Is Larry Bird the Greatest NBA Player Of All Time?

Was watching videos from 1985. 1st one was Jazz at Rockets. Ralph Sampson, before his back and knees were shot, was incredible teamed with Olajuwon. The Twin Towers went for something like 57 points and 27 rebounds against a mammoth Jazz front line. Utah had a parade of guys 6'10" to 7'0" anchored by Mark Eaton, who was 1/2 a head taller than Sampson. Sampson and Olajuwon were just blocking and dunking everything. They looked impenetrable and unstoppable.

Then I watched a video from the same year of the Rockets VS Boston. Larry Bird had 48 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. He scored under the basket VS Olajuwon and Sampson at will. Right in their faces, laying the ball up with the left hand when they were trying to block his right... He threw a bounce pass through Olajuwon's legs in the paint to Parish for a dunk. We're talking about a legendary defensive player. And 2 towering studs at the time and Bird made them look silly. I swear they were going to swat Larry's stuff inside----and he just fearlessly buried them.

What a contrast in results inside. After seeing the Jazz game, you'd think nobody could get a shot off against the Rockets. And Bird just ate them up. Amazing.

And either Olajuwon or a healthy Sampson would be the best big man in the NBA today. 30 years ago, those 2 were as athletic as any big man they have today. And Bird made them look silly.and dropped 48/ 15/ 7 on them.

I read where the year Bird missed 76 games, that McHale's FG% dropped almost 60 points. And McHale's best season came in a year when Bird also had one of his best seasons-----in other words, Bird's usage and style didn't take away from McHale/ limit McHale.

Then I read where Pippen had his most prolific year when Jordan was there and that Horace Grant and BJ Armstrong both made their 1st All Star Games the year Jordan didn't play. MJ was very productive. But his productivity came at the expense of other players' productivity and efficiency, whereas Bird's did not. Bird's productivity facilitated the productivity and efficiency of his teamates.

That's the reason why---no matter how singularly spectacular and productive Jordan was, I prefer Bird.

Renostar wrote:

I read where the year Bird missed 76 games, that McHale's FG% dropped almost 60 points.

WTF?

That should read that Pippen was most prolific when Jordan WASN'T

there.

Dennis Reynolds 2.0 wrote:

Renostar wrote:

I read where the year Bird missed 76 games, that McHale's FG% dropped almost 60 points.

WTF?

I think McHale shot .604 from the field in 1988 and dipped to .546 in 1989. Still pretty darned good, but 58 points is 58 points.

GREAT POST! I think when you JUST talking about winning the greatest player ever was Bill Russell. 11 championships in 13 years will never be beaten. But when you WATCH video of these players (Jordan, Russell and Magic, Bird) Bird just looks AMAZING! He could single handedly DESTROY teams. He would steal the ball or get the rebound and take it to the other end and set up the play or score the big bucket. Russell could do all that but he could not shoot as well. Jordan could do that but very few passing highlights. Magic was a great passer but not quite the shooter or rebounder. ALL the great players say Bird was great.

He's a close second behind Jerry West.

Mighty Whitey wrote:

He's a close second behind Jerry West.

Imagine the Logo with a 3 point shot. He might have been the record holder for ppg if he had the benefit of the 3-ball.

Bill Russell won many titles, intimidated shooters, cleaned the boards and didn't open his mouth. He was the margin of victory for the Celts, one of the greatest teams of all time in any sport. Someone who should be in the convo is Rick Barry. Also, the Big O. Bird was greatness. Jordan is second, behind Big Bill. Kareem is third. Complete list:

Russell

Jordan

Kareem

Big O

LeBron (could rise to 4th)

Bird

Barry

Elgin Baylor

Shaq

Magic

Honorable mentions:

Dr J

Pistol Pete

--------------

Tennis list:

Pete

Roger

Borg

Nadal

Laver

Pancho Gonzalez

McEnroe the elder

Joker, who could rise

I think of players as "weapons" or "orchestrators". Wilt was maybe the ultimate weapon. Michael was an elite weapon. Magic was an elite orchestrator. Larry was an orchestrator who could be an elite weapon. Kind of like the general who directs the troops, but also comes down off his mount to do hand to hand combat.

I liken the elite weapons to the queen on a chess board. I like the orchestrator to the chess master, controlling all the pieces.

It was said of Magic and Bird that they could score 11 points and control a game. Special quality. Then figure Bird could also score 45 on you.

Let the rebounds take you ooooooooooooooooooover!!!!! set this pick and i'll roll to da basket foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!! #thestarters

Pistol Pete as honorable mention and Jerry West nowhere to be seen? That makes no sense at all.

Michael Jordan could do things Larry Bird could not as an individual player. But I believe that Larry was more valuable. Bird's impact on a team's winning was greater. As a result, I'd rather have Bird so long as we're talking 5 on 5. If we're talking about 5 on 5, Larry is the greater player.

I love the silly claims that this guy from 25-35 years ago "couldn't play today" from a size, strength and or athleticism standpoint.

But Marc Gasol was Defensive Player of the Year?

Kevin Love---who is barely 6'8"---killing guys on the boards AND scoring at will?

THIS is evidence that the NBA TODAY would be out of reach for the stars in the 80s?

C'mon. Stop making such clownish statements. You want a center who is worthy of Defensive Player of the Year? Try Olajuwon. He's the guy every sorry ass center of today goes to for help on OFFENSE, to boot. Dwight Howard went to a guy 30 years older to teach HIM offense.

Big men 25-30 years ago would eat the league alive today---just the way they were. Then consider what benefits THEY might get from 25 more years of nutritional and training advances to add on top.

Patrick Ewing. David Robinson. Ralph Sampson. Hakeem. Moses Malone. Even an aging Kareem. Who would check these guys? Marc Gasol? Roy Hibbert? ROY HIBBERT!!???

The fact that the Miami Heat----the best team today's league has to offer----have to PLAN how they're going to deal with ROY HIBBERT and have to acquire another stiff---Greg Oden---to neutralize Roy FREAKING Hibbert in the playoffs tells you how SAD the center position is now.

What would today's league do about Olajuwon? Those guys 30 years ago were so athletic, too. Gasol and Hibbert VS Robinson or a heathy Sampson? How about Robert Parish running the floor?

And if your league has no centers to protect the rim----the rest of the smaller guys go flying to the rim with abandon. You throw the Admiral or Ewing or Hakeem or the humongous Mark Eaton in the middle----and that crap stops.

The STIFFS from the 80s are more athletic than today's centers. Roy Hibbert is incredibly unathletic. And he's a big deal today. Tree Rollins would be a big deal today, then. James Donaldson would be a big deal.

What would Artis Gilmore be today?

And look at how stars like Larry Bird did against those better, more athletic centers 30 years ago. 48 points 15 rebounds and 7 assists against Sampson and Olajuwon? Sampson and Olajuwon would whip everybody's ass today. And Bird best their ass. But Bird couldn't play today? What kind of idiot thinks that?

When he was healthy, he was the best. Period. If you wanna say he didn't compile enough stats or have enough years, fine. But his healthy version? Particularly his peak 5 years? The best I ever saw. EVER.

When Bird retired after the 1992 season, Magic inscribed a Lakers' warmup jacket "To the greatest basketball player ever but more importantly a friend".

James Worthy: "I would rather guard Jordan than Bird."

Pat Riley: "I'd want Jordan to take the shot with the game on the line. I'd want Bird to take it if my LIFE was on the line."

Isiah Thomas: "if you locked me, Michael, Magic and Larry in a room----I think Larry is the one who makes it out".

Uncle Milty wrote:

When he was healthy, he was the best. Period. If you wanna say he didn't compile enough stats or have enough years, fine. But his healthy version? Particularly his peak 5 years? The best I ever saw. EVER.

When Bird retired after the 1992 season, Magic inscribed a Lakers' warmup jacket "To the greatest basketball player ever but more importantly a friend".

James Worthy: "I would rather guard Jordan than Bird."

Pat Riley: "I'd want Jordan to take the shot with the game on the line. I'd want Bird to take it if my LIFE was on the line."

Isiah Thomas: "if you locked me, Michael, Magic and Larry in a room----I think Larry is the one who makes it out".

But interestingly both Magic and Larry would tell you that Michael was the best of all time.

How can you ignore Wilt Chamberlain from your list?

There is a great book out there waiting to be written by somebody about all of the quotes and claims throughout time regarding who said what about whom in sports, e.g., "this guy or that guy was the best". I bet depending on when you asked the same player/ person---their answers change... Yet we freeze a quote someone made and hold it up forever, like it's a permanent, fixed position.

Like if you looked back at who I said was the hottest girl when I was 16 and see how that would hold up now. I think comments in the moment like that carry some weight---but mostly are just kind, complimentary lines said that might have more to say about the person saying them and where they are in their life at that moment than they are about the target of the claim.

It's still fun to hear what people think or thought at one time.

I recall Robert Parish saying contradictory things about Jordan and Bird and their respective places in the Pantheon over time. I guess it depended on what day you caught Robert and what was on his mind.

I remember Magic, right after the Lakers beat Boston in the Finals the last time they met, saying the Kobe was the greatest Laker ever. I wouldn't hold him to that forever. I think he was caught up in the moment more than anything else and it was kind of towing the company line to say that right then and there.

No. Wilt Chamberlain.