On this day in 1979: Magic Johnson and Larry Bird make their respective NBA debuts - Looking at how this rivalry uplifted the league
Forty-two years ago today, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird made their NBA debuts for their respective teams. The fans didn't know it yet, but this would be the start of a fearsome rivalry.
Many basketball aficionados were still reeling from the ferocious battle between the two ballers during the 1979 NCAA championship game featuring Indiana State and Michigan State Universities.
Magic Johnson drew first blood between the pair, lifting the NCAA trophy before being drafted first overall by the LA Lakers shortly after.
Larry Bird remained in college. While the future Boston Celtics legend was tearing it up on the collegiate scene, his future nemesis was busy winning his first NBA championship as a rookie.
A year later, Bird entered the NBA after being drafted with the 6th pick in the 1978 draft but opting to remain in college for another season. He immediately followed Johnson's lead by winning the championship in his first season.
In Magic Johnson's third year as a pro, he would lift the trophy for a second time and then not again for three years. Larry Bird won a second title within the same time frame.
One of the ultimate stat battles: Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson.
Who wins?
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Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers is a rivalry that's almost as old as the league itself. Yet, before Bird and Johnson entered the league, the aging stars of seasons past were failing to draw the crowds they once did in their prime. As a result, the league's popularity was shrinking.
They say the universe provides what you need at the precise moment you need it. Through Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, it provided entertainment in abundance.
1983-84 was the year that sparked the NBA's resurgence in popularity and laid the platform for the league to become a multi-national conglomerate.
The LA Lakers and Boston Celtics were into the NBA finals. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird faced off against each other in do-or-die basketball for the first time since that fateful night in college.
Revenge is certainly a dish best served cold. Some five years after falling to Johnson, Bird would come out of the battle victorious as the Celtics won in seven games.
Two more post-season battles would follow, with Magic Johnson and the LA Lakers lifting the trophy in the 1984-85 season. The Boston Celtics struck back the following year for their second chip in three years, winning the 1987 championship.
3⃣3⃣ years ago today 🍀
Trailing by one with five seconds left, Larry Bird steals the ball and feeds it to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup in Game 5 vs the Pistons.
Boston went on to win the series in 7 games to advance to its 4th straight NBA Finals.
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The problem is that when finals match-ups become predictable, the league becomes stale, and casual fans tend to crave a new challenger. A case in point would be the recent Golden State Warriors dynasty and how many fans were disillusioned at the state of the NBA. I digress.
The following season, in 1988, the LA Lakers would again make the finals. However, the Boston Celtics were nowhere to be seen. In their place, the Detroit Pistons stood in wait.
As for the Celtics, well, they never made another NBA finals appearance while Larry Bird was an active roster member. And Magic Johnson had also lifted his final NBA trophy.
Despite the rings, MVP awards, scoring and defensive titles, and the countless new fans who had been drawn to the league, this rivalry gave us far more than just basketball memories. It revitalized a stagnating sport and captivated fans across the United States, representing past battles for sporting supremacy between the East and West Coast. Hollywood vs The Docks, glitz and glamor taking on the rough and ready, and the juxtaposition between fanbase demographics wasn't lost on the league's adoring audience.
TV ratings soared, jersey sales spiked, and most importantly, more players entered grassroots development systems. Towards the end of their careers, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird witnessed the birth of a new torch-bearer in Michael Jordan - a man who would explode the league's popularity to an international scale. But that's a story for another day.
As for the Detroit Pistons team that the LA Lakers defeated in 1988, well, they went on to become the "Detroit Bad Boys," and we know how that story plays out. Because when you have dominant forces such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and their respective teams, others are forced to become great.
Like a virus, greatness is contagious and spreads across those willing to accept the challenge. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are legends within their own right, much of which is down to their on-court achievements. Little did they know that those two competitors from an NCAA tournament would pave the way for the league's future success on a global scale.
Also Read: How many rings does Magic Johnson have?