ESPN top 10 SF's: 1. LeBron 2. Bird

[Celtic Fan Forever]

Well I'm sure this argument has been had a million times before, but let's get it started again. At this point right now, who's the better all time player: LeBron James or Larry Bird?

P.S. No surprise whatsoever that ESPN has LeBron over Bird, they'd probably put him over Jordan if they played the same position.

[MBunge]

I would argue that Bird in his prime is at least the equal of LeBron but those back problems make it hard to compare career vs. career.  And how many more points would Bird have racked up if he shot 3s the way they do today?

Mike

[Donoghus]

Can't go wrong with either one at #1, IMO.

[Jon]

Who do you want to have the ball in his hands with the game on the line?  Bird by a long shot.  But given the way LeBron can play defense, a case can certainly be made that LeBron could have a bigger effect over the course of the game and potentially put his team in a position where that shot to win the game doesn't even have to occur. 

[guava_wrench]

Nothing wrong with that 1-2.

Lebron had multiple seasons as the undisputed best player in the league/world. It is always hard to compare players, but either of them would be a good choice for #1.

[libermaniac]

Lebron is obviously the superior athlete and defender, but Bird had more of that magic - e.g. refuse to lose - factor.  As a fan of Bird you never thought the C's would lose.  I don't get the sense that Lebron is as much of a game changer.  Don't get me wrong - Lebron has a HUGE impact on the outcome of any game he plays in due to his shear strength and athleticism.  But, he doesn't have that extra IT factor that will will his team to victory no matter what. Bird did.  Just ask Isiah ;-)

[guava_wrench]

I would argue that Bird in his prime is at least the equal of LeBron but those back problems make it hard to compare career vs. career.  And how many more points would Bird have racked up if he shot 3s the way they do today?

Mike

I don't think the back problems make it hard to compare. They just hurt the case for Bird. It is always hard to know how much to consider sustained excellence.

[guava_wrench]

Lebron is obviously the superior athlete and defender, but Bird had more of that magic - e.g. refuse to lose - factor.  As a fan of Bird you never thought the C's would lose.  I don't get the sense that Lebron is as much of a game changer.  Don't get me wrong - Lebron has a HUGE impact on the outcome of any game he plays in due to his shear strength and athleticism.  But, he doesn't have that extra IT factor that will will his team to victory no matter what. Bird did.  Just ask Isiah ;-)

Lebron has willed some poor supporting casts pretty far.

[makaveli]

are you kidding me... no PP!?!?!?!
dude has been underrated for all of his carer.
IMHO Paul Pierce is top 5 easily...
what has Durant done so far to earn #4...

[Celtics17]

I was almost ready to give the nod to Bron last year. The thing is though he just wasn't able to take over games the way I thought he should, at least on offense. Bird controlled the outcome of games long before the game was decided and for that reason I still say he is the better player. It would be very interesting though to see the best of Bron on the old Celts. I bet he could have guarded Worthy and Magic and that would be interesting. Anyway, for now, I am still saying Bird over LeBron.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Normally someone would chide you for leaving something like this out, but TP for not linking people to ESPN.

[libermaniac]

Lebron is obviously the superior athlete and defender, but Bird had more of that magic - e.g. refuse to lose - factor.  As a fan of Bird you never thought the C's would lose.  I don't get the sense that Lebron is as much of a game changer.  Don't get me wrong - Lebron has a HUGE impact on the outcome of any game he plays in due to his shear strength and athleticism.  But, he doesn't have that extra IT factor that will will his team to victory no matter what. Bird did.  Just ask Isiah ;-)

Lebron has willed some poor supporting casts pretty far.

I hear you but, again, Lebron does have a huge impact on making a team better.  That's due to his talent, athleticism and strength.  But, in any one single, winner-take-all game, he doesn't have that killer instinct that Bird did.  I guess I'm saying he isn't as clutch as Bird was in big games and big situations.

[TheFlex]

It's a shame that A) Bird's back problems cut his career short and B) Bias/Lewis passed. Those two almost definitely would've give Bird another shot at a ring, perhaps multiple rings, like Kawhi and now LMA are doing for Duncan.

Regardless, the idea that it's preposterous that anyone could have LBJ over Bird is, well, preposterous. I wouldn't doubt it'd be a heck of a match up between the two in their primes, but I think at the end of the day, barring injury, LBJ's longevity will make him the greatest SF of all time.

[The One]

One game, one series, Bird.

Career...LeBron.

[TheFlex]

Lebron is obviously the superior athlete and defender, but Bird had more of that magic - e.g. refuse to lose - factor.  As a fan of Bird you never thought the C's would lose.  I don't get the sense that Lebron is as much of a game changer.  Don't get me wrong - Lebron has a HUGE impact on the outcome of any game he plays in due to his shear strength and athleticism.  But, he doesn't have that extra IT factor that will will his team to victory no matter what. Bird did.  Just ask Isiah ;-)

Lebron has willed some poor supporting casts pretty far.

I hear you but, again, Lebron does have a huge impact on making a team better.  That's due to his talent, athleticism and strength.  But, in any one single, winner-take-all game, he doesn't have that killer instinct that Bird did.  I guess I'm saying he isn't as clutch as Bird was in big games and big situations.

You must be forgetting game 6, 2006-07 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Or when LBJ came into Boston for game 6 of the '12 ECFs and single handedly pummeled our Boston Celtics in 3 quarters. Also, everyone remembers Ray Allen's corner 3 to beat the Spurs and force them to game 7, but if not for what might be the single greatest 8 minute stretch in NBA history for one player (LBJ) prior to that shot, the Spurs would have taken the title that year.

For a franchise that spits on "ballhogs" that don't make "the right basketball play" and instead decide to shoot no matter what, LBJ sure gets a lot of flak from us for looking to pass sometimes instead of looking to shoot.