As the facade of the league in the 80s, the matchup between Bird and Magic Johnson was a very important part of the NBA's ability to gradually become the best basketball league in the world.
Bird was once also regarded as the first small forward in the history of the league, until the emergence of James, the first small in history changed hands, but in the hearts of some fans, the ownership of this title is still controversial.
So which is the top man in the same forward position, Durant and Bird, who have been chasing James, are stronger or weaker? The US media "fadeawayworld" also compared the two from all aspects in 9 aspects, and the result was no suspense, 6-3, and the gap was obvious.
First item: score
Bird was already one of the best scorers in league history, shooting 37.6 percent from three-point range and 49.6 percent career shooting in an era when three-pointers weren't yet valued, averaging 24.3 points per game.
Although he was good enough, Durant still won this matchup, and Durant also shot 49.6% from the field in his career, but averaged 38.4% from three-point range, averaging 27.1 points per game.
Winner: Durant
The second item: athletic ability
Anyone who knows Bird a little bit knows that Bird is not a player who relies on physical fitness, he relies more on projection, unremitting effort, and strong confidence and will.
In contrast, Durant not only has a historical level of feel, but also a historical level of physical talent, even if he suffers a major injury such as a ruptured Achilles tendon, he can still give and take on the offensive end.
The third item: defense
Don't look at Bird's physical fitness is not as good as Durant, but he has a historical level of ball quotient, very good at judging the opponent's passing route, averaging 1.7 steals per game in his career and 3 times selected for the best defensive team.
In contrast, Durant has never been selected for the best defensive team so far in his career, despite improving his confrontation ability and rising defensive performance.
Winner: Bird
Fourth: Key ball ability
Durant is already a historical figure in this regard, because he has an insoluble offensive ability and a big heart that is always calm.
Even so, Bird is still the winner of this item, he is born a key gentleman, has a heart bigger than anyone, he never fears the key ball, but enjoys it all, whether it is the opponent, or injury, can not prevent him from dominating the game at key moments.
Fifth item: Basketball IQ
As mentioned above, Bird's physical talent is not outstanding, but his basketball IQ is unmatched, and may even be the highest basketball IQ in the league's history.
Item 6: Influence
Whether it is the ability to lead the team, or career influence, Bird has crushed Durant, Bird has been playing for the Green Army in his career, and in the second season, he helped the Green Army from the league to the championship, Durant has never led the team to complete this.
Item 7: One-to-one
Although Bird's basic talent is not top-notch, and he is a more organizationally better forward, Bird is not inferior in terms of personal attack, with his unique swing and rhythm, as well as excellent feel, he can often break through opponents at key moments.
But Durant is clearly the better one-on-one scorer, and durant has a natural physical advantage in standing stick singles, which is definitely the level of the first echelon in history.
Item 8: Leadership
Whether it was during the Thunder era, or after the Warriors and Nets, Durant is not a player known for his leadership ability, he is more like a top finisher.
By contrast, Bird is one of the best leaders in the league's history, with teammates always believing that Bird can save the team, and he has injected a tough personal temperament into the soul of the Green Army.
Item Nine: Career
Bird has won 3 championships in his career, 3 MVPs, 2 FMVPs, leaving aside the rest of the complicated honors, from these three hard honors alone, Bird has beaten Durant, and Bird has won these honors in one team, and is won with an absolute core, and the honor content is significantly higher.
Final score: 6-3
Although the first small name in history was taken away by James, in this set of duels, Bird defeated Durant by an overwhelming margin.
However, Durant's career continues, and if he can lead the team to win 2-3 championships and another 1-2 MVPs in the future, then he will have the hope of breaking the wrist with Bird.