Michael Jordan and Larry Bird both ran the Eastern Conference from the mid-80s to the late 90s, with only the Bad Boy Pistons they both hated also finding success during that era. Everyone knows MJ is the GOAT, but Larry Bird was the last player to win MVP of the league 3 years in a row and is widely remembered as one of the greatest ever.
Bird was built differently, so much so that he inspired a man to ask to have his prison sentence increased. Larry Bird was undoubtedly built differently. Bird’s game was predicated upon dissecting defenses and then shooting lethally after he got to his spots. And not only did he do that at an elite level, but he was also around after to talk trash to his opponents as well. But every player has some flaws in their game, some shortcomings. If you asked MJ, though, not Larry Bird.
Larry Bird Overcame Any Potential Weaknesses In His Game By Being Smart, As Michael Jordan Explained In 1987
Injuries slowed Bird down toward the end of his career, but he overlapped for quite a few years with Michael Jordan. He famously complimented Jordan’s huge explosion in the playoffs against the Celtics by calling him God. And the two would later go on to be teammates in the Dream Team as well. But in 1987, MJ was still just a young phenom, while Bird was the best in the business. And when asked about Larry’s weaknesses, Jordan’s answer revealed the respect he had for Larry Legend’s game.
:He can’t jump, and he’s not quick,” said Chicago’s Michael Jordan, who clearly can and is. “But you can’t increase your jumping ability or your quickness. He makes up for it by using his head, analyzing the opponent. It makes him better than the competition. Consequently, he doesn’t have a weakness.”
While it may be a bit hyperbolic to say that Larry’s game was without a weakness, he was certainly playing flawless ball between 1984 to 1986 when he won his three straight MVPs. At his peak, Bird was peerless, the best player on the court on any given night. And his excellence, along with Magic Johnson’s talents, was pivotal in taking the NBA to another level that Jordan could then build upon even more later.
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