MVPs: 3. Finals MVPs: 2. All-NBA 1st Team: 9. 2nd Team: 1. All Star: 12. MVP: 1.
Defensive POY: 0. All-Defense 1st Team: 1. 2nd Team: 3.
FT% Champ: 4.
Career Averages: 24 PPG/ 10 RPG/ 3 APG/ 1.7 SPG/ .8 BPG/ .514 eFG%/ .886 FT%.
Best Season: 30/ 9/ 6/ 1.6/ .8/ .556/ .916 (1987-88).
Postseason Averages: 24 PPG/ 10 RPG/ 6 APG/ 1.8/ .9/ .485 eFG%/ .890 FT%.
Best Postseason: 27/ 11/ 6/ 2.3/ 1.6/ .532/ .876 (1984).
Championships: 3 (#1 player on all 3). Runner-ups: 2 (#1 player on both).
Why he's below Magic Johnson: While I'd take Bird at his best over Magic at his best, Magic's longevity gives his career a small advantage over Bird's. In the three seasons after Bird hurt his back and was never the same, Magic finished 1st, 1st, and 2nd in MVP voting. Magic also made the Finals 9 times and was the best player on his team 8 of those, vs. Bird's 5 and 5.
Why he's above the rest: Never the best at any one thing, Bird was one of the best at almost every part of the game. He is the only player, retired or active, in the top 50 in PPG, RPG, APG, and SPG for his career. He was 2nd team all-defense three times. In 1984-85 he was second in the league with 28.7 PPG. He led all non-centers in defensive RPG four times. He led all non-guards in APG eight times. He was one of the best shooters, leading the league in FT% four times and winning the 3-point shootout twice. The players he beat described playing against Bird as being like playing chess. No wonder he was MVP three times and Finals MVP twice.
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