Michael Jordan vs. Larry Bird

[The Lone Drinker]

I remember the sega game when I was a kid. I wish I still had a Sega so I could buy "Jordan vs. Bird" online.

Anyway, Larry Bird pretty much dominated Magic Johnson in my last poll, which shocked me. I figured it'd be a close one.

But here is a hard one for ya and hopefully will live up to the hype.

I have been planning on having the winner of the Magic vs. Bird poll take on the so called "greatest basketball player of all time". The winner was no doubt Larry Bird.

Bird vs. Jordan. Three point King vs. Slam Duck King.

Many say Michael Jordan was the world's greatest basketball player on earth.....

.....But those people who say that probably never saw the beauty of the rare bird named Larry Bird in the 80's

My pick? Tough call, but I gotta go with Air Jordan.

Jordan could run like the wind, leap through the sky, hit three pointers, make no look passes, was a strong defensive player, he could make his teamates look good and overpower any pack of hyenas. [Just ask any old-school Detroit Piston.]

Larry Legend could hit three pointers, outsmart his opponents, make amazing no-look passes behind his back and over his head, and make his teammates better like no other could.

That's a great list, but notice Michael Jordan's list is longer. Air Jordan could do all of the above and more.

Larry Bird could not run, jump, or overpower anyone. So his Airness gets my vote.

[Bigg Mike]

Michael Jordan was great.
Not the greatest, there are two others who go ahead of him.
Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. MJ himself has said that if he and Jerry were in the same era, he thinks Jerry would've been the better player.
Wilt, let's just say his stats speak for himself. Different positions, yes, but overall, Wilt takes it by a mile as the best player ever.
However, Jordan is definitly Top 3 of all time, and MJ was the greatest player in the 90s. There was always good competition in the 90s too, teamwise. Hakeem and the Rockets, Admiral and the Spurs, Ewing and the Knicks, Payton and Kemp and their Sonics, etc.
But in this contest, MJ rapes Bird. Jordan made all his teammates better, a rare ability, was able to drop 30 on you on any given night, and was more then just a one-dimensional highlight reel.
Jordan's a great player. Just not the greatest.

[VonErich Lives]

ok, it depends on how we're talking.

1 on 1, I'd take Jordan.

Team player... that's a tough call... jordan was 1/2 way through his career before he learned to pass and take outside shots and stuff... things that bird did from day #1.

But for the purpose I'm going to say take each player at the best they ever played, w/ the same team around them, etc... etc...

I'll have to go Jordan.

As for other players, it's tough to compare people who played 20yrs or more apart. Jordan wouldn't have been Jordan back when Wilt and Russell played... he would have done a dunk once... next time they would have put him into the cheap seats and he would have been forced to try and shoot. Where todays nba, you get called for breathing on a player.

[DaveWadding]

I'm shocked that you voted for Jordan VEL.

[BCWWF]

If I was going to take one of those two in their prime and put them on my team, I would rather have Jordan personally

[el fregadero]

Larry Bird is too white to be good at basketball.

[Jerichoholic]

Because I've never really liked Jordan that much. :dunno:

[VonErich Lives]

I'm shocked that you voted for Jordan VEL.

At jordans peak, he developed the skills he didn't have most his career.

Shooting outside, passing, free-throws, etc... he became a complete player, part of that was him also having players worth passing to (see: Pippen).

Now, if you were to ask over the course of their career who was better, I'd go bird, simply because Bird came in his rookie year w/ the skills that it took Jordan 1/2 his career to develope.