When Kevin McHale Shared His Thoughts on Why Larry Bird Was Better Than Luka Doncic

Larry Bird is regarded as one of the best ever to play the game of basketball. However, Luka Doncic is consistently compared to Boston Celtics legend.

One of the best players in the NBA right now is Luka Doncic, the star player for the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic appeared special even in his third season in the league, already being compared to one of the all-time greats, Larry Bird.

However, Kevin McHale, Bird’s fellow Hall of Famer and Celtics teammate, objected to that comparison. In McHale’s opinion, Larry Bird was a much superior basketball player than Doncic. McHale said, “Larry was an unbelievable competitor, tough as nails, with great vision and great ability to rebound.”

What did McHale say about Larry Bird?

In the 1980s, Bird was among the hardest competitors. Like Luka, Larry Bird lacked the size, strength, and speed of many other players on the court. But he used cunning and skill to overwhelm the opposition.

Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game during his illustrious career. Doncic’s career averages are currently 28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. McHale added, “People forget Larry is 6’9, 240 pounds, and strong as an ox. Larry would be a much better Luka Doncic. Larry was a better basketball player. Bigger, stronger, better.”

Ex-star hates Doncic and Bird comparison

Although McHale refrained from mentioning it, Dominique Wilkins, a former opponent of Larry Bird in the Eastern Conference, acknowledged on the Knuckleheads podcast last year that he detests it when players, including Luka, make comparisons to Bird because Bird was a phenomenon.

Wilkins said, ‘Larry’s 6’10, a great passer, a great rebounder, and an unbelievable scorer. He’s just a super smart basketball player. But he had the heart of a lion. And so when I hear people compare, I laugh (and say) ‘Yeah, okay.’

Among the greatest players the NBA has ever seen, past or present, is the Slovenian. However, Larry Bird was something unique. MJ even referred to him as the greatest small forward of all time, surpassing even LeBron.