“He can beat you mentally, he can beat you physically…I know in my time, he was better than all of us” - Larry Bird says Michael Jordan could beat everyone in different ways
Michael Jordan’s untouched level of greatness was mentioned by Larry Bird in NBA’s list of “75 Stories”. During the Monday episode focusing on Michael Jordan, Bird spoke about Jordan’s ability to best his opponents.
Larry Bird articulated Michael Jordan's level of greatness:
“He can beat you mentally, he can beat you physically … I know in my time, he was better than all of us.”
Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across 1072 games in his career.
Larry Bird’s explanation of Jordan’s greatness makes perfect sense when you look at his scoring accolades. MJ is regarded as the greatest of all time for reason. His hunger for victory and ability to best his opponents far surpassed his physicality.
As Bird explained, Jordan could better his opponents mentally as well. Having six championships shows a mental tenacity that is necessary for any player of Michael Jordan’s relative caliber.
Comments like these coming from a scoring king like Larry Bird come with a lot of weight. Bird started his career in the NBA in the 1979-80 season where he made an immediate impact, helping the Boston Celtics to 32 more wins than they had the prior season.
He played for Boston for his entire 13-season career. Bird has 5 NBA Finals appearances with 3 championship victories. The Boston legend was a 12-time NBA All-Star, won 2 NBA Finals MVP awards and the NBA MVP award in 3 consecutive years (1984-1986). His MVP three-peat made him the only forward in NBA history to win the award three years in a row.
Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in his 897 games in the NBA. He shot 49.6% from the field and 37.6% from the three-point. He was well known for being able to score from deep on the fly, giving him the nickname “Larry Legend”.
The rivalry between Michael Jordan and Larry Bird
For an offensive threat like Larry Bird to give weight to the Michael Jordan conversation is one thing. But it is another when one realizes Bird witnessed a lot of Jordan’s greatness with his own eyes. MJ joined the Bulls in 1984, a little over four years after Bird joined the NBA. So Larry spent the majority of his career facing Jordan whenever Boston took on Chicago.
Jordan and Bird have a history off the court as well. During the 1992 Olympics, where Jordan played alongside a 35-year-old Larry Bird in what was regarded as the “Dream Team”, Bird’s name came up in question during an interview.
He had a back injury that was affecting him at the time, forcing him out of 37 games during his 1991-92. Jordan did not like the opinion being that Larry was merely a symbolic player and as a result he fired back at the reporter.
According to Sports Illustrated, Jordan said:
“I don’t care how old or in pain Larry Bird is … You name me a forward in this league who’s not already on the team who can rebound, throw the outlet pass to get the break going, shoot the three-pointer, play in the half-court and has the presence of Bird.”
Though the two spent the entirety of their careers as opponents, it seems their rivalry stayed on the court. Seeing appreciation from one NBA all-time great for another is always refreshing, but hearing Larry Bird comment on Michael Jordan was something special. The NBA’s list of 75 stories has panned out to be quite the experience.