Larry Bird was a dedicated and committed member of the Boston Celtics during the 80s and 90s, resulting in one of the greatest careers in NBA history. He made everyone around him exponentially better with his high IQ passing, relentless shooting and scoring, and his instincts on the defensive end. His rivalry with Magic Johnson that spilled over from college is regarded as one of the few ways the NBA was saved in the 1980s. No one can belittle his accomplishments and many players have been left in awe of his game.
Today’s video will be about NBA players talking about how insanely good Larry Bird was.
Bird had an impact on the game that every modern-day player should be thankful for. You have to be pretty darn talented to rival a player like Magic Johnson as well as take home 3 MVP awards, 3 championships, and 2 Finals MVP awards. Each of their legacies speaks for itself and will be remembered forever in NBA history. Today we’ll discuss comments made by NBA players who recognize Larry Bird’s legendary status. Before we begin today, make sure to like the video and subscribe to our channel for more interesting NBA content.
Let’s keep rolling.
Michael Jordan entered the NBA at the height of the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird rivalry. As the Chicago Bulls were in the East Conference, “His Airness” was pitted against “Larry Legend” numerous times in the regular season and the playoffs. The Celtics’ superior roster and experience allowed Bird to have a distinct edge over Jordan in head-to-head battles. However, Bird wasn’t just relying on his team to carry him. It was the other way around as the Celtics’ franchise player made the Green Machine one of the best teams ever in NBA history. Jackie McMullan, in The Ringer’s Icons Club, pulled up a classic of what Michael Jordan thought of his rival:
“I get so many questions about Larry Bird. The thing is, ‘Was he really that good?’ I say, ‘Yeah! He was really that good. White, black, green or yellow, he was really that good! When you see a player like Luka when you see a player like Dirk, they’re great players, but they’re not Larry Bird, by no means."
Coming from Michael Jordan himself, that was the ultimate praise any player could get. Considered by many to be the best to play the game, MJ had a front-row ticket to the legendary exploits of the man who was truly the “Great White Hope” for the Boston Celtics. Even more mind-boggling was Larry Bird’s performance from 1980-1989. He was already a dark horse for the MVP in his rookie season and never dropped below fourth place in the annual best player award. Larry Legend was a lock in the top two in the MVP voting for six straight seasons.

Rex Chapman said he hated Larry Bird before he came around and acknowledged Bird's greatness.
Chapman said Bird started calling out his own plays, and scored or assisted on Boston's first four possessions. "We no longer had Tripucka on him."
"There are only so many greats who can go out there and mess around with the game and still be great," Chapman said.
"I liked guarding him until he scored because he wasn’t athletic. He was slow," Chapman said. "You can keep him in front of you. And he still scored!"
And where does Bird rank all-time with Chapman?
"Anytime anybody puts out a top 5 without Larry in it, I go, 'What are you doing?' He was amazing."
LeBron James is mentioned in the GOAT conversation more than any other player barring Michael Jordan since he won against the Golden State Warriors improbably with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. Returning to his hometown team and delivering a championship after decades of failure against the winningest regular-season team in NBA history convinced several people that LBJ might be the GOAT.
James himself may agree at this juncture in his career, but that was not always the case. 2013 saw James win his 2nd ever NBA championship with the Miami Heat.
“Best 3 players of all time? Michael Jordan… Wow, this is tough. Michael Jordan, Dr. J, Larry Bird.”
"When I got to the NBA and played for the Lakers, I watched as many Celtics games as I could so I could keep track of what he was doing," Johnson said. "He became my measuring stick. The first time we played head-to-head in the Finals, in 1984, Larry got the best of me.
Bird anchored Boston’s sustained success behind his dominance on the court. It pitted the Celtics against their hated rival Lakers.
And what is your opinion? Do you think Larry Bird belong in the top 5 NBA players of all time? Do you think he would be dominant if he played now? I would love to hear what you guys think so please let me know what you think in the comments. Oh, and don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to our channel for more amazing NBA content. Thanks for watching!

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