How Would Larry Bird Rate Against Todays' Players?

[Pablo Escobar]

He'd get cooked on the defensive end.

There is a lot more to defense than being a run/jump athlete.

He'd be picked on constantly. You can have all the iq in the world but if you're slow and can't jump as high you're gonna struggle. He'd be a good "team" defender I guess but usually that's just said to excuse poor defenders. Bird didn't play in an era where they hunted the weakest defender constantly.

[DavidSterned]

can you read? i said bird would have trouble playing defense against today's superior athletes.

Style against? Sounds like it would be a real struggle for him. Unless he's defensively styling now?

Don't walk back with your tail tucked between your legs because you made an asinine comment. Just own it, clown.

the contention that bird was just lighting up stiff slow guys -- i said nothing of the sort. asinine comment? of course.

You literally said he was "styling" against Kelly Tripucka, picking on a slower whiter guy (naturally) with a goofy '80s mustache as if that was the crux of his entire athletic competition, and as if he wasn't going up against some of the best NBA athletes of all time and holding his own quite well.

Like I said, just own it and we can move on amicably.

[Uncle Mxy]

Who's coming in second?

That's all you need to know...

[SNPA]

He'd get cooked on the defensive end.

There is a lot more to defense than being a run/jump athlete.

He'd be picked on constantly. You can have all the iq in the world but if you're slow and can't jump as high you're gonna struggle. He'd be a good "team" defender I guess but usually that's just said to excuse poor defenders. Bird didn't play in an era where they hunted the weakest defender constantly.

Weakest defender? Wut?????

Bird made all D teams and led the league in DWS four times. Bird, especially early in his career, was a feared defender who led good defensive teams. He played down a position to defend big time athletic wings like Nique.

Hell, he made the most famous defensive play of all time. And in today’s game he plays 4/5, not 4/3.

What the ***** are you talking about? Bird is by no means some athletic stiff that isn’t NBA level.

If a team wanted to hunt Bird, good luck. That wouldn’t work against him and would piss him off and he’d make you pay. And he’d tell you about too.

Freakin’ Trae Young just made it a few rounds in the playoffs.

[The Rebel]

Do you have Bird higher on your all time list than Lebron?

I do and most people I know that watched them both have Bird as being better as well.

It's okay, I have no intentions of vilifying anyone's all time list. It would actually be insane to prefer Bird and rank him lower. That's where the contention would have come. One thing though and on a concluding note, if most people who saw them play had Bird being better, it would be consensus among the older media. Don't get me wrong they are mostly casuals but so are the majority of people we know in real life. Your take means more here tbf.

Older media have a vested interest in pushing today's players and today's game, you cannot count on them to give non-biased opinions. There is plenty of game tape around of both players, go watch it. Also spend some time learning the difference in the rules, and then form your own opinion.

[DCasey91]

He'd get cooked on the defensive end.

There is a lot more to defense than being a run/jump athlete.

He'd be picked on constantly. You can have all the iq in the world but if you're slow and can't jump as high you're gonna struggle. He'd be a good "team" defender I guess but usually that's just said to excuse poor defenders. Bird didn't play in an era where they hunted the weakest defender constantly.

What is a Marc Gasol?

And what is a Hassan Whiteside?

Birds a better defender than Wiggins ever was and ever will be and he seems o be athletic.

Defense and athleticism aren’t mutually exclusive.

6”9” with maybe the highest IQ in the game and can literally impact basketball on ever facet up to an elite level in many areas. Yeah he’d be fine against Tatum/Brown for example lol.

[Topofthekey]

He could be Jokic with better 3pt shooting

Or Bertans with better passing

[trickshot]

I do and most people I know that watched them both have Bird as being better as well.

It's okay, I have no intentions of vilifying anyone's all time list. It would actually be insane to prefer Bird and rank him lower. That's where the contention would have come. One thing though and on a concluding note, if most people who saw them play had Bird being better, it would be consensus among the older media. Don't get me wrong they are mostly casuals but so are the majority of people we know in real life. Your take means more here tbf.

Older media have a vested interest in pushing today's players and today's game, you cannot count on them to give non-biased opinions. There is plenty of game tape around of both players, go watch it. Also spend some time learning the difference in the rules, and then form your own opinion.

Christ what a response. I compliment you saying I value your opinion higher than media and casuals and you come back with patronising drivel. As a long time user and former mod you cant seriously be this lacking in maturity. Even the unintended interpretation didn't warrant said response because it still puts down the media and casual's opinions not yours. I pretty much said I have no problem with one having Bird over Lebron on their AT list.

[formula 400]

He was my favorite player when i started watching BBall, but yall are overdoing it.

EVERYTHING evolves and hes way to slow for the game now. He would be a great spot up guy but would be tortured on defense. He would be pick and rolled to get him on scorers who would murder him.

Nobody can guard any good iso scorer man-to-man these days with the current rules. Today, defense is much more team-based. It's way more important to be a good help defender than a great man-to-man defender. And prime Bird was a great help defender.

Bird would probably be a lot like prime Paul Millsap on defense, or a poor man's Draymond Green. He'd always be in the right spot and he have the strength to defend the post against just about anybody save Jokic, Embiid or Valanciunas

He was molasses even in the mid 80s. How he got that steal against Detroit was beyond me, but i went wild.

Too unathletic for today.

Remember, fat men used to inhabit the NBA in a decent quantity.

the only few fatties are jokic, luka, harden and zion.

[HollowEarth]

He'd get cooked on the defensive end.

There is a lot more to defense than being a run/jump athlete.

He'd be picked on constantly. You can have all the iq in the world but if you're slow and can't jump as high you're gonna struggle. He'd be a good "team" defender I guess but usually that's just said to excuse poor defenders. Bird didn't play in an era where they hunted the weakest defender constantly.

If Bird was a top 10 defender at one point, then what defenders from the early 80's would still be able to hang in the current NBA then? Sidney Moncrief, Bobby Jones, Michael Copper, and . . . anybody else available that's significantly better than Bird? And if those are the only modern NBA level defenders in the early 80's then how could you possibly evaluate a guy like Bird's rival Magic Johnson? You'd have to adjust all his stats and accomplishments due to the lower levels of defense, right? Would we have to narrow Magic's statistics down to the games he played against Moncrief and Jones?

[JN61]

2nd after Durant.

[JN61]

Do you have Bird higher on your all time list than Lebron?

I do and most people I know that watched them both have Bird as being better as well.

It's okay, I have no intentions of vilifying anyone's all time list. It would actually be insane to prefer Bird and rank him lower. That's where the contention would have come. One thing though and on a concluding note, if most people who saw them play had Bird being better, it would be consensus among the older media. Don't get me wrong they are mostly casuals but so are the majority of people we know in real life. Your take means more here tbf.

It's not like his take is out of this world. A lot of us had Bird ahead of Lebron till Lebron's last title, me included. For many Lebron needed that title without 2 other stars playing along side him even if it was bubble championship because a lot of his championships are very weak ones because his supporting cast been historically strong.

[Tatumfor2]

he would have trouble playing defense against today's superior athletes. no kelly tripuckas around to style against, either. comparing him to lebron is ridiculous; he wouldn't be nearly as good.

bird would get killed by guys like herro or luca. put luca or herro in the 80s and watch them elevate to bird status

Did you just literally reference two "Kelly Tripucka" players that Bird would smoke in today's game?

[BostonCouchGM]

I do and most people I know that watched them both have Bird as being better as well.

It's okay, I have no intentions of vilifying anyone's all time list. It would actually be insane to prefer Bird and rank him lower. That's where the contention would have come. One thing though and on a concluding note, if most people who saw them play had Bird being better, it would be consensus among the older media. Don't get me wrong they are mostly casuals but so are the majority of people we know in real life. Your take means more here tbf.

Older media have a vested interest in pushing today's players and today's game, you cannot count on them to give non-biased opinions. There is plenty of game tape around of both players, go watch it. Also spend some time learning the difference in the rules, and then form your own opinion.

First, there’s very few talking heads that actually played against him and the few there are a) he’s white and that plays a part b) he triggered them with his shite talking and beating them. The other old talking heads that dominate the airwaves didn’t see him during his prime. At worse he was the third best player in the toughest, most competitive decade with its best players behind only the best player of all time and the best PG of all time

[Laimbeer]

His extraordinary playmaking would translate, but he'd find defense much more challenging. Also, his three point shooting is overrated. It wasn't defended as well and most shots were made hugging the line.

[ellobo]

First, there’s very few talking heads that actually played against him and the few there are a) he’s white and that plays a part b) he triggered them with his shite talking and beating them. The other old talking heads that dominate the airwaves didn’t see him during his prime. At worse he was the third best player in the toughest, most competitive decade with its best players behind only the best player of all time and the best PG of all time

Bird has the most, best, and most specific stories told about him.

With other guys, it's, "[Player name] was a great trash talker. Yeah, that guy always had something to say."

With Bird, it's, "So one time, we were playing Boston and [description of situation]. Larry says [specific quote of trash talk]. Then Larry proceeds to [description of how Larry backed up trash talk]. I couldn't believe it."

When I hear past opponents tell stories about Bird's trash talking it's usually more admiring that he had the balls to say what he did, and then the ability to back it up, rather than triggered or grudging.

[trueballer7]

Banned from the league for being too much of an animalistic savage

[pillwenney]

Regarding comparing him to Luka and Jokic, I think the fair interpretation is that his game in the 80s (most post-based) was more similar to Jokic, but if he were playing in this era where dribble penetration is much more commonly the driver of offense, and where he'd undoubtedly be firing away way more 3s, his game would likely adjust to the era, and look a good deal more like Luka's. I don't think that's a crazy take. He certainly had the requisite skill to be an offensive superstar in either way.

[harlem_ball]

Bird would be a faster, more agile Doncic.

Clearly an MVP candidate.

[Ayt]

He'd get cooked on the defensive end.

There is a lot more to defense than being a run/jump athlete.

He'd be picked on constantly. You can have all the iq in the world but if you're slow and can't jump as high you're gonna struggle. He'd be a good "team" defender I guess but usually that's just said to excuse poor defenders. Bird didn't play in an era where they hunted the weakest defender constantly.

This is complete nonsense. Look at a very subpar athlete like Khris Middleton who has been a very good defender in his career.