NBA Finals 2013: LeBron James as the evolutionary Larry Bird

[stb]

I threw up in my mouth a little after reading this...

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/6/11/4418352/lebron-james-larry-bird-nba-finals-2013-heat-vs-spurs

[fairweatherfan]

Doesn't make sense except that they play basically the same position.  Bird's single best quality was his shooting and that's one of LeBron's worst.

LeBron is closer to an evolutionary Magic than a Bird. 

[Kane3387]

Durant = Bird
Lebron = Magic

[BballTim]

Doesn't make sense except that they play basically the same position.  Bird's single best quality was his shooting and that's one of LeBron's worst.

LeBron is closer to an evolutionary Magic than a Bird.

  He's more like Jordan than Bird or Magic, he's more the
"skilled and extremely athletic" type than the "chess vs checkers" type.

[SHAQATTACK]

James has 1/10 the IQ of Bird .....or MJ or Magic J for that ....smarter than Wade

[bfrombleacher]

Doesn't make sense except that they play basically the same position.  Bird's single best quality was his shooting and that's one of LeBron's worst.

LeBron is closer to an evolutionary Magic than a Bird.

  He's more like Jordan than Bird or Magic, he's more the
"skilled and extremely athletic" type than the "chess vs checkers" type.

Garnett's like Jordan.

Talented, skilled and plays mind games. Turns every game into a war.

[Mazingerz]

Lebron is nowhere near those 3. All I could compare him to is a more versatile Antoine Walker.

[ManUp]

Doesn't make sense except that they play basically the same position.  Bird's single best quality was his shooting and that's one of LeBron's worst.

LeBron is closer to an evolutionary Magic than a Bird. 

This.

[ManUp]

James has 1/10 the IQ of Bird .....or MJ or Magic J for that ....smarter than Wade

Which one is you? 

[RebusRankin]

Doesn't have the shooting ability, the post game, the rebounding or the basketball IQ of Bird. Doesn't have Bird's clutchness or ability to make teammates better.

Poor comparison.

To me, LeBron has never figured out what to be, he could follow the Magic model or the Jordan model, he's really chosen neither.

[Who]

Yeah, I think the comparison has some weight.

I think their blend of scoring + playmaking makes them a strong comparison with LeBron being more of a slasher and Bird more of a shooter. Score first (25-30ppg) players who were terrific and prolific passers (6-8apg). That they are both big SFs helps the comparison too.

I think that balance and mindset of teamwork/passing and score-first behaviour makes them more comparable to one another than Jordan-LeBron (Jordan more score-first, less passer) or Magic-LeBron (Magic more passer and facilitator than scorer). That balance of scoring/passing makes Bird and LeBron quite comparable in my eyes.

[nickagneta]

Really think the best comparison is Dr. J., but that's just me.

[Smutzy#9]

How about Lebron is Lebron............. There is only ever going to be 1 magic, 1 bird and 1 MJ. So sick of people making these comparisions. The guys career isnt even over yet. still 8 more years left!!!

[LarBrd33]

Here's what I wrote two weeks ago:


It's fair to compare LeBron with Bird.

Bird's best season in 1988:
29.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.8 blocks  53%/41%/92% ... 1.3 three per game.   

Bird's Career averages:
24.3 points, 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.8 blocks ... 50%/38%/89%  0.7 threes per game

LeBron this season:

27 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.9 blocks   57%/41%/75% .... 1.4 threes per game

Even before LeBron won the title last year, Bird himself said LeBron was "BY FAR" the best player in the league.  He said he would have rather played with Kobe, because Kobe was a winner... but you gotta imagine that's changed as LeBron has proven to be capable of winning:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAEiIdQwX50

[LarBrd33]

double post