Why Bird VS Magic Might Have Been The Greatest Rivalry In NBA History

There are a lot of NBA fans who should still be familiar with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. After all, both were NBA stars who remained involved in professional basketball even after their retirement. On top of that, Bird and Johnson had what might be the single greatest rivalry in NBA history.

The Rivalry Started Up in College

Some NBA rivalries start in the NBA itself. Bird and Johnson's rivalry started up in college basketball when Johnson and Michigan State beat Johnson and Indiana State at the NCAA finals in 1979. It is the kind of thing that one would expect from story books than from real life.

It Was an Exciting Clash of Contrasts

It has been hypothesized that the rivalry got so much attention because it was a clash of contrasts in many ways. Race was one of them. However, Bird was also seen as being representative of Boston grit while Johnson was also seen as being representative of Hollywood showmanship. Whatever the case, their rivalry revived the NBA, which had undergone a decade of decline before their arrival on the scene.

They Are Good Friends

What is particularly nice about the two's rivalry is that Bird and Johnson went on to become very good friends. Amusingly, the catalyst for their friendship was the filming of a Converse shoe commercial that depicted them as enemies. In time, Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony. Similarly, Bird was the one who inducted Johnson when the latter had his Hall of Fame ceremony.