Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is widely regarded as one of the best offensive players in the NBA. Having averaged a league-high 33.5 points per game this season after a major offseason transformation, Doncic has only raised his value as a scorer. Despite this, Boston Celtics legend Kevin McHale recently suggested that Larry Bird may have been better.
On the face of it, comparing Luka Doncic to Larry Bird seems quite rational. Although Bird was listed as a forward, his passing versatility and intelligence were on par with any point guard. The similarities between the two players are uncanny, but during a recent phone call with the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, McHale revealed what made Bird different.
“These are the same dudes that can’t guard [Lakers star] Luka Doncic, and Luka Doncic is lighting them up,” McHale told Himmelsbach. “And I’m thinking, ‘Larry is bigger, stronger, faster, and meaner than Luka Doncic. And if Luka is lighting these dudes up, it’d be a five-alarm fire what Larry would do.’ “
Luka Doncic, at 6’8″, is not the best athlete on the floor. However, he masterfully compensates for it with court-craft, unpredictable rhythm, and virtuoso playmaking. While Larry Bird, at 6’9″, wasn’t much more impressive as an athlete, McHale claimed that he was “stronger” and “faster.”
Realistically, this may be a bit of a stretch, primarily because Bird (220 lb) was listed 10 lbs lighter than Doncic (230 lb). But when considering how demanding his era was purely from a physicality standpoint, McHale may be making a solid point. He continued:
“I just laugh at these people today. Larry would go by you a hell of a lot faster than Luka would go by you. He was a straight-line driver, and he was also just a horse.”
Arguing McHale’s rationale may be meaningless on this front. From the eye test, it is difficult to discern who was faster going downhill, especially considering that neither was particularly quick. However, the reasoning of Bird being a straight-line driver may be a better justification.
Given how defenses were set up in the ’80s, with the painted area being clogged for most of the game, an offensive player would be forced to make the most of smaller windows of opportunity while attacking the basket. In this regard, after beating a defender, a player would have little time to waste by going around his defender, thus making straight-line drives that much more favorable.
From Kevin McHale’s perspective, seeing Larry Bird beat a defender and go right to the basket may have looked quicker, mainly because of the angle of his drive. Given that modern defensive systems are more lenient to players attacking downhill, the luxury of straying wide after beating a defender may validate this narrative.
Despite this justification, even with career averages of 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game, it is hard to acknowledge Bird as a stronger and faster player than Doncic. However, McHale’s suggestion that Bird was meaner is much easier to digest.
Larry Bird is widely known as one of the best trash-talkers the NBA has ever seen. From playful jabs at fellow stars to more personal ones during high-stakes showdowns, Bird was relentless with his psychological warfare.
On this front, it can be argued that Luka Doncic is still inexperienced. But when considering his ability to perform under pressure, his mental fortitude is noteworthy.
