Bird was outscored by teammate twice yet still wins FMVP?

[Bigrichmac]

Birds 86 finals no.s of 24ppg, 9.7rpg, 9.5apg, and 2.7spg>Mchale''s 25.8, 8.5, 1.7 and 0.8

[Phoenix]

I'm amazed anyone managed to score 20ppg next to Mchale. Once he got it on the block odds were good a shot was going up.

[BarberSchool]

How many of McHale's pts were off Bird assists ?
As opposed to vice versa?
Bird's assists and even hockey assists penetrated and collapsed defenses more than any slasher.

Bird's STEALS and deflections are legendary.
Unreal for someone with slow feet to murder passing lanes.
Cause his eyes/mind/hands were lightning quick.
His impact plays and clutch plays are undeniable.
Dudes don't even know this dude led the league in steals.
And his reboudning was shockingly great for not being able to jump.
At all.

That dude did more with less his entire life.
Stop hating cause he's an ugly as sin redneck.
This dude grew up dirt poor in a shack.
Drunk pops too stubborn to ever even apply for a damn EBT card.
He literally starved cause his dad was a suicidal drunk.
No soup kitchens in the mi9ddle of nowhere.
Give it up for the man and his story.

[hiphopanonymous]

It is kind of weird how Magic and Bird escape all the criticism modern players and players before them get criticized for.

Not to me it isn't.

20 years before them Bill Russell was one of the gold standards for GOAT caliber basketball ability. Of course it was controversial, as guys like Baylor Robertson or West were better all-around and a guy like Wilt was way way more offensively/statistically dominant but Russell always had his case due to winning so much and defensive focus that to many people well into the 1980's scoring points wasn't considered some sort of necessity to be considered the best player on your team.

It wasn't until MJ in the 1990's that points and winning combined were even a heralded thing really. Most fans of the game before that recognized all the OTHER things that can happen on a basketball floor that can make a player effective, impactfull or great.

I feel like the game, and media outlets advertising it as time has progressed has tried to promote scoring points more and more as the end all be all facet of the game that makes or breaks your greatness. It's not all about points although the way they are shaping the rules in the modern expression of the game it sure does seem like they really want it to be that way. Defense is basically banned in this era it's the weakest defensive era as far as rules favoring offense and castrating defenses go that has ever been played.

[hiphopanonymous]

I'm amazed anyone managed to score 20ppg next to Mchale. Once he got it on the block odds were good a shot was going up.

Well the easy solution to that is - since he's not a ball handler just choose not to give it to him unless you don't want to see it again you don't need to drop it off to him if you don't want to

[Phoenix]

Well the easy solution to that is - since he's not a ball handler just choose not to give it to him unless you don't want to see it again you don't need to drop it off to him if you don't want to

Obviously it wouldn't make sense to not take advantage of Mchale's scoring prowess down low. Those Celtics aren't better off with less scoring from Mchale. The somewhat facetious point I was making is that he had the name 'black hole' for a reason.