Yea. You caught me. I also step out on occasion and tell people to gtf off my yard. Skillsets relevant to basketball today suck. Starts early. Carries over often.
I was arguing with your holding him up as the comparable multi-faceted player. There are many. Oscar Robertson belongs in the debate too. Guy housed people in the paint because he could. Tossing defense into the mix certainly bolster's LeBron's argument. His improved shooting helps too. Guy is an all time great basketball player, period. Athletic ability and size make him what he is. His skill level has improved considerably, but still isn't where guys like Magic and Bird were.
I agree. And I think either Magic or Bird, if you had lunch with them, would probably acknowledge the same.
You think Bird was better than Magic? I think it's a very close call, but I think I'd take Magic over Bird.
I take Bird because I think he does more, but it will depend upon who I can put around him. All are great in particular surroundings. If Bird wasn't one of the ugliest ever and a hayseed, he'd get more acclaim (I understand the back injuries took away his final 5 years and that hurts, but when he was healthy, he was nasty and he made the guys around him be nasty).
Dennis Rodman was right. If Bird were black, he'd be considered just another great player, not an all timer.
had injuries not massively curtailed his prime, he might well be the best ever. I'm trying to think of the hybrid 3/4 I take in front of him - white, black or indifferent.