Larry Bird represented the Boston Celtics while Magic Johnson represented the Los Angeles Lakers throughout their fantastic NBA feud.
While most people these days argue about which modern players have managed to either live up to or even surpass Michael Jordan, a very different conversation was happening long ago. For some, that conversation still goes on as people will probably never forget about the iconic rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
Larry Bird represented the Boston Celtics while Magic Johnson represented the Los Angeles Lakers throughout their fantastic feud. There were plenty of ups and downs for both men, but the entire time the biggest winner was undoubtedly the fans watching from home and in the stands of their packed games.
10. Some Believe That Their Rivalry Saved The NBA.
While the NBA has been enjoying a ride on a wave of popularity for the last few decades, that wasn’t always the case. Before Larry Bird and Magic Johnson came around, basketball was at risk of becoming a dying sport.
There just wasn’t anything bringing new fans to the sport. There were always incredible players, but people love a story, and people loved the story between Bird and Johnson. Once they reached the league, ratings exploded, and the merchandising made by the two men still lingers to this day.
9. It All Began In College
A lot of people tuned in to see Larry Bird and Magic Johnson go at it in the NBA, but a lot of people never knew that the two men’s rivalry began in college. In what was one of the most exciting college basketball games of all time, the two men squared off in the 1979 NCAA Championship game.
Magic Johnson would ultimately lead the Michigan Spartans to victory over Indiana State, but the exciting game made sure each man remained a top prospect for the NBA. Their careers took similar paths at times, but they were almost always at odds.
8.
They Had The Most Watched College Game Ever Played.
Some may wonder about that college game that was so exciting as it’s become quite famous. It became the most watched collegiate game ever played. Both Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were having fantastic seasons, and people wanted to see which of the two men would come out on top.
The game got so much buzz and was so impressive that Johnson ended up drafted first overall in the 1979 NBA draft. Bird took some time to get to the league, but once he arrived, he was named rookie of the year. At the same time, Johnson was winning his first NBA Championship.
7.
The Two Men Traded NBA Championship Wins
While the Los Angeles Lakers were already solidified as a serious team in the NBA, the Boston Celtics already had the reputation as the greatest team to grace the league. When Bird and Johnson both rose to the top of their teams, the two created magic.
Over the years, the teams would win plenty of championships, but they would often have to trade those wins. In 1980, the Lakers would win the championship, then the next year the Celtics took the prize, and then the Lakers took it back. That trend began again in 1984 and would continue to 1987.
6.
They Put Their Rivalry Aside To Play In The Olympics
In 1992, the US sent what might be the greatest basketball team of all time to the Olympics. It was a team that featured so much talent, any basketball fan had to pay close attention to see just how the team would work together.
Of course, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were each on the team, but the talent didn’t stop there. Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley, and even more were all on the team to ensure the gold medal would win up in America.
5
Both Men Had Trophies Named In Their Honor.
Regardless of whichever man any basketball fan prefers, it can’t be said that they aren’t both legendary. The NBA even acknowledged their rivalry and what it did for basketball as a whole by honoring both men with trophies in their honor.
Conference final MVPs are now given a trophy named in Johnson’s honor for the west, and one named in Bird’s honor for the east. It’s likely that the honor will live on in the NBA as more and more people discover the incredible games the two men played against one another.
4.
They Have A Ton Of Respect For Each Other
A rivalry can go a lot of different ways the longer it goes on. Thankfully for NBA fans, both Bird and Johnson wound up with nothing but respect and love for one another. Both men played their hardest in every game, and respect even shone through during their rivalry.
It’s likely that both men valued similar aspects of competition, something that would bring them closer. The added public interest in their feud probably led to more than a few dramatic claims that both men could laugh off together.
3.
Each Team Was At Least One Half Of The NBA Finals Throughout The 80s
Dominance in the NBA isn’t an easy thing, but both The Lakers and The Celtics made it look easy. Every single NBA final of the 80s featured at least one of the teams, and three of the games saw both teams squaring off.
Only a handful of teams were ever able to throw off either the Lakers or the Celtics. The only other teams that appeared in the finals that decade were The 76ers, The Rockets, and The Pistons, some of the other strongest teams of the era.
2.
People Projected Their Own Views Onto The Feud.
The era in which Larry Bird and Magic Johnson played was vastly different than it is today. At that time, racist sentiment wasn’t the hardest thing to find amongst fans of the NBA. When the two men’s feud kicked off, to Bird’s dismay, he was given the role of “the white hope”.
The racial tension that existed underneath the feud is another part that makes it so interesting. While neither man likely wanted it to ever be about race, different groups tried to make the rivalry that way. To the joy of those who aren’t bigoted, Johnson and Bird wound up becoming close friends.
1.People Still Can’t Agree On Who Was Better.
It’s a simple fact that will never change, no one can decide who was better. Everyone gives a different answer as to which accolades mean more or less, and both stars have so many reasons to be named as the greatest of all time.
Devoted fans of either man will swear that their chosen hero won the rivalry, but it’s nearly impossible to say. Major analysts still go over both men and their games to try to identify who was the best, but even amongst them, there seems to be little consensus.