Micheal Jordan said Bird was tougher to defend than MJ.
Larry Bird was one of the most gifted offensive players in the history of the game. Although he wasn’t the biggest, strongest, fastest, or most athletic guy on the floor, the legendary forward was gifted with a basketball IQ, feathery shooting touch, and toughness, making him a tough cover for any defender.
“The best ever defensive player to guard me was Michael Cooper,” Larry said. “I’ll take that to the grave with me. He was a very intelligent defensive player, he’s very focused, and it was great to play against him…That time, I was playing some great basketball, and he was able to guard me pretty well.”
However, when Bird was about to retire, he revealed that as good as he was as an offensive player, he found it hard to score against a former Los Angeles Lakers rival.
