NBA Legend Larry Bird Reveals Shocking Reasons Why He Believes He’s Far Better Than LeBron James and Stephen Curry in Candid Interview With…
Basketball Hall of Famer Larry Bird urged fans to appreciate LeBron James while the Los Angeles Lakers star is still on the court and playing at a high level.
Bird made the remarks before the NBA All-Star Game and before James talked about the notion of retirement. The former Boston Celtics sharpshooter implored critics to shut off the criticism.
“I tell people quit whining about LeBron,” Bird said in an interview with NBA TV. “Enjoy him while he’s here. He’s unbelievable.
“He’s one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ever.”
The James-Michael Jordan-Kobe Bryant debate will rage on through the end of the superstar’s career. It is one of the lasting debates fans of this generation of basketball will have despite Stephen Curry even being brought up as the greatest player of all time.
James is in the midst of the 21st season of his career and the sixth with the Lakers. He was asked about how long he has left in the game before he led the West All-Stars in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night.
He has long said he would like to play with his son, Bronny, at some point during his career. Bronny James is draft eligible after he finishes his first season at USC.
“I have not mapped out how many seasons I have left,” James said. “I know it’s not that many.”
James is a 20-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and holds the NBA scoring record with 39,868 points in the regular season.
Ever since he entered the league in 2003, LeBron James’ basketball career has been placed under a microscope. Not only have expectations been set so high, but he’s also the most scrutinized player in NBA history.
Back in 2012, podcaster Bill Simmons asked Larry Bird what he thinks about the attention that LeBron is getting. Bird said that the talk emanates from the mistakes he’s made, particularly his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in 2010.
“I think you should sit back and enjoy him because I think he’s one of the greatest to ever play the game,” said Bird. “You know, we all make mistakes. I did a lot of things I sort of regret. Whether he regrets it or not, I do not know. But he made some, you know, a couple of decisions. The Decision was a bad decision.”
Best player in the league
Although Larry didn’t say why he said it was a mistake, many thought that The Decision was a weak move by LeBron. Because he could not win the championship in Cleveland, he left the city that drafted him in ’03 to pursue his championship ambitions elsewhere. Not only that, he formed a super team with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in order to win his first NBA ring.
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“But as far as playing basketball,” added Bird, “you’ve got to enjoy this guy if you’re a basketball fan, you’ve got to sit back a while how you do that. I always say, ‘Boy, I wish I had his speed.’ But some of the stuff that kid does out there, he’s by far, and you know Kobe was always my favorite since I got out; I don’t like that, by the way, but LeBron James is by far our best player in the league, and I thought I don’t think there’s really anyone next to him. I think he’s there, and then you go down the list.”
The King was at the peak of his powers in 2012, his Heat had just been humbled by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, and he was looking for revenge. That season, he averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game and won his third MVP award.
CB says 2012 LeBron was the best version of LBJ
Even Chris Bosh, who was the third member of the Miami Heat Big 3, said that the 2012 version of LBJ was the best version of LeBron James that he’s ever seen because he was literally doing it all for the Heat that year.
“That second year (with Miami), he was on another planet,” said Bosh. “I don’t know what the hell was going on, I don’t know where he is, I mean, he wasn’t missing. I will take his 5th best career, and that will be the best of mine. We could put him off the ball and have him working off of cuts. Make a play for him, and get him in the post. He functioned in different spots in the court.”
LeBron would continue his dominance in the 2012 NBA Finals, where he averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while leading the Heat to a 4-1 trumping over the OKC Thunder for his first-ever NBA championship. The following season, the Heat repeated as champs, and LeBron firmly established himself as the league’s best player, with his second straight MVP award and fourth in the last five years.
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