Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson were the best players of the 1980s. They were the saviors of the NBA during that decade after a steep decline in viewership in the 1970s. The Bird-Magic rivalry became the biggest story in the NBA, but it did not start in the professional ranks.
The rivalry started in college basketball with a legendary National Championship game between Larry’s Indiana State playing against Magic’s Michigan State. The Spartans won the championship, 75 to 64, with Magic scoring 24 points compared to Larry’s 19 points.
To this day, Bird considers it the worst loss of his entire career, including his 13-year NBA career, where he suffered significant defeats.
“That’s the toughest one I’ve ever taken, because you had all of your friends. You’re at a college, you step away from home, I felt that Indiana State, they accepted me, brought me in. It was tough and it’s still tough,” Bird said on Late Show with David Letterman in 2012.
The Championship game set the tone for the rivalry
The game between the Spartans and Sycamores set the record for the highest Neilsen rating of any game in American basketball history. It meant there was significant hype heading into the duo’s arrival to the NBA, as Larry and Magic took over the league in the 1980s.
The rivalry became the biggest draw in basketball because fans knew they were watching greatness with Larry’s Boston Celtics and Magic’s Los Angeles Lakers. Bird and his team won three titles during the 1980s, while LA got the lead of five total championships.
Magic had the upper hand for most of their careers, but Bird wasn’t far behind. They dueled for their entire careers, which was compelling for viewers worldwide. The intensity and competitiveness of their friendly rivalry made people love the NBA, helping it become a popular sports league across countless households in the United States.
The loss fueled Bird to succeed in the NBA
As soon as Bird entered the league in the 1979-80 season, he helped the struggling Celtics to the pinnacle of the NBA. He helped Boston go from 29 wins in the previous season to 61 victories in his rookie year. Larry performed well, leading to a well-deserved Rookie of the Year over Magic.
Bird was tremendous in his first year, averaging 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He was the best rookie in the regular season, but Magic one-upped him again in the Playoffs as the Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. At the same time, the Lakers beat Philly in the NBA Finals, with Magic winning Finals MVP after a historic series.
Despite that loss, Bird kept going and had a legendary career. He won three titles, with two of them being Finals MVP performances. Larry also won three straight regular season MVP awards from 1984 to 1986, dominating the league with his production as a scorer and playmaker from the forward position.