Bird or Durant

[Gotright]

Interesting that nobody has brought up KD anchoring Team USA to Gold in four Olympics (a feat that won't be replicated in our lifetime). That carries a whole lot of weight in this conversation, and not just what they did in the NBA.

Usa is supposed to win those. That shyt don't hold weight in all time nba discussions. Dont start that bullshyt now

 

[Da_Eggman]

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Usa is supposed to win those. That shyt don't hold weight in all time nba discussions. Dont start that bullshyt now

This is a reductive way of looking at it.

Just because a team/player is expected to win doesn't make those expectations correct, and even if they are correct, it doesn't take away from the fact that a player still needs to produce and have impact that is at a high level to win, which KD has undoubtedly played at in every single Olympics campaign.

He's been the model of consistency ever since he was thrown in at the deep at in his early-20s on the Olympics stage, all the way into his mid-30s.

This nxgga was 23 years old in the 2012 Olympics, and he scored a record-158 points throughout the tournament, and carried the squad throughout every stage, even dropping a 30-piece in the Final. In 2016, he did the same. In 2021 he carried an understrength team with a young, inexperienced Tatum as his running mate (all because Dame shyt the bed) - if he didn't opt to go that year, Team USA would've been lucky to even make the podium.

Granted, he didn't have that important of a role in this year's Olympics, but he was still an integral part of why they won Gold.

A lot of folks have taken for granted why Team USA have won Gold in four-straight Olympics, as if it's been some sort of foregone conclusion, but the very nature of why those expectations have existed is purely because of KD. His ability to get a bucket in FIBA conditions (which is different to the NBA), no matter the situation is really the reason why Team USA have had a near-faultless run over the last 16 years. You'd be hard pressed to fill up the digits on one hand of the amount of players in history who could've done the same.

 

[Ben.]

This is basically where I stand on both comparisons.

KD is one of the hardest players to rank, because his final form is up there with anyone and he's had sustained success, yet his resume doesn't measure up to the players in and around the top-5 convo - some of it is down to his own shortcomings and some of it is down to an outlier of bad luck.

Exactly right

 

[mastermind]

KD MY GUY
BUT IM GOING WITH BIRD...

HE HAD THE GREATER
5 YEAR PEAK.







​

I agree

 

[mastermind]

KD slightly better scorer. Bird better passer, rebounder, all around player, tougher mentally and physically. Bird never got on the phone with Magic/Kareem, Moses/Dr J, and Isiah, and asked to join their teams.

He never had the chance and didn’t need to since he played with three other HOFers.

 

[Roger king]

This shouldn't be controversial, larry bird is a top 10 player and would have been the best at his position if not for lebron, he is a top 10 player and i will argue strongly that larry bird was a better player than steph, kobe, AI, mcgrady and several other all time great players. He is very underrated, in his prime he won league mvp 3 straight years consecutively, that is a ridiculous and impressive accolade

 

[ISO]

He had multiple hiccups against worse competition during his career too.

No one talks about this

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Bird accomplished half of everything he did with a wrecked back

 

[threattonature]

I got KD as the more talented player but he lacked the dog Bird had so I would rather take Bird on my team. I think KD left titles on the table but not being a more aggressive personality and reigning Russ in.

 

[Greenhornet]

KD is one of my favorites but BIRD closed games, talked shyt and held people accountable

 

[Gotright]

This is a reductive way of looking at it.

Just because a team/player is expected to win doesn't make those expectations correct, and even if they are correct, it doesn't take away from the fact that a player still needs to produce and have impact that is at a high level to win, which KD has undoubtedly played at in every single Olympics campaign.

He's been the model of consistency ever since he was thrown in at the deep at in his early-20s on the Olympics stage, all the way into his mid-30s.

This nxgga was 23 years old in the 2012 Olympics, and he scored a record-158 points throughout the tournament, and carried the squad throughout every stage, even dropping a 30-piece in the Final. In 2016, he did the same. In 2021 he carried an understrength team with a young, inexperienced Tatum as his running mate (all because Dame shyt the bed) - if he didn't opt to go that year, Team USA would've been lucky to even make the podium.

Granted, he didn't have that important of a role in this year's Olympics, but he was still an integral part of why they won Gold.

A lot of folks have taken for granted why Team USA have won Gold in four-straight Olympics, as if it's been some sort of foregone conclusion, but the very nature of why those expectations have existed is purely because of KD. His ability to get a bucket in FIBA conditions (which is different to the NBA), no matter the situation is really the reason why Team USA have had a near-faultless run over the last 16 years. You'd be hard pressed to fill up the digits on one hand of the amount of players in history who could've done the same.

You're right with everything you said. We don't take it for granted tho at least I don't it's not a hand full of players that can score the ball like KD. Personally he's the best at that to me but in the all time nba ranking winning and scoring in the FIBÀ dont count. Its too many great players and thats just nit picking.

 

[KidJSoul]

This isn't completely fair to KD.

Now, look, he did play on some formidable teams with great talent, but he was extremely unfortunate with the way his tenure in OKC played out:

- Made a Finals run in 2012 (aged 23), but ran into arguably the greatest player of all-time, at his peak
- Lost in the second round in 2013 because Westbrook was injured and had to rely on K-Mart and Reggie as his running mates
- Lost in the WCF in 2014 to the NBA Champion Spurs (one could argue this was one of their best iterations)
- Injured in 2015
- Lost in the WCF in 2016 to a 73-win Warriors squad, who needed superhuman efforts from Steph and Klay (I still maintain if OKC had won that series they would've won the championship).

Essentially, his playoff career in OKC comprised of coming up against some the greatest teams of the modern era. That's all that really stood between him and a championship, shyt, even multiple championships.

Bird isn't beating the 2012 Heat, or the 2014 Spurs or the 2016 Warriors. Bird didn't beat one team during his Championship runs that was on the same level as any of those three teams. He had multiple hiccups against worse competition during his career too.

Breh Bird had to play and beat the Dr J 76ers as a ROOKIE in 1980 all the way till 1983, then had to fend off the Bad Boy Pistons in THIER PRIME in the mid to late 80s. Then play the showtime lakers in the finals. That's easily as good if not better than what KD had to go up against.

KD losing to all those teams is why he isn't that high on the list. Bird at least beat everyone of the 76ers, Lakers, and Pistons at least once.

Hiccups? KD has been swept out of the first round in 2 of the last 3 years despite his team being healthy.

 

[Boonapalist]

Breh Bird had to play and beat the Dr J 76ers as a ROOKIE in 1980 all the way till 1983, then had to fend off the Bad Boy Pistons in THIER PRIME in the mid to late 80s.

Those teams were tough but. Those Dr J 76ers before they got Moses weren’t as good as those teams Gil listed. And that Detroit team they beat in 87 wasn’t them in their prime and wasn’t as good as those teams he listed. You’re getting caught up in names.

 

[Roger king]

A huge blight on durant and to a lesser extent curry career, is they had to team up together in their primes and form a ridiculous super team all to beat lebron, this was after durant blew a 3-1 lead to the warriors and steph blew a 3-1 lead to cavs