The rivalry began with the 1979 NCAA Championship when Magic Johnson led Michigan State past Larry Bird and Indiana State. It ended 11 years later when Magic retired. In between, fans saw the most compelling "can-you-top-this" Basketball of all time.
As NBA rookies, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird took their respective franchises and personally whipped them into shape. As veterans, they molded the very character of the league. In the first nine yars of their rivalry the two won all but a single NBA title (five for Johnson, three for Bird), and split six MVPs over 11 years. They met once in college and 37 more times in the pros, with Johnson holding a 23-15 edge. But tallying wins, losses, points, and assists doesn't tell half the story of their rivalry. Neither man played for the numbers, they played for the glory. Magic Johnson once said "People who saw our games against each other saw some of the best basketball ever played."
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Anyone who thinks the NBA's November through April schedule is a meaningless tuneup for the playoffs never saw one of the 18 regular season confrontations between Magic Johnson's Lakers and Larry Bird's Celtics. The play of every man on the floor was elevated by the fierce competition between these two basketball giants, and even more so when their teams met in post season play.
Although Bird and Johnson rarely guarded each other, the two were nonetheless locked in their own form of mortal combat. Johnson would throw a no look pass to a teamate for a spectacular score, and Bird would respond with a fallaway three-pointer from the third row of the Boston Garden. Larry Bird would flick an impossible pass to the open man after drawing two defenders, and Magic Johnson would drive right back down the lane, faking a dish left, then right, then continuing to the basket for an uncontested layup. After each magnificent play, there would be that quick, almost imperceptible meeting of the eyes between the two superstars.
In the end, there was never a moment - on or off the court - when one of them wasn't fully aware of what the other was up to. "The first thing I would do every morning during the season," admits Bird, "was look at the box scores to see what Magic did." Thus even when geocgraphy prevented that meeting of the eyes, there was always a meeting of the minds.
Although Bird and Johnson rarely guarded each other, the two were nonetheless locked in their own form of mortal combat. Johnson would throw a no look pass to a teamate for a spectacular score, and Bird would respond with a fallaway three-pointer from the third row of the Boston Garden. Larry Bird would flick an impossible pass to the open man after drawing two defenders, and Magic Johnson would drive right back down the lane, faking a dish left, then right, then continuing to the basket for an uncontested layup. After each magnificent play, there would be that quick, almost imperceptible meeting of the eyes between the two superstars.
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In the end, there was never a moment - on or off the court - when one of them wasn't fully aware of what the other was up to. "The first thing I would do every morning during the season," admits Bird, "was look at the box scores to see what Magic did." Thus even when geocgraphy prevented that meeting of the eyes, there was always a meeting of the minds.
Just for the Record
In the 18 regular-season matchups, Magic's Lakers beat Bird's Celtics 11 times, with the Lakers taking two of three championships from the Celtics. As for their stats - fittingly, they were a draw.
You Decide!!
Lets hear some opinions on what the readers think. Who was the better player? Who would you rather have on your team? Magic? Bird? Too close to call?
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