When Shawn Kemp predicted how Larry Bird would perform in the NBA today: “He would be James Harden”

When Shawn Kemp predicted how Larry Bird would perform in the NBA today: “He would be James Harden”‎

The legendary Shawn Kemp of the Seattle SuperSonics thinks Larry Bird would score like James Harden would if he were still playing. When the former NBA forward appeared on Inside Buzz in 2021, he was adamant that the Boston Celtics legend will produce more than the league’s top players who fill up stat sheets.

“Compared to Luka Doncic, the boy from Dallas, he is bigger, stronger, and rougher. Thus, add 10 points and five rebounds to that total. Larry is scoring 35 points per game if Luka is only going 27. In today’s game, Larry Bird would be James Harden,” he remarked.

Kemp continued to compliment Bird. The six-time All-Star continued by saying that present NBA basketball was not nearly as good as basketball played in the 1980s and 1990s. He kept citing Bird as an example, declaring that the great forward will be the MVP in every way. Additionally, Shawn made the point that the younger generation was unaware of his true talent.

“He’d be the star player. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of Larry Bird’s full history, but when he initially entered the league, he was a slasher. He possessed a lot of athletic ability in addition to a great jump shot. Despite playing with so many outstanding players throughout the years and opting to pass the ball instead of shooting spot-up, Bird was an athletic player similar to Magic Johnson when he initially entered the game. “He’d be today’s MVP,” he continued.

Even for a player of Bird’s quality, saying he would be James Harden in his prime is a very big remark, even while there is no denying that he was a trailblazer for the Association and had talent well ahead of his time.

Many people overlook the fact that during his tenure with the Houston Rockets, Harden enjoyed what may have been the greatest individual run of offensive excellence in league history. As such, it would be extremely optimistic to assume that another player could easily duplicate his output given they played in a far less sophisticated era.

In his best years, Harden averaged little under 40 points per game for ninety games, dropped 60-point triple-doubles, and finished a season with five 40-point triple-doubles.

Considering Luka’s approach to the game is sometimes compared to Bird’s, the Doncic looks more sensible. Even yet, it’s difficult to see Bird matching the superstar from the Dallas Mavericks’ 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game average from this season.

Of course, one must account for the enormous modifications to the possession, scoring, three-point shooting, rules, and overall game, in addition to giving Bird enough leeway to adjust to the current NBA.

Even though he would probably be a superstar in the modern NBA, it is risky to assume that he would outperform some of the greatest statistical outliers in the history of the sport with some of the highest usages ever recorded.

In the end, Kemp cannot be discredited for his viewpoint, but it might be wise to reconsider this one.