Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were the two defining figures of the NBA in the 1980s. Their iconic rivalry elevated the league to another level as they battled it out on the biggest stage of the sport. What set the stage for their rivalry in the league was that the two had also faced off in the NCAA title game in 1979, where Magic came out on top, as Michigan State beat out Indiana State.
The two then entered the league together in the 1979-80 season, and success at the college level followed Magic immediately at the professional level, too, as he won the championship and Finals MVP as a rookie. Bird, who wasn’t one to show much emotion or lose his cool, later admitted that he was jealous of Magic’s success at that point. Johnson, in his book “When The Game Was Ours”, which was published in 2009, stated that he was shocked to hear that his great rival felt that way.
via Sportskeeda:
“I was surprised to hear Larry describe watching me win the (1980) NBA championship in my rookie season. He admitted he was jealous, which really shocked me, because he never ever showed it back then.”
Bird wouldn’t have to wait too long to get his hands on that trophy, as the Celtics won it all in 1981, and in 1984, he finally got the better of Johnson when it mattered most. The Celtics beat the Lakers in 7 games in the Finals that year, but Johnson would get the last laugh, as the Lakers came out on top when the teams met in the Finals in 1985 and 1987.
Also, in this book, Bird admitted that he was never able to read Magic on the court, as he had no idea what he was going to do with the ball. Bird had a lot of respect for Johnson’s abilities, and it’s great that the two of them have become so friendly off the court after retirement.
