Question about Larry Bird

[futurecoach]

I haven't read this whole thread, maybe this was brought up. However was there AAU teams back then when people like Larry Bird were growing up? I honestly don't know, but I assume not. However one of the reasons people seem so much more athletic or just better today, is because there is so much more advances in sports from weights, medical stuff, and even more chances to play more. If you just take him from then and put him in the league now, I don't think he would have been as big of a star but still good. However if you have growing up in today's age, I think he would have been just as great and as big of a star still. These guys were great back then, so you have to imagine they would have been even better now with alll the advantages in today's world.

[5wide]

Absolutely zero doubt Bird would be a superstar in any era. In addition to an elite skill set, he was one of the smartest and craftiest players to ever play. At 6'9 he could get his shot.

[formerkywrestler]

So does this mean I can say I think Kobe is one of the top 5 players of all time and I won't be accused of bias since he is my all time favorite player?

To me he is there. One of the biggest things he has done is evolve his game to continue to win even when his physical talents have diminished.

 

As far as the post is concerned. Larry would be a legend no matter what era he played in.

[Pancake]

There is no doubt in my mind that Larry Legend would be an All Star in today's NBA.

 

I agree!!! :thumb:

[oldrambler]

I was viewing another sports site and someone was posting that Larry Bird would have trouble playing in today's NBA, that he wasn't athletic enough in today's game.

 

I say Larry Bird could probably start on any NBA team today if he were in his prime.

 

Many of these youngsters that frequent some of these boards think basketball was invented in the 1990's. There's numerous players over the past 40 years that could play, and star, in today's NBA.

 

What's BGP's opinion?

I certainly agree with you Professor. Larry Bird could play in the NBA today. Bird wasn't as smooth or flashy as alot of NBA players are, he was a pure basketball player At his prime Bird was as good as there was and could certainly compete and sucseed in in todays game. I think that he is still one of the top players ever in the NBA. jmo

Jeez, Some probably don't even remember him, just what they have seen in highlights.

[oldrambler]

Absolutely zero doubt Bird would be a superstar in any era. In addition to an elite skill set, he was one of the smartest and craftiest players to ever play. At 6'9 he could get his shot.

 

Absolutely, Bird was probably the best at that.

[mexitucky]

I can agree that those 3 together make 1 Larry.

 

I definitely agree that Bernard King was underrated. He was one of my Dad's favorites. King could fill it up.

 

If King would have been further south on I-95 and playing w/ Moses and Julius, he would have been in the Hall of Fame years ago.

[mexitucky]

I like Kobe over Bird, all time. Kobe and Mike are very close on my list of greatest ever.

 

I agree that Kobe and Mike are a lot closer than anyone wants to give them credit for. Put Kobe in Mike's time, where reporters had just a little more cooth and actually protected Jordan, and he would be even more beloved.

 

In terms of better than Bird, depends on how you want to build your team. He's a better scorer, defender, and just as intensly competitive. Bird was a great shooter, a great drink mixer, and a very good rebounder. Depends on what you need. If I had to start a team, I don't know who I would want to take b/c I would have to build 2 fundamentally different teams.

[oldrambler]

Would he be the legend he is now? Maybe not but he would still be a top tier player.

He imo would still be that legend like he was in the 80's.

 

Larry is way better than Dirk. Not even close.

:thumb: Not even close enough to compare.

 

Don't forget how basketball-smart Bird was, including being an extraordinary passer.

:thumb:

 

Professor, you and I are about the same age, so we have seen alot of the "older" players..... Yes IMO he would do very well in the NBA today.

I am in that group as well. :thumb:

Because Bird is white many believe he was unathletic. That is the furtherest thing from the truth. He was not an elite caliber athlete, but he was so strong fundamentally and the game moved slow to him like it does for most stars. One of the top trash talkers of all time as well and had an ability to get in the opponents head.

:thumb: Bird would make idiots out of the "super athletes", he was a basketball player. Bird was uncanny on getting position on someone, setting up his own shot, would hit that shot and was a very good rebounder, passer/assist man and he also payed great defense.

 

He was low on the athletic scale by NBA standards.

He had to be a great athlete to play at the level he did.. Bird embarrassed the "great athletes".

 

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

 

Sorry, this post is funny to me.

Yeah, I thought so too along with :idunno: Uh? :lol:

[Jim Schue]

Put Kobe in Mike's time, where reporters had just a little more cooth and actually protected Jordan, and he would be even more beloved.

 

It's not a reporter's job to protect anyone. If anything, they did Jordan a disservice by allowing his arrogance and nastiness get out of control. While the greatest player ever, Jordan is a regrettable human being in terms of his boorish personality. If anything, he needed to be knocked down a peg (I assume that's where you're going with the comment about reporters' uncouthness). And he did get hammered pretty good on the gambling thing, and reporters were critical of the baseball thing as well — justifiably so in both cases.

[mexitucky]

It's not a reporter's job to protect anyone. If anything, they did Jordan a disservice by allowing his arrogance and nastiness get out of control. While the greatest player ever, Jordan is a regrettable human being in terms of his boorish personality. If anything, he needed to be knocked down a peg (I assume that's where you're going with the comment about reporters' uncouthness). And he did get hammered pretty good on the gambling thing, and reporters were critical of the baseball thing as well — justifiably so in both cases.

 

I'm not talking about professional sports writers. I'm talking about guys that dig as hard they can into a person's personal life to find whatever skeletons that may be in the closet. I'm just saying that if Jordan (much like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle) played right now, our memories of him wouldn't be so pristine.

[Jim Schue]

:thumb: Bird would make idiots out of the "super athletes", he was a basketball player. Bird was uncanny on getting position on someone, setting up his own shot, would hit that shot and was a very good rebounder, passer/assist man and he also payed great defense.

 

He had to be a great athlete to play at the level he did.. Bird embarrassed the "great athletes".

 

:thumb: Michael Cooper and Jordan were regularly thrashed by Bird, and they were two of the best defenders of their era, and would be today as well. Plus, given the way many of today's players can't resist getting T'd up, Bird would have a field day getting in their heads.

[Jim Schue]

I'm not talking about professional sports writers. I'm talking about guys that dig as hard they can into a person's personal life to find whatever skeletons that may be in the closet. I'm just saying that if Jordan (much like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle) played right now, our memories of him wouldn't be so pristine.

 

Gotcha. :thumb:

[dolamite]

He would be like Dirk, except his team would probably win more than Dirk has with the Mavs. I see Larry Bird being about the equivalent of Dirk though I really do.

[bugatti]

The Dirk comparison should begin and end with that they can shoot ball well and white (though Bird was a better shooter and whiter ). Bird was better at every other facet of the game.