Larry Bird and Magic Johnson epitomized 80s basketball together. They were the stars of the two flashiest teams in the league on opposite conferences. They won MVPs, titles, Finals MVP, and many other things. Despite their rivalry on the court, the pair were extremely good friends.
The basketball world was shocked when Magic Johnson announced he was HIV Positive in 1991. With the lack of awareness about the disease at the time, many players like Karl Malone felt uncomfortable sharing the court with Johnson. However, many expressed their sympathy to Johnson, including Bird.
With many shunning Johnson at the time, Bird decided to pick up the phone on his old friend and talk about the diagnosis. Johnson described how he felt getting that call and what the two shared with each other.
“Called me. We were talking, it’s just, ‘How you doin? Heard about it.’ You can almost hear both of us with some tears in our eyes. And I’m choked up because he did call me. When something happens to you and then you find out who really your friends are and people who really care about you.”
When Magic got his diagnosis, many believed HIV would be an instant death sentence. However, Magic has lived a long and fulfilling life with his diagnosis and is still a visible face in basketball media. In addition, he was able to make a return to the court during his prime and play for the 1992 Olympic Dream Team.
Johnson and Bird are still great friends to this day and were co-captains of that 1992 squad. Bird played his final game of professional basketball with Magic by his side, as a career of back injuries caused Bird to announce his retirement after the game.
Johnson became an executive for the Los Angeles Lakers and was crucial in recruiting LeBron James to the team in 2018. While he has since left the Lakers, he is still indelibly attached to the organization. It’s great to see Magic still be around today and the entire basketball world is thankful for the same.
