'I'm not so sure that Larry Bird isn't'-John Wooden crowned the Celtics star the GOAT

Long before Michael Jordan and LeBron James figured in the GOAT debate, the NBA was raving about Larry Joe Bird.

At his peak, teammates and opponents called Bird the greatest player to ever play the game. Standing 6'9" tall, Larry was an anomaly. He possessed the unique ability to shoot from the outside and was an exceptional passer for a big man. With his all-around skills, many compared him to Oscar Robertson.

Legendary college coach John Wooden always considered "The Big O" the best player ever because of his skill set. However, after Bird won three NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, and three straight league MVP awards from 1984-86, even the greatest head coach ever bowed down to Larry Legend.

"I've always considered Oscar Robertson to be the best player in the game," said Wooden. "Now I'm not so sure that Larry Bird isn't."

The only player to average a triple-double in a season

The 6'5" Robertson is widely considered the best all-around player the game has ever seen. Back then, when ring counting was not yet a thing, many people considered The Big O the best player ever, owing to his skill set.

When Bird arrived, he possessed the same skillset as Robertson. He could score, he could pass, he could rebound, and do everything very well. But he was 6'9", and during that time, people his size were power forwards known for rebounding and defense.

"The only comparison that comes to my mind is Oscar, a guard," quipped then Golden State Warriors head coach Johnny Bach. "But even Robertson didn't possess Bird's shooting range or rebounding ability."

MJ says Bird is a Top 5 player of all-time

Decades after Larry's retirement, the greatest of all-time conversation usually goes back and forth between Jordan and LeBron. Others put the late Kobe Bryant as the third man in that debate. Larry Bird? Some have even taken him off their Top 10 lists. But not Jordan, who called him the best small forward the game has ever seen, even better than LeBron.

"People ask me all the time who my all-time five top players are," Jordan said in the book 'When The Game Was Ours'. "And when I start saying Larry, they interrupt me. They say, 'You've got to be kidding me. He can't play with LeBron James!' I tell them, 'You guys don't get it. Larry is far better than any small forward who played the game, and to be honest, I'm still not sure if he is a small forward or a power forward.'"

Many consider MJ to be the basketball GOAT. But as we said earlier, the criteria now include championships, awards, and many more. But back then when the greatest player was the one with the most skills and was dominating the game with his skill set, it was Larry Legend. And it's hard to argue that because it had the concurrence of the Wizard of Westwood.