Bird or Dirk ?

[Blaze1up]

Both all around great athletes but which one is better ?

[Ratt Mhule]

Im going to go with Dirk just because I was too young to really see any of Larry Bird's games. And Dirk is a 7' who can shoot a 3 like a point guard.

[GSG]

Dirk is a flop machine. That automatically gives Bird my vote.

[AR Husker Fan]

Bird, without question. Man couldn't jump over a piece of paper and yet was a better rebounder than Dirk every thought of being. One of the greatest - hell, THE greatest - passer I've ever seen. Could handle the ball like a guard. And could shoot at least as well as Dirk.

[husker_99]

Really? One is a legend the other isn't even close.

[walksalone]

Bird, without a doubt.

[PaulCrewe]

The Hick from French Lick hands down. His playoff game(the year escapes me) against the Hawks when he and 'Nique went point for point was a thing of beauty. He was one of the greatest in the greatest NBA era. His all around game pawns the fact that Dirk is the best 7 foot shooter ever.

[redout22]

Even if this question is about athleticism, which it is I believe the answer is no doubt Larry Bird. He once played a game solely left-handed and scored 24 which is ridiculous. Only thing Dirk really has on Bird is that is a little more passionate and it is easier to pump him up.

[NoKoolAidForME]

Even if this question is about athleticism, which it is I believe the answer is no doubt Larry Bird. He once played a game solely left-handed and scored 24 which is ridiculous. Only thing Dirk really has on Bird is that is a little more passionate and it is easier to pump him up.

I would say Dirk was more passionate. I just think Larry was more composed than Dirk. It was hard for players to get Larry off his game. Dirk is a head case. When things are not going well he cannot adapt as well as Bird could.

[Ratt Mhule]

Even if this question is about athleticism, which it is I believe the answer is no doubt Larry Bird. He once played a game solely left-handed and scored 24 which is ridiculous. Only thing Dirk really has on Bird is that is a little more passionate and it is easier to pump him up.

I would say Dirk was more passionate. I just think Larry was more composed than Dirk. It was hard for players to get Larry off his game. Dirk is a head case. When things are not going well he cannot adapt as well as Bird could.

 

I take it you didn't watch the 4th quarter of Game 3 vs. the Thunder. And for the poster who said Dirk is not a legend, he will be before its said and done.

[husker_99]

Even if this question is about athleticism, which it is I believe the answer is no doubt Larry Bird. He once played a game solely left-handed and scored 24 which is ridiculous. Only thing Dirk really has on Bird is that is a little more passionate and it is easier to pump him up.

I would say Dirk was more passionate. I just think Larry was more composed than Dirk. It was hard for players to get Larry off his game. Dirk is a head case. When things are not going well he cannot adapt as well as Bird could.

 

I take it you didn't watch the 4th quarter of Game 3 vs. the Thunder. And for the poster who said Dirk is not a legend, he will be before its said and done.

 

1 game doesn't mean anything. Game 3? you mean the game the Mavs had a 20 point lead the whole game and almost blew it? The only problem with Dirk is that he would have to play at the level he is playing now for a lot longer. He is already 32. how many years does he have left? Not to mention that for years everyone knew he was soft so which won't help.

[jsneb83]

How is the NBA like the French army?

 

They both get raped by a 7-foot German named Dirk.

 

 

 

Bird has won multiple championships, so that alone makes him better if they were even in everything else. But I think Bird was also the better player, from what I've seen on replays from ESPN Classic.

[walksalone]

His passing alone, makes him better than Dirk.

 

There scoring abilities are comparable, they were both clutch, and most noticeably, both white.

[Ratt Mhule]

Even if this question is about athleticism, which it is I believe the answer is no doubt Larry Bird. He once played a game solely left-handed and scored 24 which is ridiculous. Only thing Dirk really has on Bird is that is a little more passionate and it is easier to pump him up.

I would say Dirk was more passionate. I just think Larry was more composed than Dirk. It was hard for players to get Larry off his game. Dirk is a head case. When things are not going well he cannot adapt as well as Bird could.

 

I take it you didn't watch the 4th quarter of Game 3 vs. the Thunder. And for the poster who said Dirk is not a legend, he will be before its said and done.

 

1 game doesn't mean anything. Game 3? you mean the game the Mavs had a 20 point lead the whole game and almost blew it? The only problem with Dirk is that he would have to play at the level he is playing now for a lot longer. He is already 32. how many years does he have left? Not to mention that for years everyone knew he was soft so which won't help.

 

That one game is just one recent example. They may have almost blown the lead, but almost only counts in horseshoes and grenades. He said he cannot adapt when things aren't going his way, well he was off the whole night, but what happened in the 4th quarter when they needed him. Big shot after big shot.

[AR Husker Fan]

Even if this question is about athleticism, which it is I believe the answer is no doubt Larry Bird. He once played a game solely left-handed and scored 24 which is ridiculous. Only thing Dirk really has on Bird is that is a little more passionate and it is easier to pump him up.

I would say Dirk was more passionate. I just think Larry was more composed than Dirk. It was hard for players to get Larry off his game. Dirk is a head case. When things are not going well he cannot adapt as well as Bird could.

 

I take it you didn't watch the 4th quarter of Game 3 vs. the Thunder. And for the poster who said Dirk is not a legend, he will be before its said and done.

 

1 game doesn't mean anything. Game 3? you mean the game the Mavs had a 20 point lead the whole game and almost blew it? The only problem with Dirk is that he would have to play at the level he is playing now for a lot longer. He is already 32. how many years does he have left? Not to mention that for years everyone knew he was soft so which won't help.

 

That one game is just one recent example. They may have almost blown the lead, but almost only counts in horseshoes and grenades. He said he cannot adapt when things aren't going his way, well he was off the whole night, but what happened in the 4th quarter when they needed him. Big shot after big shot.

True, but look at Dirk's history - he's been incapable of carrying the team when it counts. This season is the sole exception. In other words, what he's doing for the first time at age 32 is what Bird did for his entire career. Bird was by far the more clutch shooter - when it came to crunch, he demanded the ball, and he made the play - regardless whether it was a shot, a pass, a key rebound or by any other metric.

 

I don't mean to demean Dirk, and I certainly don't mean to diminish what he's accomplishing this season - but it's one season. Bird did it for a career. No matter what Dirk does with the rest of his career, he can't begin to match what Bird did.

 

One of the key differences is that Bird - primarily due to his passing, but in other respects as well - made his teammates better players. Dirk has not done that. Yes, he can shoot, and yes, he's been clutch this season. But that's it.

 

Good player having a great season - more power to him. But there's simply no legitimate comparison...