Kevin Durant vs. Larry Bird Career Comparison: Which NBA Legend Is The Greater Player?

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas and the roundtable of various former players and personalities that appear on his “Gil’s Arena” podcast are infamous for their hot takes and shocking declarations, especially as of late. One particular recent take by Arenas himself caught our attention when the former point guard exclaimed, “Kevin Durant is better than Larry Bird. The 80s was drugged up.”

As most hot takes are these days, Arenas’ proclamation was met with a mixed reaction from fans, media, and former players. This isn’t the first time Kevin Durant and Larry Bird have been compared, nor will it be the last as it finds itself on a long list of heated cross-era debates such as Michael Jordan and LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry, or Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Pippen. However, the debate between Kevin Durant and Larry Bird as to who is the greater player may be the closest out of all of them and Arenas may not be as far off as many have come to believe.

NBA Championships

Kevin Durant: 2 (2017, 2018)

Larry Bird: 3 (1981, 1984, 1986)

While it is true that Durant was a superstar in 2017 and 2018 with the Golden State Warriors, it is also true that having Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green formed arguably the greatest starting lineup ever assembled. Durant would help the Warriors win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 while being arguably the best player on the floor in both runs. 

Larry Bird claims the advantage when it comes to NBA championships won in his career. Bird was far and away the best player on the court for the Celtics during their 1984 and 1986 championship runs while arguably being the best during their 1981 championship as well. 

Bird not only has more championships than Durant but the quality in which they were won also gives him an advantage in this category.

Advantage: Larry Bird

Finals MVP Awards

Kevin Durant: 2 (2017, 2018)

Larry Bird: 2 (1984, 1986)

The category for most Finals MVP awards is a wash with both men claiming two of them in their careers with Durant having a slim chance to add to his total should the Suns win an NBA title during his tenure. Of the three championships that Boston won during the 1980s, Larry Bird was the best player on the court, starting in 1984.

Although Durant joining the Warriors in 2016-17 was seen as unfair to many, to watch him go out and dominate on the court and capture two Finals MVP awards in 2017 and 2018 was special to see. In 2017, Durant led Golden State to a five-game series win over the Cavaliers with 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game, with 55/47/92 shooting splits. In 2018, it would be a clean sweep of Cleveland in the NBA Finals led by Durant’s 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game on 52/40/96 shooting splits.

In an epic seven-game series with the Showtime Lakers in 1984, Bird led the Celtics to an NBA championship with 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on 48.4% shooting from the field. In 1986, Bird would lead the Celtics to their third NBA championship of the decade, this time over the Houston Rockets. In a six-game series win, Bird averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 2.7 steals per game on 48.2% shooting. 

Advantage: Even

MVP Awards

Kevin Durant: 1 (2014)

Larry Bird: 3 (1984, 1985, 1986)

Regarding MVP awards during the regular season, Larry Bird also reigns supreme over Kevin Durant. Whether rightfully so or not, Kevin Durant has been able to capture just one MVP award in his career so far. It came amid his early offensive dominance with the Oklahoma City Thunder when he won four scoring titles in five seasons from 2010-2014. The 2014 season would finally be the year he got over the MVP hump with 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 50/39/87 shooting splits.

Bird is the most recent player in NBA history to win three consecutive MVP awards which he did from 1984-1986 with Boston. During this run, Bird averaged 26.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while missing just five games in three years. He would shoot 50.4% from the floor overall and 39.2% from three as well.

Advantage: Larry Bird

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Kevin Durant: 0

Larry Bird: 0

Both Larry Bird and Kevin Durant are what I would consider underrated defenders throughout their careers. Evidence of this is not only the fact that neither player was named Defensive Player of the Year but neither was ever really considered for the honor either. As we will see later in this comparison, Durant has never even been selected to an All-Defensive Team in his career while Bird was selected to three teams in 13 seasons.

Advantage: Even

Scoring Titles

Kevin Durant: 4 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014)

Larry Bird: 0

When it comes to strictly scoring, Kevin Durant takes the category any way you would like to compare it. Bird never led the NBA in scoring during the pinnacle of his career, having to compete with the likes of Michael Jordan, Adrian Dantley, and Alex English. Durant took the league by storm during the early 2010s, winning four scoring titles in five seasons from 2010 through 2014. During this time, Durant averaged 29.3 points per game while shooting 48.9% overall and 38.1% from three-point range. He recorded two seasons with over 30.0 points per game as well, something Bird never accomplished in his career.

Bird was a superb scorer, averaging 24.3 points per game for his career and recording five seasons with at least 25.0 points per game. However, Durant is on the Mount Rushmore of scorers, sporting one of the most efficient repertoires and best mid-range shots in NBA history.

Advantage: Kevin Durant

All-NBA Teams

Kevin Durant: 10 (6 First Team, 4 Second Team)

Larry Bird: 10 (9 First Team, 1 Second Team)

As it currently stands, Larry Bird and Kevin Durant are dead even in total All-NBA Team selections. Kevin Durant’s 10 All-NBA Team selections break down to six First Team and four Second Team selections. Durant beating out the likes of LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and other elite small forwards for his First Team selections during this time is worth noting. Durant earned five straight First Team selections from 2010 through 2014 and captured one more in 2018 with the Warriors.

Bird was a nine-time First Team selection which he accomplished in nine straight seasons from 1980 through 1988. Now, at this time, it was clear that Bird was the superior small forward in the NBA and had the adoration of his fellow players in the NBA as well as the media who voted for him year after year despite Julius Erving, Alex English, and Bernard King being worthy adversaries.

Advantage: Even

All-Star Appearances

Kevin Durant: 14

Larry Bird: 12

Kevin Durant continues to build on his lead over Larry Bird in All-Star appearances throughout his career. Durant was named a starter in his 14th All-Star game in 2023-24, giving him an All-Star selection with all four franchises he has played with. When it comes to standing out above the rest during the All-Star Game, Durant also leads with two All-Star Game MVP awards to one for Bird in 1982.

Bird was named an All-Star 12 times in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics from 1980 through 1992 while Durant has been named an All-Star 14 times in 17 seasons including every year since 2010 aside from 2021 which he missed with an Achilles tear.

Advantage: Kevin Durant

All-Defensive Teams

Kevin Durant: 0

Larry Bird: 3 (3 Second Team)

The most underrated part of Kevin Durant's game is his defense. As a weak side help defender, Durant has proven he can be as effective as any forward in the NBA regarding deterring and blocking shots or disrupting the flow of an offense. Unfortunately, Durant’s defensive efforts have never earned him a selection to an All-Defensive Team which is unlikely to change before his career ends.

Many people remember Larry Bird as an offensive assassin who picked opponents apart with his three-level scoring acumen and equally effective playmaking abilities. What many people fail to remember is that before his back injury in the mid-1980s, Bird was an elite defender as well, especially when it came to his ability to read passing lanes and anticipate plays away from the ball. From 1982-1984, Bird earned three straight All-Defensive Second Team selections.

Advantage: Larry Bird

Total Win Shares

Kevin Durant: 167.7

Larry Bird: 145.8

When it comes to advanced analytics, there are two in particular that we use in our comparisons. The first of these is total win shares which directly correlate to a player’s impact on winning basketball. In 13 seasons, Larry Bird accumulated 145.8 total win shares which Kevin Durant surpassed in 2021-22 and has totaled 167.7 win shares in total.

Larry Bird was a win shares savant during the 1980s, leading the NBA during two of his three MVP seasons with more than 15.5 win shares. Bird also led the NBA four different times in defensive win shares from 1980-1986. As for Durant, he may have led the NBA just one time in total win shares but his consistent production and longer career while playing at an elite level has led to Durant’s advantage in this category.

Advantage: Kevin Durant

Career Player Efficiency Rating

Kevin Durant: 25.2

Larry Bird: 23.5

The final category that we will use to compare these two players is career player efficiency rating. Once again, Durant has been able to move past Bird in this category with a career 25.2 rating, recording a rating above 20.0 every year since 2009 and 11 seasons with a rating above 25.0. In 13 seasons, Larry Bird accumulated a career rating of 23.5, recording 10 seasons with a rating above 20.0 while leading the NBA during his 1985 and 1986 MVP seasons. 

While these two remain two of the most efficient players ever at their position, Durant’s name has become synonymous with efficiency at every level and in every aspect of the game.

Advantage: Kevin Durant

Final Score: Kevin Durant vs. Larry Bird 4-3

In a surprise turn of events, according to this comparison, Kevin Durant has a legitimate claim to be the greater NBA player than Larry Bird with a 4-3 advantage. Whether you agree with this or not is entirely in your hands but at the very least, we can admit that Gilbert Arenas’ “hot take” isn’t as outlandish as it seems and has merit.

Now, Larry Bird leading his team to more NBA championships while also claiming more MVP awards is going to mean more to some people than Durant’s higher PER and Win Shares will. It all comes down to context and how much weight each category holds in the eyes of the beholder. However, to say Kevin Durant hasn’t built a solid case for himself and could be considered the greater NBA player, in terms of accolades, stats, and advanced analytics would be irresponsible as a basketball fan. .

Very simply, fans who value championships and individual accolades in a legacy debate are going to favor Bird. The ones who value skills and overall offensive production are going to favor Durant. Whatever side of the argument you fall on, this is sure to be another NBA debate that fails to get settled anytime soon.