Bird vs Magic

[zekko]

I watched ESPN's 30 for 30 broadcast on the Celtics/Lakers rivalry in the 80s. The Lakers won five NBA titles in the 80s, the Celtics three. They met head to head in three finals, with the Lakers winning two. It's a fairly clear consensus that the Lakers were the better team.

Johnson's Michigan State also beat Bird's Indiana State in the NCAA finals, so Magic held a 3-1 edge over Bird in finals.

Was Magic better than Bird, or did he have an advantage because he had Kareem? Looking at their stats, it's hard to say one was better than the other, bearing in mind that they played different roles.

 

[zekko]

I gotta remember to check that out. Those were great days for the NBA

If you're going to watch it, settle in, because it's three parts and five hours long IIRC. I agree, if they're not equals, they are close to it.

One thing that kind of annoyed me is how they made a big point of the racism angle. If ESPN can find anyway to inject race into a story, they're going to do it every time. Not to say racism wasn't a factor in the story, but I'd rather hear about the basketball.

 

[FairShake]

Bird was the more skilled all-around player. He could shoot and rebound better than Magic Johnson. He was a better defender too (at least before injuries). Magic was obviously the better passer/playmaker but Bird was arguably a "point forward" towards the end of his career and one of the best passing forwards ever.

However, despite that, I have Magic above Bird in my top 10. Magic ran the team that made the finals in 9 out of 12 years. He changed the game even more than Bird did.

As for the racial stuff ESPN always does that on it's 30 for 30 programs. They like to think of themselves as the documentary for intelligent sports fans so they overdo the social issues. But I remember the racial issues surrounding Bird v Magic in the 80s. It was pretty visceral and memorable. It would be hard to do a documentary and not bring it up.

 

[backbreaker]

I'm one of the few guys that ranks bird above magic... by litearlly one spot.

bird's career was cut short by a bad back. he was a 50/40/90 guy, twice, years before the three point shot mattered. three time MVP, three time NBA champion and brought more to the game than magic did on a nightly basis. bird could play defense, bird could pass with the best of them, bird would cut your heart out and eat it in front of you.


magic was greatly helped by having the best ****ing center int he history of basketball on his team.

if i had to pick one to build around i'd pick bird. in todays nba bird would be the best player in it. magic can't shoot for ****.

bird is dirk with a killer instinct and can play defense.

magic is basically lebron james without a three point shot.