The Internet is full of knowledgeable information.
It's also a place for erraneous claims.
That was displayed with a recent meme of NBA great Larry Bird and Kyle Korver. It suggested Bird would be the equivalent to Korver in today's game.
No way.
Larry Bird = Kyle Korver
Fair or foul? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/sytCphtBN2
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) March 3, 2025
Korver had a solid career as one of the best 3-pointers in league history. That was the major asset of his game: score from the arc and create opportunities for others because of his shooting. In 2015, he was a key cog in the Atlanta Hawks having the best record in the Eastern Conference. He was an All-Star that season. Korver also helped LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers reach the NBA Finals in 2018.
Bird, who also an elite 3-point shooter, was much more than that. He was among the league's best rebounders and facilitators while also being able to score off the dribble. Bird's 1985 MVP season is arguably one of the best ever when he averaged 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists.
Unlike Korver, Bird was far more well rounded.
SPIKE LEE HAD OTHERS IN MIND FOR MOVIE ROLE THAN RAY ALLEN
NBA great Ray Allen starred in one of the most iconic basketball films.
He played the lead character, Jesus Shuttleworth, in the movie He Got Game. Allen starred alongside Denzel Washington but it almost never happened.
During an appearance on the Jim Jackson Show, director Spike Lee said he first asked Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson about the role.
"I asked Kobe," Lee said. "He said he was glad that I thought of him. It was summertime, he was working. AI didn't want to audition. He just wanted the part."
It made Lee think of Iverson's infamous "practice" rant.
Lee said, "I was thinking about, `Rehearsal! Rehearsal!"
It's probably better Lee went with Allen, who handled the role with ease. It remains one of the best basketball movies in history.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com
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— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 5, 2025