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User
feedback: A rare
Bird
We asked where Larry Bird ranks on your list of alltime NBA
greats. Most of you had him in the top five, but there were
a few dissenters. Selected comments
follow.
Best ever. Could get the job done without extra steps or
phantom fouls that helped to make Jordan "the greatest
ever."
—Ryan Hull, Casar,
N.C.
I'd put Larry Bird in the top five on my NBA alltime list.
And it doesn't matter where. Larry's there because he
could have played in any era, fit with the style of play,
and been a perfect complement on any team. I'm not sure
that he is the greatest
player ever. It seems hard not to give that to Michael
Jordan. But I'd say Bird is the greatest team player
ever.
—William Katerberg, Fredericton, New
Brunswick
Larry Bird is the greatest player to ever play the game.
Michael Jordan is a great player, but he's overrated and
can't compare to Bird. If Bird wanted to, he could have
scored as much as Jordan, but Bird passed the ball around
and got everyone
involved. Also, the competition Jordan faces compared to Bird is
hilarious. The Seattle SuperSonics! Give me a break. If
Bird had an off shooting day, he could become a great
passer or focus on rebounds. He is the best clutch player
of all time, hands down. I
could go on and on ... Should
I?!?
—Yoni Heisler, Ann Arbor,
Mich.
As a longtime Celtics fan I think Bird is
the most overrated player ever on the Celtics. He personally
lost as many championships as he won. Everyone seems to
remember when he was the hero, but he was also (often) the
unmentioned goat. How often did Bird try unsuccessfully to
shoot his way out of
a game-long "slump" in the playoffs? And how could
a coach (with Red looking over his shoulder) have the nerve
to sit Red's precious boy down, at least for a while? I
believe the most telling aspect of Bird's character is how
long he allowed someone else
on the team to hold the single-game scoring record. I'll
take a (disciplined) Kevin McHale or even
"Cornbread" Maxwell
any day over the selfish Bird. Also, take a look at the point
production of the player that Bird was guarding after any
switchoffs. Bird played showboat
defense.
—Neil, Gainseville,
Fla.
Larry Bird ranks around the 7-10 mark on my list behind
Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius
Erving, Bill Russell, Scottie Pippen and Oscar
Robertson.
—Matt Fletcher, Sydney,
Australia
Larry was incredible and he is definitely one of the top
five greatest players ever, but can anyone really compare
to Jordan and Chamberlain, or Abdul-Jabbar for that matter?
C'mon!!!
—Cliff Sims, Crestview,
Fla.
Larry was the best ever! He is the only individual who was
able to summon all his possible talents at any
moment—including if that meant making someone around
him better. No other person could do this at will like
Larry could. Most of all, he would
get into the minds of others, either inspiring them to be
even better, or putting the fear of God into them by
telling them what he was about to do—and then actually
doing it! Larry was a workhorse and would never stop until
the game was
over.
—Jerry David, Salem,
Ore.
I would have to put him in the No. 3 spot. At the top of
the list is Michael Jordan, because he's the ultimate
athlete. At No. 2 I would name Bill Russell, because he is
the ultimate winner. Larry Bird follows them as the one
that really could and would
do it all, the ultimate team
player.
—Thomas Heeb, Zurich,
Switzerland
Number 7 after Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul
Jabbar, Bob Cousy, Julius Erving and Magic
Johnson.
—Abdoul Aziz Dia, Dakar,
Senegal
He's no Scottie Pippen. He's no Karl Malone. He's also no
Jerry West. He's maybe in the top 15 players of all
time.
—Basil Mina, Johannesburg, South
Africa
Larry falls sixth on my list, behind Magic Johnson, Bill
Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Michael
Jordan. If he had springs he may have been the best of all
time.
—Steph Cova, Kingston,
Ont.
For my money, no one could truly control a game from all
aspects like Bird. His work ethic and determination
separated him from the others. He could rebound, pass with
the best and had a better jumper than Jordan. Forget
dunking—what does that truly
add to the game? Bird put Robert Parish in the Hall of Fame
and made Kevin McHale a far better player. No one could or
can take over a game in
all aspects (sorry, Michael) like Bird. No
one.
—Rich DeSilva, Mansfield,
Mass.
Not only No. 1, but a No. 1 so far outdistancing his
nearest competitors it is sickening. Bird has the clutch
shooting of Jordan, the rebounding skills of Abdul-Jabbar,
the handle of West, and a drive through the lane that only
Erving could match. You
said it all when you said he could do it
all.
—Ryan McKain, West Hartford,
Conn.
When it comes to athletic ability in the typical sense of
the word (speed, strength, quickness and agility), I don't
think anyone would argue that Larry is in the top 10 of
alltime athletes, or the top 100 for that matter. Larry
Bird's athletic
abilities transcend the physical attributes of a common athlete.
Concentration, creativity, reflex and desire, these are the
qualities that make Larry the No. 1 athlete who ever lived.
If I could pick any one person to lead my team in any one
randomly selected
sport, the obvious choice would be Larry Bird. He'll
adapt, he'll perfect, and eventually he'll
conquer.
—David Bacher, Holliston,
Mass.
Jordan can control a game with his scoring, Magic with the
tempo, but only Bird could control a game by any means
neccesary—scoring, rebounding, defense, whatever it
took.
—Matthew Meagher,
Indianapolis
1. Michael
Jordan
2. Magic
Johnson
3. Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar
4. Larry
Bird
5. Bill
Russell
6. Wilt
Chamberlain
7. Jerry
West
8. Julius
Erving
9. Elgin
Baylor
10. Spot is open for Shaq to
earn
—James Venable, Del Mar,
Calif.
Larry Legend is not the greatest basketball player of all
time. This is only because of a guy named Michael Jordan.
But even with all of No. 23's accomplishments, there is
still no one I would rather give the rock to than Bird when
the game is on the
line.
—Corey A. Thibodeaux, Port Neches,
Texas
If I were to start a team today, the first person I would
pick is Larry Bird. Even over Magic and Jordan—and
I'm a Lakers fan. He took a no-name college team to the
NCAA finals, undefeated. Then he took a team that finished
last in its division to an
NBA title in only two years. He was an
amazing player. It's unbelievable how he dominated with no
physical talent
whatsoever.
—Gregory Jones, Tulsa,
Okla.
I rank the alltime greats according to: scoring, rebounds,
assists, free throws, three-point shooting, making
teammates better, hustle, work ethic, and what they mean to
their team, city and
fans.
1. Larry
Bird
2. Wilt
Chamberlain
3. Oscar
Robertson
4. Jerry
West
5. Earvin "Magic"
Johnson
6. Earl "The Pearl"
Monroe
7. Michael
Jordan
8. "Pistol" Pete
Maravich
9. Julius
Erving
10. Kareem Abdul
Jabbar
—Timothy J. Bretz, Mesa,
Ariz.
Nobody compares to him. If he had the talent around him
that Magic had during his career, the Celtics would most
likely have 20 banners. He has proved his greatness and
basketball smarts as the coach of the Pacers. His value to
the players is
unmatched. They are fighting to keep the "Larry Bird"
clause, aren't they? If he isn't considered the best of
all time, he's definitely the best of his era. That's good
enough for
me.
—Steven Hoover, Flaherty,
Ky.
I don't think that Larry would make my top 10, but he would
be in the top 20. I would rate Wilt Chamberlain, Bill
Russell, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
Michael Jordan, George Mikan, Willis Reed, Nate Thurmond,
Elgin Baylor, Bob
Cousy, Connie Hawkins, Lennie Wilkens and maybe Dave
DeBusschere ahead of
him.
—Gary Rehfeldt, Evansville,
Wis.
Top three. When one teaches a son or daughter to play
basketball it will be in the Larry Bird style. You can't
teach a kid to play like Michael Jordan, Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar or Allen Iverson. You can teach fundamentals,
though, and that's where Larry
and Magic etched their
places.
—Joe Pritzky, Winthrop,
Mass.
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