In the late 1970s, the NBA was struggling. Television ratings were low, and some Finals games were even shown on delayed broadcast late at night. Then two young players arrived and changed everything. In Part 5 of The Greatest Rivalries in Sport, we look at Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird.
Opposites
Magic Johnson, from Lansing, Michigan, was a 6-foot-9 point guard with dazzling passing and a huge smile, playing with flair and joy. Larry Bird, from the small town of French Lick, Indiana, was a 6-foot-9 forward known for brilliant shooting, basketball intelligence and quiet, intense competitiveness.
They came from different backgrounds and had very different personalities, and their teams had a long history of rivalry too.
1979: where it began
The rivalry started in the 1979 NCAA college championship game. Magic's Michigan State faced Bird's unbeaten Indiana State. Michigan State won, and the game remains one of the most watched college basketball games ever in the US. Both entered the NBA that year, Magic with the Los Angeles Lakers and Bird with the Boston Celtics.
Lakers vs Celtics
The Lakers and Celtics were already the NBA's two most successful franchises, and their rivalry dated back to the 1960s. With Magic and Bird, it reached new heights. Throughout the 1980s, one of their two teams appeared in almost every NBA Finals.
- Magic won five championships with the Lakers in the 1980s.
- Bird won three championships with the Celtics in the 1980s.
- They met in the Finals three times: the Celtics won in 1984, and the Lakers won in 1985 and 1987.
Their contrasting styles, "Showtime" fast breaks in Los Angeles and tough, team-focused basketball in Boston, made each meeting a clash of philosophies.
Awards and records
Bird won three straight MVP awards from 1984 to 1986. Magic won three MVP awards in 1987, 1989 and 1990. Both played on the original "Dream Team" at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, which helped make basketball a global sport.
From rivals to friends
At first, they barely spoke. That changed in 1984, when they filmed a television commercial together at Bird's home in Indiana. Over lunch, they discovered they had much in common, including humble beginnings and a deep love of the game. A lasting friendship began.
In 1991, when Magic announced he was retiring after testing positive for HIV, Bird was among those most shaken by the news. Magic later returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game and Olympics. Bird retired in 1992 because of back problems. Their friendship was later told in books and documentaries.
Saving the NBA
The Magic–Bird rivalry, followed by the rise of Michael Jordan, helped transform the NBA from a struggling league into a global entertainment business. Television deals grew, and the league expanded its audience worldwide.
Why it matters
Magic and Bird showed how two rivals can lift each other and a whole sport. Each admitted that the other made him better: knowing the other was working harder pushed them to improve.
In Part 6, we travel to the oldest rivalry in this series: England against Australia in cricket's Ashes.
The Greatest Rivalries in Sport: the full series
- Part 1: Federer vs Nadal
- Part 2: Ali vs Frazier
- Part 3: Real Madrid vs Barcelona
- Part 4: Senna vs Prost
- Part 5: Magic vs Bird (you are here)
- Part 6: The Ashes
- Part 7: Borg vs McEnroe
- Part 8: Evert vs Navratilova
- Part 9: Yankees vs Red Sox
- Part 10: Coe vs Ovett
Records, scores and statistics are commonly cited figures and may vary slightly between sources.
