How Would Larry Bird Rate Against Todays' Players?

[MoneyMo]

He would be a way better player than prime Lebron lmaooooo

lmao prime Lebron is far greater than Bird man. Get serious

Debate. Bird had him as a scorer, shooter and passer. Lebron so athletic and powerful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bird was a better shooter but since he never took threes, this advantage was pretty negligible. Lebron clearly was a better scorer by nearly every metric, and he was also a superior passer (this is closer), and a MUCH better defender.

[Profound23]

The comparisons to Luka and Jokic are weird.

If anything he would be the equivalent of KD.

[DCasey91]

Watch on YouTube

He’d be fine. This 1991 btw. 53-18 vs 53-20
Final score 132-135

Pippen dropped 35/10/9 and had a better game than each.

Both jacked up a lot of shots (funnily enough MJ got the rare travel violations on one of his favorite moves).

90’s was a weaker era but that’s not the point. The point is yes a player who had a top 5 all time peak would kill today.

He’d play the 3/4, be on ball/off ball, shoot, score whatever. With Bird he covers every aspect of bastketball so you can’t point to one thing, he has way too much quantity of quality relative skill.

There’s guys in the league that’s supposed to be 3+D but can’t do either or lol.

[Big J]

Bird quite possibly had the GOAT peak of anyone. He was that damn good. Dude was ripping opponents nuts off and swigging 6 packs of Budweiser after the game. He would probably average 40 10 and 10 in todays weak ass era.

[Marrrcuss]

The 50/40/90 thing is cute but being that not one top 10 all time NBA player has done it, it seems a bit overrated.

But since Bird and Curry are fan favs, it will be continue to be over valued.

[Big J]

lmao prime Lebron is far greater than Bird man. Get serious

Debate. Bird had him as a scorer, shooter and passer. Lebron so athletic and powerful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bird was a better shooter but since he never took threes, this advantage was pretty negligible. Lebron clearly was a better scorer by nearly every metric, and he was also a superior passer (this is closer), and a MUCH better defender.

Bron wasn’t close to bird as a scorer. Look at the shooting percentages. Same with passer, Bird had way more creativity. Bron was more of a bulldozer in his prime like Shaq and Giannis.

[Wolfgang630]

Bird and Bron raises the floor exponentially on a team. I don’t think there’s many players in nba history that can raise the teams floor like these two.

[MoneyMo]

Debate. Bird had him as a scorer, shooter and passer. Lebron so athletic and powerful.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Bird was a better shooter but since he never took threes, this advantage was pretty negligible. Lebron clearly was a better scorer by nearly every metric, and he was also a superior passer (this is closer), and a MUCH better defender.

Bron wasn’t close to bird as a scorer. Look at the shooting percentages. Same with passer, Bird had way more creativity. Bron was more of a bulldozer in his prime like Shaq and Giannis.

You mean Bird wasn't close to Lebron as a scorer. Greater volume and greater efficiency both Raw and advanced. The gap is even wider when you look at per 100 possessions.

Passing is closer but I'll give Lebron the edge due to him being able to make passes that Bird just physically can't. His ability to get by guys, draw doubles and help, create passing lanes is second to none.

[Big J]

Bird was a better shooter but since he never took threes, this advantage was pretty negligible. Lebron clearly was a better scorer by nearly every metric, and he was also a superior passer (this is closer), and a MUCH better defender.

Bron wasn’t close to bird as a scorer. Look at the shooting percentages. Same with passer, Bird had way more creativity. Bron was more of a bulldozer in his prime like Shaq and Giannis.

You mean Bird wasn't close to Lebron as a scorer. Greater volume and greater efficiency both Raw and advanced. The gap is even wider when you look at per 100 possessions.

Passing is closer but I'll give Lebron the edge due to him being able to make passes that Bird just physically can't. His ability to get by guys, draw doubles and help, create passing lanes is second to none.

Greater efficiency? Remind me of when Bron ever shot 50 40 90? Bird didn’t need to draw doubles to get assists, dude was throwing bounce passes backwards behind his head. Bron is a great passer but Birds vision and creativity was on another level.

[MoneyMo]

Bron wasn’t close to bird as a scorer. Look at the shooting percentages. Same with passer, Bird had way more creativity. Bron was more of a bulldozer in his prime like Shaq and Giannis.

You mean Bird wasn't close to Lebron as a scorer. Greater volume and greater efficiency both Raw and advanced. The gap is even wider when you look at per 100 possessions.

Passing is closer but I'll give Lebron the edge due to him being able to make passes that Bird just physically can't. His ability to get by guys, draw doubles and help, create passing lanes is second to none.

Greater efficiency? Remind me of when Bron ever shot 50 40 90? Bird didn’t need to draw doubles to get assists, dude was throwing bounce passes backwards behind his head. Bron is a great passer but Birds vision and creativity was on another level.

Passing is completely subjective so no point in going back and forth. The 50, 40, 90 is a great shooting stat, but his volume of threes was so low it doesn't propel his efficiency higher than LeBron's.

Overall as a scorer Lebron puts up more points per game by a good margin, and his TS percentage is also greater. This holds true in both the regular season and the playoffs.

[DaPessimist]

Perennial MVP candidate.

[CIN-C-STAR]

Rich man's Doug McDermott
All the guys back then were 5' 8" chain smoking plumbers who got drunk at halftime. Hoomans have evolved now.

[HomoSapien]

How’d he compare? He’d be the best player in the NBA.

[AKfanatic]

He’d have so many fans confused as he looked like the least athletic guy on the court while dominating their favorite players.

[SNPA]

You mean Bird wasn't close to Lebron as a scorer. Greater volume and greater efficiency both Raw and advanced. The gap is even wider when you look at per 100 possessions.

Passing is closer but I'll give Lebron the edge due to him being able to make passes that Bird just physically can't. His ability to get by guys, draw doubles and help, create passing lanes is second to none.

Greater efficiency? Remind me of when Bron ever shot 50 40 90? Bird didn’t need to draw doubles to get assists, dude was throwing bounce passes backwards behind his head. Bron is a great passer but Birds vision and creativity was on another level.

Passing is completely subjective so no point in going back and forth. The 50, 40, 90 is a great shooting stat, but his volume of threes was so low it doesn't propel his efficiency higher than LeBron's.

Overall as a scorer Lebron puts up more points per game by a good margin, and his TS percentage is also greater. This holds true in both the regular season and the playoffs.

While vision isn’t quantifiable it also isn’t totally subjective. If you study the game long enough you can see it and who has more of it. And in this case it’s Bird.

As for points, different eras, different roles. But be clear…Bird is a better shooter by a good margin from everywhere facing or back to the basket and he had the ball in his hands a massive amount less. Points per minute of ball possession and dangerous from anywhere both go to Bird big sizable margins.

[LakersLegacy]

He is one of the best shooters ever so he would thrive. And he’s a great rebounder.

Most of the great shooters would thrive in 2021-2022

[MoneyMo]

Greater efficiency? Remind me of when Bron ever shot 50 40 90? Bird didn’t need to draw doubles to get assists, dude was throwing bounce passes backwards behind his head. Bron is a great passer but Birds vision and creativity was on another level.

Passing is completely subjective so no point in going back and forth. The 50, 40, 90 is a great shooting stat, but his volume of threes was so low it doesn't propel his efficiency higher than LeBron's.

Overall as a scorer Lebron puts up more points per game by a good margin, and his TS percentage is also greater. This holds true in both the regular season and the playoffs.

While vision isn’t quantifiable it also isn’t totally subjective. If you study the game long enough you can see it and who has more of it. And in this case it’s Bird.

As for points, different eras, different roles. But be clear…Bird is a better shooter by a good margin from everywhere facing or back to the basket and he had the ball in his hands a massive amount less. Points per minute of ball possession and dangerous from anywhere both go to Bird big sizable margins.

Agree to disagree. A lot of Biases and and nostalgia for Bird on this board. I've seen Lebron make some passes that Bird couldn't even dream about.

Bird was better shooter no doubt. He was nearly automatic at the line and good at the three point shot for his time. However, overall as a scorer, it isn't even really debatable. You can practically look at everything that is measurable and Lebron has the overall edge as a scorer. He was much better at the rim, in transition, at creating his shot, scored more points per poss etc.

Just because you like Bird more, doesn't make him the better scorer or passer if the evidence doesn't support that.

[Joshyjess]

Passing is completely subjective so no point in going back and forth. The 50, 40, 90 is a great shooting stat, but his volume of threes was so low it doesn't propel his efficiency higher than LeBron's.

Overall as a scorer Lebron puts up more points per game by a good margin, and his TS percentage is also greater. This holds true in both the regular season and the playoffs.

While vision isn’t quantifiable it also isn’t totally subjective. If you study the game long enough you can see it and who has more of it. And in this case it’s Bird.

As for points, different eras, different roles. But be clear…Bird is a better shooter by a good margin from everywhere facing or back to the basket and he had the ball in his hands a massive amount less. Points per minute of ball possession and dangerous from anywhere both go to Bird big sizable margins.

Agree to disagree. A lot of Biases and and nostalgia for Bird on this board. I've seen Lebron make some passes that Bird couldn't even dream about.

Bird was better shooter no doubt. He was nearly automatic at the line and good at the three point shot for his time. However, overall as a scorer, it isn't even really debatable. You can practically look at everything that is measurable and Lebron has the overall edge as a scorer. He was much better at the rim, in transition, at creating his shot, scored more points per poss etc.

Just because you like Bird more, doesn't make him the better scorer or passer if the evidence doesn't support that.

I'm going to assume that you've never actually watched Bird play. There isn't a single pass that Lebron has made that Bird couldn't easily make. He was so far ahead of Lebron in the passing category that it should never even come up.

[ImSlower]

If prime Bird were teleported into this age of basketball, I am 100% certain he'd be absolutely merciless. On Twitter. Oh man, the trash talk would be incredible. I imagine Magic's tweets to be clever and supportive with some humble confidence. Jordan would be relentlessly self-aggrandizing. Bird would have like 25 million followers waiting for the next epic takedown of whichever punk-ass he dominated the game before.

[MoneyMo]

While vision isn’t quantifiable it also isn’t totally subjective. If you study the game long enough you can see it and who has more of it. And in this case it’s Bird.

As for points, different eras, different roles. But be clear…Bird is a better shooter by a good margin from everywhere facing or back to the basket and he had the ball in his hands a massive amount less. Points per minute of ball possession and dangerous from anywhere both go to Bird big sizable margins.

Agree to disagree. A lot of Biases and and nostalgia for Bird on this board. I've seen Lebron make some passes that Bird couldn't even dream about.

Bird was better shooter no doubt. He was nearly automatic at the line and good at the three point shot for his time. However, overall as a scorer, it isn't even really debatable. You can practically look at everything that is measurable and Lebron has the overall edge as a scorer. He was much better at the rim, in transition, at creating his shot, scored more points per poss etc.

Just because you like Bird more, doesn't make him the better scorer or passer if the evidence doesn't support that.

I'm going to assume that you've never actually watched Bird play. There isn't a single pass that Lebron has made that Bird couldn't easily make. He was so far ahead of Lebron in the passing category that it should never even come up.

I've seen plenty of Bird. "He was so far ahead of Lebron in the passing category that it should never even come up" Right.... I see you're a Celtics fan