Having Lost to Larry Bird 23 Times Over 8 Years, Michael Jordan Once Claimed LeBron James Wasn’t Better Than the Celtics Legend

In the 1980s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were the two best players in the NBA. However, the power slowly seemed to shift following Michael Jordan‘s Draft in 1984. MJ and Bird battled 34 times in 8 years, 23 of which were taken by the Celtics’ legend. Jordan had immense respect for Bird, which he didn’t always show. In fact, the six-time Champion once proclaimed that LeBron James stands no chance against Larry legend in a 1v1 matchup.

Currently, LeBron James has established his place in the GOAT debate opposite Michael Jordan. But there was a time when he had yet to win a Championship. In 2009, Jordan made an interesting comparison between Bird and James.

The book When the Game Was Ours, written by Larry Bird, Earvin Johnson, and Jackie MacMullan, details MJ’s perspective on the whole issue. An excerpt from the book explains Jordan’s thought process perfectly:

“People ask me all the time who my all-time five top players are, and when I start saying Larry, they interrupt me. They say, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. He can’t play with LeBron James!’ I tell them, ‘You guys don’t get it. Larry is far better than any small forward who played the game, and to be honest, I’m still not sure if he is a small forward or a power forward.’”

That same year, LeBron ended up winning his first NBA MVP award. Despite carrying the Cavaliers’ entire roster almost singlehandedly, James received a lot of flak for failing to secure an NBA Championship. He was still nowhere near to be compared to MJ.

Therefore, Jordan naturally picked Bird to beat LeBron in a 1v1 contest. However, most fans would disagree that Bird would end up victorious. Because even though they are both of the same height, LeBron has freakish athleticism on the hardwood. On the other hand, Bird could shoot the lights out from anywhere on the court.