"Jokic would cook Larry Bird": NBA fans weigh in on Celtics legend's wish of playing against Nuggets star in his prime

During an interview around All-Star weekend last year, Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird made a bold claim about Nikola Jokic. After throwing down a big challenge, fans weighed in on a hypothetical clash between two stars.

While speaking with fellow NBA legends Reggie Miller and Isiah Thomas, Bird was asked about the stars of today. When the Denver Nuggets big man was brought up, he stated he would have loved to go against him in his prime.

Many agree that Bird is one of the greatest players in Celtics and NBA history, but they don't think he would fare well in a battle with Jokic.

"Jokic giving him 70," one fan said.

Almost every fan agreed that this class of superstars would be a must-watch if it happened. Some also stated that Bird is the one who would come out on top in the hypothetical matchup.

"Bird would give him 70 with his left," one fan said.

"It would be a hell of a chess match," another fan said.

"Bird would have been given Jokic work," said one fan.

Fresh off winning his third MVP in four years, Jokic continues to be one of the NBA's most dominant stars. This year, the All-Star center is averaging 29.7 points, 13.1 rebounds and 10.6 assists.

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What did Celtics legend Larry Bird say about Nikola Jokic?

When Nikola Jokic was brought up, Larry Bird did more than just throw down a fantasy challenge. The Celtics icon also applauded the Denver Nuggets star for his impressive body of work thus far.

"I would love to play against him," Bird said. "He's good. There's so many great centers over the history of our game, man is he good. I just hope he stays healthy and able to continue to do what he does because he is fun to watch."

Similar to Jokic, Bird was a frontcourt player who could do just about everything on the basketball court. It is a big reason why the Celtics drafted him sixth overall in 1978 and he went on to become one of the top players of the storied franchise.

Bird spent his entire career in Boston, eventually retiring in 1992 after 13 seasons. Along with being a 12-time All-Star, he also delivered the franchise three championships. On two of those occasions, Bird was also named Finals MVP.

At his peak, Bird was one of the NBA's most unstoppable forces. From 1984 to 1986 he joined the extremely rare group of players to take home three straight regular-season MVPs (joining Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain).

Not long after putting an end to his playing days, Bird was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1998.