Why Larry Bird is UNDERRATED
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- A breakdown of some of the more under-appreciated aspects of Larry Bird's game.
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#NBA #LarryBird #Celtics
Who's a player that basically everyone thinks is great, but you STILL think is underrated??
CORRECTION: In the video, I said that Larry Bird was 3/4 in 3 point contests. Some pages online say that he participated in the 1990 contest, but he actually ended up being a scratch because he was injured that year. So in reality, he was UNDEFEATED in the 3 point contest, while Hodges was 3/8. Even more impressive after all.
wilt, kg
Shaq
Alex English from Nuggets imo
Duncan, Hakeem
Kareem, Baylor, Petrovic, Oscar Smith, Sabonis
Bird's rebounding is even more impressive when you consider he was sharing the front court with McHale and Parrish. Parrish averaged as many as 12.5 rebounds and Mchale averaged 8-9 rebounds during his prime.
Excellent point that I've never heard anyone else say
This is heavily overlooked by most! Facts
Nah brother ill do you one better I'll tell you why he was a great rebounder the league back then was a much more shallow game than it is now meaning that all the rebounds are above the rim meaning you have to peel off people to go get the ball above the rim with body contact on you in close quarters..... you don't have any of this Russell Westbrook chase the ball down like a little munchkin at the Willy Wonka factory and getting it off the ground crap and call yourself one of the best rebounders ever LOL you had to go up against grown ass men and then come down with it that's what made him great. That's what made them all great from Moses to rodman to Russell to Wilt when they did it rebounding was a man's job not a game of Easter egg hunt like it is is today
Good point
@@REXX399 Found a jerker
His defence is definitely super underrated, and his rebounding was incredible. He has a higher rebounding average than most centres.
I guess the right comparison for him on defense is current Draymond (not as athletic but high IQ and consistently makes right decisions) and his rebounding to Kevin Love (good at boxing out and anticipation despite being undersized compared to usual bigs and not nearly as athletic too).
He grabbed more rebounds per game than Patrick Ewing for example
“centres” my favorite basketball position
@@spaghettisauce445 believe it or not, "centre" is also a correct spelling
maybe people confused magics bad defense with birds
As someone who has had a similar back injury to Bird, I can honestly say I have no idea how he played at all, let alone to the incredible level he did. That injury massively impacted both his longevity and ability to play to his full potential in the games he did play. It's one of the great "what ifs?" in NBA history. Larry's toughness is off the charts.
Had quite a few friends think Larry was underrated and they used similar points as you did. Good video, there are a lot of people that agree with this
Larry’s career averages are so unique . Legit can’t name one player ever that could put up 25/10/6 on 50/40/90 . Not one player
Well to be fair, there are only 8 players who've done a 50/40/90, sooooo ;)
Great points Jonny. I havent updated my lists, but i have Larry over Magic too. To say Larry was a not a good defender is just ignorance. Anyone could watch an entire Celtics game and watch how good was Bird positiong to make the player with the ball extremely uncomfortable, and reading the passes just to steal the ball was amazing. As an on ball defender, he was regular-good, but as a auxiliar defender, he was a great, maybe an all time great i would say. I feel like is just the misconception about what a great defender is. A player could be a great defender without being an intensive lockdown defender or a great shotblocker or stealer. Playing in a time like the 80's when the player have to fouled as hard as he could in order to be consider a good defender is just make Bird's defense get dissmissed as a great defense.
I've gone back and forth on Bird and Magic and after this video and looking up statistics on defense, I know have Bird most certainly above Magic. IMO, the only case for Magic over Bird is the longevity. They both started the same season but Bird's last healthy season was 87/88 when he had his statically best year. After that, he only played one season over 60 games in 4 seasons. He spent much of that on the floor when on the bench.
I also didn't realize how great Bird shot True Shooting in an era with limited 3pt shots.
@@Homer-OJ-Simpsonthe longevity thing. I don't know. Today for example it's the easiest time to stay in the league. The softer rules plus medical science. Longevity would put Vince Carter over a whole lot of players..but not to me. Quality over quantity I say.
Larry Legend from from 'my era'. Outstanding player, my favourite of all time.
I already had him in my top 5/10 and I did not know some of these facts, honestly they had me shaking my head in disbelief and admiration man. Larry Legend indeed.
One of the best defensive anticipators and he knew where he needed to put himself in to put himself in a better position to make a play defensively kind of like Jordan
Bird is my favorite player. Career wise, for me all-time he's 6-8. I wouldn't take anyone over Peak Larry. The 50/40/90 Larry over 5 years with 3 consecutive MVPs and top 3 finishes in the other 2 is the best all-around player in the Modern Era.
MJ might be a better scorer and Magic a better assist person, but nobody had that type of all around game. LBJ is the closest, but LBJ was never a 90% FT shooter or a double-digit rebounder.
Larry had an insane 4 year prime where he averaged 50/40/90. Steph averaged 50/40/90 for his entire CAREER (and that's including his first three season where he wasn't really 'Steph' yet).
Bird is great, but the all time great lists are only going to see players go down the rankings as current players like Steph, Durant and Giannis come knocking on the door of the top 20 and top 10 lists.
@@magicmerl7749 Steph doesn't have anywhere near the impact that Bird had on the defensive end or on the boards. Durant is a better volume scorer than Bird but he is legitimately worse at every other aspect of the game. Giannis has a long ways to go before he starts knocking on the door of anything, but he certainly has a greater chance than Durant's sorry ass.
@@magicmerl7749 I’d have the year before and after the 3-Peat as his prime. That 5-year stretch matches up with anybody in NBA History.
@@juliothom2408 For sure, but when you're comparing him with players who had similar peaks but also far greater longevity, I think it's pretty reasonable to rank other players over him.
@@magicmerl7749 Fake news his career fg% is 47.3
Durant is one of my favorite all time players, but I always say that Larry Legend is the player that Durant wishes he was. There was nobody like him in his era. A 6'10" shooter with unreal passing ability, could guard anybody and was a great rebounder. Above all that, dude had that killer's mentality. He went out there to destroy people every night. Not too many likes like that today, let alone ever.
Did you see the Bleacher Report's upload of Bird vs Durant? They actually portrayed the latter as the one who could play defense while the former could not.
@@jp3813 Only thing Bird was better at is playmaking/passing, KD is better than him and im not even a KD fan
@@Anthonydu01630 Bird averages double-digits in rebounds for his career, Durant never reached 8.5 rebounds per game for a season. Bird only failed to reach 100 steals in a season twice due to injuries, Durant only reached 100 steals in a season thrice. Bird reached 10 triple-doubles in a season twice and has one year where he had 0 TD's due to playing only six games, Durant has 17 triple-doubles for his career and has 0 TD's in seven separate seasons so far. I don't care which player you think is better overall, but claiming that Bird was better than Durant at only one thing pretty much destroys your credibility.
I agree 100% I use to rage when people say he was a bad defender but Im glad someone gives him the respect he deserves
I don’t get why people said he was a bad defender. Not enough blocked shots I guess?
His passing has always been extremely underrated to me. Growing up his trash talking, scoring and obviously 3 point ability were always talked up. It isn’t til you go looking at all time greats’ highlights for yourself that you realize his passing was immaculate and almost just as far ahead of his time as Magic’s. That bounce pass behind his head through a defender’s legs? Lol come on.
unless you were not alive then I dont believe you can say his passing was underrated... anyone who watched then knew he was very much magics equal in the ability to pass... but he wasnt a pg.. but even his assists numbers... given that he was never the primary ball handler like lebron of pippen yet averaged 6 or 7 a game is pretty good.. but even better when you consider the team as a whole was typically one of the best passing teams in the league... and if you scored assists in the NBA as they do on the NHL you would see a ton more hockey assists for larry
Bird beat Hodges three out of the four times that they were in the 3-point contest against each other, and also dropped this kill shot:
Hodges: "Larry Bird knows where to find me."
Bird: "Yeah, at the end of the Bulls bench."
Larry was in three 3 pt contests. Won each time. In the comments of this video the creator of the video corrects that bit of information.
Unpopular opinion but I rank Bird 2nd behind MJ. Number 3 is a toss up for me and just depends on how I feel that day between Magic, Kareem, Olajuwon, Russell and maybe one or two more. Either way, Jordan and Bird are my 2 best.
Bird so complete who was great teammate and was all about winning. Passing skills second to none and toughness and clutch ability make him my GOAT.
I thought he was underrated even before this video but this has me reconsidering my top 5 ever. The 50/40/90 is crazy on top of the fact he was pretty much born to be in the modern era. It’s actually insane how little ppl acknowledge his skillset compared to Magic. In reality he was superior in many facets of his game. Just not as flashy and fewer titles. Very informative video
I was a pistons fan growing up. Many times pounded the floor saying “ no! Not dirty bird again. Larry is undoubtedly underrated. He was a killer. Unfortunate injuries really took the a toll. He played smart but reckless with his body. If some of the older guys had the sports science we do today they would’ve had more prime years.
Watching this video and playing with Larry the Legend in 2k13 create a legend. Trying to carry bobcats to playoffs with him
I mean for heavens sake, his most signature highlight is literally stealing the ball from Isaiah Thomas in the playoffs, one of the clutchest defensive plays of all time
I'm still waitingbfor the highlights of Kobes great defensive play or Kobe diving on the floor for a loose ball...or Kobe making a great pass or a key rebound.
@@donshults7772 Must’ve forgot about the 2010 finals game 7 he did much better defensively than offensively that game.
FACTS
@@AdolfShitler69420 and...are we seeing any of those defensive highlights? The Bird steal of Isiah was in 1987. Thirty five years later...still talking about it.
and a steaö to go to the finals the 1st time ever not that popular but still a similiar play
You legit argue he has the greatest peek of all time.
One of the few greatest that dominated from the jump and didn’t slow down.
I never got to see Larry play, since I was born in 89, but even I know how great he was. You can easily still make a case for him being the best SF of all time… though that argument is getting harder to make as LeBron keeps improving his career achievements and stats.
i think it’s clearly lebron at this point, but most of the time he isn’t even playing at SF
Personnaly, I put Larry Bird in my top 5, in front of Lebron. Ther 80's and 90's era defense were tough. Plus if you consider that he played most of his time injurred, and still puting up those numbers. :)
Agreed
FACTS
I love bird in top 5 but lebron is undisputedly top 2. You must be an old head who reminisces about a time where there was no spacing or not understanding the impact of a man who can dominate for 19 years
@@toogud7918 Larry has five less finals' appearances, and still has a better win % than LBJ in the finals, despite having one less ring as well.
It's not outlandish for some to still rank LJB>LbJ. Personally would take Lebron too for the very same reason you brought up (Longevity), the only player that comes close to this rare stretch of peak longevity (and can be argued to be better) is literally Karl Malone whom also was able to average 20+PPG, 8+RPG, 1.5+ SPG etc on decent enough efficiency for 19 years straight, missing a total of *nine* games, and playing no less than 30+ MPG in this entire stretch is also pretty damn insane lol.
Until of course his stunt with the 04 Lakers.
My Mother was a cheerleader for the San Antonio Spurs sometime in the 80's, can't remember exactly when. I asked her how good Larry Bird was one day. She proceeded to glance at me with wide eyes, huff, and rapidly shake her head as if she'd just seen a ghost. "He was SCARY good." XD
he is my favorite player in nba history, and one of the most underrated players in nba history. my friends at school say he's barely in the top 10, and Magic in the top 3. It's no longer a level of underrated, it's a level of disdain for the player and what he did. I have Larry rated 4. Now I have to send it to them and see how much they raise it hahaha
Absolutely agree. And I think he's underrated as a scorer too, which you didn't touch upon in this video. His game wasn't flashy, he didn't play above the rim or fill the highlight reels
But two points are two points (and three points are three points)
The man. Just. Made. Buckets.
I have bird at number 3 all time on my list, I also have him in front of magic. If he wasn't so stubborn and do his own yard work and len bias never died they probably would of gave mj and those piston teams a run for their money!
What makes him a top 3 player?
Your delusional
@@AdolfShitler69420 yes I personally think its more of a 3a and 3b ranking for them
your list is a joke. he is not better than magic, or kareem, or duncan.
@@jonathansykes4986 just my opinion man, im sure your opinion is the only right one though
I have a friend named Larry at work who is also a basketball fan. I told him one day: "You know they used to call Larry Bird 'Larry Legend', I guess you'd be ' Larry Non-Fiction'!". It's a wonder nobody at work has killed me yet.
And to have the rebounding ability with Kevin McHale in the middle ....impressive
I genuinely believe that if he didn't injure his back he would have been the 🐐
Fr. Him and Magic both could've been much closer to MJ in the GOAT debate had their careers not been cut short.
@@derpmcgerp8062 More like MJ might not be considered the goat. He would have had a harder time winning.
and came into the league before he almost turned 24
@@derpmcgerp8062 Larry bird retired at 35. His career was not cut short. Magic is talked about in GOAT discussions and maybe be closer if he didn't "retire" at 31, but MJ is king in all advanced stats, 6-0 in finals, and his last finals run, he basically carried them to a ring.
@@jonathansykes4986 Larry Bird may have retired at a reasonable age, but also consider how much he dealt with injury during the ladder half of his career. He most certainly could've had a much better second act and could've played at least a few more seasons than he did.
And yeah, I definitely believe Magic too could've been in the convo, and even now I consider him a top 5 player all-time, personally. Greatest PG of all time. (Steph probably surpasses Magic when all said and done, but I put Magic above him for now)
Obviously MJ is MJ. There is no comparison. Michael Jordan is the GOAT. Dominated statistically, racked up insane amount of accolades, lead his team to two 3-peats, and basically had as perfect of a career as you could get.
That being said, I do believe Larry and Magic could've at least built a very solid case had they've been healthy and played longer. Bird was an insanely good sharpshooter, one of the best passers ever, had a great rebounding average, super clutch moments, solid defense, and could drop a 50-bomb on you if needed. Not to mention his accolades and Championship runs were impressive during his peak. Literally won 3 MVPs in a row. Magic too was an incredibly good passer, capable rebounder, capable defender, has awesome MVP seasons and Championship runs, and he could be a dominant scorer if it's needed.
Time to watch the Larry Bird ultimate mix-tape....again.
When considering how players rank all-time, I think about peak value (how good were they at their best?) and career value (how much value did they add over their whole career?). Because the outstanding part of Bird's career was only nine years (his last four were hampered by injury), he would rank lower on my list by career value.
But by peak value, he's damn near the top. I mean, in those nine healthy years, he finished in the top two in the MVP voting SEVEN times, and never finished lower than fourth! He was the best player in the NBA in the mid-1980s, which was probably the strongest era in league history. That alone gives him a compelling argument for being the GOAT.
Ultimately, I would rank Bird third all-time by peak value, behind only Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Obviously, it's VERY close, and there are many other worthy candidates, including Magic. But seeing Bird and Magic playing concurrently with both at their peak, it's clear to me that Bird was just a bit better. And I say that as a Lakers fan, who loved Magic, and hated Bird's guts back in the day! 🙂
Great argument, I have It in my top 3 top too
Hate to be that guy but how do u not have lebron in top3
@@luke8837 Because I don't think LeBron was as quite as valuable at his peak as Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, or Bird were at theirs. I would probably put LeBron sixth, also behind Magic Johnson and Wilt Chamberlain.
@@mezzb I think those "team chemistry" intangibles *_do_* affect the ranking, at least a little bit. It's why I would rank LeBron behind Magic, and it's why Chamberlain isn't #1.
I just find it hard to believe you can all someone underrated when they’re a top 10 player on almost everyone’s list of all time greats. The only people that may underrate him are young heads that haven’t seen him play or haven’t been schooled on how great he was.
One could argue the case that having him at maybe #5 as an example, IS underrating him because he deserves to have a much higher rating. ☘️ Larry Legend
Love it! I hate how much the younger generation think Bird wouldn’t even be a top 20 player in the current nba lol when he would be easily top 5 lmfao. Bird with todays medicine and known medical knowledge would be so absurd
Bird would dominate today!!! Look at Luna and Jokic, they wont clean his shows lol
Yeah, Bird would be a better version of Doncic in the modern NBA. I think at his best he would probably be the best player in the NBA today.
Nobody says he wouldn’t be top 20, stop with the strawman
@@magicmerl7749 as he was then.
Magic had a much better team, MUCH better, but Larry still managed 3 rings in a stacked era-dude had 1 other (real) HOFer and Magic had a dude everyone says is top 5, another HOFer (and first pick) along with a dpoy-there’s no contest, Larry was the better overall player-undoubtedly
so much better than the other vids that just reads off the wikipeida page
Jokic and Larry Bird are similar if u think about it
I think it really comes down to how you rank greatest of all time. If you value team success over all else it's likely you have Magic over Bird and Duncan over Kobe. If you value individual skill - who was the most talented player - then it makes sense to swap those rankings. Imo anyone in the top 10 all time is really splitting hairs between who is better. Larry being on that list inherently makes him properly rated imo
Larry routinely gave up easy shots and passed the ball so that all his teammates were involved. As he said, “It doesn’t matter who scores the points, it’s who can get the ball to the scorer.” “On this team, if you move to get open, you’re going to get the ball. Here the goal is winning, and it doesn’t matter who scored the points. Just win the game.”
Well.... Kobe has Shaq (top 10) Magic had Kareem (GOAT?), So... Bird must be ranked higher
I go back and forth on this one but he’s always in my TOP THREE!
I love Bird but there is some cheesy Bird content on YT. This is really high quality info, nice video.
Bird is the ultimate off-ball player (Shaq and Curry might be better in the right system, but Bird is the ultimate plug-and-play guy). Because of that, I think he should be the only unanimous player in any all-time starting 5. Incredible team and help defense, goat shooting, and goat quick decision making. He was like Jokic but even faster, he barely needed the ball in his hands to make the right pass or play. He could do it all.
He is number two on my list
I got Larry at 4th best alltime!! Larry at his Best Nobody was better!
His Versatility made him unguardable
Great job Jonny. To answer your query I still have Michael as G.O.A.T. #1, Larry 1A. If he hadn't injured his back paving a HUGE driveway by himself we'd be having a whole different G.O.A.T. conversation.
Larry bird
Offense he's top 6 all-time (top 15 scorer and playmaker) his only weakness is finishing
Defense he's a neutral he was too slow to guard perimeter threats
Wasn't amazing holding down the fort
And was not a average rim protector,
Both of the previous two are damin for his height and are super valuable to a good defense
For the positives of his defense
His iq was sublime, he was one of the best in that category on the likes of garnett Russell and lebron
He was great as a secondary help defender, good in lanes, and off-ball could cause havoc
His strengths were mainly carried by his Era though, and while he was so good they'd be useful in any Era
He's taller way less athletic mattresse thybulle
Playoffs he's ATG
Peak ATG
Longevity is solid
Portability hes top 3 with an argument for 1
Mj never got revenge on bird
It's true. He would probably never tell anyone, but I bet that eats at MJ
6:07 love them Pacer jerseys
2:08 hey man to hell with these stats, check out the mullet on Larry Legend.... God damn that mullet is glorious! deep in the '80s..... 🤣
Bird had a relatively short career.
Theres no sane person that can watch highlights of YOUNG LARRY- his first 4 years before the injuries with his legs and back - and still go along with the " he was slow and couldn't jump" narrative.
Dude was 6- 10 with a handle, dropping dimes like a guard , dunking on peoples heads and had unlimited range.
40 years ahead of his time imo
Larry is easily a top 10 player. At his position, he's the best scorer/shooter in history, top 5 in boards, top 5 in steals, probably top 2 passing, and is THE guy you want to give the ball to when your life is on the line.
He's ahead of magic. Full stop. That's the only thing I can confidently say. Top 5.
Greatest SF and 5th in my all time list AND yeah, he is above LBJ.
He had (maybe besides Magic) the greatest BB-IQ.
Season before Bird, +20 team - after his 1st season, +60 team without Parish & McHale
I understand it’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it but he is absolutely not better than Lebron just stop it.
@@AdolfShitler69420 Bird is the better shooter, clutch, bb-iq, rebounder, foul-shooter, leader, etc, etc. The only two categories were LBJ is better is 1 on 1 defending and athleticism, thats it. Bird achieved in his 9 healthy seasons more than LBJ in his career.
3 MVPs straight and he is probably the only dude who beat everybody in the playoffs: showtime, dr. J, bad boys, mj, twin towers
Well, you can not say that about LBJ 🤷♂️
Bird, McHale and Parish were pretty strong frontcourt.
Dude, those _passes_
Great video
I rate Bird 2nd right behind Jordan, because Bird in his prime was Mr. Fundamental. There is no better player in NBA history when combining shooting, passing, and rebounding. And he was clutch!
People always say the two most competitive guys in nba history are MJ and Kobe. Honestly though, Bird is right there with them. He's basically a tougher version of Luka who gives 100% on defense. Bird had a fucking motor, which not enough people talk about.
And by the way, this is coming from a diehard Lakers fan who hates Boston.
I'm glad Luka is showing out because it just proves Bird would at least equally dominate this era (probably is 25-30% better than Luka, which is a lot better given Luka is projecting to be a top 15 player all time).
Greatest SF of all time!
of his era
Lebron kd
@@jonathanharvey7940 Durant has literally nothing on Bird, nothing. And yes, Bird is still higher on the all time greatest list than LeBron.
@@Zamppa86 kd a better basketball player than bird I won’t change my opinion so if you think bird better it’s fine
@@Zamppa86 the majority of people disagree, don’t know why you phrased it like there’s an official top 10 all time list lol even most NBA players would probably put Lebron above Bird
Excellent
Thank you for posting this as Bird gets under rated year after year. Ask 10 people for a list and you will get 10 different lists and this is ok! BUT the changes I have seen is Magic has climbed higher and when both of their careers had ended most agreed that Bird was the better player. I have seen Magic as high as #2 and Bird out of the top ten and that is so wrong. Compare their accolades and it seems even but Magic's FMVP in 1980 was voted to go to Kareem AFTER Magic's great game 6, but because Kareem was not present , the voters were asked to change their votes so Magic would win the award. Magic only jumped center at the start of the game = Jim Chones guarded Dawkins in that game. Magic actually offered this FMVP back to Kareem, but Kareem told him he could keep it = very gracious!! Also Magic's last MVP in 1990 was full of controversy as Barkley got more first place votes than Magic ( 38 to 27) but some voters left Barkley completely off their lists ( I am not a role model and spitting at fans) hurt Barkley's popularity. But Barkley led Magic in almost every statistical category. My point is Bird was a better player for the longer period of time vs Magic and did play in a tougher conference. Bird drew the opposing team's best defender every night. Magic was better at pushing the ball upcourt and getting assists, but Bird was a better shooter, rebounder, scorer and defender. Magic as a rookie needed special coaching as the zone he played at MSU did not prepare him for the NBA. Bird as a rookie had a 28 inch vertical = same as the NBA average. Magic never made an all defense team during his entire career. Bird led the league in defensive win shares 4 times and was 7 times in the top 5 in DWS. Bird was once 2nd in DRTG and was 6 times in the top 10 in DRTG. Kareem and Worthy were better than Parish and McHale and the West was the weaker conference. Whenever these lists are made, IMO Bird should be in the next spot higher than Magic.
larry is the most complete baller who ever played in the nba. thanks for backing me up 😂
yo.... larry bird had waves too 6:11
W Upload! 🔥
Thank you
Perhaps the most accurate video you've ever made.
Personally, I think Bird's greatest accomplishment was convincing a Laker fan to rank him ahead of Magic Johnson.
Hold up? You have him ranked 6th and he’s above magic? I have him at 5 and magic at 4 lol. Not sure what your list is but still
Larry Bird’s skills and game IQ in an athletic body is the scariest thing to ever step on a basketball court.
I think that if you clone Larry Bird you can have an amazing starting 5.
I think that he is the best "clone" team you can ever made, maybe tied with 5 Magic Johnson.
larry is my #2 of all time
Just like this.
The greatest white player of all time Larry Legend I had him at 8th
1. MJ
2. Wilt
3. Kareem
4. LeBron
5. Russell
6. Kobe
7. Magic
8. Bird
9. Shaq
10. Duncan
whats the song during the video?
I think that the arguments that Bird isn't a great defender are actually saying that he was bad at defense. Rather, it's that WHEN COMPARING HIM TO OTHER TOP 11 PLAYERS, he's at the bottom of the list in defensive ability. The rarefied air of the GOAT conversation changes what the baseline is. I think Magic is clearly the worst defender, and then it's Bird and Kobe who are the next two worst defenders.
I think that Jordan, LeBron, Kareem, Duncan, Russell, Shaq, Wilt and Hakeem are all handily better defenders and there's really no good argument for Bird to be a better defender than any of them.
I definitely agree that he’s underrated, and I would put him in the 7-10 range, but I definitely don’t think he should be higher than Magic!!!!!!! I have him at 9 on my list but I can understand people having him over Wilt and or Bill Russell.
Larry's honestly top 3.
I mean, Larry is easilly my top 10 , or even top 5. I never knew people rank him so low since he is basically like Steph but with better rebounds and defence.
This is my personal top 5
5-Duncan
4-magic
3-lebron
2-Kareem
1-Mj
Mr Arnett, what’s your top 5, where do you rank Duncan and Kobe. and for me I know very little about Larry legend so thank you for this video
Edit- making a top 10 or even top 5 is super difficult, please help me.
If it hasn't changed since last year when he made his top 50, he has:
5. Bill Russel
4. Lebron
3. Kareem
2. Wilt
1. MJ
@@jaketerpening3284 thank you kind sir
I have Bird as the best small forward in NBA history, even ahead of LeBron. Overall, I have Bird at #7.
What year did Bird lose a 3 pt contest
Bird only participated in 3 shootouts. The 4th contest Bird had to withdraw due to injury.
I agree with you. Magic had a longer career because Bird has major injuries towards the end but Bird at his peak was better than Magic and Bird is in my all time top 7. Bird was also in the wrong era - he would be even better today in the 3pt shooting era just like I think Rudy Golbert would be much better in the 80’s and 90’s when post play was more dominant.
People underrate Bird because he looks physically slow and yet two of the top 4 best players today are not that athletic - Jokic and Luka. Luka is smaller than Bird and not as good of a shooter as Bird so imagine Bird today?
They played the same amount of seasons I think due to Magic having HIV and Larry due to his back issues
@@Kilooma I meant effective season. Bird was done playing healthy years 3 years before Magic retired.
87-88 was Birds last healthy season.
@@Kilooma just looked up. 87-88 was indeed his last healthy season and his best season. Following year he played 6 games and from then on he battled back pain and injuries. He would only play over 60 games once after 87-88. Even as an old injured 35 yr old who had to rest into the floor during the game, he averaged 20pts 10 reb 7ast 40.6% from 3.
He was the greatest SF of all-time until Lebron's longevity overshadowed him somewhat. I still think he has a firm grasp on #2 cause non of the names battling for that spot have the team or individual accomplishments that Bird has. He's also a very underappreciated coach and front office executive. I think only him and Jerry West have been as successful both as superstars and executives.
So if a player makes sure to not hurt himself and gets plenty of rest he automatically gets labeled the goat cuz he hangs around the longest? Greatest of all Time? at what?
Bird is so clear of magic it’s not even close. Bird scored near 10 more points per game and was more efficient. He is a WAY better shooter, a better ball handler too. He’s a much better defender and scorer too. All that magic has over him is passing, yet that gap isn’t that big. Give Bird a top 5 center all time and he has much more than 5 rings.
Ok no it’s definitely close. Don’t act like bird didn’t have one of the most stacked teams of all time. The gap in passing is pretty big. I’m pretty sure magic averaged almost twice as many assists as bird. Also the scoring gap isn’t that big. Bird averaged only 5 more ppg and magic primary job is to playmake and facilitate and he still put up 19ppg
@@jasonmoukala8909 Bird averaged 30 points on 50/40/90. Magic only averaged above 23 points once, and he did it on worse efficiency. Scoring and defense are more important than passing.
@@arch8748 bro what? Passing/playmaking opens up the floor and creates open looks and opportunities for teammates. It helps generate team offense. Magic averages 11-12 assists so that means on top of his own 19 ppg, he’s responsible for at least 22-36 other points. So that’s at least 41 of his teams points he’s responsible for. Passing is arguably just as important
Not sure if I'd rank him above Magic. I tend to go back and forth on this one. And the only underrated part of Birds game to me is defense. He otherwise gets his props as a GOAT from most people I talk to about basketball.
Larry Bird ranks 63rd in NBA career defensive rating-better than MIchael, Lebron, Magic and all of his Celtic teammates.
I would Accept if someone ranks Magic ahead (disagree but Accept It) what i dont Accept is ranking Magic 4th and Bird 9th... One follows the other
@@dutchtea8354 I'd take MJ's on ball defense any day over Bird. 23 won defensive player of the year in addition to being on numerous all defence teams.
@@gjslaughter One of my favorite video highlights is watching Larry shoot and score over Jorden & Pippen double teaming him.
@@javigar133 -True, 9th is low for Bird.
I'm totally agree but for me Bird is 8th in the all time rank
I too have Larry Bird sixth on my list, after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Bill Russell and Magic Johnson.
putting LEBRON and MAGIC ahead of BIRD just makes your list FAIL...that means your list is basically made from others opinions...and that you clearly never watch neither of them play
he simply made basketball looks easy
I still take Magic.
MJ
Kareem
Russell
Magic
Duncan
Kobe
Shaq
Bird
LeBron
Hakeem
Dr J including ABA
He is 5 in my top 5...
1. MJ
2.Kareem
3.Lebron
4.Kobe
5.Bird
Larry is 5 on my list
Larry & magic are equal magic gets the nod cuz he is the best ever pg
There’s a Reason why his nickname is Larry legend
bird is the true goat
I agree Bird should rank higher than Magic. He’s clearly the better player you really look at both of them.
Noticing the 80’s HOF’ers are becoming more & more underrated, I’m sure it’ll be a sad continuing trend for every decade that passes…
Bird is in my top 5
Bird > All time Turnover Leader
What's the background theme or music Jonny used in this video? I absolutely love it.
Here ya go! ua-cam.com/video/JlgBZCdT_28/v-deo.html
@@jonnyarnett Thank you so much Jonny! Love the videos man! Even if I don't learn something new from your videos, I enjoy listening to your opinions and takes on certain aspects of the incredible game of basketball (from the players, rules, history, etc). I've always wanted to meet someone who knew as much about basketball as I do and I'm glad I found your channel. If you ever need someone to help out with finding information on basketball for videos, I know a lot about the game and everything tied with it. Have a wonderful day Jonny!
Thanks! I seriously appreciate you supporting and offering to help :) I'm always open to video suggestions, or you can share any cool NBA facts you know, because I'm always looking to share interesting ones on the channel.
@@jonnyarnett Your very welcome Jonny! I would love to help you out with getting new video suggestions and more. Is there any way I can contact you directly (email, discord, etc)?
Instagram and my email work. Insta is in the video's description. The email is in the "About" section on my UA-cam page.