Kevin Durant vs Larry Bird: Who Was ACTUALLY Better? | NBA Versus

[@allanhugo9213]

Larry Bird the Legend was the better player.

[@ronnieturner3110]

And one on one no help Durant would smash him

[@michaelmorrissette7383]

Larry would own real-estate in Durant's head!

[@hoophierarchy]

Larry’s trash talk game is all time level great, not sure how Durant would handle that

[@timkokesh1968]

Larry Bird, and it isn’t even close.

[@hoophierarchy]

100%

[@snowreganit6739]

Kobe video next or top 10 greatest players all time video

[@butler754]

Players safety is the number one concern. Ha ha stupid

[@bradfordlee7384]

Larry Bird is easily the better of the two and it's not even a debate. I know Kevin Durant has two rings with Golden State. But he benefited by going to an already Championship Team, actually made them a Super Team. Larry Bird arrived in Boston and made the Celtics a Championship Team again, huge difference.

[@The-Dom]

Remember kids. league scoring is up 30% from Brid's era because of the looser ruleset post 2004.

[@hoophierarchy]

This is a good point. It’s fair to say with modern defense Bird’s scoring numbers would likely be higher than they were back then

[@joshuastinson3013]

Durant is a better pure scorer for sure. Bird was better in the clutch, a better rebounder, better passer, and better defender.

[@capencowl]

Larry is way underrated

[@hoophierarchy]

Larry at his best was a top 5 player ever. Unfortunate his career was cut shorter than it should have been

[@randyswanson6912]

Listen up. From 1985 to 1989 bird averaged a 50 40 90. In a 5 year stretch nobody ever in NBA history ever even came close to that

[@gabrielkourieh5920]

Players these days go out shopping for teams that have certain talents to increase their chances of winning.i consider them phony champions.

[@chief8268]

Kevin Durant is the better talent, but legacy wise Larry Bird achieved way more. KD needed to join up super teams to win a chip. In fact Durant has never been on a team that isn't at least a semi-super team. OKC had Westbrook and Harden. Don't need to get started with the Warriors. Then Brooklyn had Kyrie and Harden, then Suns he had CP3 and Booker, and now Beal. What a cupcake

[@kennethward4985]

So true, great players stay on one team and make their team great.

[@hoophierarchy]

OKC i give him a pass because they were all drafted, much like the Celtics with Larry who also drafted McHale and made smart roster moves to build around him. The jumping to join superteams that KD has now done 3 times does hurt his legacy compared to Larry however

[@joshuastinson3013]

I don't like this argument. You KIND OF have a point. But Robert Parish was a perennial all star. Kevin McKhale was a perennial all star and is considered one of the two best low post scorers in NBA history. Dennis Johnson was second in MVP voting one year when he played with the Sonics, was a top tier defense and one of the best guards in league history. Bill Walton was at one point the best passing big man in nba history and even after his injuries was a top tier big man. Not to mention Tiny Archibald, Pistol Pete or Cornbread Maxwell. The Celtics were 'ALL-TIME GREAT' STACKED. That didn't make bird soft. People just don't hold it against bird that he was on a super team because Red Aurbach was responsible for building the Celtics. This is a different era with different dynamics and significantly more player empowerment.

[@kennylynch8575]

give Bird Irving and Westbrook and give KD Parish and any other great that Bird played with

[@melvinwalls1426]

Larry bird was the word bread butter with Jelly on toast better than most a killer in slow motion with a high IQ with a winning demeanor seldom seen in the NBA)( his all around game is second to none demon mentality)KD is a scorer not a complete player the likes of bird*

[@alexandramacleod5610]

Bird ALL day Long.

[@dtcharo]

Larry Legend all day every day. I enjoy watching KD play but Larry is transcendent.

[@hoophierarchy]

Agree 100%

[@stevedavison7392]

Great comparison. I'm a big fan of both of them. For me KD is technically perfect and LB was a beast of a team player.

[@hoophierarchy]

Agree, both phenomenal players

[@kennylynch8575]

KD's the best SF of alltime

[@Denverfan420]

Worst

[@the_mike_essen_show2484]

I put Jordan #1 and Bird #2 in NBA history. They had no weaknesses

[@thugbaby4796]

Cap bird had no athleticism

[@jeffreysmith4196]

This isn't a real question right?

[@kennethward4985]

Larry Legend, Durant was the vanishing man vs the Nuggets when it counted, I honestly don't even remember him being in the series.

[@hoophierarchy]

I can certainly agree that Durant’s record in the clutch isn’t close to what Larry’s is

[@damienbender213]

I hate Kevin

[@Altrav4]

Larry's always been my favorite, won't see Durant putting his body on the line like Bird.

[@butler754]

No hand checking since 2004

[@Jonesmalone562]

If we had a time machine, and we were to be building a team from scratch, I would take Larry Bird over Kevin Durant every time. Larry Bird is built to win, he's absolutely not as physically gifted and he played in an era where they didn't take as many threes, however if he played in the same era as Durant he would absolutely be as effective Pawn storing, but with sex Larry Bird apart from Durant is that he is a true champion, he is the type of guy that will media team into battle and absolutely not back down, he is the type of player that does not come around very often.

[@hoophierarchy]

Larry was just much more versatile overall in my opinion

[@Jonesmalone562]

@@hoophierarchy the thing that said Larry Bird and Michael Jordan apart was their will , and determination , they were both willing to do the dirty work as well as be the flashy finesse player. You would see Larry Bird jumping into the stands to save a loose ball, I don't see too much of that out of Durant.

[@Ro-yl9tn]

If KD wins this year championship with the suns and gets his 3rd finals mvp and becomes a top 10 scorer of all time, he will surpass Bird

[@PT84]

They not winning shit.

[@kennethward4985]

Which guy would you bet your life on one shot?

[@hoophierarchy]

He’ll be closer, but I still wouldn’t put him over Bird

[@Ro-yl9tn]

@@hoophierarchy so what would KD have to do, to surpass Bird in your eyes?

[@ronnieturner3110]

One in one no help no one to pass to Durant wins

[@hoophierarchy]

That’s true and I agree with you there, but this isn’t about 1 on 1 ability. NBA is a 5 on 5 game

[@TryOnKicks]

Idk about that. KD lets people get in his head that most times throws his game off . Larry was the ultimate trash talker so if he keeps larry out his ear he got the W; if not.. larry wins.