Is Shawn Marion the Next Larry Bird?

[Bufalay]

In ESPN.com's daily dime today they compared Dirk to Larry Bird by saying:

Move over Larry Bird, here comes Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk and Bird are the only players in NBA history to have 20 PPG, 9 RPG, and make 75 3-pointers in a single season. Nowitzki has done it four times compared to Bird's three ... and in four fewer seasons.

However, in 02-03 Marion had 21.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg and made 141 3's
and last season he had 21.8 ppg 11.9 rpg and made 96 3's.

Am I missing something here?

 

[greensborohill]

But he's not white . . . . =)

Seriously, I think they meant to say 25 PPG

 

[dodie53]

marion is not a shooter..
but he's an all-around player like bird

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Marion is no Larry Bird...

 

[greensborohill]

yep

Marion is no Larry Bird...

Neither is Dirk

 

[slinslin]

Larry Bird is quite overrated like almost any "legend", when you watch NBA classics you really have to wonder how those 80s legend would do in today's league that is MUCH more athletic and even the worst defensive team plays much better defense than the "Showtime Lakers" did, or Denver which gave up 130 per game in the 80s.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Marion is no Larry Bird...

Neither is Dirk

 

[Mike Olbinski]

Neither is Dirk

Well...he's much, MUCH closer to Bird than Marion.

Bird could shoot from anywhere, and Dirk can too. In that aspect, they are very similar. Dirk can create his own shot and Bird could too.

Marion can't do either of those two things very well.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Larry Bird is quite overrated like almost any "legend", when you watch NBA classics you really have to wonder how those 80s legend would do in today's league that is MUCH more athletic and even the worst defensive team plays much better defense than the "Showtime Lakers" did, or Denver which gave up 130 per game in the 80s.

Considering that many think NASH is unathletic and slow, Larry Bird would do great!

As far as being overrated - Larry is not overrated. Neither is Magic, Jordan, Wilt, Russell, and Kareem. We just need to understand that even 'Legends' lose games and make mistakes.

 

[Gaddabout]

Neither are capable of talking trash like Larry Bird. LeBron and Kobe are probably the only two players close to Bird in today's game who could tell you what they were going to do to you, and then do it, and then remind you again the next time down the court.

 

[Russ Smith]

Larry Bird is quite overrated like almost any "legend", when you watch NBA classics you really have to wonder how those 80s legend would do in today's league that is MUCH more athletic and even the worst defensive team plays much better defense than the "Showtime Lakers" did, or Denver which gave up 130 per game in the 80s.

it's impossible to compare eras though but Bird lit up the most athletic guys of his era, Doctor J, Dominique, Michael Cooper etc. Nobody could guard Bird he was just unique one of those guys that seemed to be able to get his shot
off against anybody. Jordan typically didn't guard Bird but Pippen did and didn't have any success either.

I hated Bird because I hated the Celtics but there's no way I would call him overrated he was a hell of a player.

 

[Estringonly]

Bird would SCHOOL any of the players today. Comparisons to him are a joke. C'mon people, you are smarter then this.

 

[Mulli]

it's impossible to compare eras though but Bird lit up the most athletic guys of his era, Doctor J, Dominique, Michael Cooper etc. Nobody could guard Bird he was just unique one of those guys that seemed to be able to get his shot
off against anybody. Jordan typically didn't guard Bird but Pippen did and didn't have any success either.

I hated Bird because I hated the Celtics but there's no way I would call him overrated he was a hell of a player.

"Steal by Bird, underneath to D.j. He lays it in." Celtics beat Bad Boys.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Larry Bird is quite overrated like almost any "legend", when you watch NBA classics you really have to wonder how those 80s legend would do in today's league that is MUCH more athletic and even the worst defensive team plays much better defense than the "Showtime Lakers" did, or Denver which gave up 130 per game in the 80s.

This from the Bill Simmons article published today in the "Recognition" thread.

(In fact, that Celtics team was so loaded that they screwed around during games, almost like musicians jamming near the end of a song. During a recent NBA TV interview with Bird for the Legend's 50th birthday, Bill Walton and Bird reminisced about the time Bird set goals for their West Coast trip, decided he would average 42 points a game for the trip, then got bored midway through and decided to shoot all left-handed shots in Portland. And he did just that. This actually happened.)

There is no big man in the league today with the skill level of Larry Bird. Dirk is the most skilled big man in the league today, but he's not close to Bird.

Marion's skill level is no where near Dirk's. He makes his plays on freak athletic ability, hustle, and the fact that he never gets tired. While the numbers are similar, the means of getting those #'s is different.

 

[D-Dogg]

Neither are capable of talking trash like Larry Bird. LeBron and Kobe are probably the only two players close to Bird in today's game who could tell you what they were going to do to you, and then do it, and then remind you again the next time down the court.

Good god that guy was a trash artist. Unreal. And he would do exactly that..."I'm gonna shoot a jumper from right here next trip" then he'd pass off, come back down, shoot the jumper and make it, come back and say "why didn't you guard me?"

Walking into the AS game three point contest locker room he asks "which one of you mfers is getting second place today?" That is one of my all time favorite quotes.

I grew up hating his dirty green guts, but I gotta say he was a fantastic player and I respected his game. I miss the rivalry of the Lakers and Celtics, because that was seriously pure hatred.

Marion is no Bird, not even close. Bird was sick in the clutch and had pure ice-water in his veins. He could hit from anywhere. I feared him...true fear. There really isn't anyone in the league like that right now that I fear having the ball in his hands (since Kobe is on my side). Gilbert Arenas is getting close to being scary though, but he's no Bird.

BTW, for me to gush on Bird says a lot about how much I respect his game, being that he beat the Lakers on far too many occasions.

 

[D-Dogg]

Somewhere posted, Rodman talking about Bird:

"I would be all over him, trying to deny him the ball, and all Larry was doing was yelling at his teammates, I'M OPEN!!! HURRY UP BEFORE THEY NOTICE NOBODY IS GUARDING ME!!!!!!!" then he would stick an elbow in my jaw and stick the jumper in my face, then he would start in on my coach. "Coach you better get this guy out and send in somebody who`s going to D me up, becuase its too easy when I`m wide open like this."

LOL

During one game on Christmas Day against the Indiana Pacers, before the game Bird told Chuck Person that he would give him a Christmas present. During the game, when Person was on the bench, Bird shot a three-pointer on the baseline right in front of Person. Immediately after the shot, Bird said to Person, "Merry Christmas!", and the shot went in.

On a night in 1984 versus Philadelphia where he was outscoring Julius Erving by a margin of 42–6, he continuously informed Erving of their tallies every chance he got, which resulted in first a shoving match, then swings taken by both players and culminated in a bench-clearing brawl.

I swear, I would buy a DVD of Bird and Jordan talking trash to people, just their audio. I would pay a lot for that too.

 

[Gaddabout]

I watched Larry Bird beat the Suns on a 4-point play late in the 4th quarter. He set up for the shot and the bastard WAITED for someone to body him up, leaned in just enough (back then you couldn't breath on him without getting a foul), and hit the shot like no one else was in the gym.

After the game they asked him how he hit that shot with someone in his face. He was like, "I was concerned they wouldn't guard me because I really wasn't interested in playing an extra period." To paraphrase, "I was bored, and decided to kill them early rather than dragging this out."

There's nobody like that in the NBA right now. No one. And if he played in this era, he'd probably average better numbers with the limitations on hand checking and the zone defenses. He would terrorize the NBA in this era. And he'd still rebound and pass, too.

Dirk pales in comparison, IMO, because Dirk doesn't have that killer instinct. That's what made Bird an all-timer.

 

[Russ Smith]

Bird at the 3 point contest not even taking his warmups off to psyche out
the competition.

Again I hated the guy in the NBA I just didn't like the Celtics at all but
that man was unreal. I was a huge Rick Barry fan and for years I argued with people that Barry was just as good in his prime just that people hated him, but eventually I just quit arguing Bird was just better as much as I didn't want to admit he was.

The closest player to Bird today is Brady in the NFL but as far as I know he's not nearly the trash talker Bird was.

 

[dodie53]

anyone have audio of bird or jordan trash talking?

 

[island_dude]

Marion is a freak athelete, and hustles big time, but I think we can all agree you don't want him taking the last second shot.

The numbers might be close, but that's about all.

 

[jbeecham]

I don't think anyone would realistically compare Marion to Bird based on his basketball ability. This whole thread is more a testament to shotty reporting than anything else. The guy claims Dirk is the only player since Larry Bird to average 20 ppg, 9 rpg & make 75 3ptrs in a season.........did he do any research to see Marion did that last year and in 2002-2003?

Shawn's been close to getting 20ppg, 9rpg & 75 3's every season while almost always playing 2nd or 3rd fiddle to other guys.

2006-2007 - Shawn's averaging 19.2ppg, 9.6rpg and has already made 47 3's less than halfway into the season
2005-2006 - Shawn averaged 21.8ppg, 11.8rpg and made 96 3's
2004-2005 - Shawn Averaged 19.4ppg, 11.3rpg and made 114 3's
2003-2004 - Shawn averaged 19.0ppg, 9.3rpg and made 90 3's
2002-2003 - Shawn averaged 21.2ppg, 9.5rpg and made 141 3's

 

[frdbtr]

Larry Bird is quite overrated like almost any "legend", when you watch NBA classics you really have to wonder how those 80s legend would do in today's league that is MUCH more athletic and even the worst defensive team plays much better defense than the "Showtime Lakers" did, or Denver which gave up 130 per game in the 80s.

I am going to have to disagree with this one. Larry Bird was FAR from overrated. If anything he was underrated. Bird did more with less then probably any superstar before or since. Bird couldn't have hurdled a piece of paper laying flat when he was in his prime and yet he scored and rebounded in every game. He was always the first person at practice and the last person to leave. What did he do all this time? He practiced his fundamentals. I think Bird could have dominated today just like he dominated his era because he KNEW how to play basketball. He was probably the most fundamentally sound player ever and had to be because he didn't have any "athletic" talent, and yet he dominated against players like Magic and Jordan. I also am not a huge Bird fan, but you have to respect greatness and Bird was a great basketball player.

 

[Skkorpion]

Bird was one of the best offensive players in history. It is also true he was one of the most pathetic defenders to ever step on a court.

I'll never forget the Houston/Boston finals when Houston got called for playing a zone about every third trip down the court, while Boston was playing a pure zone all the time to protect Bird and the refs never called it.

Since that series, I've never trusted the NBA to call games fairly.

 

[greensborohill]

yep

I don't think anyone would realistically compare Marion to Bird based on his basketball ability. This whole thread is more a testament to shotty reporting than anything else. The guy claims Dirk is the only player since Larry Bird to average 20 ppg, 9 rpg & make 75 3ptrs in a season.........did he do any research to see Marion did that last year and in 2002-2003?

Shawn's been close to getting 20ppg, 9rpg & 75 3's every season while almost always playing 2nd or 3rd fiddle to other guys.

2006-2007 - Shawn's averaging 19.2ppg, 9.6rpg and has already made 47 3's less than halfway into the season
2005-2006 - Shawn averaged 21.8ppg, 11.8rpg and made 96 3's
2004-2005 - Shawn Averaged 19.4ppg, 11.3rpg and made 114 3's
2003-2004 - Shawn averaged 19.0ppg, 9.3rpg and made 90 3's
2002-2003 - Shawn averaged 21.2ppg, 9.5rpg and made 141 3's

Like I said earlier, the idiot who posted it meant to say 25 PPG 9 RPG and 75 3pt

Only Dirk and Bird have done that.

 

[Covert Rain]

If your purely going on stats, I would say that you could make an argument for Shawn. Nobody in the NBA puts up better all around numbers on a yearly basis. However, when I think of Bird, I think of big shots. I mean Bird had that same thing that guys like Jordan had...the ability to take over a game by themselves. Marion will never be that type of player. So maybe by the end of his career his numbers will be similar but he will never be in the same league as guys like Jordan, Bird, Magic etc... Having said that, I still think Marion is one of the best SF if not the best SF in the league.