Larry Legend vs. Air Jordan

By Justin Termine Sports Central Columnist

Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete to have ever picked up a basketball. Jordan could run like the wind, leap through the sky, and overpower a guerilla. These are all things Larry Bird could never come close to doing.

There is no comparing the athletic skills of Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. While Jordan could do all the aforementioned, Larry Bird could not come close. All the man they call Larry Legend could do was consistently knock down the 25-footer, outsmart his opponents, make amazing after amazing no-look passes behind his back and over his head, and make his teammates better like no other could.

Remember the conference finals in 1987 against Detroit when everyone in the Garden thought the game was over? Well, everyone except one person. Bird came to the rescue and as the late Johnny Most would say in that raspy yet eloquent voice, "Aaaaaand there's a steal by Bird, underneath to D.J., and he lays it in. Oh my, this place is going crazy ..."

How about the duel in '88 with Dominique Wilkins? The C's were down 3-2 in the conference semifinals, but won Game 6 in Atlanta. After the game, Bird said, "They had their chance to win, now we're going back home and I think its going to be a big win for the Celtics." It was a guarantee, and sure enough, the next game, Bird would not let the Celtics' faithful down. He went out and scored 24 points in the final quarter to Dominique's 18 and led the Celtics to a comeback Game 7 victory.

As long as Celtic fans live, they will never forget Bird calling his teammates a bunch of women after getting humiliated in Game 2 of the 1984 NBA Finals against the Lakers. That move sent a spark through the team that would help them go onto win the series in seven.

There are countless other things that Bird did, hitting the floor against the Pacers and fractured jaw and all coming back out for the second half in Willis Reed-type fashion. The 48 points he put up in his final moment of greatness in '92 against the Blazers where he put the game into overtime with an off-balance three in traffic. The 60 he put up against Atlanta. And then there is the near quadruple-double he recorded on February 18, 1984 ... Through three quarters! His stats mean nothing to him as he sat out the final quarter of a blowout against Utah, needing only one more steal.

So the next time somebody in Boston claims that Larry Bird is the greatest athlete to ever play basketball, just laugh at them. Tell them what I told you, Larry Bird could not run, jump, or overpower anyone, he could only do all the stuff I just mentioned -- the stuff Michael Jordan could never do.

Larry Bird is not the greatest athlete to ever play basketball; he's just the greatest basketball player to ever do so.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.