Larry Bird on FA: "I couldn't imagine going to the Lakers and playing w/ Magic Johnso

[Basketball Fan]

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/07/09/larry-bird-on-free-agency-i-couldnt-imagine-going-to-the-lakers-and-playing-with-magic-johnson/

[quote]Larry Bird on free agency:

[Micku]

From what I read, I could imagine Bird going to Indiana. He has love for it. Not to the Lakers. He doesn't seem like that type of dude. He was pretty crazy on beating Magic and the Lakers.

Plus he was in a great situation with the Celts. Had a bunch of HOFs in his team. But there's a lot of ifs too. Like if Len Bias didn't die, how good would they be in 87? Celts dealing with injuries in 87, but they still produced. Bird's back. Bird's finger when coming out of college.

And it's not like KD going to join with LeBron. I figure that's the main rivalry. I would imagine it would be like...Bird joining Dr. J or vice versa after one of them just beat each other from a 7 game series. That would sting.

[r0drig0lac]

alpha

[moongaze]

What he's saying is can't imagine being such a bitch that he'd bend over and run to the team that just beat his team to make the finals. Durant was probably partying with golden state players after his team lost three straight.

[mr4speed]

http://nba.nbcsports.com/2016/07/09/larry-bird-on-free-agency-i-couldnt-imagine-going-to-the-lakers-and-playing-with-magic-johnson/
I think Bird and the other stars in the league always wanted to be the big dog on whatever team they played on. If these types of moves had been made back then - I think the same criticisms would have been made that are being made today. I think there is so much focus on how many rings a player gets or has, that people are too quick to judge a players talents by the results his team has accomplished, and in the process over rate some players and unfairly miss the talents a great player can have by dismissing his skills with but he only has (fill in the blank) rings.

[bdreason]

I bet his imagination would be different if he played his whole career with the Bucks, and never won anything.

[Wally450]

I bet his imagination would be different if he played his whole career with the Bucks, and never won anything.

The Bucks would be in the Finals with Bird averaging 35/10/10

[houston]

ok bird play with russell westbrook all your career you change your tune lol

[finchyyy]

Yeah well this goes without saying. Larry Bird isn't some cuck beta like Durant is he?

[Nike D'Antoni]

I bet his imagination would be different if he played his whole career with the Bucks, and never won anything.


Bird would win a ring easily if he had Westbrook. And he would have guranteed won with Harden/Westbrook/Ibaka. Durant had luxury all his career to play for stacked team, not Kobe not Lebron not Bird not Melo not Iverson not Anyone in history of this game has had the luxury Durant had. Every year of his career on a stacked team.

[ScalsFan21]

I could never imagine myself going and joining another team with great players because I had great players and I was in a great situation.

Bird inadvertently highlighting the fundamental difference between LeBron's justifiable move and Durant's cowardly tagalong move.

[StephHamann]

Bird inadvertently highlighting the fundamental difference between LeBron's justifiable move and Durant's cowardly tagalong move.

Durant had 2 HOF teammates in Harden and Westbrook

+ very good role players like Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Adams

:hammerhead:

[ScalsFan21]

Durant had 2 HOF teammates in Harden and Westbrook

+ very good role players like Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Adams

:hammerhead:

Yeah that's what I mean. Most insulting FA decision to competition that's ever been made, joining GSW. Still surprised he did it.

[!@#$%Vectors!@#]

Bird played on a team with 4 other Hall of Famers with a great front office in a league with only 2 team that had viable championship aspirations and only won 3 rings.


I love Larry Legend and his career was obviously detracted by injuries but he should stfu in this situation.

But Yes Durant had great teammates in his tenure in OKC but something always came up. 2012 and last year was their best shot to be honest. Other years were cut short by injury and penny pinching. Also no one was beating the 2012 Heat.

[Overdrive]

Of course he couldn't imagine it. Aside from free agency not existing there also was no precedent. The Celtics and Lebron showed the league that you should join/form stronger teams if you don't want to go the Barkley route. Also Bird winning in his 2nd season surely had something to do with it.

[feyki]

I bet his imagination would be different if he played his whole career with the Bucks, and never won anything.

Bucks were solid in the 80's :facepalm

[r0drig0lac]

The Bucks would be in the Finals with Bird averaging 35/10/10
maybe not, but the team would be absolutely better

[ArbitraryWater]

Durant had 2 HOF teammates in Harden and Westbrook

+ very good role players like Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Adams

:hammerhead:

thats what he said :hammerhead:

Bird making a foolery of the bitch that KD is

[ArbitraryWater]

Bird played on a team with 4 other Hall of Famers with a great front office in a league with only 2 team that had viable championship aspirations and only won 3 rings.


I love Larry Legend and his career was obviously detracted by injuries but he should stfu in this situation.

But Yes Durant had great teammates in his tenure in OKC but something always came up. 2012 and last year was their best shot to be honest. Other years were cut short by injury and penny pinching. Also no one was beating the 2012 Heat.

Lol, dude, his teammates got a total of two all-nba teams.... so much for the '4 hall of famers' :oldlol:

[feyki]

Lol, dude, his teammates got a total of two all-nba teams.... so much for the '4 hall of famers' :oldlol:

:lol :lol

[Marchesk]

maybe not, but the team would be absolutely better

Who would have beaten the Bucks with Bird in the 80s?

[Marchesk]

I bet his imagination would be different if he played his whole career with the Bucks, and never won anything.

The Bucks were contender is the early to mid 80s. They would have won with Bird.

[r0drig0lac]

Who would have beaten the Bucks with Bird in the 80s?
I really do not know, what do you think?

[Locked_Up_Tonight]

The Bucks coached by Don Nelson in the 80's were a pretty good team. They had a lot of depth. They just never had a true superstar. Sidney Moncrief was the closest to it.

1981- 60 win team and lost in ECSF
1982- 55 win team and lost in ECSF
1983- 53 win team and lost in ECF
1984- 52 win team and lost in ECF
1985- 58 win team and lost in ECSF
1986- 62 wins and lost in ECF
1987- 51 win team and lost in ECSF
1988- 42 win team and lost in EC First Round
1989- 50 win team and lost in ECSF

Many of those losses in the playoffs were to the Boston Celtics. Switch Bird to them and give the Celtics Sidney Moncrief... and the Bucks probably wind up with a couple of championships in the 80's.

[Spurs5Rings2014]

Bird played on a team with 4 other Hall of Famers with a great front office in a league with only 2 team that had viable championship aspirations and only won 3 rings.


I love Larry Legend and his career was obviously detracted by injuries but he should stfu in this situation.

The 76'ers of the early to mid 80's had no viable championship aspirations? The Pistons of the late 80's had none? Those teams won chips and had multiple finals appearances. And they were both in the Eastern Conference while the the other great team of that era was all alone in the West, cakewalking to the finals every season with an even more loaded roster. Sound familiar? I mean, the Lakers went to 8 out of 10 finals in the 80's for crying out loud. The conference disparity was insane.

[LeBird]

I bet his imagination would be different if he played his whole career with the Bucks, and never won anything.

People, like the above, talking about Bird having a great team and not needing to move are forgetting that when Bird joined the Celtics they were a 29 win team with has-beens and never-weres.

[TomCat]

Even a Whiteboy has more pride than lecoward

[Cleverness]

Didn't know Durant was a top 10 goat on Bird's level. haters gonna hate

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

No offense to Larry, but if he's comparing himself w/ Durant that comment doesn't even make sense. LB is clearly the better all-around player.

Well...I guess that aint really offensive now is it? :lol

[DonDadda59]

The post Decision I era will be officially remembered in the History books as 'The Path of Least Resistance' Era.

Great lesson for kids- if it's too hard, quit on people who depend on you to go to a much easier situation for yourself. :applause:

[bdreason]

The Bucks would be in the Finals with Bird averaging 35/10/10


Or maybe he spends his career losing in the ECF's to the Celtics, 76ers, and Pistons. Breaking through a couple times, only to lose in the Finals to the Lakers.

Is Larry Bird a top 10 GOAT with ZERO rings? Or is he just Charles Barkley.

[COnDEMnED]

Deja vu. He said this after Lebron made his first superfriends on the Heat too. Legends look down on this era.