Larry Bird is a man of few words. He doesn't do too many interviews, and he doesn't speak his mind too often. When it comes to the GOAT debate, Bird isn't as open in sharing his opinion as his contemporaries like Magic, Dr.J, and Barkley.
And so when Larry Legend spoke highly of Michael Jordan during the NBA 75 campaign video for the Chicago Bulls great, many agreed that it was Larry's way of saying that Michael was indeed the greatest player of all time.
"Michael can beat you in a lot of ways," began Bird. "He can beat you mentally, he can beat you physically, he can guard you, he can score. I know in my time he was better than all of us."
Larry knew Michael well
Bird certainly had the authority to speak about Jordan. He was the league MVP when Mike entered the NBA. When the Hick from the French Lick retired in 1992, MJ won back-to-back NBA titles, so he saw how hard Mike had worked to turn the Bulls from a losing team into a winning franchise.
During his NBA career, Larry Legend faced His Airness 34 times. He went 17-11 against Mike during the regular season and 6-0 against the Bulls icon in the postseason. Jordan's first two playoff appearances were against Bird's Celtics, and they swept Mike's Bulls in back-to-back seasons. But in one of those six playoff losses, Michael left a heavenly impression on Larry after dropping 63 points on the Celtics.
"I think he's God disguised as Michael Jordan," the C's forward said at the time. "He is the most awesome player in the NBA. Today in Boston Garden, on national TV, in the playoffs, he put on one of the greatest shows of all time. I couldn't believe anybody could do that against the Boston Celtics."
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The gap between Mike and LeBron is closing fast
After Bird's retirement, Jordan won four more NBA championships to finish with six rings, the same as Kareem and one more than Magic. But with how he transcended the game, Jordan ended up becoming everyone's GOAT. That title firmly belonged to MJ until an 18-year-old dubbed the Chosen One came along in 2003. Two decades later, Jordan's claim has been strongly challenged.
In 2023, a survey by the Athletic revealed that while the majority still consider MJ as the GOAT, the gap between him and LeBron James is closing and is closing fast . Earlier this year, the publication did the same poll again, and the gap is at its closest at 45.9% to 42.1% , with some saying that as early as next year, King James could overtake His Airness.
Make no mistake, the Athletic's survey is legit. But if you think of it, Bird's statement may hold bigger weight than the poll because he was there when Michael played. The current NBA players have never witnessed MJ firsthand and only saw LeBron's domination. It's not a knock on James, but Bird saying Jordan was better than everyone in his era, including him, might be the best endorsement Mike ever got.
Related: "I don't care how old or in pain Larry Bird is" - When Michael Jordan went all out to defend Bird's Dream Team inclusion
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