Michael Jordan has had his fair share of rivalries in the NBA. Arguably, the biggest rivalry of his career was with Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons. Although it took him some time, he eventually overcame that hump and went on to absolutely destroy them.
In addition to that rivalry, Jordan’s battles with Gary Payton were also considered to be top-notch entertainment for NBA fans. While MJ was undisputedly the best offensive and overall player in the league, Payton was considered the best defensive player in the NBA at the time.
But was that rivalry between the two superstars the greatest rivalry in NBA history? No. Gary Payton himself talked about this in an interview with MARCA. He labeled the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird to be the greatest.
Via MARCA:
“No, I don’t think so. I think Magic Johnson and Larry Bird is the greatest rivalry ever in the NBA. Me and Michael had battles. He played the East, and I played the West. Whenever we got together, everybody would like to see that. They knew I was the top defensive player, and he was the top offensive player. They wanted to see a challenge. It was great for me and great for him. He had a ball doing it and I had a ball doing it.”
There is no doubt that the MJ-Payton rivalry was great, but when compared to Bird and Magic’s rivalry, it is nowhere near it.
Magic and Bird played a crucial role in popularising the league during their playing days. Additionally, their matchups in the NBA Finals were nothing short of phenomenal.
The cherry on the top was the fact that they played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. The two clubs had a rivalry of their own, and the presence of Magic and Bird only added fuel to that fire.
