“People thought Larry Bird is a chubby white guy, but he would wear us down”: When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reasoned why the Celtics legend was the “best guy” he ever played against

Back in 2017, NBA icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar respectfully termed Boston legend Larry Bird as “the best guy” he had ever played against.

Long before the league was dominated by LeBron James in the 2010s or Kobe Bryant in the 2000s or Michael Jordan in the 1990s, it was Larry Bird who was one of the deadliest players in the league, back in the 1980s. Long-time Boston Celtics legend Bird is one of the most gifted offensive players the league has ever witnessed.

Averaging 24.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6.3 assists during his 13-year career, on an incredible 49.6/37.6/88.6 shooting split, Bird was one of the most prolific shooters the league has ever witnessed. And built up a pretty solid resume – 12 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA teams selections, 3 All-Defensive teams selections, won the 1980 ROTY, 3 MVPs, 3 Championships, and 2 Finals MVP.

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“People don’t appreciate Larry Bird enough”: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the many superstars to respect Bird’s game. In the 37 instances they have faced off against each other, Jabbar had a 21-16 record while outscoring Larry 24.5-23.7. However, Bird did manage to outrebound (11.3-8), and out-assist (5.4-3.4) in those battles.

Back in 2017, Kareem made an appearance on Chris Broussard’s “In The Zone” podcast, where he revealed why Bird was the best guy he played against. Kareem further explained how people often looked at the Celtics legend as a “chubby white guy” and not the real threat he actually was on the court.

“The best guy I’ve played against might have been Larry Bird. People don’t appreciate Larry Bird enough. They think he is a chubby white guy, but he would wear us down. The muscle that is in between his ears was the best because he made three points, assisted, rebounded, and had steals. He was always in the right place at the right time. He is, without a doubt, one of the best players I’ve had ever played against.”

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