Larry Bird is one of the best offensive players to ever play in the NBA. Guarding him was a nightmare for most defenders in the league.
So much so that former Los Angeles Lakers star Michael Cooper once claimed that guarding Larry Bird was even tougher than guarding Michael Jordan.
“Anytime Larry was on the floor, you had to be aware of his presence because he was going to make something good happen,” Cooper told MassLive. “I played against George Gervin, Andrew Toney, Dr. J., a young Michael Jordan, some of the best players that have ever played this game, but Larry would have to be the best.
“You knew if Jordan had the ball, once he gave it up, you were OK with that. Larry could go get offensive rebounds. He could make a great pass. He was the ultimate offensive threat. Anytime he was on the offensive side of the floor, you had to defend him. To me, that makes him the best I’ve ever played against.”
Michael Cooper was regarded as one of the best defensive players of his generation. Keeping that in mind, Cooper’s praise for Larry Bird carries a lot of weight to it.
Bird had several tricks up his sleeve on the offensive end of the floor. He could use them to win a game for his team. While Michael Jordan is one of the best scorers of all time, as per Cooper, Bird was tougher to guard for him.
James Worthy Once Claimed He Would Rather Guard Michael Jordan Than Larry Bird
Similar to Michael Cooper, James Worthy was fortunate enough to play against both Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.
Speaking of which, Worthy once explained why he would rather guard Jordan than Bird. Worthy revealed that in an ESPN documentary.
“I’d much rather guard Michael Jordan than Larry Bird because you have to play the game as a thinker when you play him. You’ve gotta get inside his mind.”
Sure, MJ is now regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. But there was a time when players feared Bird more than Jordan. On top of that, Bird fancies a perfect 6-0 record over Mike in the playoffs.
So it’s only understandable that many former NBA legends would guard Jordan instead of Bird if given a choice.
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