If you think Bird was an around 10th best or outside the top 10 best ever, you must not have lived through and experienced the era. Here is how good Bird was:
In a game in 1986, he was bored so decided to tell the media he was going to play left-handed because he needed to save his right hand for the Lakers later that week. So Bird played the game mostly left-handed and put up a 47/14/10 triple double.....left handed.
Bird was great, but I think you could pretty reasonably put him around 10 especially when talking about peak seasons (where someone like Shaq would be ahead of him even if not career).
I mean I don't think it is crazy if someone felt all of the following were both better and/or with better peaks: Wilt, Bill, MJ, Lebron, Kareem, Magic, Oscar, Shaq, Hakeem, Moses. I don't think all those guys were better, but I do have Bird behind the first 6 guys I listed and have him at 7th all time, but I do think Shaq had a better peak season so if you are looking at peak seasons that alters things (I think Bird had a better peak season than Magic also though would give Magic the slight career edge).
At some point it is splitting hairs, but that is what these forums always are.