Charles Barkley believes that he was better than Larry Bird because he did a lot more things on the court.
Advertisement
In the 80s and 90s, basketball was dominated by some of the greatest names in history. Charles Barkley and Larry Bird were primary among them. They both commanded fear and respect. However, as with any sport, one cannot help but compare the two legends.
When asked if he was better than Boston Celtics legend, Chuck said, “I do things better than him”. Some might say that is oversimplifying things, but Charles Barkley stated his case when he appeared on the Dan Patrick Show five years ago. Barkley suggested that it was a good question but believed that he came out on top, as he was a better rebounder and defender.
He did concede that Larry Bird was the better shooter. However, he feels that Larry Legend found more success because of his teammates.
While he does believe he is better than Bird, the former MVP humbly accepted defeat in other showdowns. Specifically when asked if he was better than Lebron James or Tim Duncan.
Charles Barkley was the second greatest player ever according to Chuck Daly
During the same interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Charles Barkley revealed that the Dream Team coach Chuck Daly thought he was the second greatest player ever. Chuck fell short of Michael Jordan in Daly’s eyes.
The Round Mound of Rebound claimed that this was the greatest compliment he got. It also helped that it came from a Hall of Fame coach like Daly who also coached the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons. A coach that Barkley truly respected.
Charles Barkley on Chuck Daly: “He coached the Bad Boys. “And if you can coach those assholes, you can coach anybody.”
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) June 8, 2012
It definitely was a huge compliment and well-deserved by Sir Charles. However, there will certainly be fans out there who find this take debatable.
