Reggie Miller Says He'd Take Larry Bird Over LeBron James in Hypothetical Draft

Longtime Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller showed loyalty to Larry Bird, his former head coach, Friday during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. The current TNT analyst said he would take the Boston Celtics legend in his prime over LeBron James in a hypothetical draft.

Miller played under Bird for three seasons with the Pacers, making two All-Star Games during that span. He told Patrick that the current landscape of the NBA, which favors teams that can spread the floor, would play right into No. 33's hands, per Ananth Pandian of CBS Sports.

"I gotta go with Larry Joe (Bird's middle name is Joe)," Miller said. "In today's rules, you can't touch him!"

It's an interesting debate. Bird obviously wasn't the physical presence James currently is on the court, but there's no doubt about his ability to impact the game in various ways. The two attack defenses differently, but both styles lead to plenty of success.

Here's a look at Bird's numbers when he was 30 compared to James' this past season at the same age:

Player/Year	PPG	APG	RPG	FG %	PER
Bird (1986-87)	28.1	7.6	9.2	52.5	26.4
James (2014-15)	25.3	7.4	6.0	48.8	25.9

The NBA game has obviously changed over the years, especially in terms of players becoming bigger, stronger and more athletic. But the brand of basketball was still more physical during Bird's era. In his prime, he would love today's speed and space.

These are the types of debates that always pop up during the offseason. They usually surround LeBron or Kobe Bryant getting compared to Michael Jordan, but there's more than one past superstar to compare today's biggest names to.

Maybe James can use Miller's choice as a little extra motivation heading into next season. That said, we don't really need to treat this like anything more than an intriguing discussion.