‘Better than all of us’ – Larry Bird explained why Michael Jordan was the clear GOAT even over LeBron James

Larry Bird knew he was great.

It's why he asked who was coming in second place in the 1987 Three-Point Contest, told bitter rival Magic Johnson he was going to put on a show for him, and confidently reminded a rookie Reggie Miller that he was '"the best f****** shooter in the league."

But even Larry Legend, the supreme shooter and trash talker that he was, knew Michael Jordan was a different animal.

Despite the Boston Celtics legend going 17-11 against 'His Airness' during his career, including a perfect 6-0 against the Bulls star in the playoffs, he was fully aware that not even he could hold a candle to Michael's talents.

The 67-year-old has rarely weighed in on the NBA's greatest of all time (GOAT) debate.

However, during the NBA 75 campaign video spotlighting No. 23's storied career, 'The Hick from French Lick' admitted he always knew Mike was the greatest.

The reason? The six-time NBA champion had every conceivable tool in the box to beat you with.

"Michael can beat you in a lot of ways," began Bird. "He can beat you mentally, he can beat you physically, he can guard you, he can score. I know in my time he was better than all of us."

Bird won three championships, three MVPs and two Finals MVPs in the 1980s as he wrestled for basketball supremacy with Magic Johnson and his 'Showtime' Lakers.

But by 1986, when Bird and the Celtics were at their peak, a second-year shooting guard out of North Carolina was already putting The Association on notice.

'Air Jordan' gave Bird, the Celtics, and the rest of the basketball world a glimpse of his ungodly abilities in the first-round of the 1986 playoffs.

At 23 years old, Jordan dropped a playoff record 63 points in a Game 2 defeat against the Cs -- a record that still stands to this day.

"I think he's God disguised as Michael Jordan," Hall of Fame power forward Bird said at the time.

"He is the most awesome player in the NBA. Today in Boston Garden, on national TV, in the playoffs, he put on one of the greatest shows of all time.

"I couldn't believe anybody could do that against the Boston Celtics."

Bird had been around the game long enough to recognize greatness when he saw it.

The Indiana native predicted MJ's basketball immortality long before it actually came to pass.

"Michael Jordan was and is a completely different type of player from anyone I had seen before," Bird once said of Jordan. 

"He's literally on a different level. Magic and I do all our stuff on the floor. When I first saw Michael play, I recognized there was a different era coming in.

"Ten years down the road, you're going to see a lot of Michael Jordans out there. A lot of them will be taking the ball from one hand to the other and switching it around, going underneath, spinning around, and doing all this different stuff."

"Michael has the whole package. He can run, jump, block shots and play great defense. Most of all, he is a great competitor. It was great seeing a guy like Michael come to the league, but I don't want to see too many more like him, at least not while I'm still around."

Bird was right.

A lot more Jordan esque players did come, from Allen Iverson to Kobe Bryant.

Few though, if any, could match what No. 23 did, whether it be his on-court achievements, cultural impact, or business endeavours.

MJ's crown as the GOAT seemed untouchable for almost twenty years.

That was, however, until 'The Chosen One' from Akron, Ohio emerged and put together an illustrious 22-year career that's still being added to today.

Nobody in history has played this well for this long like four-time champion and Finals MVP, LeBron James.

James is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, has been named to a record 20 All-Star teams, and is the only player in league history to have at least 10,000 points (he has 40,474), 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists.

For many, Jordan remains the greatest of all time, but the gap between him and 'King James' has never been more narrow, at least according to current players.

The Athletic recently conducted an anonymous NBA player poll revealing that 45.9 percent of current players think Jordan is the GOAT compared to 42.1 percent in favor of James.

Perhaps that's just recency bias and many of the league's current stars not being old enough to witness a prime MJ.

Whatever the reason, the debate has never been as close as it is now.

But for those who were around to see the gold hoop-wearing, tongue-bearing scoring phenom at the peak of his powers, there's only one right answer in the NBA GOAT debate.

Just ask Larry Bird.