Watch what he does to the Los Angeles Lakers here
Time dims all legends and there’s no way around it. Almost any great athlete looks less impressive with time. It’s even happened to Michael Jordan, with the debate over who the GOAT is (if it’s between these two, it’s Jordan and it’s not particularly close).
If you listen to Jordan though, he has an intense and enduring respect for Bird, pointing out that the Bulls never beat Bird’s Celtics in the playoffs.
In this clip of highlights from the 4th quarter of Game 4 of the 1985 NBA Finals, you get an idea of how dangerous Bird could be.
On the one hand, he hits shots as always, getting 12 points in the quarter, but what’s really impressive here is how Bird dominates the other aspects of the game, not least of all defense, where Bird is not as highly regarded. He drives Bob McAdoo crazy, blocking shots and tying him up. He knocks a pass by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out of the air. He takes a turn or two on Magic Johnson. who barely scores in the fourth. He rebounds too.
And when the Lakers are double-teaming Bird, he finds the open man, Dennis Johnson, for the game winner.
Pete Maravich once said that Bird wasn’t the best shooter, or the best passer, or the best rebounder, or the best defender, or the best ball handler. He was just the best.
This clip of winning time of this game gives you a really good idea of why his peers held him in such high regard. His instinct for the game, and his cold-blooded nature about winning, made him incredibly special.
