God Damn Larry Bird Was Awesome.

[fos]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULvo7__wwBU\
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cFkDTtQdMw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1If3OdmKqxo

Most skilled player ever.

[Loki]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULvo7__wwBU\
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cFkDTtQdMw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1If3OdmKqxo

Most skilled player ever.

Definitely top 2-3 in that respect, and I would barely argue if someone said he was #1. My second favorite player ever. A bada$$ mofo.

[Se]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULvo7__wwBU\
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cFkDTtQdMw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1If3OdmKqxo

Most skilled player ever.

This is a newsflash, should be on ish's front page

[InspiredLebowski]

If he'd had the athletic ability to be a great defender, like Jordan, he'd hands down be the best player ever.

[kumquat]

The duel he had with dominique wilkins pretty much showed larry would be able to handle the "uber athletes" of todays game.

[PainDog]

In my opinion

Jordan > Magic > Bird > everyone else....

Though there are some guy right up there with them...

[snipes12]

last mth its charles barkley , for this month = larry bird

[Sir Charles]

Larry Bird and Charles Barkley are the most talenteted Forwards Ever.

Larry Bird = Goat SF
Charles Barkley = Goat PF

[chocolatethunder]

If he'd had the athletic ability to be a great defender, like Jordan, he'd hands down be the best player ever.

What does that mean? If he was blacker? He had plenty of athletic ability. He wasn't a great leaper but other than that he was pretty damned athletic. He was very quick and only drove one way but no one could stop him. What's that say about his "ability"? Because he wasn't black it means that he wasn't fast or quick, instead he was "smart" and "crafty" and "hard nosed". Let me tell you something, Charles Barkley (who is one of my favorite players ever) was as "athletic" as anyone that has ever played the game and he was a terrible defender too. Bird was plenty athletic.

[gpfanz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULvo7__wwBU\
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cFkDTtQdMw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1If3OdmKqxo

Most skilled player ever.

Sky high basketball IQ

[Manute for Ever!]

[Da_Realist]

Please also make a thread with some brand new information about Michael Jordan and how he was pretty decent at playing basketball..

Yeah. Sometimes I think MJ is penalized for having such athletic ability. What made him great was he had such a high basketball IQ. Why else could he play at such a high level when he was an older player? Explain 1996 - 1998. He wasn't flying over anyone during those years but he was still THE best basketball player in the league. MJ's IQ was at least the same as Larry Bird's.

If you gave Larry Bird the athleticism of Michael Jordan, he would alter his game to suit those skills. The reverse is also true. If you took away some of MJ's athleticism, and gave him a 6'9" frame he would also find a way to be effective. They were both great great basketball players whose greatest asset were their minds.

[Loki]

Yeah. Sometimes I think MJ is penalized for having such athletic ability. What made him great was he had such a high basketball IQ? Why else could he play at such a high level when he was an older player. Explain 1996 - 1998. He wasn't flying over anyone during those years but he was still THE best basketball player in the league. MJ's IQ was at least the same as Larry Bird's.

If you gave Larry Bird the athleticism of Michael Jordan, he would alter his game to suit those skills. The reverse is also true. If you took away some of MJ's athleticism, and gave him a 6'9" frame he would also find a way to be effective. They were both great great basketball players whose greatest asset were their minds.

I don't know if MJ's bball IQ is as high as Bird's or not (I think it is, but I can see why people wouldn't think so), but I do think it's funny that there are people who act like Jordan was the only all-time legend with a non-stellar bball IQ. Like he coasted by on his athleticism.

[Sir Charles]

Bird had more b-ball IQ than Jordan . Nobody today or since has matched Bird`s court awareness or instincts for steals, rebounds and reading a defesnive or defensive play.

Do to his lack of speed and athletic abilities Bird positioned himself on the court in the most convenient way for his team to create on offensive and in the most inconvinient way for his opposing team to score. On defense it was as if was going to pull the carpet and force the other team to go the wrong way and force a turnover or bad shot. On offensive he always found a way to score, get big rebounds and ofcourse create for others like no other forward.

If Larry would have had half the athletic a bilities most players in the Nba have at average he would have scored more, not to mention his FG% would be higher, his rebounding and his defense unmatched. A Larry with Tom Chambers athletic abilities would have been something scary.

Magic and Bird had the gift that they played with a Hight IQ at a very young age. Something that Jordan later developed. That is why both Bird and Magic are so linked together, they played like veterans since comming to the nba and they made everyother teamate better by their unselfish and intelligent way of creating for others while they still dominated their position.



Larry Bird and Sir Charles are the Greatest Most Talented and Freakish Players Ever to Play Forward. They where always a move ahead of the rest and both had disadvantages of either height, overweightness, lack of leaping ability or speed.

They both where unexpected to dominate because of their obvious disadvantages but they did through a higher IQ and talents which where unexpected and did not come as typical for their positions of SF and PF.

[Rolando]

The two players that I have watched the most play ball in the NBA are Bird and Jordan.

So here's my observation:

Bird = Ground
Jordan = Air

It is clear to everyone the advantage of being able to jump and fly like Jordan but not too many people see the advantage of being grounded and balanced. To me, that's Bird's game: Stay connected to the floor and use it as your power. Picture Bird; feet spread wide both hands on the ball: The most stable platform to pass, shoot or drive from.

I also think of how Bird held the ball in his hands. Does anyone have hands like that now? I don't think so.

Completely sure footed.
Completely sure handed.
That' Bird