Whatever you do, do not ask Hall of Fame forward Rick Barry who his GOAT (greatest of all time player) is. In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Eric Jay Santos, Barry was asked whether he thought Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird or Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson had the better career.
The former Houston Rockets star did not mince his words in his reply. “I played against Bird and Magic when they were rookies,” he recalled of the forever-connected 1980s superstars. “They’re both great. They’re different positions, so who the hell cares? Everybody tries to compare Bird to Magic.”
“Bird’s a three and Magic’s a point guard. This GOAT stuff is the biggest (expletive) in the world,” he added.
The trade that broke up 2008 title core has long been regarded by fans as among the most uneven ever executed in NBA history https://t.co/rvvBGc6ChL
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 26, 2023
“There’s no such thing as a GOAT in a team sport. You need to have conversations about positions, and I wish they would stop comparing players from different eras.”
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