Has LeBron surpassed Bird?

[drza44]

Michael Wallace, who covers the Miami Heat for ESPN, has made the argument that LeBron James has already surpassed Larry Bird on the all-time list (at 41:30 mark here: bit.ly/1jE0ySc ). Co-host Conte has them still very comparable, while other co-host Snellings has them close but with LeBron likely to end up higher than in the long run.

Who do you have on top currently? Who do you expect to be higher when LeBron's career is over?

[Kane3387]

It's debatable now . When it's all said and done James should pass him.

[Birdman]

Different eras, different times...Flip flop both LeBron and Bird..James in the 80's and Bird now playing and u probably have same results

[Smokeeye123]

Yes anyone who disagrees is holding on to past memories. Lebron would wreck Bird. However lebron can wreck most people so it's not so much a knock against Bird.

[CelticD]

ya id say lebron passes bird. especially if he gets another ring.

[BballTim]

Yes anyone who disagrees is holding on to past memories. Lebron would wreck Bird. However lebron can wreck most people so it's not so much a knock against Bird.

  People who don't think it's a debate probably watch players like Cousy on youtube and imagine that's how the game looked in the 80s. LeBron's more athletic than Bird but he doesn't see or evaluate the game as well as Larry did. Also, for the bulk of his career he wasn't in Larry's class in terms of scoring ability or confidence in his offensive game.

[BballTim]

ya id say lebron passes bird. especially if he gets another ring.

   Career-wise LeBron will pass him. He's already had more healthy seasons than Bird did.

[Jailan34]

I'm not really one for questions like this, not only are we comparing players from different eras but basketball is a team game. By that I mean LeBron would fit in better on different teams than Bird would.

Would LeBron do well as well as Bird did on teams like Bird had with go to post up scorers clogging up his paint?, probably not. At the same time LeBron gets much more out of the drive and dish Heat system where their entire offense is based on paint penetration.

If the question is who would win 1 on 1 in their primes I've got no way to know.

[Clench123]

Comparing the two is unfair to both in my opinion.

...the fact that Bird didn't run to team up with other stars to get it done is a testimony to how truly great Bird was.  I think the fashion in which one wins the championship should be taken into account when accessing who is better.  Besides King James still has one more ring to go to measure up.

[Mr October]

ya id say lebron passes bird. especially if he gets another ring.

   Career-wise LeBron will pass him. He's already had more healthy seasons than Bird did.

Because of the number of healthy/unhealthy seasons played, i give the edge to Lebron right now. And i too expect Lebron to surpass him. At the moment i can see some debate.

But it took a long time for Lebron to reach his full powers. Larry was a leader, and a finisher, and winning titles from the get go.

Throughout their careers, Larry had better teammates. With so many more teams in the NBA now, it is hard to compare eras. I would take the best Laker or Celtic team from the 80s to knock off the best Miami Heat team by far.

[Mr October]

Comparing the two is unfair to both in my opinion.

...the fact that Bird didn't run to team up with other stars to get it done is a testimony to how truly great Bird was.  I think the fashion in which one wins the championship should be taken into account when accessing who is better.  Besides King James still has one more ring to go to measure up.

Larry was also drafted to one of the best organizations in the league. If i got to play with  McHale, Parish, etc, i would have done everything i could to stay and win too.

Lebron was drafted by a joke of a franchise, that continues to make panic bandaid trades. If I was drafted by the Cavs i probably would have left too.

[PAOBoston]

Comparing the two is unfair to both in my opinion.

...the fact that Bird didn't run to team up with other stars to get it done is a testimony to how truly great Bird was.  I think the fashion in which one wins the championship should be taken into account when accessing who is better.  Besides King James still has one more ring to go to measure up.

Are you just going to disregard the blatant fact that Larry Bird played his entire career with 2 bona-fide all time greats along with a collection of other Hall of Famers and all stars? Up until 3 years, the best player LeBron ever played with was Antwan Jameson.

For me, LeBron has probably had as good or better career than Bird has. And he's still got time to go and improve it. He's got the personal accolades and the rings now.

[BballTim]

I'm not really one for questions like this, not only are we comparing players from different eras but basketball is a team game. By that I mean LeBron would fit in better on different teams than Bird would.

  I'd say the opposite is true. Bird's more skilled in more areas than LeBron.

[D.o.s.]

It's debatable now . When it's all said and done James should pass him.

[biggs]

Statistically? Obviously he will pass Bird.  However, here is why he will never surpass any of the true greats (Jordan/Magic/Bird) in terms of actual greatness-

He plays against NO competition!

As Dave Chappelle would say "You win by default". 

Never in the history of any other major sport has there been a collusion of great players in their prime to create a superteam that would unbalance the league.  Well, maybe the Lakers getting Shaq and Kobe, and Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and Dwight Howard , but none of those players really liked one another, let alone were BFF's with an agenda to rig sports.

Also, I know a lot of people would argue that Jordan benefited from a lack of competition like Lebron did, but Jordan didn't have to collude with Barkley and Olijuwon to form his superteam, he let the G.M take care of that without tampering like the CHeat do.

But, seriously the Heat have no competition. 

Lebron is the Pharell of the N.B.A.  Let me explain my analogy-

Let's say Lebron is Pharell, so Larry Bird is....Stevie Wonder. 

Pharell has talent, but can't make hit music without the aid of others powerful elements- Compilations, samples, and the big one Autotune!- To correct the fact that this world famous "singer" can't even sing!  Yet he is the top artist in the world.  Music is bad now a days, really bad, and Pharell benefits from that lack of competition.

Lebron has talent, but can't win without the aid of other powerful elements- Superstar team mates, Massive media attention, and the big one....The League handing him an excuse to every hole in his game.  Lebron can't dribble, he "never commits fouls" and everything about his game is not clutch.  He relies on the contributions of other stars to succeed.  I mean please, 38 yr old Ray Allen saves him last year and gets him a ring? What a legend!

Meanwhile, Larry Bird, (Stevie Wonder) will go down as one of the best singer/songwriters of his time, even though he played in an era where there where other great artists doing their thing.  (Competition) Also, Stevie Wonder doesn't use Autotune like Lebron/Pharell uses Officiating to fix holes in his game (Autotune). And this is against weak competition!!!!!!!!

Meaning- Bird never really got the "Jordan" or "Lebron" calls from the refs, handing him his victories.  Bird played against greater competition than either of them and worked his tail off doing so.  Unfortunately, after actually having to work for his victories and dive all over the court etc., his body eventually breaks down, and you're left with the career that is now being "surpassed" by Lebron.