At one point during their illustrious NBA careers, Michael Jordan , Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson were respectively celebrated for their unique playing styles and contributions to the game. They rivaled one another, but collectively, the three legends defined basketball greatness on the biggest stage.
However, everybody knew that Bird and Magic were already approaching the twilight of their careers, while Jordan, on the other hand, was in his prime. Well aware of that narrative, " Larry Legend ," Magic and MJ famously discussed it during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The story had been told numerous times, stating Johnson was initially adamant to agree with Bird that they were the past and Jordan was present . However, in his 1999 book, " Bird Watching ," the Indiana native revealed that they discussed the same subject at another time. At that moment, Larry recognized that while MJ was the best player in the NBA, he was not invincible on a nightly basis.
"As usual, Michael and I were cracking on Magic. At one point, Ahmad asked us who we thought was the best basketball player ever. After a lot of discussion, we all concluded that Michael was the best — not every night, though," the Boston Celtics legend wrote.
Larry always knew MJ was different
Bird's profound praise for Jordan was a testament to the Chicago Bulls star's greatness and a reflection of the respect between them. But at the same time, "The Hick from French Lick" remained as real as he could be by pointing out that Jordan also had off games.
Nevertheless, Bird never once doubted MJ's skills. From the outset, Larry admittedly knew he was witnessing a generational player in Jordan . Moreover, mutual respect transcended their competitive nature from Day 1.
"Michael Jordan was and is a completely different type of player from anyone I had seen before," Bird once said of Jordan. "He's literally on a different level. Magic and I do all our stuff on the floor. When I first saw Michael play, I recognized there was a different era coming in. Ten years down the road, you're going to see a lot of Michael Jordans out there. A lot of them will be taking the ball from one hand to the other and switching it around, going underneath, spinning around, and doing all this different stuff."
Related: "Propaganda works" - Isiah Thomas reacts to Anthony Edwards saying only Michael Jordan had skill in '90s
Nobody has exceeded MJ
Unsurprisingly, Bird wasn't the only one struck by Jordan's fierce competitiveness and unmatched repertoire. As many expected, MJ unanimously became the most dominant player in the NBA and the entire sport.
In fact, Jordan's legacy is still felt today, and many believe he has already cemented his status as the greatest player of all time. For them, MJ still holds that title, and no player has presented a serious case of dethroning him.
Related: "Mike learned he had to get in the weight room… LeBron didn't have to do that" - George Karl on difference between young LeBron and MJ
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