In this video from The Iman Shumpert Show, Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert discuss whether Larry Bird will be available for today’s game
Davis emphasized his belief that Bird will dominate today’s game, while Shumpert asked if Bird could guard Kevin Durant.
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It’s always an interesting question, but as we’ve mentioned from time to time, the first is that equipment, nutrition, and training have fundamentally changed since Bird Day.
The second thing is, as Davis said, Bird had a huge mean streak. He doesn’t just want to defeat you, he wants to destroy your spirit.
The third thing is that in the Bird era, the NBA’s physical confrontation was more intense, and players were free to beat each other during the game. Why wait for a fight? Just follow the game flow!
The gist of the “yes, he can” argument is that, as Joe Dumars said, Bird is a basketball savant. His huge competitive drive and insane game intelligence take him to a different level.
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That’s something they didn’t consider in this conversation. Most people who know Bird’s ability have no doubt that he can play in this era, and the fact that you can’t beat him today like Bill Laimbeer, Karl Malone and others did in the 1980s is just supporting evidence.
But here’s a different question: What would Durant have done in the 1980s?
He had to deal with Bird, Laimbeer, Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, Horace Grant and others who were more than happy to grind him into a pulp. Obviously, he’s a hands-down Hall of Famer, but he played in an era that discouraged physical — well, violent — defense.
He’ll get his, of course, but Durant took a major hit in the 1980s.
Regardless, it’s an interesting discussion.
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