SI: Bird better than Lebron

[Shaqdaddy11]

Russell is your number 1?

 

[LogicMan]

One dimension that flavors love for the players of the 80s and 90s was that they fundamentally hated each other on the court. They did not give hugs and kisses when the series were over. It felt like a real battle. I dont see enough animosity today to get excited the same way.

Bird holding Dr J by the throat. maybe thats why we cant get enough of that era

 

[HammerDown]

Interesting debate by all. One item I did not see discussed was Bird's better rebounding. Another item of note was just how fast Bird turned around the franchise and getting a ring so quickly. Thats an amazing fact.

We're pretending like this is close. It's not close. At all.

Bird was a fucking cold-blooded monstrous killer. Came into a very proud franchise that treated rookies like shit. He came into a team with players on it who had won NBA championships when he wasn't even in jr high school. He came in and in the first hour had veterans respecting him and admitting that they were going to win championships for a long time behind him. Bird never called Dr. J or Magic and asked if they wanted to form a Dream Team. On the court he hated those guys and wanted to devastate them. He was a killer.

Lebron? He's not.

 

[HammerDown]

One dimension that flavors love for the players of the 80s and 90s was that they fundamentally hated each other on the court. They did not give hugs and kisses when the series were over. It felt like a real battle. I dont see enough animosity today to get excited the same way.

Bird holding Dr J by the throat. maybe thats why we cant get enough of that era

HAHAHA! And the homers Tommy Heinson and Johnny Most acting like J attacked Bird and Bird was just defending himself!

Basketball was a billion times better back then. You had Johnny Most sitting courtside with a case of beer on ice chain-smoking Pall Malls.

 

[HammerDown]

Walton was a HOFer before he graduated college. McHale is around 40th on my greatest players list, even though I stress longevity very highly and he didn't have it.

As for the thread topic, I think Lebron will wind up in my top 6 greatest players, along with Russell, Jordan, Kareem, Magic and Bird. Indeed, if he shows the longevity of fellow high school entrants Kobe and KG, I predict he'll wind up 2nd on my list, behind Russell.

KG? #2 all time. You're joking.

 

[HammerDown]

You're overstating the lack of defense greatly.

Defense was SIMPLER then. But they played a lot of it.

I want Leroy Brown to try telling Lakers players that Pat Riley didn't let them play defense.

 

[HammerDown]

"We walked uphill both days in the snow back in my day."


Clinging to Nostalgia makes up falsely disbelieve the reality of evolution.

You have NBA Network? Watch NBA Hardwood Classics and tell me this is all made up. Those guys were lean, mean basketball machines. They played the game way faster. Watch one of those games and you'll be surprised to remember how quick those guys were.

 

[TDs3nOut]

LBJ is an athletic freak. LB was a basketball IQ genius.

 

[HammerDown]

LBJ is an athletic freak. LB was a basketball IQ genius.

It's a damn shame the Bird man had a bad back and wheels. Him and Magic both only played half a career.

 

[UK Cowboy]

To me, Bird made everyone around him better. He was ''surrounded by all stars'', in part because they played with him. Bird was a better version of Dirk, who is the most underrated player of this era IMO. If Dirk had played with a Shaq, a Kobe, a Wade, any other player who demanded a double, he'd have won 4-5 titles.

 

[HammerDown]

To me, Bird made everyone around him better. He was ''surrounded by all stars'', in part because they played with him. Bird was a better version of Dirk, who is the most underrated player of this era IMO. If Dirk had played with a Shaq, a Kobe, a Wade, any other player who demanded a double, he'd have won 4-5 titles.

Dirk is beyond belief. Would love to see him play in person. 7' doing that shit? Just unreal.

 

[Wamu]

It's a damn shame the Bird man had a bad back and wheels. Him and Magic both only played half a career.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Does that really need an explanation?!?

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

At least 30 guys played 18plus Seasons.

Outside of Shaq, Kobe, Fisher, Garnett, Nash...pretty much all of those guys came from that era.

Kevin Willis played 23 Seasons

The ghost of Jermaine Oneal played 18!


NBA Players with Most Seasons Played in History | SPORTS LIST OF THE DAY

 

[gohusk]

On HGH? I'd take James. Off of HGH? Probably Bird but James has a few years to put something together. It's not so much the weight loss that's the indicator. It's that he was able to keep on so many lbs that were obviously not natural while also enduring the brutal season, all the travel, and the time devoted to his skills as well. He isn't the only one and this has been going on for years but anybody that says that HGH hasn't been a big problem since the 90's is kidding themselves. Sad thing is that these guys wouldn't even need it if everyone else was clean. But all it takes is a couple of idiots setting the bar higher by cheating and other players are basically forced to try to keep up.

 

[HammerDown]

At least 30 guys played 18plus Seasons.

Outside of Shaq, Kobe, Fisher, Garnett, Nash...pretty much all of those guys came from that era.

Kevin Willis played 23 Seasons

The ghost of Jermaine Oneal played 18!


NBA Players with Most Seasons Played in History | SPORTS LIST OF THE DAY

Kevin Willis could play for Boston this season.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Kevin Willis could play for Boston this season.

HARSH!


* whispers*

...and Philly

 

[UK Cowboy]

Dirk is beyond belief. Would love to see him play in person. 7' doing that shit? Just unreal.

No doubt! The way guys band together these days, its too bad a major star didn't team up with Dirk. A slasher like LeBron, they'd never lose. The guy that made a mistake IMO was Dwight Howard. With Dirk pulling big men out of the lane and drawing doubles, Howard would have had a field day in the paint.

 

[Clayton]

Bird was a better version of Dirk, who is the most underrated player of this era IMO.

Insert 'That's Racist' meme. They're pretty different.

The big difference between Bird and Lebron is personality. Bird basically said that Russell and Jordan were better than him and had no problem in saying it. 3 very different players. MJ and Bird would tear up today's game. I think Russell would probably just be a franchise C but not really a superstar.

Lebron...well, we dont really have to talk about his personality at this point. But there is no denying that Lebron is fun to watch.

 

[Clayton]

ESPN has both of them ranked in the top 5 this year.

In the regular season maybe.

CP3 obviously had the personality of a Richard Sherman crossed with an ex wife and I think that bothers his teams' chemistry when everything revolves around him. CP3 is also playing in an era of PGs and has a hard time separating himself from the pack when there are so many rules and schemes that make PGs look good.

Blake Griffin could legitimately be a top 5 player going into next year. He improved his game a bit last year and if he continues to do so then I think he is a pretty legit force.