To the majority of fans, pundits, and players in the world, Kobe Bryant is considered the second-best shooting guard of all time. No shooting guard outside of the greatest player of all time in Michael Jordan has earned as many honors in his Hall of Fame career as Bryant, who also served as the cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty that won five NBA titles. An elite scorer and competitor, Kobe’s resume includes five NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, and an 81-point explosion in a single game. Not to mention, there probably isn’t a better tough shot-maker and clutch performer than the iconic Lakers star. When comparing Bryant to other elite stars such as Larry Bird, he often has the advantage, especially according to Shaquille O’Neal.
By the same token, Larry Bird is considered one of the greatest players ever and occupies most top-ten lists when discussing the best players ever. Arguably the greatest trash-talker ever, Larry Bird captured an impressive three NBA titles, three MVPs, and two Finals MVP awards. A superstar small forward who was the greatest at his position until LeBron James came around, Larry Bird dominated the 1980s alongside Magic Johnson. Not to mention, Bird was one of the most clutch competitors the game has ever seen and an icon in the game of basketball.
But which top-ten player of all time has the edge over another? Without further ado, here is the ultimate career comparison between Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant and Larry “The Great White Hope” Bird.
Championships
Kobe Bryant: 5 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)
Larry Bird: 3 (1981, 1984, 1986)
Kobe Bryant is one of the most renowned winners, capturing 5 rings as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. His first in 2000 was impressive, as the young shooting guard followed Shaquille O’Neal’s lead while providing clutch scoring alongside him. Bryant also won the 2001 and 2002 championships alongside Shaq to complete a historic three-peat. As dominant as Shaquille O’Neal was inside, Kobe’s clutch shot-making and perimeter scoring proved invaluable for the team. After Shaq left town, Kobe managed back-to-back rings in 2009 and 2010 with Pau Gasol as his best teammate.
Meanwhile, Larry Bird led his Boston Celtics team to 3 championships in the 1980s. Bird won his first championship in 1981 after the Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets in 6 games, followed by a 7-game victory over the Lakers in 1984. Those are two important victories against other elite superstar players. Larry Legend would once again guide Boston to the NBA championship when the Celtics defeated the Rockets in 6 games. Throughout his career, Bird averaged 23.1 PPG, 11.6 RPG, and 6.0 APG in 31 Finals games. But in the end, Kobe Bryant has an edge in championships won.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
Finals MVP Awards
Kobe Bryant: 2 (2009, 2010)
Larry Bird: 2 (1984, 1986)
Kobe Bryant won two Finals MVP awards once Shaquille O’Neal left town. Whenever Kobe Bryant played well, his team won in the Finals, and that was a constant throughout his career. With two Finals MVPs to his name, Bryant needed to prove that he could win by forcing the superstar center out of town. The superstar shooting guard lost out on the Finals MVP three times to O’Neal and proved he could do it in 2009 and 2010 in back-to-back fashion.
When the Boston Celtics won the championship in 1981, Larry Bird was not named Finals MVP, but he did manage to capture the award over the next two occasions. In 1984, Bird averaged 27.4 PPG, 14.0 RPG, and 3.6 APG. Two years later, Bird was selected Finals MVP after averaging 24.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 9.5 APG. Bird was an obsessed winner and a clutch performer, capturing two Finals MVP awards to even Kobe Bryant in this category.
Advantage: Even
MVP Awards
Kobe Bryant: 1 (2008)
Larry Bird: 3 (1984, 1985, 1986)
It is shocking to say and probably ridiculous, but Kobe Bryant somehow only won one MVP award as a member of the Lakers. Kobe only won one MVP award in 2008 when the superstar shooting guard posted a 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.4 APG while shooting 45.9% from the field. Finally, Bryant earned his MVP award after leading the Lakers to a 57-25 record which led all teams in the Western Conference. Some will argue that Bryant should have won the MVP award at least one more time instead of Steve Nash, but the facts remain as they are.
Larry Bird was arguably the best perimeter player in the 80s, securing 3 straight MVPs from 1984 to 1986. In 1984, Bird won the MVP by averaging 24.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.8 SPG. The following season, Bird averaged 28.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 1.6 SPG to win the MVP award. Finally, he won it one more time in 1986 when he averaged 25.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, and 2.0 SPG. With three straight MVP awards (the last player to achieve this), Larry Bird has his first edge over Kobe Bryant.
Advantage: Larry Bird
All-NBA Teams
Kobe Bryant: 15 (11 First Team, 2 Second Team, 2 Third Team)
Larry Bird: 10 (9 First Team, 1 Second Team)
Kobe Bryant has made 15 All-NBA Teams, with 11 First Team appearances. These are alarming achievements from a shooting guard who was often banged up during most of his career. Even as Bryant aged and had to play more methodically instead of relying on athleticism, he was capable of impacting the game on the defensive end of the court or controlling the pace of the offense from the post. As things stand, Kobe Bryant has an edge over Larry Bird because the small forward was never able to equal Kobe in terms of All-NBA selections due to his injury-plagued career.
Larry Bird was consistent atop the NBA as far as accolades, evidenced by his nine straight All-NBA First Team selections from 1980 through 1988. Over those nine seasons, Bird averaged 25.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 6.1 APG, and 1.8 SPG. During this time, he led the Celtics to three NBA championships and won three MVP awards, and solidified himself as one of the best players of his generation. Unfortunately, Bird never lasted as long as Kobe, and the difference is clear in this category.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
All-Star Selections
Kobe Bryant: 18
Larry Bird: 12
An all-time great Laker, Kobe Bryant has a total of 18 All-Star appearances. The legendary scorer is one of the most intelligent players ever, and he was able to impact the game for a very long time. As a bonafide All-Star offensive player, Bryant simply captivated audiences with his scoring and perimeter play year after year. Even on defense, Kobe was holding his own. As the best shooting guard of his generation and the second-greatest ever behind the GOAT Michael Jordan, the Black Mamba deserved his All-Star selections.
Larry Bird is often hailed as one of the ten greatest players ever because he accomplished so much in ten years that a frustrating back issue that ultimately ended his career is never held against him. Larry Bird was an All-Star in his rookie season and made nine straight All-Star Teams after that. After only playing in six games in 1989 due to his back, he would become an All-Star again in 1990 and earn two more selections after that to finish out his career. Had Bird never been injured so much, he could have had a few more All-Star seasons, but Kobe gets the advantage.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
All-Defensive NBA Teams
Kobe Bryant: 12 (9 First Team, 3 Second Team)
Larry Bird: 3 (3 Second Team)
One of the best defensive players in NBA history from the shooting guard position, Kobe Bryant was named to 12 All-Defensive Teams, including nine First Team selections. Bryant maintained his ability to stay with on-ball defenders and also play spectacular team offense for nearly two decades. Even as Bryant’s athleticism waned, he was capable of staying with opposing players and playing elite team defense. Over his regular season career, Bryant posted 1.4 SPG and 0.5 BPG and averaged 1.4 SPG and 0.7 BPG in the playoffs.
Larry Bird was not an elite defender when compared to Kobe Bryant, but he still wasn’t a slouch. For his career, Bird averaged 1.7 SPG and 0.8 BPG during the regular season and 1.8 SPG and 0.9 BPG in the playoffs. Bird was named to three All-Defensive Teams in his career, all as a member of the Second Team. Larry made the All-Defensive Teams between 1982 and 1984, never averaging under 1.8 SPG and 0.9 BPG in any of those seasons. Still, Kobe was a better defender and had more All-Defensive Team selections as a result.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
Total Win Shares
Kobe Bryant: 172.7
Larry Bird: 145.8
Kobe Bryant’s win share rating ranks 16th all-time behind some other top stars, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, and John Stockton. The superstar shooting guard influenced the game in various ways, including scoring the ball at superstar levels and making clutch plays. Kobe won a ton of games over his career because he had Shaquille O’Neal as a teammate early on and also Phil Jackson on the sidelines for most of his career. Bryant also had Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom to help him win games later on.
Meanwhile, Larry Bird was the most valuable player to his franchise for most of his career as well. Bird amazingly once led the NBA in win shares in back-to-back seasons in 1985 and 1986, winning the MVP award both times. An all-time great winner with winning intangibles, his 145.8 total win shares for his career rank 29th all-time. Bird’s win shares rating is impressive but pales in comparison to Bryant’s.
Advantage: Kobe Bryant
Career Player Efficiency Rating
Kobe Bryant: 22.9
Larry Bird: 23.5
Kobe Bryant ranks 28th all-time with a PER of 22.9. Bryant has a positive influence on winning due to his incredible two-way skill set. Bryant managed to have shooting splits of 44.7% FG, 32.9% 3-PT FG, and 83.7% FT while averaging a career 25.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.7 APG. But Bryant attempted a ton of bad shots and difficult shots, meaning his career field-goal percentages are not as high as other all-time great players. But that was Kobe’s playing style, and he needed to shoot a lot to get into a rhythm, and that might have hurt his efficiency rating over the years.
Larry Bird’s PER of 23.5 is very high, considering he ranks 22nd all-time. Regardless, Larry had career averages of 24.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 6.3 APG while shooting 49.6% from the field, 37.6% from three, and 88.6% from the free-throw line. An all-time great stat-sheet stuffer, Bird influenced the game in a lot of ways, and that is why his PER rating is so high. Larry Bird gets one more advantage over Bryant but loses the overall career comparison.
Advantage: Larry Bird
Final ScoreKobe Bryant vs. Larry Bird 5-2
In the end, Kobe Bryant has a significant edge over Larry Bird in terms of individual stats and accolades. Kobe won 5 NBA titles and brought more rings to the Lakers than Bird did with the Celtics Kobe was a more dominant defensive player than Larry Bird as well, no doubt about that. Bryant made a whopping 12 All-Defensive Teams, while Bird only made three. His other edges came in the All-Star appearances and also the win shares rating, both a testament to the fact that he played much longer than Bird.
Meanwhile, Bird only won more MVP awards and had a PER advantage due to the fact he was able to do more than Kobe earlier on in his career because the shooting guard often graced the bench during the first season of his career. Not to mention, Bird was fortunate enough to be the most dominant player on his team, while Kobe had to split his MVP votes with Shaq year after year. Winning three straight MVP awards certainly solidified Bird’s greatness as a superstar forward.
Nonetheless, Bryant has a 5-2 career comparison, which is particularly impressive. By most accounts, the shooting guard was a better player than Bird because Bryant was the leader of the franchise that won two Finals MVPs out of 5 championship Finals victories. Throughout the 2000s, the Lakers dominated mainly thanks to Kobe and his leadership as a competitor.
Larry Bird struggled with injuries throughout his career which hurt his legacy slightly because had he played as long as Kobe, this comparison would have been more even. Although, Larry never worked as hard as Bryant did and also did not benefit from modern medicine. Even if Bird had a higher career PER and won more MVP awards, Kobe Bryant cleaned the rest of the categories with ease because of his dominance on both ends of the court and when it came to winning.
There should be no doubt that both Kobe Bryant and Larry Bird are two of the ten greatest players ever, but most fans and pundits do rank the shooting guard above the forward. That is clear when looking at the career comparison, and it should be settled that Kobe Bryant had a better career with a more well-rounded set of skills.
Source: fadeawayworld
