Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo Would Take Larry Bird Over LeBron James And LeBron Fans Couldn’t Disagree More

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  • Christopher Russo and Stephen A. Smith debated who they’d rather have in their prime, LeBron James or Larry Bird.
  • Russo’s answer got LeBron fans fired up, and they let the First Take analyst know on social media
  • Read more NBA news here

LeBron James always seems to come up in debates regarding NBA players and their impact on the game. And in the case of LeBron followers, there is a strong line drawn in the sand. You either love him or hate him.

He’s easily the most talked about athlete in the game, which makes sense with his status as one of the top two players in the history of the sport.

The guy has done it all. He’s led three different franchises to NBA titles, winning four championships as a player. He essentially started the movement to organize “Super Teams” by taking his talents to Miami to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

He’s a hometown hero to the city of Cleveland and his legacy on the court speaks for itself.

Still, everyone loves to debate whether or not he’s deserving of these accolades.

The latest argument came earlier this week on ESPN’s First Take, with co-hosts Stephen A. Smith and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo butting heads on the idea that James is the second-best player of all-time.

Russo threw in a name that many didn’t expect to hear when discussing the topic, and it has LeBron supporters up in arms.

Russo Says Larry Bird Was Better In His Prime Than LeBron James

Russo is asked which player he’d take in a Finals series with the game on the line.

“In the peak of his career, I’ll take [Larry] Bird.”

Russo is quick to note that this is during the time when Larry Legend won three straight NBA MVPs as opposed to the full length of his career. Still, it’s quite the statement.

The First Take personality notes his abilities as both a shooter and passer. He specifically mentions the 1984 Finals where Bird outplayed Magic Johnson to lead the Celtics to a championship.

His biggest slight to LeBron was that he didn’t show up in the 2011 series versus Dallas, noting an eight-point output in a three-point loss in Game 4.

The Mavericks closed out the series 4-2 after Miami had taken an early 2-1 lead.

LeBron Supporters Were Quick To Disagree With Russo’s Assessment

As expected, the LeBron crowd came out in full force to defend the four-time champ.