Larry Bird is almost unanimously considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Unfortunately, some detractors are far from that perspective, but Kareem Abdul Jabar disagrees with those critics as he saw first-hand why the bird is a proven superstar.
Many NBA players have a great legacy, but Larry Bird has one of the best. He and Eabin “Magic” Johnson were influential, as the NBA’s 1980s boom was largely attributed to their successful rivalry, which began with the first scrimmage of each other.
During that rivalry, Johnson was not alone as the only star of the Los Angeles Lakers. He performed with superstar big man Kareem Abdul Jabber.
Abdul Jabbar was no longer in his prime, but he was still a big guy in the league in the 80s. He made sure to know outstanding players worthy of the spotlight, as the sixth MVP was also an observer.
As a superstar companion, Abdul Jabbar knows what it takes to become a superstar. He was often considered the greatest player of all time until Michael Jordan and LeBron James joined the conversation. He knows Bird is a legitimate superstar, as Abdul-Jabbar observed during and after his playing career.
Some people may take it from bird careers, but he was a great player. He was the main reason behind the Boston Celtics domination in the 1980s. This includes Bird’s three consecutive regular season MVP awards.
Abdul Jabbar even said that the bird was the best player he had risen to. That’s a high rating from players who have played names like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Even Patrick Ewing agrees with Abdul Jabbar as the birds continue to destroy their enemies.
“The best guy I played against might have been Larry Bird. People aren’t very grateful to Larry Bird.
“They think he’s a chubby white guy, but he’ll tire us out,” Abdul Jabber told Chris Brussard.
“The muscles between his ears were the best because he made three points, assists, rebounds and stealing. He was always in the right place at the right time.
“He’s definitely one of the best players I’ve ever played.”
As Abdul Jabber and the Lakers were frequently enemies, they became familiar with birds. From the jump, Abdul Jabbar was impressed as he saw what the birds were doing in court. It was particularly impressive, considering how people continue to diminish the greatness of birds.
The rest of the NBA continued to learn the hard way as they kept proving they were wrong as they underestimated the birds. So the sixth MVPs were immediately respected by birds when they first played against each other.
“I remember the game he played against the Lakers, the first year the Celtics won a championship with him on their team. He was ridiculous.
“Our sportscaster was playing the theme of Superman while talking about him,” Abdul Jabbar told ESPN’s 2017 The Jump Back.
Thankfully, the NBA community is looking back on bird careers with respect. But that is further cemented by what Abdul Jabbar said. Bird’s resume already carves his greatness, but he remains the greatest superstar of all time in the stories people tell about him.