Charles Barkley declared that Larry Bird was the best basketball player of all time because

Charles Barkley declared that Larry Bird was the best basketball player of all time because.

When asked if he was a better player than Larry Bird, Charles Barkley responds
Although Charles acknowledged that several athletes are superior to him, he was undecided when Larry’s name was mentioned.

Although we enjoy pitting the greatest players against one another, only they have the inside knowledge and realistic viewpoint to explain why one is truly superior to the other. Thus, we had some intriguing responses when Dan Patrick began disparaging Charles Barkley a few years back and questioned whether he was superior to them.

A difficult choice.

Back in 2017, Charles Barkley made one of his few guest appearances on The Dan Patrick Show. Like always, the two had some great, funny, and interesting conversations about the golden era of basketball.

Dan asked Barkley if he thought he was the best player among the outstanding group after he led the “Dream Team” in all scoring. Being the provocateur that he is, Dan began asking Barkley if he was superior to particular players.

Fair enough, Charles acknowledged that superstars like Magic, LeBron, Duncan, and Michael Jordan are superior to him. However, Barkley got into a debate with Larry Bird when his name was mentioned:

Do I outperform Bird? What a fantastic question, man. I rebound better than you. I’d make a better defense, I think. Obviously, he’s a superior shooter.It’s a cooperative game.I’m more adept than him at stuff. I’ll be fine if you give me Parish, McHale, and DJ.”

Dan Patrick Show with Charles Barkley.

It’s difficult to argue Charles is superior to Larry Bird, despite the fact he is a legend and one of the greatest power forwards of all time. Both of them have a long list of individual accomplishments, but it’s the three titles and team success that distinguish Bird.

It’s difficult to pick Charles over Larry, though, even if you look at the eye test results. After all, Bird was capable of dominating in a variety of ways on the court. Barkley was, to be honest, just as versatile as Larry, but not quite as much. Charles also attempted to argue that Bird was on far superior teams than his own, which improved his own image.

Rather than putting up individual stats in Philadelphia, Barkley claimed that being a member of the best team outside of Phoenix was what made him the best version of himself. Barkley might have had greater team success if he had the opportunity to play for the Celtics in the 1980s, but it’s unlikely that he would have achieved the kind of success that Bird enjoyed during his prime.

Though it is common for any competitor, Charles’s pride prevented him from acknowledging that Larry is the superior player. He didn’t make any disparaging remarks about Larry’s game or act disrespectfully. Ultimately, who will advocate for himself if Charles doesn’t?