Larry Bird vs Hakeem Olajuwon

[Milbuck]

1) Better peak/prime?

2) You get to draft one of them, who do you choose to build around? You have hindsight. Assume you have the same level of $$$, supporting talent, and coaching to work with. Also...in this scenario let's say Bird's injuries act more abruptly than they really did. So he's still retiring in 92, but in those last years he's not limited, the injuries just end his career immediately after that 92 season.

[navy]

What do we know about Larry Bird's injuries?

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Love Hakeem, one of my alltime faves but this is Larry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WivGOEznCU

Hakeem on Larry Bird:

[Milbuck]

What do we know about Larry Bird's injuries?

Good question..gonna edit the OP.

[navy]

Either way you probably got to go with Bird. Better player. One of the Goat three year stretches, although Hakeem's late two championship runs should not be taken lightly.

[Milbuck]

Either way you probably got to go with Bird. Better player. One of the Goat three year stretches, although Hakeem's late two championship runs should not be taken lightly.

Understatement. What Bird playoff run was better than Hakeem's '95, and by how much?

[WillC]

Bird, by some margin actually.

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Understatement. What Bird playoff run was better than Hakeem's '95, and by how much?

86 was the best non MJ or Shaq playoff run.

[navy]

Understatement. What Bird playoff run was better than Hakeem's '95, and by how much?

Probably none if you compare them head to head individually.

[La Frescobaldi]

how overrated are we going with olajuwon? will it ever ever stop

[Milbuck]

86 was the best non MJ or Shaq playoff run.

Hakeem dragged arguably the worst supporting cast out of any of the top 11 ATGs, arguable with 2003 Duncan, to the championship...with:

35/9/4/3/1 on 61% TS against the 60 win Jazz
30/9/4/2/1 on 53% TS against the 59 win Suns
35/13/5/4/1 on 59% TS against the 62 win Spurs, destroying Robinson
33/12/6/2/2 on 51% TS against the 57 win Magic

Overall 33/10/5/3/1 on 56% TS with incredible defense en route to a championship, with again, one of the worst supporting casts for any ATG in history, beating 4 straight 57+ win teams and at least 1 HOFer every round.

[ArbitraryWater]

OP is pretty excited now that he just saw Hakeem's '95 stats through the Xerxes post in the other thread, but still, Bird takes this, rather easily..

Milbuck, you even know that Clyde Drexler was on the '95 team? "arguably worst supporting cast to a title"

[Milbuck]

OP is pretty excited now that he just saw Hakeem's '95 stats through the Xerxes post in the other thread, but still, Bird takes this, rather easily..

I've been talking about Bird for weeks, and I've mentioned many times how highly I think of Hakeem. I don't know what post you're talking about, and anyways it's not like Hakeem's '95 run is some obscure occurrence that I discovered from some post on a message board.

Care to elaborate on your position? Specifically the "rather easily" part?

Milbuck, you even know that Clyde Drexler was on the '95 team? "arguably worst supporting cast to a title"

Because Drexler was at his peak, and because that makes it anywhere close to Bird's help at his peak. Or Kobe's. Or Magic's. Or Lebron, or Jordan, or Russell, etc.

[ArbitraryWater]

Bird is just a better player.. Anyone from the 80's will tell you that. Hakeem himself as you can see above did.

This is like placing Wade outside the top 30 all-time for lack of elite seasons. I won't discredit Bird all-time for injuries. The ranking would lose its value when an inferior player is placed above the other.

Bird played perfect offensive basketball for 4 straight seasons, and injuries put an end to it. I myself have put Bird below Shaq, Duncan is close, but now Hakeem?

Hakeem isn't the same 1994-1995 guy for his entire career. He routinely lost out All-NBA teams to the likes of Patrick Ewing, 2nd-year David Robinson, 3rd-year Shaq, even Daugherty...

1986: KAJ, Hakeem
1987-1989: Ewing as comp

1990: Ewing, Hakeem, Robinson (rookie)
1991: Robinson, Ewing, Hakeem
1992: Robinson, Ewing, Daughtery
1993: Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson
1994: Hakeem, Robinson, Shaq
1995: Robinson, Shaq, Hakeem
1996: Robinson, Hakeem, Shaq

The majority of his career was highlighted by 45 win seasons and first round exits...

[Milbuck]

Bird is just a better player.. Anyone from the 80's will tell you that. Hakeem himself as you can see above did.

This is like placing Wade outside the top 30 all-time for lack of elite seasons. I won't discredit Bird all-time for injuries. The ranking would lose its value when an inferior player is placed above the other.

Bird played perfect offensive basketball for 4 straight seasons, and injuries put an end to it. I myself have put Bird below Shaq, Duncan is close, but now Hakeem?

Hakeem isn't the same 1994-1995 guy for his entire career. He routinely lost out All-NBA teams to the likes of Patrick Ewing, 2nd-year David Robinson, 3rd-year Shaq, even Daugherty...

1986: KAJ, Hakeem
1987-1989: Ewing as comp

1990: Ewing, Hakeem, Robinson (rookie)
1991: Robinson, Ewing, Hakeem
1992: Robinson, Ewing, Daughtery
1993: Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson
1994: Hakeem, Robinson, Shaq
1995: Robinson, Shaq, Hakeem
1996: Robinson, Hakeem, Shaq

The majority of his career was highlighted by 45 win seasons and first round exits...

Has nothing to do with the injuries..I'm not asking for an all time list, nor am I asking about longevity and how injuries play into that. Bird is ahead of Hakeem on the AT list for most of us. I'm asking for peak/prime, and who you'd build around with equal supporting talent. And Hakeem has reached an insane level of play at his peak and took a substantially (it's not even close) inferior supporting cast to titles against nightmarish competition.

Do you or do you not think that Hakeem over his career could win 3+ rings with Bird's supporting talent? Not the players exactly, but the same level of talent built around Hakeem.