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  1. #31
    NBA Legend LAZERUSS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hamtaro CP3KDKG
    Larry no question and ppl overrated Magic playing longer. They both have 10 allnba teams both 9 1st and 1 2nd. Plus Larry got alldefense teams he was better allaround player for sure
    Yeah... let's punish Magic for playing better, longer. In his last full season, all he did was average 19.4 ppg, .477 FG%, .906 FT%, .320 3pt%, 7.0 rpg, and 12.5 apg. Oh, and led a crumbling Laker team to a 58-24 record, and a trip to the Finals. Does anyone in their right mind honestly believe that had Magic not had his career cut short by HIV, that he wouldn't have been an elite player for at least a couple of more seasons?

  2. #32
    NBA Superstar Hamtaro CP3KDKG's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Quote Originally Posted by LAZERUSS
    Yeah... let's punish Magic for playing better, longer. In his last full season, all he did was average 19.4 ppg, .477 FG%, .906 FT%, .320 3pt%, 7.0 rpg, and 12.5 apg. Oh, and led a crumbling Laker team to a 58-24 record, and a trip to the Finals. Does anyone in their right mind honestly believe that had Magic not had his career cut short by HIV, that he wouldn't have been an elite player for at least a couple of more seasons?
    He played more than Larry but they still have the same amount of allnba teams if larry didnt fix his mas pavement by himself he wouldnt have back problems and hed undoubtebtly go down better than magic he was flatout better in their primes

  3. #33
    In GawdBe We Trust KOBE143's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Quote Originally Posted by LAZERUSS
    I agree. And players like a prime Nash and Kevin Love would be nothing in other eras, as well.
    Maybe Nash and Love wouldn't be the same in other era but Im sure they could end up as a decent starter and would've a high chance to be an allstar in any era..

  4. #34
    Local High School Star wakencdukest's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    I give much respect to Bird, but I gotta go with Magic. He was the most unselfish player ever, the best passer the game has ever known, he could take over games offensively when he wanted, could post up and bang inside, rebound, was a great free throw shooter, he just did it all and made everyone that he played with better. His only faults were, he wasn't a great outside shooter,(but he was respectable later in his career), and he had trouble guarding small quick point guards(to be fair they had trouble with him also).

  5. #35
    NBA rookie of the year Kurosawa0's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    I always lean Magic. 9 Finals appearances is one of the greatest runs by any player or team.

  6. #36
    NBA Legend LAZERUSS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hamtaro CP3KDKG
    He played more than Larry but they still have the same amount of allnba teams if larry didnt fix his mas pavement by himself he wouldnt have back problems and hed undoubtebtly go down better than magic he was flatout better in their primes
    Clearly not the case. Better, perhaps, but in Bird's greatest regular season, he had a horrible post-season, culminated by a pathetic performance against the Pistons, in which he shot .341 in a six game series loss. How did Magic perform against that Piston team? 21.6 ppg on .550 shooting.

    If anything, the separation was much greater from '87 on, than what it was before that.

    And people tend to forget that Magic could have been a much higher scorer. I believe Psileas commented that later in his career, Magic had a streak of 11 straight games of 30+ points. Of course, how about his game six of the '80 Finals, and without Kareem, when he scored 42 on 14-23 shooting (and 14-14 from the line)? Or a clinching game three against Hakeem's Rockets in the late 80's, in which he scored 38 points on 14-20 shooting.

    Furthermore, Magic was a much more efficient shooter, particularly in the post-season. Bird never had a Finals in which he shot above .488 (and one in which he shot .419.) Magic had FIVE in which he shot over 50% including .573, .560, .550, and .541.

  7. #37
    7-time NBA All-Star
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    To me, Bird was unquestionably the better player until '87, and the two were very close in '87 and '88. After that, it was obviously Magic.

    Prime vs prime, it's close. Take say '85-'88 Bird compared to '87-'90 Magic, or '84-'88 Bird vs '87-'91 Magic and you can't go wrong with either, but I'll take Bird. Difficult to compare them as players since it depends on what you favor. Both were arguably the best rebounders to ever play their position, and Magic was arguably the best passer of all-time, but Bird was the greatest passing forward ever, and certainly a top 10 passer overall, imo. Bird was the better scorer, though Magic became a very good scorer himself later in his career to the point you had to double him in the post, but he'd pick apart the doubles. Bird was definitely the better defender, though.

  8. #38
    NBA Legend LAZERUSS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Quote Originally Posted by KOBE143
    Maybe Nash and Love wouldn't be the same in other era but Im sure they could end up as a decent starter and would've a high chance to be an allstar in any era..
    Yet, I am supposed to believe a Bird would be nothing more than a Scalabrine in today's NBA?

    Makes no sense. Didn't Bird play in an era of MJ, Dr.J, Magic, Isaiah, Kareem, Moses, Hakeem, Dominque, etc? And yet he was considered the best player in the league in a few of those seasons? But then, perhaps, mayeb you are suggesting that all of those guys would be scrubs in today's NBA.
    Last edited by LAZERUSS; 05-12-2013 at 12:21 PM.

  9. #39
    I brick nerf balls La Frescobaldi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Too close to call for me depends what your team needs at the time

  10. #40
    Local High School Star Nero Tulip's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    I was born after all that but seems to me Magic was pretty much better in every way

    I just don't see the argument for Bird. People saying stuff like "Bird was the better player" but there's absolutely nothing to support it.

  11. #41
    Learning to shoot layups
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    It's unfortunate the young uns never got to see prime Bird.

    Think a better Nowitzki. Better shooter. Actually a better rebounder than the 7 footer.

    Long range shooting on par with Reggie Miller and Ray Allen.

    Dude was in the 50/40/90 club twice.

    Damn Magic or Bird. Real tough, can't go wrong with either. They are ELITE hall of famers. Depends on which position you need to fill.

    Quote Originally Posted by KOBE143
    Magic

    Bird is just an era-specific player.. His ceiling in today's league would be Scalabrine at best..

  12. #42
    NBA Legend LAZERUSS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Maybe someone can explain "era-specific player" to me.

  13. #43
    I brick nerf balls La Frescobaldi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Quote Originally Posted by Nero Tulip
    I was born after all that but seems to me Magic was pretty much better in every way

    I just don't see the argument for Bird. People saying stuff like "Bird was the better player" but there's absolutely nothing to support it.
    You just have to watch film my friend. Lots and lots of film.
    Bird was a better shooter from first to last, and a better scorer. Magic really wasn't better than Bird at anything. Maybe dribbling. Like I said earlier, this one is too close to call. It really would come down to what your team needs.

    But to say one or the other is "better in every way"............. shows clearly you don't know anything about their games and worse, you don't even bother finding out.

  14. #44
    Verticle? plowking's Avatar
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Quote Originally Posted by Nero Tulip
    I was born after all that but seems to me Magic was pretty much better in every way

    I just don't see the argument for Bird. People saying stuff like "Bird was the better player" but there's absolutely nothing to support it.


    Nothing to support it? Better stats, more impact, better defensively, etc. What more do you want.

    Bird was being called the greatest player to ever play the game quite regularly in the middle of his career. If you were born after all of it, read up, and then you'll see all the things that point to Bird being quite clearly the better player.

  15. #45
    Troll who tries to provoke you
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    Default Re: Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson - Who was the better player All Time?

    Quote Originally Posted by LAZERUSS
    Maybe someone can explain "era-specific player" to me.
    Sure.

    "era specific" is a term coined by Kobe stans, lakers stans.

    It is applied to any all-timer who shoots 50%FG or is insanely efficient or ULTRA CLUTCH in post-season & finals.

    this makes kobe's ball hogging, chucking 25ppg career ave at 45%FG look PATHETIC & to deliberately protect kobe's INFLATED legacy, these all-timers automatically become "era specific"

    Thats about it.

    Examples of "era specific" players according to Kobe'tards

    1.Bird
    2.moses
    3.Dr. J
    4.Sir. Charles
    5.D'Rob
    6.Hakeem
    7.Duncan

    list goes on & on. Any player thats all-time Top 10-18 with exception of Bird.
    Last edited by gengiskhan; 05-12-2013 at 01:36 PM.

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