- Larry Bird and Kawhi Leonard have had incredible careers
- We at Fadeaway World shared a career comparison of the two
- NBA fans debated about which of the two has had a better career
Larry Bird and Kawhi Leonard have both led their teams to championships in spectacular fashion, but which of the two has had the better career? We shared a career comparison of the two on Instagram recently, and NBA fans debated on the topic.
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One went with Bird and doesn’t believe it’s close, “Larry Bird and it’s not even close.”
A fan said if Leonard wasn’t injured so frequently, he’d be even greater than LeBron James, “If Kawhi had a real body we would not talk about LBJ.”
One believes Bird is streets ahead of Kawhi, “What an odd comparison… (a) top 5 player all time to someone who peaked and never plays anymore and is maybe top 75 if he actually plays for 6 more years.”
A fan thinks Leonard has had the better career, “Kawhi>>”
A fan found it shocking that Bird had more All-Star appearances than Leonard, “How does Larry Bird, with a shortened career, have more all-star appearances than Kawhi?”
The majority definitely sided with Bird and let’s have a deeper look at their careers.
Kawhi Leonard’s career stats: 19.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game
Larry Bird’s career stats: 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game
Kawhi Leonard’s accomplishments: 2x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA First Team, 2x All-NBA Second Team, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 3x NBA All-Defensive First Team, 4x NBA All-Defensive Second Team, 1x NBA steals leader.
Larry Bird’s accomplishments: 3x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 3x MVP, 12x All-Star, 9x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 3x NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Who’s Had The Better Career?
Leonard has a slightly longer list of accomplishments, but for me, Bird had the better career. He was dominant for a lot longer than Kawhi has been, and he just flat-out put up better numbers.
Bird also won more titles and has three MVPs to his name, while Leonard has none. Kawhi is obviously the superior defender of the two, but the Boston Celtics legend wasn’t the terrible defender that some make him out to be. His three All-Defensive Second Team selections are really all that I need to point to for that.
Kawhi has time, though, to build a stronger case. It seems rather unlikely, but if he does lead his teams to a couple of championships in the coming years, then he might flip the script in this debate.
There Was A Positive Update On Kawhi Leonard
The 2023 NBA playoffs gave us the full Kawhi Leonard experience. The 32-year-old averaged 34.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, which is simply ridiculous, but only managed to play in two games.
Leonard was out after Game 2 of their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers lost in five games without their superstar. Injuries have, unfortunately, defined Leonard’s time with the Clippers, but there is hope that 2023-24 will be different.
An NBA insider dropped a positive update on Leonard and Paul George, with it being that there is a lot of optimism around how they look during workouts. You wouldn’t blame anyone for still having doubts, though, but if this is the season when the two finally stay healthy, the Clippers would have a shot at winning it all.
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