re: Where would you rank Larry Bird all time?

Right at the top with Pistol Pete

P

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Though I think you oversell it a bit there considering Lebron has more buzzer beaters than Bird and more shots to win or tie in the last 10 seconds of games.

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I love how people constantly rely on the LeBron has more this or that angle to say he’s better than someone as if all the legendary moments of Bird’s career never happened which are etched in our memory and Paul Bunyanesque. You can throw out stats all you want, the buzzer beater moments I remember from LeBron are 48 Special, his Orlando Magic game-winner, his game winning layup 2013 East Finals, Game 7 2013 Spurs Finals, his shot against the Bulls 2015, and his shot against the Pacers when they were tied 2018. Great moments? absolutely, unfortunately his chokes stick out just as much and that takes away some of his shine. Bird and Jordan’s clutch moments simply stick out more and cemented their reputations, I can’t give LeBron that edge over them in terms of clutch, good numbers though.

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Maybe slightly ahead of Duncan

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Dumb. Only this board would come up with that take

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LeBron is better than Bird.

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LOL....no feathers ruffled here, except for the ones you used to fly over the cockoo nest.

Dude, he didn't have the longevity as LeBron might, but his stats were better and he stayed with his team and didn't go shopping for titles each year.
And never was guy enough to do shut like "taco tuesday"

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Bird always had multiple hall of fame teammates.

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He never played with any High Impact teammates.

Only a couple of HoF players Bird played with would have arguably made the Hall without Bird making them and the rest the best they could be. The 4 you're referring to? (Parrish? DJ? McHale?) Solid and very good at times -- but neither of those 3 become Hall of Famers without Bird. Who else did you count?

This has already been said about Bird, but the NBA is still a TEAM sport. NO OTHER player did as much to make others AROUND him better.

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("Bird always had multiple hall of fame teammates")

All because Bird elevated them.

McHale was their 6th man. Walton and Maravich were on the decline when they went to the Celtics. Like I said, once Bird was done the Celtics 'other superstars' didnt win a title for 22 years

Jordan had Pippen, Rodman in their prime. And Phil Jackson

Kareem, Magic had each other and Worthy, Cooper in their prime. And Pat Riley

Lebron only plays with superstars in their prime

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Absolutely NAILED.

Bird totally elevated and raised the level of play of ALL his teammates like no other player in NBA history. Several went to the Hall, and they know Bird was THE reason for it as well. Some call it Chemistry. Some could even call it Team-Alchemy. But it was Larry Bird who created it and the Celtic mystique will he was able to run the floor.

That intangible of what Bird meant to the Celtics (or even while at Indiana) shows up nowhere in any NBA stat sheets or the "new" metrics.

The only other professional player who could elevate teammates to their maximum competitiveness and team mentality was...Tom Brady.

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Best white dude but not top 50 overall. He’d be average in today’s game.

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C'mon. Isn't it the the complete opposite?

He dominated a physical game.

Why wouldn't he dominate soft serve ice cream today?But who cares he dominated in his day.

Tied with Jordan for the GOAT

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Prime Bird is a Top 5 player of all-time...easily.

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Agreed - and I hated him. I was a Laker fan in that era and I loathed him and the Celtics. But the dude was one of the top 5 all time. I mean Magic had Kareem and Worthy. He had some good teammates, McHale and Parish were good but neither were as good as Kareem or Worthy IMHO.

and the Lakers had Cooper to guard Bird. Celts had no defenders near that caliber to guard Magic.

That they managed to beat the Lakers once in the finals was all attributable to Bird.