Most Skilled Basketball Player of All Time?

[LeBird]

Larry Bird, and it's not even close. If you include basketball mind in the equation, then it's like comparing the distances from the Sun between Mercury and Pluto.

Who else can claim to have won MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year?

Remember when Bird dropped 47 on Portland shooting with his left hand just for **** and giggles?

[GSP]

It's Bird and it isn't close. The way I come to that is ask who would be the best player who relied least on their physical game and mostly on their actual basketball skills.

In his last season, Larry was putting up 20/10/7 on 47/40/93 shooting when he had to play with a broken back that required him to sit in a cast.

This more or less how i feel. There are games of Bird in his prime during road stretches where hes just bored and barely looks like hes trying yet hes so dominant.

Hes easily a top 10 player ever and a top 5 peak and when u look at his competition there most of those players are historic athletes some of the most naturally/physically gifted people ever: Mj, Russell, Wilt, Shaq, Lebron, DrJ, Magic, Hakeem, Kobe, Oscar etc. At his best on offense i believe he was the greatest player theres really nothing in his game on offense u can criticize that didnt involve needing significantly more speed, hops etc. Imagine if Larry just had the speed of some of the other alltime greats.........

[LeBird]

This more or less how i feel. There are games of Bird in his prime during road stretches where hes just bored and barely looks like hes trying yet hes so dominant.

Hes easily a top 10 player ever and a top 5 peak and when u look at his competition there most of those players are historic athletes some of the most naturally/physically gifted people ever: Mj, Russell, Wilt, Shaq, Lebron, DrJ, Magic, Hakeem, Kobe, Oscar etc. At his best on offense i believe he was the greatest player theres really nothing in his game on offense u can criticize that didnt involve needing significantly more speed, hops etc. Imagine if Larry just had the speed of some of the other alltime greats.........

The bolded is basically why my ID is LeBird - I believe if Larry had Lebron's physique, you'd be talking about the perfect player. In reality, it's probably because of his physical limitations that compelled him to be so good in his fundamentals and for him to figure out the game mentally.

[rockmanslim]

Personally I don't see how Durant can be considered. Impactful? Yes. But in terms of pure skill? Even though his jumper is excellent, his handle is too weak to seriously consider him.

For a perimeter player, scoring skill in my eyes = do you have the moves to create space for your own shot, from anywhere on the court, whether it's jumpers or shaking your man to take it all the way to the rack? And once at the rack, what variety of finishes, moves, counter moves do you have while there? Durant doesn't have that kind of handle or those kinds of moves around the rim. Fortunately for him, he doesn't need them to make the impact he does since he's so tall and long. He can bomb people from outside, needing very little space. His shot, which is a skill, is excellent, but his handle is just meh. Not great, not bad, just meh, maybe pretty good.