Larry Bird or LeBron James

[HoopsNY]

Prime Lebron was also the better rebounder.

How so? Bird's numbers both in Rbpg and Per 100 are higher in both the regular season and playoffs if we're looking at peak/prime years. It's not a secret, Bird was an excellent rebounder and a better rebounder than LeBron. Bird also dealt with the big man era.

[Gohan]

Lmao bron is way better than bird

[Lebron23]

How so? Bird's numbers both in Rbpg and Per 100 are higher in both the regular season and playoffs if we're looking at peak/prime years. It's not a secret, Bird was an excellent rebounder and a better rebounder than LeBron. Bird also dealt with the big man era.

I meant defender.

[kawhileonard2]

Prime Lebron was also the better rebounder.

Bird averaged 10 rpg for his career

[LAmbruh]

landslide victory for the bron boys


anudda wun

[xlong588]

Lebron physically superior to Larry.

[Round Mound]

I would take 85-86 Bird over mostly anybody as Team Player. In the long term Lebron is a better athlete and ofcourse he will have a higher longevity but peak for peak its very close.

[HoopsNY]

I meant defender.

I could get down with that, but the margin isn't as great as many believe it to be. Larry was an amazing help defender whose help defense directly impacted outcomes of playoff games.

[Shooter]

I could get down with that, but the margin isn't as great as many believe it to be. Larry was an amazing help defender whose help defense directly impacted outcomes of playoff games.

You're a big ppg right?

Bird made 5 Finals, did you know he was outscored in three of them by his own teammates?

Only led his team in Finals scoring twice. Crazy huh? Must drop him out of your top 50 at that rate right?

[warriorfan]

If my team is shitty, LeBron. If my team is elite, Bird.

[Gudo]

Team player bird should not even have put up comparable numbers to ball dominant lebron. But he did.

[HoopsNY]

You're a big ppg right?

Bird made 5 Finals, did you know he was outscored in three of them by his own teammates?

Only led his team in Finals scoring twice. Crazy huh? Must drop him out of your top 50 at that rate right?

If you understood the Celtics system, you would understand why it wasn't so crazy.

[Shooter]

If you understood the Celtics system, you would understand why it wasn't so crazy.

Exposed

[1987_Lakers]

LeBron surpassed Bird in 2016. I can't think of a reason to go with Bird, both are similar in terms of peak play (I'll take LeBron cause of his defense), but LeBron is so far ahead of Bird in terms of longevity you would have to be simple to go with Bird.

[Whoah10115]

I meant defender.

I'm not even arguing (at least not right now) that Bird is as good or better defender than LeBron, but what I don't understand is why so many are so quick to point to defense.

Is that 2-3 year defensive peak that LeBron the reason? I could respect that.

Or it the perception of Bird as a defender? Maybe for you it's the former, but for most it's probably the latter.