1. Bird put up the same stats as LeBron with less usage in an era where hand checking was allowed and defenses were much more physical.
You mean an era where there were significantly more points and possessions per game. In the 79/80 season the lowest scoring team was the 24 win Jazz at 102.4 ppg (about half the league was under 100 this year including two separate teams at just over 90).
If you bring up the faster pace of the 1980's then perhaps it is a wash. However, Bird's regular season career USG% is 26.5 and postseason USG% is 24.8.
LeBron's regular season career USG% is 31.7 and postseason USG% is 32.1.
That's a significant difference. 5-8 USG% more than Bird means the ball was in his hands much more than Larry Legend.
Yeah but if James' USG goes up in the post season, doesn't that sort of hurt your argument that he is passive, that he isn't aggressive enough, etc. You can't have it both ways and that is what I meant about his stats not actually bearing out that nonsensical argument. James' USG was also much lower in Miami than it was a CLeveland. A function of teammates.
2. Bird took Boston from a lottery team to the playoffs in his rookie season in a loaded 80's East while it took LeBron 3 seasons to make the postseason.
Loaded East? Only 3 teams in the East in the 79/80 season had a winning record. Philly was darn good and the Hawks were ok, but the rest of the league was pretty mediocre (at best).
I was speaking of the 80's East in general not just that season. However, there were only 6 playoff teams in that year which makes the accomplishment even better. LeBron should have made the playoffs in the 2000's East during his rookie season.
The 80's in general aren't that deep. I mean even in 85/86, 3 Eastern teams made the playoffs with a below .500 record. There were certainly some great teams in the Eastern Conference aside from Boston (Philly early on and later Detroit), but by and large it wasn't as good as people remember.
BTW, the 35 win Cavs in Lebron's rookie year would have made the playoffs in 85/86 (and that is after an 18 win improvement). That is how weak the East was in the 80's on the whole.
3. In terms of legacy, Bird never left for Boston to join Magic in L.A. or MJ in Chicago. He stayed true to the Celtics organization and that helps your legacy in the long run.
It doesn't hurt that he was playing with Cowens, McHale, Parish, Johnson, Archibald, etc. And let's not kid ourselves, to put Bosh and Wade on the same level as Magic and MJ is just nonsense (though at least Wade was a top 5ish player in the league at one point).
Red Auerbach was a genius and Bird did have excellent players surrounding him, but he also didn't meddle in GM affairs like LeBron has done during his time in Cleveland. LeBron is basically the de facto GM and states what players should be brought in. LeBron is the same guy that requested an aging Antawn Jamison on his roster.....
Most of that is just speculation, but let's remember the trade in which Cleveland acquired Jamison and Telfair, they gave up the 30th pick in the draft, rights to a guy who has never played in the league, and Big Z, who was immediately bought out and re-signed by the Cavs. Not exactly a horrible deal. The problem in Cleveland was never James' alleged meddling, it was the terrible moves made early on in his career (like Boozer) and the horrid drafting.
4. Bird was just more clutch and had a killer instinct unlike LeBron who defers far too much for someone of his talents and physical stature.
This really isn't born out in actual statistics or facts. James has certainly had a few stinker of games (though I recall Bird having a few as well), but that comment is just nonsense. It was a rhetoric created for haters of James that just doesn't hold water or stand the test of time.
The biggest example is the 2011 Finals. LeBron and the Heat got to cruise through the Eastern playoffs and were well-rested and managed to lose to Dallas who had 1 all-star. LeBron was playing with another Top 5 player and a Top 15 player. Huge choke job.
That was a rough finals no doubt, and game 4 was especially bad, but James was basically an 18/7/7 on 48% from the field player. Sure not what you would expect from a player of James' skill, but not exactly terrible either. (BTW, game 6 87 NBA Finals, Larry Bird 6 of 16 from the field, 16 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers and the Celtics are eliminated (and game 4 in Boston, a Celtic loss, wasn't much better from Mr. Bird). You will find that pretty much every great player lays some eggs, even in the NBA Finals. Jordan is pretty much the rare exception as even his off games, were still pretty good, which is what makes him so special in that regard.)
