KD's career is far from finished. He still has time to add to his career resume, and he could pass Bird in our head-to-head matchup over the next handful of years. For now, Larry Legend is the better overall player.
Is Larry Bird one of the greatest of all time?
Playing in just under 900 regular-season games, Larry's 21,791 points rank 36th in NBA history. But his career average of 24.3 points is 18th, meaning a fully-healthy Bird could have seen his total climb even higher. It's OK not to have Bird as the greatest player of all time.
Is Kevin Durant one of the best of all time?
As of the end of the 2022 season, Kevin Durant can be considered the 12th greatest player of all time. Even when discounting his NBA championships, we have not seen a player that can score as efficiently as Kevin Durant from all areas of the floor.
Who is better Kobe or Larry?
I've been told that Larry Bird is “just flat-out better than Kobe Bryant.” Yet, when you look at both raw statistics and advanced statistics, it is pretty clear that Bryant is the superior player. For example, Larry Bird has a career Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 23.5.
Was Larry Bird actually good?
Larry Bird was such a player. For 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, from 1979-80 through 1991-92, Bird personified hustle, consistency and excellence in all areas of play — as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder, a defender, a team player, and, perhaps above all, as a clutch performer.
25 related questions foundIs Larry Bird a goat?
But Boston Celtics legendary small forward Larry Bird has a claim to G.O.A.T. status as well, with The Hick From French Lick (as he is sometimes called) deserving inclusion in any discussion on the greatest player of all time in the NBA.
Who was better Jordan or Bird?
Bird's career stats aren't as glamorous as Jordan's because his points per game average isn't as high, but his all-around game was better. Remember, this is about the best player ever, not scorer, winner or clutch performer. What he lacks in scoring by six points, Bird makes up in other categories.
Is Magic better than Larry Bird?
Magic's regular season stats are fantastic but don't differ significantly from Larry Bird`s stats. Per game, Bird scored 24.3 points, picked 10 rebounds, and delivered 6.3 assists. In comparison, Magic`s stats are 19.5, 7.2 and 11.2, respectively. However, Magic's playoff stats are better.
How many MVPs did Larry Bird win?
A three-time MVP, Bird won a pair of Finals MVPs and led the Boston Celtics to five NBA Finals appearances and three NBA championships. He is the only person in NBA history to win MVP (1984-86; Celtics), Coach of the Year (Pacers; 1998) and Executive of the Year (Pacers; 2012) in a career.
Is KD in the Hall of Fame?
finishes in the top three in MVP voting and he is selected to the All-NBA First Team. Durant has won an All-Star Game MVP, although that doesn't correlate perfectly to being in the Hall of Fame; five men have won it, been retired long enough and not been enshrined.
Why is KD the best player?
"His offensive skills — jump shooting, ball-handling, free-throw shooting, offensive rebounding, passing, posting up, movement without the ball, basketball acumen — plus his height make him almost unstoppable," former Los Angeles Lakers forward Marv Roberts told Bleacher Report.
Where does Steph Curry rank all time?
Greatest player of all time? Steph is top 15 at No. 15. For me, I still put Kevin Durant and Kevin Garnett slightly above him.
Who has better stats Larry Bird or LeBron James?
James is the far superior athlete and has put up better numbers than Bird. He's third on the all-time scoring list, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. James has been an All-Star every season except his rookie year and made the All-Defensive Team six times.
Is Larry Bird a Hall of Famer?
Bird was voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team".
Who won more titles Bird or Magic?
Magic Johnson - 37 Games, 15-22 (40.5%)
The player that owns the best overall record against Bird was Magic Johnson. During their heyday, the Lakers and Celtics met in the NBA Finals three times where the Lakers won two championships. The Celtics won one championship in 1984.
Is Bird taller than Magic?
Magic Johnson was listed at 6'9, but he said in his book he was 6'7.5. You can check any picture of him standing next to Bird and Bird (listed at 6'9) clearly has a couple of inches on Magic.
Did Michael Jordan ever beat Bird?
Michael Jordan in the 80s, he never won. And he never beat Larry Bird and he never beat Magic and Kareem.
What is Michael Jordan's record against Larry Bird?
Michael Jordan had a record of 11-17 versus Larry Bird in his career.
What was Larry Bird's best year?
Honorable Mention: Larry Bird (1985-86)
The 1986 Boston Celtics are, in my opinion, the greatest team in the history of the NBA. This is largely due to the talent and leadership of the great Larry Bird.
Was Larry Bird a good defensive player?
People remember Celtics Hall-of-Famer Larry Bird for his offense, but he was good on defense as well. Bird had great awareness and instincts on the defensive end and played strong team defense. Bird was named to the All NBA defensive 2nd team three times before injuries slowed him towards the end of his career.
