Guess cricket is what you get for being two generations removed, even for a 3-time MVP. Current players tend to hype up who they watched growing up, which helps form a legend for young viewers. However, today's players never even watched the 80s dudes, so the hype is dead. When Durant was asked about Larry Bird, he can merely parrot nonchalantly the standard praise, but admitted to have never watched him play as Larry is before his time.
Bird was a better version of today's Durant. One of the best shooters to ever live. He had the same hating to lose gene that MJ/Hakeem/Magic etc... had. Greatness
I agree with everything, except the first statement. I know people don't like KD, and think he's a modern plague on the game. He has his own game, there haven't been any players with a similar style of play, along with his height and athleticism. KD is nowhere the playmaker Bird or has that kind of court vision, but I don't think Bird could do some of the things KD can do. Bird is more comparable to say Luka, LeBron, or Harden, it's not even a smooth comparison with those players. Their games are pretty unique.
Yea, I wouldn't take the lack of conversation as a slight to Bird's greatness it's just that you have to be middle aged to speak knowledgeably on his career. Even with MJ, a lot of the younger generation never saw him play much live. There's just way more highlights of the mid 90s onward.
That's why all time player rankings can be kind of silly, because I'd imagine most here and even NBA fans have never watched great players from the 60s and 70s -- Russell, Big O, Wilt, West, Baylor, Hawkins, Barry, Frazier, or many others. You can actually effectively rate the players unless you are an aficionado.
