Larry Bird in 1985: "Rookie Jordan is Better Than Me, Best Ever"

[Pointguard]

Jordan was clearly better than Magic by '89, 1990 at the latest. The vast majority of people viewed MJ as the best in the game by 1990. Hell, some were calling him the greatest ever in 1990 before he had even won a title.

Nah, that doesn't happen. Bird and Magic had spent the decade saying it was done by ring count. If Bird had four rings Jordan would have needed 8 to surpass him. Now there were some who had resentment that Bird didn't win the Magic battle and those people did indeed annoint MJ as the greatest early on. It was not because of Jordan's play. It was said out of hating. Don't believe in the crap they feed you.

When Jordan finally played Magic it was billed as Nike vs Converse, best team player vs best individual player, cerebral player vs best athlete. Magic and Bird spent the decade showing the value of a thinking, passing, smart team player that could score was the new wave. Jordan wasn't there as that type of player until after the second ring, and was never at the level of Magic and Bird.

[LeBird]

If you stop and honestly, HONESTLY think about it you'd realize that what you're suggesting is completely uncharacteristic of Bird. Not that he doesn't care about the franchises and the NBA (he refused free money from the Celtics because he felt he didn't deserve it), but the way you're suggesting he's going at it is seriously dissing Larry Bird.

How is it dissing him? He is explicitly saying that he cares more about the success of the league by that time of his career and talks about the kind of promotion Jordan is bringing and adding fuel to it.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Nah, that doesn't happen. Bird and Magic had spent the decade saying it was done by ring count. If Bird had four rings Jordan would have needed 8 to surpass him. Now there were some who had resentment that Bird didn't win the Magic battle and those people did indeed annoint MJ as the greatest early on. It was not because of Jordan's play. It was said out of hating. Don't believe in the crap they feed you.

When Jordan finally played Magic it was billed as Nike vs Converse, best team player vs best individual player, cerebral player vs best athlete. Magic and Bird spent the decade showing the value of a thinking, passing, smart team player that could score was the new wave. Jordan wasn't there as that type of player until after the second ring, and was never at the level of Magic and Bird.

Again, the majority of people had Jordan as the best player in the game by '89 - 1990 at the latest. Deal with reality.

[HomieWeMajor]

Bird was ordered to say this by David Stern to begin the' passing of the torch' once him and Magic would be out of the league.

[Real14]

Bird was ordered to say this by David Stern to begin the' passing of the torch' once him and Magic would be out of the league.

Bird was being honest man. He knew Jordan was that niguh and he had a special dosage of his talent that next year aka tha year of "Real14" when Jordan was scoring 63 at his domain.

[bizil]

Here's the thing about guys like Bron, Magic, Big O, and Bird. They are guys who are alpha dogs and dominate scoring BUT they are arguably better passers than they are scorers. Their IQ dicates them looking to dominate passing just as much as scoring. It's almost as if they take what the D gives them and go from there.

Guys like MJ and Kobe have IQ's that are epic too. But they are score first players whose scoring is CLEARLY better than their passing. Both are great passers and hell have played the PG position plenty in their careers. But their mindset is a great scorer who is also a great passer. The guys like Big O, Magic, and Bron are great passers who are also great scorers. With Bird being a SF-PF with PG type vision, he's a bit different than all these guys. He wasn't really the primary ball handler or a guard, but yet he was the best passer on his teams. He's arguably the greatest shooter ever and was a true alpha dog so u have to play to that strength. But Bird's more in line with a Big O or Magic than he is a MJ or Kobe.

But Bird is the most fundamentally sound basketball player of all time while MJ is the most gifted basketball player of all time. I think Lebron overall is the most versatile ever ( a mantle previously held by guys like Magic, Big O, and arguably KG). Magic and Big O I think are the most dominant floor general ever and can dictate a game better anybody.

[Soundwave]

How is it dissing him? He is explicitly saying that he cares more about the success of the league by that time of his career and talks about the kind of promotion Jordan is bringing and adding fuel to it.

Or you know you could stop injecting your own personal bias into it and just admit that maybe (just gasp maybe!) Bird was impressed with Jordan.

That's arguably the most impressive season from a rookie in the past 30 years, why wouldn't people be impressed? I think Bird was smart enough to see that the kid just wasn't on a very good team ... yet.

Greatness recognizes greatness.

I understand trying to "sell" the league, but calling a player "God" the following year is a bit much too if that's your only angle.

[TheMan]

Bird just being honest. Those who say Bird had some covert ulterior motive are just hating on the GOAT.


Deal with it.

[feyki]

The reason why Bird was saying that is because he saw a guy who was an epic all around player like him and Magic. That was also a lockdown kind of defender, can play PG, SG, and SF, and is a freak athlete! That kind of player had NEVER been seen before in the NBA period! Big O didn't have the defense and freak athletic ability MJ had. Dr.J, Baylor, Thompson and Hawkins weren't as great all around as MJ.

In 1985, I would still give Bird and Magic the edge slightly as the better players. They incorporated their teammates better and were actually more versatile and able to play the PF position in addition to the perimeter. But Bird knew MJ was gonna pass Magic and Bird by sooner than later. And if u pass Bird and Magic by, u are the best perimeter player of all time in terms of talent and skills. Of course it would some years later when MJ would pass them by GOAT wise.

Great post .

[Stringer Bell]

Bird has always been respectful of other great players. He said those things about Jordan when Jordan was very young, had the "God disguised as Jordan" comment in 1986, said Magic was "the best he's ever seen" and "unbelievable" after the 1987 Finals.

He's not one of those "our era was so much better" type guys. He pretty much said it was ridiculous that Kobe didn't win an MVP until 2008, said LeBron was as "good as anyone who's ever played" when he went to Miami, recently said he thinks players nowadays might be better than his era and others...Remember when the 1992 Dream Team scrimmaged with college players? He said "Man, if Chris Webber is the future of the league, I gotta get out here".