Larry Bird and Magic Johnson may have been archrivals since their college days — one that spilled over into the NBA, but it didn’t erase the mutual respect they had for each other.
One of the instances was when Bird was thoroughly devastated by the news of Magic’s HIV diagnosis. It shook the Boston Celtics legend, and in an interview in 2012, he revealed his reaction to the news.
“Magic’s agent (Lon Rosen) calls me and tells me about the announcement ahead of time. I said, ‘I gotta talk to him right now.’ And Lon goes, ‘I don’t know. He’s going through all this stuff right now.’ And I said, ‘I don’t care. I gotta talk to him right now.’ And he put me through to him,” Bird said in a 2012 ESPN interview with Rick Reilly.
“Man, that really hit me. It really hit me hard. That was the first time in my life I played a game that I didn’t want to play (vs. Atlanta). I didn’t have anything that night.”
This shows how Magic’s announcement had a massive impact on the NBA community at large. And while that may have ended his basketball career, it surely is now not an issue anymore as the former guard is hale and healthy. As for his rivalry with Bird, they were quite the days, enthralling the world.
Magic Johnson Revealed That Larry Bird Called Him After The HIV Announcement
Magic Johson revealed that Larry Bird called him up soon after his HIV announcement and revealed his reaction.
“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.”
Most believed that Magic’s HIV diagnosis was an immediate death sentence, but the former NBA champion is still a very relevant face in the media. In fact, he even returned to the court after and played for the 1992 Olympic Dream Team.
Johnson and Bird are still great friends and it showed how their bond transcended their immense rivalry.
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