On the 23-year anniversary of Larry Legend calling it quits, SI.com looks back at a story that examines Bird in his prime. This piece originally ran in the March 3, 1986 edition of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED.

Prime Larry Bird was as good as anyone. He immediately made an impact with the Celtics as a rookie during the 1979-80 season. The year before he got to Boston, the Celtics went 29-53.

"I did not shake Larry Bird's hand for 13 years" - Dominique Wilkins on how intense his rivalry with Larry Bird was ...

D uring his appearance on 'The Dan Patrick Show,' John Salley hesitated to pick Shaquille O'Neal over Nikola Jokic but quickly picked prime Larry Bird over prime LeBron James, despite the LA ...

D uring a press conference at the Conseco Fieldhouse in 2004, then-Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird was asked by the media to imagine how his prime self would have fared against Ron Artest, who ...

When future Hall of Fame forwards Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins were going at it with the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, you might have thought there was a blood vendetta between the two ...

Michael Jordan is the most revered name in NBA history for good reason. Jordan completely dominated basketball for most of his career, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls, and a laundry ...

Bird also had better shooting percentages during his prime years. Do I think that Larry Bird was a better overall player than LeBron James? No.

Michael Jordan knew that the only way he was going to join the company of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird was to win a championship while they were still on top.

Former Detroit Piston John Salley joins the Dan Patrick Show to share his thoughts on the upcoming NBA Finals, and explains why he'd pick Larry Bird over LeBron James in their primes. John Salley ...