Larry Bird’s résumé shines with three NBA titles (1981, ’84, ’86) and three straight MVPs (1984–86). Kawhi Leonard’s ledger boasts two rings (2014, ’19) and a pair of Finals MVPs in a career defined by playoff dominance. After Leonard’s 39-point eruption leveled the Clippers–Nuggets series at 1–1, Lou Williams dropped a bomb that has everyone rethinking Bird’s line of succession
The Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round playoff series against the Nuggets with a nail-biting 105-102 win in Denver on Monday night. And Kawhi Leonard stepped up and dropped 39 points on a sizzling 15-of-19 shooting. That win tied the series at 1-1, keeping the Clippers’ playoff hopes alive. Now, when the game came up on the Run It Back podcast, the hosts couldn’t help but gush over Kawhi’s domination. But things took a turn when Lou Williams decided to stir the pot a bit.
Lou didn’t hesitate for a second when it came to putting Kawhi Leonard in the all-time great small forwards conversation. Statistically, it’s defensible. Kawhi’s records speak for themselves. The man battled injury after injury but still found a way to rise to the top. He’s earned the right to be in the same sentence as LeBron and KD. Lou wasn’t shy about it, either. He said, “He (Kawhi Leonard) reminded everybody why we consider him, if not one of the top two or three small forwards in the game, why he is in that conversation of all time.”
“Why is Larry Bird an untouchable in this conversation?”
Lou Williams sparks a MASSIVE debate by saying Kawhi Leonard might be ranked higher than Bird on the all-time small forward list @boogiecousins | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/bgMu6V008v
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 22, 2025
But not everyone is sold on putting Kawhi in that top tier just yet. DeMarcus Cousins and Chandler Parsons think Kawhi might crack the top five, but they’re not ready to put him above LeBron, KD, or the legend that is Larry Bird. But Lou, being Lou, had no problem putting Kawhi above Bird on that list. When asked if Kawhi could leapfrog Bird, he didn’t hesitate: “He can jump over…”
Okay, sure, Lou’s take was a bit bold. Maybe it was even a little irrational, but let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. Lou did put one condition on his statement, though, and it’s a big one. He followed up by saying, “He can jump over, as if you add championships.” Now, that’s where it gets interesting. Larry Bird has three championships, while Kawhi is sitting with two of his own. So, Lou isn’t saying that Kawhi has already passed Bird. He’s saying if Kawhi stays consistent without getting benched for those nagging injuries, he’s got a shot at surpassing Bird’s legacy.
Robert Parish weighs in on Larry Bird and the true King of small forwards
Regarding NBA small forwards, Larry Bird has always been the measuring stick. Three league MVPs, three championships in the ’80s, and two Finals MVPs. Bird was the man in Boston, leading the Celtics to glory. Robert Parish, who won multiple championships alongside Larry Bird, was there for the entire ride. He saw firsthand as Bird became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to win three straight MVPs.
For most people, including “The Chief” himself, Larry is the greatest small forward ever. But in 2017, as LeBron James was already a three-time champion and gearing up for his seventh consecutive Finals appearance, Parish had to take a step back. He admitted, “Larry Bird is the best small forward ever, but LeBron James is giving me second thoughts.” Parish even went as far as to say, “LeBron and Larry are 1A/1B; pick your poison.” But before this, it was Michael Jordan who weighed in.
Boston Celtics# 33 Larry Bird courtside during the Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on May 6 , 1988. (Photo by Tom Berg/WireImage)
In his book When the Game Was Ours, Jordan wrote, “People ask me all the time who my all-time top five players are. And when I start saying Larry, they interrupt me. They say, ‘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’s a small forward or a power forward.”
Mind you, Jordan made this statement early in his career. In 2009, meaning MJ was talking about LeBron long before James had won any championships. At that point, LeBron was a five-time NBA All-Star but still hadn’t reached the top yet. So, who knows? Maybe MJ’s opinion has shifted over time, especially as LeBron’s career has evolved. After all, Robert Parish himself changed his stance in 2017.
So, is Kawhi Leonard ready to leapfrog Larry Bird? Lou Williams thinks it’s possible—but there’s a catch. As the playoffs heat up, Leonard’s performance may just provide the answer. Or will opinions similar to MJ’s prevail?
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