When it comes to all-time rankings, Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird is frequently placed lower than he should. The Indiana native retired as arguably a Top 10 player of all time, but he has since been pushed down the rankings due to a lack of athleticism and physical attributes compared to other players on the list.
Those who have played with or against Larry Legend understand how terrifying he was on the court. LeBron James did not have a chance to play aginst him but still marveled at how good Bird was when Timeless Sports posted a highlights video of Bird on Twitter.
LeBron was awed by Larry’s passing
The Twitter video showcased Bird’s uncanny passing ability and was aptly captioned, ‘Better put some respect on this man’s passing ability!’ This man was so smooth with it.’ Despite being a 6’9″ forward, the Celtics legend had very good handles and elite court vision, which enabled him to always hit the open man with the perfect pass.
Although he averaged 6.3 assists per game, passing wasn’t even Bird’s best skill. Larry Legend also averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game during his NBA career. He shot 49.6% from the field, 37.6% from three-point range, and 88.6% from the charity stripe. He couldn’t just do it all; he did everything better than everybody else.
What made Larry Legend even greater was that he was not the most gifted player in the league. Bird was slow and couldn’t jump that high, but his basketball IQ was off the charts. He was also a big-game player who always showed up when the stakes were high and was never afraid to take the last shot.
The Hick from French Lick played with Robert Parish and Kevin McHale for the Celtics, and he was often listed as a small forward. Since LeBron is also considered a small forward, the two are often compared against each other. In 2009, the great Michael Jordan crowned Bird the best SF ever, even better than Bron.
“Larry is far better than any small forward who played the game, and to be honest, I’m still not sure if he is a small forward or a power forward,” shared MJ in the book ‘When the Game Was Ours’ via sportscasting.com. “To appreciate Bird fully, you need to know the game. You have to be a basketball person to be able to give him his due. He’s not jumping out of the gym. He doesn’t dunk on anyone. He doesn’t show any quickness. That’s why some people can’t see the value of his game.”
Larry did not have the athleticism that Bron and many of the all-time greats possess. But Bird was just as great as them and perhaps even better. As MJ said, his peers know that. And yes, even LeBron agreed.
