The Hick from French Lick

[Concrete Helmet]

Bird averaged 10 rebounds a game, for his career.

Most of those were long rebounds and he was just standing there because he wasn't playing any defense....he was the luckiest SOB on the court I'll give him that.

 

[g8r.tom]

Most of those were long rebounds and he was just standing there because he wasn't playing any defense....he was the luckiest SOB on the court I'll give him that.

 

[78]

Yes he could shut down everyone from Moses Malone to Isiah Thomas....his unique ability to guard ANY player on the floor led to most of the Lakers famed "fast break" offense.
He had a beautiful perimeter shot, could drive like nobodies business AND post almost any player on the defense....there wasn't a place he couldn't score from consistently and yet is considered the greatest team player in NBA history.

You're making up shyt now. Magic was at best an average defender and was never known for his outside shot. He was a ballhandler and facilitator.

Bird made the NBA All-Defensive second team three times.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Bird made the NBA All-Defensive second team three times.

He was the token White guy in a popularity contest....smh.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Boy this guy was a ball player...the passing, the shooting, the dunks, and the sweetest finger roll in the history of the game...Hell his hook shot was as devastating as Jabbar's was. Oh and one other thing....he did it without the benefit of traveling like MJ, Lebron and the guys of today who get 4 steps instead of 2..

 

[Bushmaster]

Yes he could shut down everyone from Moses Malone to Isiah Thomas....his unique ability to guard ANY player on the floor led to most of the Lakers famed "fast break" offense.
He had a beautiful perimeter shot, could drive like nobodies business AND post almost any player on the defense....there wasn't a place he couldn't score from consistently and yet is considered the greatest team player in NBA history.

You realize Moses Malone and the 76ers SWEPT Magics Lakers in 1983 in the NBA Finals?? Magic didn't shut down anybody.

 

[deuce]

You're making up shyt now. Magic was at best an average defender and was never known for his outside shot. He was a ballhandler and facilitator.

Bird made the NBA All-Defensive second team three times.

Truer words have never been spoken on GC!

 

[Gulfstream]

You realize Moses Malone and the 76ers SWEPT Magics Lakers in 1983 in the NBA Finals?? Magic didn't shut down anybody.

Fo..Fo..Fo..

 

[Concrete Helmet]

You realize Moses Malone and the 76ers SWEPT Magics Lakers in 1983 in the NBA Finals?? Magic didn't shut down anybody.

I believe he and the Lakers were pretty torn up with injuries that year(1983) and never really found their form like 84, 85, 86,87.....well pretty much the next 10-12 years. Meanwhile Philly pissed away twice as much talent as the Lakers had and never sniffed another title,,,,

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Truer words have never been spoken on GC!

What am I making up? You honestly believe Bird was a better player than Magic? That's insanity. The reality is like I said in an earlier post, Magic could have led the league in scoring almost every year between 1980 and 1990....he just focused on making his team BETTER by getting them all involved and it worked. There were dozens of playoff and finals games where the rest of the Lakers went cold so Magic would just take the whole game over and drop 45-50 points....I guess you could also look at whose hand has the most rings too.

BTW Bird himself said on many occasions that Magic was the best basketball player of all time.

 

[Detroitgator]

And yet, Isiah's Pistons are the ONLY team to have a winning playoff record vs. Bird, Johnson, and Jordan... ;)

Just pot stirrin'...

 

[78]

What am I making up? You honestly believe Bird was a better player than Magic? That's insanity. The reality is like I said in an earlier post, Magic could have led the league in scoring almost every year between 1980 and 1990....he just focused on making his team BETTER by getting them all involved and it worked. There were dozens of playoff and finals games where the rest of the Lakers went cold so Magic would just take the whole game over and drop 45-50 points....I guess you could also look at whose hand has the most rings too.

BTW Bird himself said on many occasions that Magic was the best basketball player of all time.

Bird was being respectful and deferential. Magic was a great, great point guard, probably the best of all time unless you argue for Oscar Robertson, which would be a pretty strong argument. Magic was an even better leader. He is not the greatest player of all-time.

You stated he was a shutdown defender. False. You stated he had a beautiful perimeter shot. Go back to the tape. He had an unorthodox, one-handed lob of a perimeter shot.

 

[78]

And yet, Isiah's Pistons are the ONLY team to have a winning playoff record vs. Bird, Johnson, and Jordan... ;)

Just pot stirrin'...

For two seasons back to back, the Pistons overdelivered on their promise. Chuck Daley was a great coach.

 

[Marine1]

At the end of the game Larry wanted the last shot. Magic and Lebron wanted the ball....but they were just as willing to make the pass as to shoot. Both said throughout their careers they preferred a great pass over a shot anyway.

All 3 are in the top ten all-time. I loved the Magic v. Bird rivalry. It saved the NBA.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Bird was being respectful and deferential. Magic was a great, great point guard, probably the best of all time unless you argue for Oscar Robertson, which would be a pretty strong argument. Magic was an even better leader. He is not the greatest player of all-time.

You stated he was a shutdown defender. False. You stated he had a beautiful perimeter shot. Go back to the tape. He had an unorthodox, one-handed lob of a perimeter shot.

Dude he could have been the next Connie Hawkins as a PF and had the body of Wes Unseld to be a better than average Center....he was the best PG of all time and I'm sorry he beat Larry Bird but that doesn't change the truth....His "ugly" one handed shot was because of the size of his hands. Try shooting a baseball through a hoop with both hands on the ball.....but more often than not it was the 4th quarter dagger of death because teams feared his ability to drive and dish or dunk....

 

[78]

Dude he could have been the next Connie Hawkins as a PF and had the body of Wes Unseld to be a better than average Center....he was the best PG of all time and I'm sorry he beat Larry Bird but that doesn't change the truth....His "ugly" one handed shot was because of the size of his hands. Try shooting a baseball through a hoop with both hands on the ball.....but more often than not it was the 4th quarter dagger of death because teams feared his ability to drive and dish or dunk....

Bird beat him, too. I'm not sure where you're trying to go with this. And the hands argument is ridiculous. Jordan had just as big hands if not bigger. He didn't loft jumpers like a shot put.

I gave him his due. Best #1. He certainly doesn't rate above MJ in terms of the best.

 

[gator1946]

What am I making up? You honestly believe Bird was a better player than Magic? That's insanity. The reality is like I said in an earlier post, Magic could have led the league in scoring almost every year between 1980 and 1990....he just focused on making his team BETTER by getting them all involved and it worked. There were dozens of playoff and finals games where the rest of the Lakers went cold so Magic would just take the whole game over and drop 45-50 points....I guess you could also look at whose hand has the most rings too.

BTW Bird himself said on many occasions that Magic was the best basketball player of all time.

Saw them both in a dual interview. Bird said Magic was the greatest. Magic said Bird was the greatest. Mutual respect. Different players and different styles. Crete I think you asked someone to toss you your helmet and it hit you in the head. Talk to us after the concussion wears off.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

was the cheating ass Celtics....

And the hands argument is ridiculous. Jordan had just as big hands if not bigger. He didn't loft jumpers like a shot put.

I gave him his due. Best #1. He certainly doesn't rate above MJ in terms of the best.

Not even close in terms of hand size. Magics were like Connie Hawkins and Julius Erving. You can call MJ the best if you want but it would be on a sliding scale in my opinion. The league "changed" the rules for him to be the next great superstar.....this is when 3 and 4 steps became legal and God forbid don't look at him when he had the ball in his hands because it was called a foul if you did, never mind he could claw your forearm off all night and rarely got a 2nd foul called on him.
Pretty much like the league did for Bird too except the traveling...hell he could barely run fast enough to be called for traveling.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

I believe he and the Lakers were pretty torn up with injuries that year(1983) and never really found their form like 84, 85, 86,87.....well pretty much the next 10-12 years. Meanwhile Philly pissed away twice as much talent as the Lakers had and never sniffed another title,,,,

The Lakers teams Magic played on were some of the most talent filled rosters of all time. The other players made Magic look better than he really was. Don’t get me wrong, he was a great player...but not nearly the greatest as you’re making him out to be.