"I would feel very sorry for someone in today's NBA who had to guard him as a power forward or center" - Rick Carlisle says he would play Larry Bird as a big in today's era

Yahoo

a day ago

"I would feel very sorry for someone in today's NBA who had to guard him as a power forward or center" - Rick Carlisle says he would play Larry Bird as a big in today's era originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Many fans, players, coaches and media personalities have analyzed the distinct set of skills the great Larry Bird possessed as a player. However, one of the few people who thoroughly witnessed Bird's greatness is his former Boston Celtics teammate and former Indiana Pacers assistant coach, Rick Carlisle.
Advertisement
As hypothetical situations increasingly become a hot topic of discussion within the NBA community, Carlisle once speculated on how "Larry Legend" would fit in on today's NBA. Rick dissected Bird's game during his prime and came up with a very realistic and truthful analysis.
The way Carlisle sees it, Bird would've been a dominant big man if he played in this era. Moreover, "Flipper" is certain that the Celtics legend would've been a consistent and lethal 3-point shooter.
"He [Bird] was one of the first guys to use the three with any frequency, and so in today's game, with the spacing dynamics, he'd be taking more — no question," Carlisle assessed via Yahoo Sports. "With the game sized down, if you bumped him up to the four or five, he'd be getting more open threes, and he'd be knocking them in. This is a guy who won the first two 3-point contests in routs. I mean, they weren't even close."
A matchup problem for any big
As one of the most brilliant coaches in today's game, Carlisle is well aware of the difference between the past and current era in terms of defense. Unlike the old days, there's not a lot of elite defenders in today's NBA due to the significant focus on offense.
Advertisement
With that in mind, Carlisle firmly believes that it's gonna be extremely difficult to stop a prime Bird playing in the modern-day NBA. By pointing out Bird's history of versatility and effectiveness, Rick strongly concluded that "The Hick from French Lick" would be a matchup problem in today's game.
"There are many things that make Larry Bird's career ultra-exceptional," added Carlisle. "I have no doubt that in today's NBA game he could play any of three positions — small forward, power forward and center. In the '80s, he was a top scorer and rebounder at the small forward position. That would certainly translate to today's power forward and center positions, and it was virtually impossible to guard him as a three-man during the '80s and '90s."
"I would feel very sorry for someone in today's NBA who had to guard him as a power forward or center," the 2002 NBA Coach of the Year continued.
Today's NBA would be Bird's playground
Apart from Carlisle, Celtics great Kevin McHale also raved about Bird's overall qualities as a player. Like Rick, "Black Hole" is also convinced that "Larry Legend" would dominate today's game.
Advertisement
For McHale, Bird wouldn't just be an exceptional stretch four or five in today's NBA. Instead, McHale could see his former Celtics co-star and friend doing anything he wanted on the hardwood.
McHale also specified every tendency of prime Bird and vividly pictured how the three-time MVP would stand out among the most talented players of the current era. Ultimately, both McHale and Carlisle assumed that those who have closely followed Bird's career and rise to stardom would definitely echo their remarks.
"He rebounded the ball at a high level," McHale said of Bird. "He was 6-foot-9, 245 — he's a big guy — he had phenomenal hands, his passing ability was really just second to none. He had great vision, shot the ball with range, could post up, could put the ball on the floor, beat you off the dribble, make plays for others, draw two, kick it out. There's not a lot of guys like him in the league."
"There's no doubt he would be one of the top players in today's game, as he was in the '80s and '90s," Carlisle said, concluding his analysis of Bird's game. "If you watched him, you would know."
Advertisement
Related: "Dad, you at 17, me at 17, who was better? I said, 'Listen, son...'" - Dominique Wilkins on the moment he realized his son didn't know how great of a player he was
How Bird sees himself in today's NBA
With more and more fans getting curious about Bird's honest thoughts on today's NBA, the media was able to quiz the man in question himself for comments. On more than one occasion, "Larry Legend" has addressed the subject.
However, unlike Carlisle and McHale, Bird often talked about the topic with notable humility. For Larry, he wasn't, isn't and will never be in the position to assert that he would do well in the modern NBA landscape.
Advertisement
"It's easy for me to say, 'Our era is the best, and I was the best,' and all that. But in my mind, I think we could compete and do really well, but you never know until you're out there," Bird once candidly stated how he would have performed in today's game.
Truth be told, it's always hard to come up with an objective analysis, especially regarding the past and current NBA eras. However, what will always remain undeniable is that Bird's greatness is timeless.
Related: "God, if you let me get through this, I won't play no more" - Larry Bird describes the moment that made him retire for good
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.