Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird: The Rivalry That Saved the NBA

There are rivalries and then there is Magic & Bird. Before Michael Jordan ruled every conversation, before LeBron and Kobe split the internet, there were two men on opposite coasts who turned a struggling league into the biggest basketball show on earth.

Where It Started

The rivalry didn't start in the NBA, it began in March of 1979 on a college court in Salt Lake City.

Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans beat Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA Championship game, setting the all-time record for the highest-rated television audience for college basketball.

The two men then continued their duel for the next decade, but this time, at a much higher level.

The Debate on Statistics

Bird averaged 24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game during his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 88.6 percent from the free-throw line.

Magic averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 11.2 assists in his 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, the highest career assist average in NBA history.

They were different players for different reasons, but both could arguably be said to be the best in the world at what they did.

MVP Trophies & Domination At Its Best

Bird was the first non-center in NBA history to win three straight regular season MVP awards, 1984-86.

He joined a club that then included only Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Eventually Magic caught up to him, winning his three MVPs in 1987, 1989 and 1990.

Before one of those announcements, Magic told the Los Angeles Times, referring to Bird's lead over him in the MVP race, "Right now, he's 3 and I'm 0. That bothers me a little.”

Championships

And this is where Magic wins. During Magic's stint with the Lakers, they won five titles, in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

The Celtics won three with Bird, in 1981, 1984 and 1986.

Magic also won three Finals MVP awards compared to Bird's two. They met in the NBA Finals three times and the Celtics won in 1984 and the Lakers won the next two in 1985 and 1987.

What They Did For The Sport

Perhaps the biggest number in this entire debate is not a statistic. It was these two men that made television ratings and arena attendances soar in the 1980s.

At the beginning of the decade, the NBA was in a bad spot, with low TV ratings and credibility issues.

Magic and Bird made it mainstream. The Lakers-Celtics games were important occasions. Every single contest was personal.

The league owes both of them a debt it can never repay.

The Verdict

Magic was more versatile, and also won more rings. Bird was arguably the more complete scorer and the tougher competitor mentally.

You could easily make the case for either as the better player and you wouldn't be wrong

But this is not an argument: The NBA as we know it today wouldn’t exist without both of them.