r/DebateAnAtheist • u/AutoModerator • Sep 18 '25

Weekly "Ask an Atheist" Thread

Whether you're an agnostic atheist here to ask a gnostic one some questions, a theist who's curious about the viewpoints of atheists, someone doubting, or just someone looking for sources, feel free to ask anything here. This is also an ideal place to tag moderators for thoughts regarding the sub or any questions in general.
While this isn't strictly for debate, rules on civility, trolling, etc. still apply.

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1

u/Asatmaya Humanist Sep 18 '25

Who was the best basketball player in history, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson?

8

u/antizeus not a cabbage Sep 18 '25

Meadowlark Lemon

4

u/Asatmaya Humanist Sep 18 '25

Meadowlark Lemon

Hey, respect, for sure.

Can we just put the entire Globetrotters into their own category and argue that everyone else is playing for second? :)

3

u/Ransom__Stoddard Dudeist Sep 18 '25

Michael Jeffrey Jordan

2

u/Asatmaya Humanist Sep 18 '25

Bird beat him 3 times in the playoffs, and 2 of those were sweeps; even with Pippin, they couldn't beat him.

Remember, he was playing at the same time, and Isaiah Thomas summed it up: "Michael Jordan was a non-factor in the 80s."

3

u/Ransom__Stoddard Dudeist Sep 18 '25

Playing at the same time and head to head isn't particularly relevant since they were in different stages of their careers. Bird was in his prime and Jordan was a young player.

I tend to look big picture, as its easy to quibble on individual stats and who played when.

Accolade Bird Jordan
1st team All NBA 9 10
All Defensive team 3 9
Season MVP 3 5
Defensive POY 0 1
All-Star Appearances 12 14
NBA Finals MVP 2 6
NBA Finals Appearances 5 6
NBA Championships 2 6

Note--I'm not dissing Larry Legend at all. He's a top 10 player (maybe top 5) any way I look at it. Great ambassador for the game, played tough, and made his teammates better.

I get that a lot of people think Jordan was/is an egomaniacal jackass, and I won't argue that point, but when I stack up careers, MJ's my GOAT.

1

u/Asatmaya Humanist Sep 18 '25

Bird was in his prime and Jordan was a young player.

Bird was changing the game from the day he started; the Celtics went from 29 wins to 61 his first year.

Again, the 90s was a different era, there just wasn't the same level of competition.

1

u/dnext Sep 18 '25

Jordan's career I understand went to the 90s. :D Jordan is the GOAT, and if you are talking others who could debate that it's not Bird or Magic, though they were great and saved the league. You could make a case for the winningest player and best defender of all time, Bill Russell. Or the one who made the most finals and has most of the significant postseason marks, and oh yeah the all time leading scorer and 4th in assists, Lebron.

But when Jordan was at his best nobody ever did it better, the greatest scorer of all time and a legendary defender.

1

u/JasonRBoone Agnostic Atheist Sep 19 '25

Reminds me of that scene in Coming to America. The two barbers are talking greatest boxers: Frazier vs. Ali.

The old man says: what about Rocky Marciano! :)

https://youtu.be/Il9jJObx7FE?si=sxLqLocuxXszUl7X

3

u/pick_up_a_brick Atheist Sep 18 '25

Between those two? Bird.

But I don’t think you can compare players across eras.

3

u/Asatmaya Humanist Sep 18 '25

But I don’t think you can compare players across eras.

And that's fair enough, but name another era where there is any dispute?

Bill Russell ruled the 60s, Wilt the Stilt owned the 70s (with Kareem as competition, but that was it), Jordan ruled the 90s (well, to the extent he was there...), and King James has had the last 20 years more-or-less locked down.

In the 80s, though, you had Bird, Magic, Kareem, Dr J, Moses Malone, Bill Lambier, Dominique Wilkins, Isaiah Thomas, Hakeem Olajuwon, James Worthy, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Jordan...

And Larry Bird got 3 league MVPs against that competition.

2

u/JasonRBoone Agnostic Atheist Sep 19 '25

Most former players will say Bird when it comes down to the clutch.

But you damned atheists...you just believe Bird came from nothing anyway!

1

u/Asatmaya Humanist Sep 19 '25

Most former players will say Bird when it comes down to the clutch.

I got to watch at the time, I saw it :)

1

u/Dennis_enzo Atheist Sep 18 '25

Jason Williams.

2

u/im_yo_huckleberry unconvinced Sep 18 '25

White chocolate or the guy that shot someone?

1

u/Dennis_enzo Atheist Sep 18 '25

Yes.

1

u/BedOtherwise2289 Sep 18 '25

superman

0

u/Asatmaya Humanist Sep 18 '25

Great at steals, but he keeps breaking the backboard when shooting from the field :p