Larry Bird Joins Legends in Denouncing Lebron's Decision

Larry Bird, or Larry Legend as he was known even during his playing days with the Boston Celtics during the 1980 and 1990's, is on record having voiced his disapproval of Lebron James' "Decision" to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, which is in line with the sentiment voiced recently by his Hall of Fame contemporaries, Michael Jordan and Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Although a decade and a half of fierce competition has given way to a great friendship built on mutual admiration and respect, Bird had this to say about the idea of playing alongside Johnson:

"I remember back in my days, I'd rather play against Earvin Johnson than play with him. He's a guy I always compared myself to. I'd rather stay in Boston and let him stay in L.A. and just compete every year in the Finals. That's what made me a better player."

Bird's statement follows closely on the heels of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson's statements criticizing Lebron James decision to join the Miami Heat. By doing so, James, the most coveted free-agent of the decade, joined with the next two most talented free-agents in arguably the greatest free-agent class ever in the NBA. Essentially, the joining of James, Wade, and Bosh, though not as epic as a Magic, Bird, and Jordan triumverate, is about the closest thing that has, in fact, come to pass.

The Legends (Bird, Magic, and Jordan), the first-ballot Hall of Famers who were responsible for the international explosion in popularity of the NBA and basketball, have voiced their displeasure with "The Decision" because of what it may mean to the future of NBA. The competition between Bird and Magic defined an era in the NBA, and the dominance of Jordan through the 1990's was a tribute to the will and perseverance of the greatest player of all time.

Old-school fans of the NBA were treated to epic battles between the fiercest competitors the game has ever seen, however the Lebron decision was an admission of surrender and an inexplicable act of submission to another star in Wade.

When asked about Lebron's decision following a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada, Michael Jordan's reply to NBC Sports was this:

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team, but that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. ... In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."

And in sports, it is that competitive fire that athletes are measured by, and that is why Bird, Magic, and Jordan have the legacy and legend that they do.

Magic Says That Lebron's Choice Was Not What His Generation Was About

Magic Johnson, NBA great and former point guard and leader of the Showtime Lakers of the 1980's, joined a growing number of fans and NBA legends in criticizing the Decision of Lebron James to join forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.

The long awaited and anticipated NBA Free Agenct Class of 2010, which saw quite possibly the most talented free agent class of all time become available to NBA teams with adequate cap space to sign them, dragged on for a week passed the first day of signing and ended with a Shyamalanian-twist, some of the most questionable choices by "grown" men, and the worst examples of poor judgment seen in any sport, ever.

Mere days after the debacle that was the ESPN-produced "The Decision", NBA greats have been approached about their opinions about Lebron's Decision.

When asked, Magic Johnson, who won five NBA championships playing for the Lakers after he led Michigan State to an NCAA title victory over Larry Bird and Indiana State in 1979, said it was never a real possibility for him to play with Michael Jordan and Bird.

"We didn't think about it 'cause that's not what we were about," Johnson said at Baruch College in New York, according to Bloomberg News. "From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird."

"It was never a question in our mind because nobody has ever done that," Johnson said when looking back to his era.

Johnson's comments come only days after Michael Jordan told reporters at a weekend golf event that he'd rather beat Johnson and Bird than become their teammates.

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team', " said Jordan, the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships.

"But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."

Of James, Johnson concluded, "I think he will be, one day, a great businessman. The first order of business for LeBron is to win championships. If you build your brand on the court, then that will take care of the off-the-court brand."

It doesn't seem that Johnson feels that James is a great businessman yet, and certainly not with his Decision.

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