I think LeBron is undeniably top-5 all-time in talent, but he has nowhere near the strength of will or killer instinct that guys like Bird, Magic, Kobe, and Jordan had. He just doesn't. And if he doesn't have that, he can't be the greatest player ever.
He did in that Game 6 2011-12 ECF...ask BOS.
I had such HIGH HOPES that - after taking game 4 in MIA with PP34's miraculous game-winning shot - we'd finish MIA off in BOS.
LeBron James took over and was not going to be stopped. He kept coming and coming....an offensive onslaught of EPIC proportions....such dominance.
Granted - it can be argued that he may not have brought that ALL the time - but he showed me something in that game 6 ECF 2011-12.
I think people forget about the pretty mediocre games guys like Bird had in close out games. For example, Game 7 on Boston's home floor against the Sixers in the 1982 ECF, Bird was 7 of 18 for 20 points but 39% on your home floor in a game you lose to lose a series is not good. Overall in the series Bird only averaged 18.3 ppg and shot just 41%. The next year, the C's got swept by the Bucks. Bird shot a bit better at 44% but still only averaged 18.7 ppg (he missed a game but played at least 35 mpg in the other 3). The next year, Boston did beat the Lakers in 7 to win the title, but Bird wasn't very good in that final game. He shot just 6 of 18 for 20 points. He had 12 boards but just 3 assists. Magic wasn't much better for the Lakers, which was the real difference in winning and losing. In the 85 Finals the Lakers won in 6, and Bird was just a meager 12 of 29 for 28 points in that close out game. In game 6 of the 87 Finals, the C's again lost the Finals and Bird was again very mediocre at just 6 of 16 for 16 points and he was just 7 of 18 in game 5 (though Boston won that one). In the 88 ECF, game 6 in which the Pistons closed out Boston, Bird was 4 of 17 for 16 points. He wasn't much better in game 5 (also a Detroit win) at just 9 of 25 though at least had more points than shots in that one with 27.
Bird had plenty of other stinker games throughout his playoff career. I just think it was a different time and the level of scrutiny just wasn't like it is today.
This notion that these guys of the past always performed just isn't borne out in reality. Even Jordan had some games where he just didn't have it, though he would always just keep right on shooting. I mean everyone remembers the 63 point game from Jordan, but the very next game he was 8 of 18 for 19 points (that was 86), the very next year in the Bulls final game Jordan was 9 of 30. He scored 30 points because he got to the line a bunch, but he shot really poorly that game. Even after Pippen hit his stride, Jordan still had plenty of games where he shot under 40% and often several times in the same series. In 95 when Shaq's Magic beat the Bulls, Jordan was pretty bad in that series on the whole.
We just remember them differently because they are in the past and you always remember the past more fondly than it actually is.
