People often forget how good Larry Bird was at basketball. The 12x All-Star, 3x MVP, and 3x NBA Champion was basically unguardable, thanks in large part due to a shooting stroke that was way before his time. Seriously, the guy was dominant on the perimeter during an era that was still largely characterized by inside, post play.
But when it comes to comparisons to LeBron James, Larry almost always comes second.
At least, for people not named Skip Bayless. In a rather heated debate with Shannon Sharpe on “Undisputed,” he explained why he is of the belief that Larry legend is actually ahead of “King” James.
Do I want the ball in Larry Bird's hands at the end of the game or LeBron's? Larry’s, every time day or night. More @Undisputed, now on FS1 https://t.co/J8R9H8MO3K
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 6, 2020
The conversation started when LeBron praised Larry Bird on Twitter, insisting he’d be great in “any era.”
LeBron James gave a Sunday shout-out to Larry Bird. pic.twitter.com/46NI8oKSkN
— LeBron Wire (@LeBron_Wire) May 3, 2020
Skip took that post to be a subtle shot by LeBron towards Michael Jordan. The theory presented by Mr. Bayless is that Bron was trying to remind everyone how great Bird really was to diminish MJ (who is 0-6 against Bird in the postseason).
Needless to say, the evidence backing that claim is lacking, but the conversation eventually shifted to Skip just straight-up calling Bird better than James. Again, there’s the lack of evidence to prove that point is staggering.
LeBron has more MVPs, more All-Star appearances, more points scored, and just as many All-Star appearances. Oh, and the number of game-winning shots? Bird has only made 15 in his career, while LeBron has already made 18.
Statistically, LeBron has the edge over Bird — there’s no arguing that. But there will always be those that rank Bron lower than him, for seemingly nothing more than his mentality and approach to the game itself.
