“Try to beat them d*mn Lakers” - Larry Bird once admitted Magic Johnson fueled his fire to win NBA championships
Larry Bird is one the most iconic NBA players of all time. Still, unlike most players in that talented list, he has his name taken with another icon almost perenially—his rival from prep to pros - Earvin "Magic" Johnson.
Bird and MJ were destined to be mentioned in the same sentence since they played out the most iconic NCAA championship game ever in 1979. Johnson-led Michigan State Spartans beat Bird's Indiana State Sycamores 75-64, and two players would be "linked" for the rest of their pro careers.
Being drafted to each side of the biggest rivalry in basketball only helped hone the dialogue surrounding their personal rivalry, making it the storyline around which the NBA revolved.
Despite being bitter rivals, the duo has nothing but respect for each other, and their friendship, which became a matter of public adulation, is just proof of the same.
Even before being friends, it is clear that they impacted each other positively. Larry Bird identified Magic Johnson and his Lakers as the motivation to push himself harder and practice regularly.
At his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Larry Bird acknowledged his rival and the influence he had on his game.
"That made me work harder, knowing that Magic and I were going to be linked from '79 through our pro careers. I have to admit, I worked hard every day, practicing, for one reason - try to beat them d*mn Lakers," said Larry Bird as he admitted to how influential the desire to beat Magic Johnson and the Lakers was in motivating him on a daily basis.
In a day where social media taunts and jibes demarcate rivalries, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson take us back to rivalries that helped both individuals push each other to greatness. That seems to be a prerequisite to making a rivalry stick long in one's memory.
Time shall tell if today's rivalries shall be remembered, but Bird and Magic's rivalry fueled by mutual admiration is already etched deep in the NBA fabric.
"I've just seen the best basketball player I'm probably ever going to see" - Larry Bird after his first encounter with Magic Johnson
While such an assumption may have been premature in 1979, Larry Bird's hunch about Magic Johnson wasn't much off-target in hindsight. Johnson went on to establish himself as one of the greatest offensive minds to set foot in the league and finds himself in the GOAT conversation quite often.
Bird recounted meeting Magic Johnson for the first time on a basketball court.
"I can remember the first time I laid eyes on Magic Johnson. We played on an All-Star team back in college. I could not believe what I was seeing in practice. I actually thought I was a bad judge of talent because neither one of us got to play in the games.
"But I can remember going home and telling my older brother, I've just seen the best basketball player I'm probably ever going to see in my life," said Bird, describing his first thoughts on Magic Johnson.
"He started quizzing me, asked me questions. 'Well, How good is he?' He handled the ball like a five-nine guard and shoot the ball; he can pass. Like he can't believe, he goes, 'Oh, come on.' After this, 1979, the NCAA tournament, my brother comes up to me, says, 'Yeah, he's a lot better than you,'" Bird said.
Being recognized by your peers is a great achievement. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird certainly influenced each other's game in the best way possible.