06-04-2026, 03:16 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-04-2026, 03:18 PM by HoosierDaddyKid.)
Hall of Famer and former Celtics star Kevin McHale, for one, bristles whenever he hears a current player question whether Larry Bird would be a superstar in 2026. “These are the same dudes that can’t guard [Lakers star] Luka Doncic, and Luka Doncic is lighting them up,” McHale said with a sigh during a recent phone call. “And I’m thinking, ‘Larry is bigger, stronger, faster, and meaner than Luka Doncic. And if Luka is lighting these dudes up, it’d be a five-alarm fire what Larry would do.’ ”
Bird was a 12-time All-Star, three-time MVP, and three-time NBA champion with the Celtics from 1979-92, even while dealing with injuries throughout his career. McHale said that with sports science advances, Bird would have the tools and support to dominate today’s game, too. “I just laugh at these people today,” he said. “Larry would go by you a hell of a lot faster than Luka would go by you. He was a straight-line driver, and he was also just a horse.”
Boston Globe
Bird was a 12-time All-Star, three-time MVP, and three-time NBA champion with the Celtics from 1979-92, even while dealing with injuries throughout his career. McHale said that with sports science advances, Bird would have the tools and support to dominate today’s game, too. “I just laugh at these people today,” he said. “Larry would go by you a hell of a lot faster than Luka would go by you. He was a straight-line driver, and he was also just a horse.”
Boston Globe
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