You Can’t Look Me in the Eyes and Seriously Tell Me You Think Dwyane Wade Was Better Than Larry Bird

So this “debate” floated around Twitter yesterday. In my opinion, it has to be one of the most ridiculous questions of all time. Really? You are going to ask people to debate Dwyane Wade vs Larry Bird?

I mean, this has to be a cry for attention from CBS right? Are they going under or something? No one would tweet this unless it was some last ditch, Hail Mary, throw something against the wall and hope it sticks-type effort…

Let me get serious for a second… none of this is to discredit Wade at all. I mean, sure, he’s underratedly one of the dirtiest players in NBA history, but that has nothing to do with this. Dwyane Wade had a phenomenal NBA career. But to compare him to Larry Bird…? That is where you lose me. And I mean LOSE me. Like, I can’t even fathom someone thinking he is even equivalent to Larry Legend.

Larry Bird played 13 years in the NBA. Dwyane Wade played 16. So all of these total career stats are skewed. In fact, Larry’s 1988-89 season shouldn’t even count. So we are really comparing about 12ish seasons of Bird to 16 pretty healthy seasons of Wade. I am not holding that against Wade, I am just saying we really can’t use the “well Wade scored 1,400 more career points than Larry!” argument. In fact, if you want to look at like that, give Larry that 1988-89 season back, and he most likely has more points than Wade in three fewer seasons… boom. Larry averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assits per game throughout his career. Wade averaged 22 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds.

Bird had 12 All-Star appearances in 13 seasons. Guess which sole season he didn’t make it? Right… the dreaded 88-89. Wade was selected to 13 All-Star games in 16 seasons. One being a BS selection in his last season, thanks fan voters… So we are really looking at a guy, in Larry Legend, that pretty much batted .1000 in making the All-Star squad vs Dwyane Wade, who had more chances due to more seasons played, yet still matched Bird given both the 88-89 season on Bird’s side of things and the nostalgic last-season selection for Wade.

Now let’s look at All-NBA teams. Simple. Larry Bird was a 10-time All-NBA player. Wade, again in more seasons, was only (only – as if it still isnt terrific) selected to eight.

I can go on all day guys….

How about MVP’s, huh? Dwyade Wade ended his career without an MVP…could he have snagged one in ’09? Probably, but he didn’t. Larry, in less seasons played, won MVP three times…

Now let’s hammer home the nail in this coffin… The biggest stat in my opinion that will get casual NBA fans talking is the “they both won three rings” take. Dwyane Wade won three rings… but you could make the argument that he was never even the best player on the team for those rings. I’ll give you his first ring if you want it, fine. But he still had Shaquille O’Neal on the team. This wasn’t an end of the road Shaq either, this was an All-Star Shaq. The next two, I shouldn’t even have to argue, right? Wade had LeBron James on his team… the best player in the league and arguable in the history of the NBA. So Wade needed a litt help. Whatever. A ring is a ring. I only bring it up because Larry Bird was by far and away the best player on the majority of his championship teams. I won’t say it’s definite for the 80-81 ring. However, those next two rings, there is no question about it. At all. Larry Bird was the best player on those teams. Wade needed two of the most dominant players in the history of the game to win rings. Larry led the charge and won rings without that kind of help.

Again, in my opinion, this is a absolutey horrific tweet by CBS… this should not be a debate. No offense to Wade, but in terms of all-time greatness I am not sure he is even sniffing Larry Legend’s jock strap…

Also… pick up this tee.. selling it cheap as hell for $14.99 just because I want people reppin the Legend.