off-season these days.
Saw you shaking your head when he said that Bird saved basketball. You have to remember that basketball during the 80s and 90s was a new mainstream sport that was televised internationally. Teams NEEDED crazy athletic scorers to not only get on TV but to sell tickets to games. People weren't even thinking about going to games or buying jerseys back then.
Bird, Magic, Isiah, Ewing, MJ, etc were the draw. It was their show and no one was going to take that away from them.
Larry is #1 in my book. More fun to watch him play than anyone else ever. Watching from Vung Tau, Vietnam.
The only time Jordan beat Bird was was when Bird was coaching. Bird beat Jordan in playoffs Everytime
Great reaction, RAH. For perspective, I always appreciate the knowledge of those who have played the game...in playgrounds or professionally..
I'm a Chicago boy so I've always said Michael is probably the GOAT, but I could never say it with conviction because he never beat Larry legend. If you ask is Bird top 5 that question insults my intelligence. The real question is he the GOAT???? Tough to say, my top 5 - Michael, Larry, Magic, Kareem, Wilt. No disrespect to Lebron or Kobe, they just played in a different era. Shout out to Oscar!
GOAT
Kareem Abdul's Sky Hook. It's the most unstoppable shot in the history of basketball. We can contribute the college rule of no dunking when he played that created his hook shot. Did you know when he played College freshmen weren't eligible to play until sophomore yr. UCLA had a tradition that before the season began there would be a game between freshmen class and the varsity team. UCLA varsity was the defending NCAA Champions. The Champions returned their starting 5 from previous year. The freshmen lead by Kareem Abdul Jabbar ( know as Lew Alcindor before he became Muslim and changed his name ) and feisty Lucius Allen ( later became a pro ) destroyed UCLA NCAA defending champs. Kareem was so dominant that the rule of no dunking was basically made because of him. Hence he developed the hook. ✌️
Agree about Kareem's hook shot. Totally indefensible. Makes you wonder why nobody uses it today.
He broke his jaw when he fell (it's on this video)
Game back in and finished the game.
Young man, I'm 48 and was blessed to watch the nba ar this time. It was a different time and the game was played by men. No blood no call!!! They played with heart for the love of the game. It was about pride of the team you played for. No days it's all about the money. Just my opinion, right or wrong. Mush respect to you on how you objectively looked at this tape.
Larry legend was a beast. in the 80s /earley 90s was the best era of basketball. Magic, bird ,Isiah, jordan.
Larry really raised the level of all his teammates. Put Mchale , Ainge, Dennis Johnson or Parrish on other teams they would probably be after thoughts. The season before bird entered the league Boston won 29 games. Birds rookie season they Won 61.
You need to watch the one with his back Dr. What he played through was incredible itself. I think he also finished 1 or 2 in the MVP voting for like 9 straight years.
The 3-point contest with Larry in the warm-up is what I call "Leisure suit Larry"
Olajuwan was the Dream, Wilkins was a Highlight Film, Jordan could Fly, Johnson was Magic, and Bird is Legend. Nuff' Said.
In 1986, the Eastern Conference had 4 teams playing over 600% with Boston @ 720
The Western Conference had only 2 teams over 600% with the Lakers @ 793
Good reason why the Lakers ended up in the Finals more than anyone else at the time, because the tougher teams were in the East.
They say when he found about Magic that for the 1st time he didn't want to play that night & he cried!
I was alive to see it! Loved him. LeBron had to leave for a cramp!! Bird shattered his face & came back to win the game.
Onlyfam
Great vid. Player, coach and GM legend. The only one.
That was a pretty good Johnny Most impression. Damn near excellent.
First of all, I'm a 61 year old white male, I graduated in 1978.
Never saw him in person but on TV as much as I could.
I live in San Antonio, you know how to do the math.
I've personally met The Iceman, the big dawg, the rifleman, and a couple other players.
OH,lest I forget, The Admiral.
My question is this, what if The Hick and The King played with/against each other?
The league would Definitely be different, don't ya think?
Thanks for posting and commenting on this.
Nothing but Respect
Really enjoyed this, yo, so thanks!
'GOAT' is an idea invented by people who love to argue. Folks like Bird and Magic and Lebron don't like to argue, they like to _play._ Forget all this GOAT b.s., and salute _all_ of basketball history's fantastic artists.
Also: I can't wait until America progresses to the point where skin colour isn't the _first_ label we put on a player. B.B. should remain that special community where merit & talent is the only thing that matters, and friendship & respect transcend DNA heritage - like Larry & Earvin showed us so well.
Larry legend is top 5 dead or alive. The clutch gene.
Lebron is an actor, he gets poked in the eye or has a cramp and falls to the floor like he broke his ankle. It's ridiculous how basketball is played today. Larry Bird played with blood dripping from his face and broken bones. Larry Bird prime vs Lebron prime no doubt I would take Larry Bird even with a sprained ankle.
My top 10: 1(a) Larry Bird, 2(b) Michael Jordan, 3 Bill Russell, 4 John Stockton, 5 Tim Duncan, 6 Julius Erving, 7 Kevin McHale, 8;James Worthy, 9 Karl Malone, 10 Dirk Nowitski
During the port at the end, where Magic Johnson is talking on microphone to Larry Bird, and causing my friend, they didn’t show what magic was wearing under his warm-up jacket. I’ve seen it one time on UA-cam but he’s wearing a number 33 Celtics jersey under the warm-up jacket, that’s called true friendship.
I would build my all-time team around Larry Bird. The single most-devastating clutch player in NBA history. My starting 5: Alan Iverson, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Wilt Chamberlain. Funny thing is, though... I can produce five or six different starting 5's with so many great players that is truly is nothing but personal opinion. Think of the players NOT on the list above...
Kobe, LeBron, Hakeem, Julius, Kareem, Bill, Steph, Stockton, Duncan, Barkley, Robertson, etc...
Top three small forwards: Larry Bird, Julius Erving, James Worthy
yesirr!!! react to the other videos in this series next
bron would have pushed larry to be better, larry would have pushed bron and laughed when he flopped. joking but ....kinda facts.
i was born in 80 so i watched the later part of bird's career through my childhood and always loved his game. his work ethic and heart were unmatched, and his court iq was a thing of brilliance to watch.
my top 3 list hasnt changed since the 90s.
1. jordan
2. bird
3. magic
the one things highlight reels dont show is the overall dominance throughout the entire game that all of the greats were able to accomplish.
The most compelling portion of the video's persuasive argument is:
-- Lakers three Hall-of-Fame superstars -vs- Celtics three Hall-of-Fame superstars.
Magic vs. Bird; Abdul-Jabbar vs. Parish; Worthy vs. McHale.
All six of these players are NBA All-Time Top 50 but only three could arguably be top 10 discussion: Magic, Bird and Abdul-Jabbar.
Worthy, the #1 pick in 1982, shot 58% his rookie year and 62% in the 1985 playoffs vs. Celtics. This created a Ford vs. Ferrari matchup and offensively became Bird vs Magic-Kareem-Worthy. (With all due respect to Dennis Johnson)
The Finals outcomes were very close but Addul-Jabbar's sky-hook and Worthy's youth and athleticism proved insurmountable. Add Magic's incredible assists (and one notable sky-hook) the Lakers became unbeatable. Despite this advantage the Celtics held their ground. In the three Finals it was 2 -1 Lakers but very nearly was 2 - 1 Celtics.
In 1986 Bird won his third consecutive league MVP and the Celtics selected Len Bias #2 in the NBA draft. This could have been the Celtics equivalent to Lakers #1 Worthy but fate and tragedy intervened, Bias died from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose. Cocaine in the 80's robbed us all of a talented young man in Len Bias. As Bird said, it was a cruel loss.
Grew up in Boston during Bird era. Birds body broke down after 89 so he only had 10 great years. There are more exciting players, but Magic & bird transcend the game; they would dominate in any era. I do think that Jordan is the best ever, but Bird & Magic made other players around them so much better. And, I don't think there is any better clutch players than Larry and Magic. My top 7 (positions excluded): Jordan, Labron, Bird, Magic, Russell, Kareem, Wilt. Obviously I respect other opinions, but the defense was just nasty back then. Most underrated players: Ice man Gervin, Isaiah Thomas & Hakeem
LeBron would have been a footnote, if he played during Bird's heyday. Period.
🧢🧢🧢
Top: Walter Davis, Ralph Sampson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley, Moses Malone, Bill Lambier
Middle: Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale
Bottom: Akeem Olajuwon, George Gervin, Dennis Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, Mark Agguire, Sidney Moncrief
When he said he was one steal away for a quad double.. look up to why he didn't want to play in the 4th quarter.... #Goated
Bird was the Batman of the NBA. He was always several moves ahead of the competition, best clutch shooter of all-time, #2 all-time with winning percentage (Jordan is #40), he had the passing gift, and he could beat you more ways than just shooting. Jordan was dangerous when he had the ball. Bird was always dangerous - with or without the ball.
Bird at 30 (an mvp season) vs LeBron at 30 - 30 points, 9 Reb, 5 assists, 3 steals, a block.
The Bird-Magic story is Epic. Almost Faerie Tale like. Team loyalty and basketball morals are what made this possible and will never be duplicated. Too much team jumping now for it to ever happen again. And keeping it all about basketball without off the court distractions is another reason.
Celtics/ Lakers were less like basketball games and more like pitched battles. The Stuff of Legends.
Good reaction. I'm subbed now. Respect to the game. Respect greatness.
Not the goat but my absolute favorite as a kid. Hes a top 10 player ever and so so so much fun to think about, to talk about, and to argue about. Very unique guy
Larry along with Magic saved the nba grin going under ski they both are the Goats end of story
1. Jordan 2. Wilt 3. Kareem 4. Bird/Magic 5. Hakeem 6. Oscar 7. Dr.J 8. Kobe 9. James 10. Shaq
No Duncan? Garbage list tbh
I’m glad you can see the talent, the intelligence and all around greatness of Larry Bird. I’ve been watching basketball since the late 60s. I was a Knicks fan, but never missed a moment to watch Larry Bird play. I also watched every Magic Johnson game I could. But I think something important to consider, is that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were doing these things over 30 years ago. LeBron has been the beneficiary of all kinds of medical advancements, and the game is certainly not as rough and tough as it was in the 80s. So I just don’t see LeBron as committed to winning as Larry Bird was - LeBron doesn’t play hurt - Not even a little hurt, LeBron doesn’t play when his feelings are hurt. And to say Larry’s not athletic, look at everything he achieved… you don’t do that without being athletic. So my top three are Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson. Regardless of ranking, I just have to say what absolute joy they all brought to my life.
You should believe it. Every bit of it is true. Every. Single. Bit.
(left to right / top to bottom) Walter Davis, Ralph Sampson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley, Moses Malone, Bill Laimbeer, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkens, Clyde Drexler, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale, Hakeem Olajuwon, George Gervin, Dennis Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Mark Aguirre, Sidney Moncrief.
DAMN.. I missed Walter Davis (i thought Bernard King), Adrian Dantley (is said Vinnie Johnson but I knew I was wrong), Dennis Johnson (I knew it was him but forgot his name) and Sidney Moncrief I didnt recognize at all.. wow good eye.. I saw Barkley under Aguirre and maybe Craig Ehlo also?
Actually I think it is Bernard King and not Walter Davis now..
(Looks like)Walter Davis, Ralph “twin tower”Samson (when paired with Dream) ,Lew Alcindor aka Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Vinnie Microwave” Johnson, Moses “The Cairan of the Boards” Malone, bill laimbeer, Michael “Air” Jordan, Dominique “Human Highlight“ Wilkins, Clyde “the glide” Drexler, Bird, Earving “Magic” Johnson, KevinMcHale, Hakeem “Dream” Olajuwon, George “Ice man” Gervin, Dennis Johnson, Isiah “Zeke” Thomas, Mark Aguirre, (looks like) Rolando Blackman
Top Row #4 is Adrian Dantley. Vinnie Johnson wore #15.
But I think you might be right about everyone else.
It's like Pat Riley said if I had to pick a guy to win a game he picked Michael Jordan but if he had to take a guy to shoot the ball to win a game for his life he picked Larry Bird that's a great coach telling you right there who he thinks is better
Jordan, Bird, Magic, and Kobe -here from Indiana
Bird was the most complete and best player ever.
He was missing athleticism tho
Still beasty
@@RAHONLYFAM True, however he more than made up for it with his absolutely superior IQ and drive. I played pro soccer and I know all about playing without the ball, how crucial it is. Bird could teach any pro soccer player how to play without the ball. That's how he loses his defenders and gets pen shots. His brain was absolutely off the charts, just looks at his passes when he is not even a guard!!
@@RAHONLYFAM You don't realize that Bird basically broke his back in 1985...
Dan Dyrek, Bird’s orthopedic therapist, explained in a UA-cam video. “Larry Bird, the superstar, out there breaking his back, literally, shoveling gravel. And that was the beginning of a process.”
From then on, the forward was never the same. As Dyrek explained, Bird’s back would slip out of alignment and lock into abnormal positions, trying to create some stability. While the pain could be managed for a few hours at a time, allowing Larry Legend to hit the court, the issues lingered. Even surgery couldn’t completely return the star to his best.
“Every time I would play, I was wondering if I was gonna be in a wheelchair,” Bird explained. “Was I ever going to be able to, you know, walk on the beach or hold my kids?”
How fast do you think you could run with a broken back?
On top of that, Bird played the 1988 season with bone spurs in both feet... while putting up the best numbers of his career!!
29.9 ppg, 52 FG%, 92 FT%, 9 rpg, 6 apg
Larry Bird is maybe top ten and that's a all time great player. I would take him over LeBron and LeBron is a all time great.
Bird is first team all NBA.
@@epic103 I have no problem with that.
@@epic103 Who's top 5
@@arianparker2482 - Well I'd say Magic, Jordan, and Bird would be the first 3 I'd pick. But I would have to give some more thought to 4 and 5.
@@epic103 Tim Duncan and Hareem The Dream.
Grew up in New England. Larry is the GOAT.
Birds mental toughness was extraordinary and he just love putting people in that fucking torture chamber!
My top team; Kareem, center, Bill Russell, power forward, Larry, small forward, Pete Maravich, shooting guard, Kevin McHale, 6th man and Jason Williams guard.
Rating a GOAT is tremendously subjective. There are so many factors to consider: fundamental skills, athleticism, basketball IQ, mental toughness, era, draft team, mentoring and coaching. Does the NBA past have a precedent?
Bill Russell had incredible fundamentals and technique. Wilt Chamberlain was physically dominant and scored 100 in one game.
Russell and Chamberlain both played in the same era. Russell had 11 NBA Championships. Chamberlain only had 2.
My GOAT list follows the Russell vs Chamberlain precedent. Consequently I value technical skills over physical skills at an 11:2 ratio. The next criteria is mental toughness and the psychological resolve to win "at all cost".
Kobe called it the Mamba mentality. Kobe and Michael Jordan had the strongest, most effective mental focus I've ever seen.
Bill Russell was before my time but he must have had the same mental focus and confidence when battling Wilt.
Larry Bird had a unique, effective mental focus and confidence as well. Bird used highly disciplined technique, strong mental resolve with only average physical skills and turned them into championship rings for himself and his teammates. Likewise, Bill Russel was 4-inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter than Wilt but employed a distinct mental resolve and skillset to earn eleven rings and become the Finals measure for all to follow.
Was Larry Bird the GOAT? With all due respect, no. For my list Jordan is the GOAT, then Bill Russell, then Bird followed by Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron and Wilt. The criteria is physical and mental skillset strong enough to lead your team to the Finals and win.
My alternate GOAT list: Wilt, LeBron, MJ, Bird and Kobe simply based on how they played the game and not all about the rings.
In every statistical scenario that doesn't include rings the top three should be Jordan, LeBron, and Russell but I have to factor in Finals losses as well as mental/psych dominance. Unfortunately LeBron has the same fate as Wilt Chamberlain. They are the most physically gifted and dominant players in NBA history but somehow did not dominant in the Finals. To achieve Jordan and Bill Russell levels there cannot be NBA Finals losses. It's a very high bar and unfairly tenuous because it's solely about being the winner. #1 status based on how many rings you have. But in the 60's and 70's it wasn't about rings and big money rather is was your public image. Wilt was also a movie star and had more "beautiful female" friends than all the NBA rings ever made. For real, he was bigger than life.
I've seen interviews of the retired Wilt Chamberlain and he is the nicest person ever. And LeBron is a genuine and real person whom is mentoring his son. These are great individuals equally devoted to their lives outside of basketball...is that their Achilles heal? Do you need a pinch of meanness and selfishness to dominate a sport? Would Reggie Miller or Rick Barry have success if they were not Type-A personalities with nasty chips on their shoulders? You don't have to be Bill Laimbeer but maybe must want to crush, kill and destroy your opponent 48 minutes of every night of every season you play. If it's in your personality to do so, that's fine. If not...is it worth it? There's an old Biblical saying in Mark 8: "What profit a man to gain the entire world and lose his soul." Let LeBron be LeBron and let Jordan be Jordan. Maybe two GOATs is ok and maybe three GOATS if we include Bill Russell and the quest for eleven rings.
Bird won 3 Finals and lost 2. But his will to win and his mental dominance put him at a level of competition that has no peer. It's a cliché but Bird did more to motivate his teammates to win than any other Finals champion has ever done. Kobe did it too but in a different way...a non-verbal, lead by excellence way. It's a shame that Kobe's mental strength didn't help improve Shaq's free-throws because Shaq is top 5 if he could just make some free-throws. Kobe had great success and his combined skill levels are the closest to Jordan's that I've ever seen. LeBron comes very, very close but not enough rings to match Jordan. It's all good though.
Why does Jordan stand alone as the true GOAT? Jordan's six rings didn't surpass Bill Russell's eleven, but the eras need to have some sort of factoring. Could Russell repeat 11 rings today? No. Back in Russel's day the league had only a handful of superstar athletes. In today's NBA the entire league is full of world class athletes. The two eras are just too different to compare and it is improbable if not impossible that anyone today, even Bill Russell, could get 11 rings in this modern, highly athletic NBA era.
If anyone could have won like Russell it should have been LeBron James. He has all the skills and attributes but his destiny is similar to Wilt's. Wilt Chamberlain, the most physically gifted player of his era and only player to score 100 points in a single game, only won 2 rings in 6 Finals appearances while the smaller Bill Russell won eleven. Likewise, LeBron only got 4 wins out of 10 Finals. LeBron exceeds Wilt's 2 Finals but that does not create a clear path to GOAT. Why not? What are the intangibles? Did smaller players like Russell have to develop a stronger mental strategy in addition to being a highly skilled and motivated ball player? I don't know.
The dawn of the modern era was ushered in by Magic and Bird. Bird's physical attributes were ordinary but his mental skills, work ethic, court vision and ability to motivate teammates expanded his game above any other in NBA history. His unique ability on a 6' 9" frame created the third greatest NBA player I've ever seen. And the NBA eras are set to change yet again with players like LeBron and Curry becoming the old guard. Younger, faster players are entering the league from all over the world and from sources other than college basketball. The NBA is changing to even higher athleticism and a 7' 5" Frenchman named Wembanyama is waiting in the wings. How will he compare to Wilt, LeBron, MJ, Bird and Kobe? Does Wembanyama have an Achilles heal and will Bill Russel's untouchable 11 rings be challenged, ever?