As Dan Patrick reminisced about watching the NBA for decades, he invoked Oscar Robertson, Earl Monroe, Tiny Archibald and more greats from his childhood.

Near the end of the segment, Patrick added this: "Larry Bird at his best was better than LeBron James. And I truly believe that."

That struck a nerve with the younger portion of Patrick's audience. The next day, Thursday, Oct. 22, he discovered a ferocious backlash on social media to his segment. But he held firm on that opinion.

Here's how Bird and James compare during their prime.

• From 1983-86, Bird won three consecutive MVPs, averaging 26.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game over that period. The Boston Celtics won NBA titles in 1984 and '86. He was also MVP runner-up the three seasons before that run, and in 1988.

• From 2008-13, James won four of the five MVPs, averaging 27.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.7 steals. The Miami Heat won NBA championships in 2012 and '13. He has been MVP runner-up three times since.

James, in his 24th season, leads the NBA in career scoring (43,454 points through Oct. 21). Bird scored 21,791 points over 13 seasons (1979-92).

Patrick had added in his original statement: "Now, is LeBron better than Larry? Yes. The totality of his career, absolutely."

Bird was an Indiana high school basketball star who also coached and served in the front office for the Indiana Pacers.