Forty-five years ago today, NBA and basketball fans in general were witnessing the beginning stages of one of the greatest sports rivalries of all time. We’re not just talking about the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. We are talking about Bird versus Magic! For those youngins out there, this was the original version of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. A rivalry that would begin in college and spill out to two phenomenal Hall of Fame careers! Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans defeated Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the 1979 College Basketball National Championship, sparking a rivalry that would dominate the 1980s.
Larry Bird Named 1980 Rookie of the Year
Larry Bird was drafted 6th overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978. Now you may be asking yourself, “Self, if he was drafted in 1978, how the hell was he Rookie of the Year in 1980?” Well, here is your answer. Since Bird transferred from Indiana University to Indiana State, he was granted one more year of eligibility. Magic would be drafted number one overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, following winning the college title. Setting up a volcano, ready to erupt in the NBA universe.
After the loss in the National Championship the previous year, “The Great White Hope” put the NBA on notice, averaging 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. He would get some personal revenge on Magic as he dominated the Rookie of the Year voting. Johnson would have finished in second, but this vote wasn’t close. No recount was needed, and there were no missing ballots from Florida. Bird won the award by a landslide, receiving 63 votes to Magic’s 3. “The Hick from French Lick” may have won the individual award, but more importantly, Johnson got the last laugh by becoming an NBA Champion in his rookie season.
Bird vs Magic The Ultimate Rivalry
Before there was Clark vs. Reese, Manning vs. Brady, Rock vs. Stone Cold, Tiger vs. Phil, Shawn vs. Bret, or Mikey vs. One-eyed Willie, there was Bird vs. Magic. The rivalry that started in college bled over to the NBA and lasted throughout the 1980s. Not only did they meet at the top of the college mountain in 1979, but they met there three more times in the NBA Finals. The Celtics and Bird would get the best of the Lakers in their first meeting in 1984, winning the championship in seven games. Magic would then one-up his adversary by winning in both 1985 and 1987.
These two franchises dominated the 1980s, and they were the faces of those teams. What does dominance look like? Well, most consider a decade to be ten years; of those ten years, the Lakers and Celtics won eight championships between the two. To make the rivalry even more intriguing, both teams were pretty even with a 5-3 split. With most great rivalries, there is usually an ultimate respect between the two parties. Bird and Magic were no different and would eventually put their competitive differences aside, joining forces on the USA “Dream Team.” The Dream Team is still considered the greatest team ever assembled.
Final Thoughts
Rivalries like this are rare these days. Most college superstars don’t stay long enough at their respective schools to develop a rival like this. It’s a shame because sports thrive on storylines like these. If you were to ask NBA fans in 2005 for their top-5 players of all time, there is no doubt these two players would be on the list right behind Michael Jordan.
“Larry Legend” wasn’t only a standout on the court for his phenomenal shooting and unorthodox style of play, but also for his legendary trash talk. Ask anyone who was a fan or player in the ’80s, and they would tell you that his smack talk during the game was on a whole other level. Today we mark 45 years of Larry becoming a legend!
