How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

[The 24th Letter]

Watching some old bball games, Just wondering what you guys think?

Do you think he would be the same caliber of player?

Would his lack of atheletcism kill him? or would his IQ get him by?

[jeebs9]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

My football coach said it a long time ago. And until this day. I preach the samething to kids and people who tell me they didn't play a sport because they weren't tall enough or couldn't jump high enough.

"Great players find a way to be great."

It may not sound like much. If you want to be a great player. You will find a way. Do whatever it takes to get good at something. That's the kind of player Bird was. He might have been white. He might not have jump the highest. And he might not have been the biggest. But he did all the little things great. I didn't know until the other day that Bird averaged 10 rebounds a game his rookie year. I think that because he had the fundamentals down pack. He was just a great overall basketball player.

[Jasong7777]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

"Great players find a way to be great."

I love that quote.

[Jeffx]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

My football coach said it a long time ago. And until this day. I preach the samething to kids and people who tell me they didn't play a sport because they weren't tall enough or couldn't jump high enough.

"Great players find a way to be great."

It may not sound like much. If you want to be a great player. You will find a way. Do whatever it takes to get good at something. That's the kind of player Bird was. He might have been white. He might not have jump the highest. And he might not have been the biggest. But he did all the little things great. I didn't know until the other day that Bird averaged 10 rebounds a game his rookie year. I think that because he had the fundamentals down pack. He was just a great overall basketball player.

Excellent. I always feel the truly great players could make the necessary adjustments and play in any era.

[BATMON]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

Larry Bird would be fine, with jumper, will to win, and high IQ.
He was "slow" then and still won.

[wwharton]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

My football coach said it a long time ago. And until this day. I preach the samething to kids and people who tell me they didn't play a sport because they weren't tall enough or couldn't jump high enough.

"Great players find a way to be great."

It may not sound like much. If you want to be a great player. You will find a way. Do whatever it takes to get good at something. That's the kind of player Bird was. He might have been white. He might not have jump the highest. And he might not have been the biggest. But he did all the little things great. I didn't know until the other day that Bird averaged 10 rebounds a game his rookie year. I think that because he had the fundamentals down pack. He was just a great overall basketball player.

He was a great passer too, and probably one of the toughest guys you'll ever run into on the court. No doubt in my mind, he'd still be on track to a HOF career if he played today. He was a smarter, tougher Dirk with better ball handling and court vision. He wasn't as tall, of course, but he really could do anything he wanted to on the court.

Spanning this question to other all time greats for comparison, I think it'd actually be easier for guys like Bird to cross generations than some freak of nature athletes. The biggest change is players getting bigger, taller, stronger and faster. Players that relied on being better athletes than everyone else would have a harder time in today's NBA than the players that just knew how to play the game better than everyone else.

[jeebs9]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

edit:^^ Totally agree ^^ But thats what I meant when I said "fundamentals" lol

The funny thing about that quote. Is that my coach was talking about me to someone else lol. He didn't notice I was in locker room lane right over.

[VinylOne]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

He might have been white.

No he definitely was white

[JBH3]

Watching some old bball games, Just wondering what you guys think?

Do you think he would be the same caliber of player?

Would his lack of atheletcism kill him? or would his IQ get him
by?

What quantitative analysis has been done to compare athletcism from bird's days till now? To assume he would be less than great now because per capita nba players nowadays have better verticals is dumb.

[ZB9]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

Bird was actually an excellent athlete

there are other athletic skills besides jumping and running....

[BATMON]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

Bird was actually an excellent athlete

there are other athletic skills besides jumping and running....

I was gonna say this.

[JBH3]

Bird was actually an excellent athlete

there are other athletic skills besides jumping and running....

This thread is almost racially motivated because Bird was a great athlete, but since he's a great player and one of the few NBA players who were white we are looking at him under a microscope?

[capp34]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

He would be in the Top ten.

[BATMON]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

This thread is almost racially motivated because Bird was a great athlete, but since he's a great player and one of the few NBA players who were white we are looking at him under a microscope?

I didnt read this as racial thing. The Landscape has changed.

How would Bird do in THIS league?

[AlexBrady]

Re: How good would Larry Bird be in todays NBA?

Bird was actually an excellent athlete

there are other athletic skills besides jumping and running....

Compared to the other great small forwards (Erving, Pippen, Wilkins) Bird wasn't very athletic. His outside shooting was a bit inconsistent (until the clutch) and his man defense was below average. But, Bird was a good team defender, an alert passer, a steady rebounder, and he was one of the most resourceful scorers of all time.
Not to mention his toughness and incredible will to win.

BATMON, the lack of any hand checking in todays game would prove to be a godsend for Bird. He would average about 3 ppg more than he did in the old days.