Re: Bird vs. jordan

[Sherry & Hart <hartleyo@ix.netcom.com>]

Patrick Goggin wrote:
> 
>         I have a confession to make.
>         The other day a friend, a relative NBA novice by our standards,
> asked me, "Do you really think Bird was better than jordan?"  I admit, for
> the first time in my life, I doubted, I stammered, and I put forth a
> half-hearted, unconvincing argument for Bird.  Then I watched the game.  I
> watched the commercials.  I watched the refs.  I watched David Stern.
> Here's what I saw:  jordan was magnificent as usual.  Stern smiles.  Be
> like mike.  jordan fouled his opponent--there was no call.  he was defensed
> cleanly--he goes to the line time and again.  Stern smiles.  he yells at
> his teammate for tying the game with a 3 late in the fourth quarter.  Be
> like mike.  jordan makes a rare mistake and lets the 24 second clock expire
> in the final minute to help seal a Jazz victory.  The cameras don't show
> Stern but I suspect he is no longer smiling.  jordan finishes with 35
> points on 13-29 shooting with 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 0 steals.  jordan is
> asked about the 24 second violation in the post-game conference and he
> blames pippen for running the wrong play.  "We had to start the play over
> and it really threw our timing off."  Be like mike.
>         After the game, I remember a Celtics' game in the '86 season in
> which Bird shot far more than his usual and ended up with about 40 points,
> few rebounds, few assists, and a loss.  Walton told him, "Everyone's going
> to be patting you on the back tonight for scoring forty but I know that you
> were the worst player out there tonight."  Bird replied, "You're right."
>         I admire jordan's competitive spirit but where he berates his
> teammates, Bird picked his up.  I admire jordan's scoring ability but Bird
> shot a higher percentage, took fewer shots, shot foul shots better, and hit
> more clutch baskets. . .people say jordan is a better scorer--I say Bird
> was the better scorer, jordan is the more frequent scorer.  Bird rebounded
> better.  He passed better.  He passed more.  He made his teammates better
> and he won with his teammates.  jordan wins despite his teammates.  jordan
> is better looking than bird, is more eloquent, craves the spotlight and for
> all of this he has become the media darling and thus the darling of the
> refs much more than Bird ever was.  jordan once retired from basketball
> saying it was time to spend more time with his family--5 days later, he
> takes up professional baseball in an obviously premeditated move.  Go ahead
> and retire and play baseball if you want but don't stand up on national TV
> and tell us you're retiring for your family you self-serving narcissist!
> he won his championships in a league with 72 players playing who weren't
> good enough to be on NBA rosters in Bird's day.  jordan is one of the best
> players of all time--this is undeniable, but I realize once again that he
> is no Bird and never will be.  I know I'm in the minority on this one but
> I'll go to sleep tonight knowing that Bird was better, and the Celtics
> would've crushed these new "champions."  There are only a handful of us
> left these days who believe these heresies but if you're one of them, don't
> doubt and hesitate like I did the other night.  I'll never falter again.
> 
> Goggin in Cincinnati

Not only do I agree with you but I would like to add my 2 cents also. I
think that MJ is probably the greatest player to play the game BUT he is
doing all this without the benefit of much competition. What I mean by
this is that Bird and Magic were winning all the Championships in the
80's and if there was only a Bird without a Magic or VICE VERSA, the C's
or the Lakers would have won them all like MJ is doing in Chicago. The
year they beat the Lakers with Magic 2 starters were hurt although they
did play(SCOTT and WORTHY and Magic was playing with a pulled hamstring)
for their series This brings me to my last thought; Bill Russell won 11
of 13 championships beating the Great Wilt each year except 1967. You
would think that there would be a case for Russell to be considered the
greatest player of all time to play the game but alas all he did was win
all the time without the flair and whining. 
Regards, 
Hart