Kobe Bryant explained why Larry Bird is a Top 5 player of all time: "People really forget how great Larry Bird was…the guy was money"

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People often debate whether Larry Bird was a Top 5 or even Top 10 player of all time. However, as far as the late great Kobe 'Bean' Bryant was concerned, there was no doubt that Larry Legend was among the five best players in NBA history.

During an interview with ESPN Radio Los Angeles in 2013, as transcribed by usatoday.com, the Black Mamba picked his five best players of all time: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Bird.

Kobe wasn't asked to explain his choices, but he made the extra effort to give special props to Larry Legend.

“I will say as the years go on people really forget how great Larry Bird was,” Bryant said. “He was ridiculous. And I grew up in LA — just like everyone else here — hating his guts. Dude — the guy was just money.”

Kobe grew up hating the Celtics

Bryant never got a chance to play against Larry because the Celtics great retired in 1992, the year Kobe enrolled at Lower Merion High. But like anyone growing up in Los Angeles, he knew the legend, and as any Laker fan would back then, he hated Bird and the Cs.

Bird's Celtics rivaled the Showtime Lakers during the 80s decade. Larry led Boston to three titles, including one against Los Angeles in 1986. Both franchises played three times in the championship that decade, with L.A. winning twice.

Due to injuries, Larry Legend's NBA career lasted only 13 seasons. Despite that, he recorded remarkable achievements, like capturing the MVP award in three straight seasons and winning the first three editions of the NBA 3-Point Contest.

MJ called Bird the greatest small forward of all time

Kobe wasn't the only all-time great who placed Larry Legend in their all-time Top 5. Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan, the man many call the GOAT of basketball, once called Bird the greatest small forward to ever play the game.

"People ask me all the time who my all-time five top players are," Jordan once said. "And when I start saying Larry, they interrupt me. They say, 'You've got to be kidding me. 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 is a small forward or a power forward.'"

When basketball analysts and experts create their all-time lists, many exclude Bird from their top 5, and some even omit him from the top 10. However, if both the GOAT and the player often considered his closest rival to place the legendary Boston forward in their top 5, there is little place to dispute that.