Kobe vs. Larry Bird

[letsdothis]

2 questions that I would like to get your opinion on (especially from kblaze because he seems like an intelligent poster in this forum):

(1) If Larry Bird (prime) played in today's league, would he be considered a better player than kobe? (by "better" i mean more impact/dominant)

(2) If Kobe were to retire today or after this season, could he crack the top 20 greatest? (I know there was a thread on this and he ranked 24, but after answering the first question, your ranking of kobe may/maynot change)

My request: try to be as objective as possible. I know its easy to hate kobe because he's such a fruitcake sometimes. As for larry bird, remember that even though he wasn't as athletic as the others, he was still able to be a huge impact player for a long time. I was debating this with my roommate and i admit that i never watched larry bird play (except highlights) so i can't really say (although i would put my money on kobe).

Thanks guys.

[VCMVP1551]

I was born in 1987 so I didn't really see Bird play however I have watched about 20-30 old games with Bird playing and I would easily say Larry. Bird was like Dirk Nowitzki with heart, killer instinct and Magic Johnson's court vision. I would rank only Jordan, Magic and maybe Shaq ahead of him. Kobe might crack top 20 but if he keeps playing at this level he has a shot at top 10-15. He needs to prove he can lead a team though..he doesn't need to win another ring but he has to have the success Pippen had as a leader.

[G-train]

Larry Bird is probably the greatest shooter ever, and excellent team player, a winner who exceled at every part of the game, particulary intangibles. People sometimes knocked his defence, but he made all defensive teams a couple of times also.
Kobe is a great great scorer. But Bird did it all, and he did it all at a supreme level.
If you had seen him play, you would know that this is no contest.

[VCMVP1551]

Bird was a once in a lifetime player. He could shoot as well as any, post up as well as anyone, rebound as well as anyone and pass as well as anyone.

[Classic]

Another Kobe comparison?

[letsdothis]

thanks for the posts. Im not just comparing them. Im not asking who is better, but im specifically asking if larry bird would be better than kobe if larry played in TODAY's league.

im inferring that you guys are saying that larry would be better. but if you guys could answer the question more specifically, then it would clearer.

[G-train]

He would play even better, as half the league plays dumb bball.

[VCMVP1551]

I think Bird's era was tougher and he'd do better in todays league especially considering we put more emphasis on 3's today than back then. Bird would be the best player in the league by far if he played today.

[johndeeregreen]

Larry Bird, without question.

We're talking about a guy who won 3 MVPs in a row before the award was a joke, playing in an era chock full of legends. Actually asking who the better player is/was is spitting in Bird's face. You realize by "prime Bird" you're talking about a guy who tossed up 29/11/7 on 52% shooting, 43% from three, and won the NBA MVP in an absolute landslide (73 out of 74 first place votes), right?

[Chrono90]

Larry Bird, without question.

We're talking about a guy who won 3 MVPs in a row before the award was a joke, playing in an era chock full of legends. Actually asking who the better player is/was is spitting in Bird's face. You realize by "prime Bird" you're talking about a guy who tossed up 29/11/7 on 52% shooting, 43% from three, and won the NBA MVP in an absolute landslide (73 out of 74 first place votes), right?

[G-train]

Larry Bird would probably beat Bryant in a skills contest today, at their current ages. :)

[dejordan]

kobe is a significantly better scorer than bird and a significantly better defender. bird was a significantly better rebounder, passer, leader, and decision-maker. i actually think it's closer than most people will admit, and larry bird is one of my all time faves so i'm not just playing favorites and trying to boost up bryant.

to me the real separation is in decision-making. if you watch the spurs win their rings you see it in duncan. he's almost flawless when it comes to knowing what to do against any given defensive situation and against most offenses as well. bird was like that, only to an even higher degree. announcers were always saying it looked like he knew what was going to happen on the court before it happened.

in today's game, i think there's one factor that significantly favors kobe, and that's the strictly enforced no handcheck rule. that rule gives him much more space and freedom than it would afford bird, because larry doesn't have the quickness and explosiveness to totally take advantage of it. i think the zone favors bird though because it allows him to play team defense which he excelled at without putting him in tough one on one matchups.

i think larry's biggest struggle in today's game would be that the players are not as smart and don't tend to have long tenures on teams so they might not build the type of chemistry to best utilize his great passing skills. i think larry's biggest advantage would be that nobody has played a style even closely resembling his in a very long time, and nobody would have any idea how to deal with all the touch passes and ambidextrous post moves.

i honestly don't know who would have the bigger impact in today's game. my inclination is to say bird since he did more to impact the game, but without knowing his team situation, you can't know for certain.

[VCMVP1551]

kobe is a significantly better scorer than bird and a significantly better defender. bird was a significantly better rebounder, passer, leader, and decision-maker. i actually think it's closer than most people will admit, and larry bird is one of my all time faves so i'm not just playing favorites and trying to boost up bryant.

to me the real separation is in decision-making. if you watch the spurs win their rings you see it in duncan. he's almost flawless when it comes to knowing what to do against any given defensive situation and against most offenses as well. bird was like that, only to an even higher degree. announcers were always saying it looked like he knew what was going to happen on the court before it happened.

in today's game, i think there's one factor that significantly favors kobe, and that's the strictly enforced no handcheck rule. that rule gives him much more space and freedom than it would afford bird, because larry doesn't have the quickness and explosiveness to totally take advantage of it. i think the zone favors bird though because it allows him to play team defense which he excelled at without putting him in tough one on one matchups.

i think larry's biggest struggle in today's game would be that the players are not as smart and don't tend to have long tenures on teams so they might not build the type of chemistry to best utilize his great passing skills. i think larry's biggest advantage would be that nobody has played a style even closely resembling his in a very long time, and nobody would have any idea how to deal with all the touch passes and ambidextrous post moves.

i honestly don't know who would have the bigger impact in today's game. my inclination is to say bird since he did more to impact the game, but without knowing his team situation, you can't know for certain.

Bird would often be guarded by PF because of his 6'9", 225 pound frame and excellent post skills so the no handchecking rule would help him too. Kobe isn't that much better than Bird at scoring either.

[JtotheIzzo]

kobe is a significantly better scorer than bird and a significantly better defender. bird was a significantly better rebounder, passer, leader, and decision-maker. i actually think it's closer than most people will admit, and larry bird is one of my all time faves so i'm not just playing favorites and trying to boost up bryant.

to me the real separation is in decision-making. if you watch the spurs win their rings you see it in duncan. he's almost flawless when it comes to knowing what to do against any given defensive situation and against most offenses as well. bird was like that, only to an even higher degree. announcers were always saying it looked like he knew what was going to happen on the court before it happened.

in today's game, i think there's one factor that significantly favors kobe, and that's the strictly enforced no handcheck rule. that rule gives him much more space and freedom than it would afford bird, because larry doesn't have the quickness and explosiveness to totally take advantage of it. i think the zone favors bird though because it allows him to play team defense which he excelled at without putting him in tough one on one matchups.

i think larry's biggest struggle in today's game would be that the players are not as smart and don't tend to have long tenures on teams so they might not build the type of chemistry to best utilize his great passing skills. i think larry's biggest advantage would be that nobody has played a style even closely resembling his in a very long time, and nobody would have any idea how to deal with all the touch passes and ambidextrous post moves.

i honestly don't know who would have the bigger impact in today's game. my inclination is to say bird since he did more to impact the game, but without knowing his team situation, you can't know for certain.

I love your analysis DJ but Bird was a much better scorer. The dude created so many shots, humbled top defenders night in and night out, he may not be able to drop fifty for a few games in a row against scrub comp in the dog days of the season ala Kobe, but with the game on the line and a hoop needed, put it in Bird's hands over Kobe's everytime.

[IGOTGAME]

I love your analysis DJ but Bird was a much better scorer. The dude created so many shots, humbled top defenders night in and night out, he may not be able to drop fifty for a few games in a row against scrub comp in the dog days of the season ala Kobe, but with the game on the line and a hoop needed, put it in Bird's hands over Kobe's everytime.

no one is a much better scorer then Kobe...and when Kobe had great teams around him he was very very clutch as well...I give Kobe a slight edge on scoring