Bird>James

[flybono]

LeBron has the edge in nearly every statistical category aside from free throw percentage and rebounds per game.

On top of that, he's been to the Finals more times and has the same number of rings.

Who gives a f### about Lebron James!

Birds era, there were 24 Teams not 30. Several Teams were stacked and there was a eastern conference powerhouse in the 76ers.
No way any Lebron Team would have gotten through the East vs the Sixers of that time period.

James is a great player. He was no Bird, Magic, Jordan or DWilkins for that matter

[Bobshot]

I think a lot of the hype you hear these days in our overblown, market driven media can be contagious. Many of these people never saw the athletes they are overlooking in their comparisons.

For example, media memory of the NBA seems to go back to about 1980. The days of Bird, Magic, the Laker/Celtic teams--and later the MJ Bulls teams. Toss in the Shaq/Kobe Lakers, and that's about it.

The greatest teams I've seen-- the Russell teams of the late 50s and 60s which won 11 Championships --are ancient history. The greatest player I've seen--certainly the most dominating--Wilt Chamberlain--goes unnoticed. Russell was the greatest defensive player I've seen. He scored 10 points a game defensively just on blocks.

Great players like John Havlicek and Jerry West, from the 60s and 70s, also go unnoticed. Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson.

How great were these players? Check out their offensive stats vs MJ and LJ. You might be surprised.

James, in my view, is the best player of this era. I don't think he's better than Bird offensively.
But he is more athletic, and can do more things defensively, as he showed last night.

But if I wanted to start a team, I would have to start with Chamberlain--the most dominating player I've seen. Scoring 30 points in a game for Wilt was chump change.

[td450]

And your comments about Russell are difficult to swallow. Setting aside the fact that he was smarter and tougher, Russell was also a much better athlete than any big playing today.  In 1956, he was the 7th ranked high jumper in the world. He could run a 440 in under 50 seconds.

It is important to remember that these achievements were made relative to the field. The high jump world record in 1960s was 7ft and 5.75 (228 cm). Today, it is 8ft an .5 (245 cm).

a 400meter dash in under 50 is not world class. Its pretty good for high school. Now you get down to 47 and under and Im more impressed.

I agree it isn't world class at all. But it isn't "pretty good for high school" either. This year, the New England Interscholastic Championships had only 5 kids break 50 seconds, and the winner ran a 48.23. That's the championships for all of New England. I doubt there is anyone over 6'9 in the NBA today that could break 54 seconds, much less 50.

[Denis998]

I think its a stretch to say Bird is better than James Young. James hasn't even come off of  the bench yet. Give the kid a chance.

[td450]

And your comments about Russell are difficult to swallow. Setting aside the fact that he was smarter and tougher, Russell was also a much better athlete than any big playing today.  In 1956, he was the 7th ranked high jumper in the world. He could run a 440 in under 50 seconds.

It is important to remember that these achievements were made relative to the field. The high jump world record in 1960s was 7ft and 5.75 (228 cm). Today, it is 8ft an .5 (245 cm).

Agreed, but my point isn't that Russell would win an olympic medal in track and field. It's that he was just as impressive an athlete as LeBron is today. He could touch the top of the backboard. The notion that he wouldn't be a starting caliber player today because players are more athletic today is just wrong. No big is that athletic today.

[celticsclay]

And your comments about Russell are difficult to swallow. Setting aside the fact that he was smarter and tougher, Russell was also a much better athlete than any big playing today.  In 1956, he was the 7th ranked high jumper in the world. He could run a 440 in under 50 seconds.

It is important to remember that these achievements were made relative to the field. The high jump world record in 1960s was 7ft and 5.75 (228 cm). Today, it is 8ft an .5 (245 cm).

a 400meter dash in under 50 is not world class. Its pretty good for high school. Now you get down to 47 and under and Im more impressed.

I agree it isn't world class at all. But it isn't "pretty good for high school" either. This year, the New England Interscholastic Championships had only 5 kids break 50 seconds, and the winner ran a 48.23. That's the championships for all of New England. I doubt there is anyone over 6'9 in the NBA today that could break 54 seconds, much less 50.

it is disappointing to see how quickly people are pushing to diminish Russells capabilities both athletically and on the court. It seems pretty disrespectful. He has been a great ambassador for the game and the Celtics. If we are going to point out differences of the eras lets not also forget to point out the racism that Russell had to deal with including being refused to be served at restaurants and denied hotel rooms and opportunities that were shot down for him throughout his career.

 Russell was not afforded close to the coddling that Lebron James has had since the time he was 16. Let's not forget when Lebron was public enemy for about a year he  even said he stopped enjoying basketball and has shown several times of quitting in games when things were not going his way. Interesting to think about what kind of player he would have been, or even if he would have kept playing, if he was dealing with the stuff Russell dealt with every day.

Please try to use a little more common sense if you are going to discuss a player from that eras and think about how different his life and performance and stats could have been with access to state of the art equipment, nutrition, strength training programs, medical technology, traveled by deluxe charter flights and at 5 star hotels. Lebron has been the most coddled player in the history of the NBA.

 

[CelticsJG]

lebron better, been better for some years

[Celtics4ever]

LeBron is a great player, but I would rather have Larry because he does not hide from big shots as LeBron does and did.  He played well but he had numerous chances to take the game over but deferred.   LeBron is not an alpha dog who take the big shots, but he is the best beta we have ever seen, sorry Pippen.  Jordan Level talent though.

[celticmania]

Homers

[walker834]

Todays players and people are poisoned by the media and other garbage.  Bird would absolutely destroy Lebron.  It would not even be a contest.  I don't think people understand what was in Bird's heart and his skill level.    It would be like Lebron being the highschool Bully that Bird just completely knocks the **** out.

Lebron James is one of the most overrated players ever.  I could kick the **** out of him if I really wanted to on a good day.  Bird no way.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

LeBron has the edge in nearly every statistical category aside from free throw percentage and rebounds per game.

On top of that, he's been to the Finals more times and has the same number of rings.

Who gives a f### about Lebron James!

Birds era, there were 24 Teams not 30. Several Teams were stacked and there was a eastern conference powerhouse in the 76ers.
No way any Lebron Team would have gotten through the East vs the Sixers of that time period.

James is a great player. He was no Bird, Magic, Jordan or DWilkins for that matter

Yeah!

Plus Larry definitely carried a worse starting cast what with spending his entire career alongside two HOFers in their prime vice having to make Mo Williams an all star, and deal with a franchise run by a guy who types angry messages in Cosmic Sans vice Red Auerbach.

Face it MJ>Bron>Everyone else*

Since the modern era. The Russell/Wilt types are too tough to compare.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

Todays players and people are poisoned by the media and other garbage.  Bird would absolutely destroy Lebron.

In farming maybe... Not in basketball.

[RAAAAAAAANDY]

LeBron is a great player, but I would rather have Larry because he does not hide from big shots as LeBron does and did.  He played well but he had numerous chances to take the game over but deferred.   LeBron is not an alpha dog who take the big shots, but he is the best beta we have ever seen, sorry Pippen.  Jordan Level talent though.

He hit the game clinching FT...

[walker834]

Todays players and people are poisoned by the media and other garbage.  Bird would absolutely destroy Lebron.

In farming maybe... Not in basketball.

Have you ever played a player who is a physical freak vs someone who is extremely skilled?  Its much more difficult to beat the skilled player.

[Celtics17]

If today's league isnt' watered down compared to 20 and 30 years ago when there were fewer teams how is it that the team that just set the all time record for most wins in a season can't win the championship?

That is almost a contradictory thought but really if the Warriors are that great, and shouldnt they be if they just set the all time record for most wins in a season, then why didnt they win the Finals? Is it because the rest of the league isn't as good as it was 20 or 30 years ago or is it because the competition is better then it was back then?