Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, two Hall of Famers in the NBA, held a mutual hatred throughout their careers, but it never overshadowed the tremendous shared respect they had. Their intense rivalry guided the NBA’s rise to popularity in the ’80s, leading to a strong, lasting relationship beyond the basketball court. In 1985, Magic Johnson admitted that he had a genuine hatred for Larry Bird, but it all changed in 1985. Despite being fierce opponents in the game, the friendship that blossomed between NBA legends Magic Johnson and Larry Bird off the court is quite heartwarming.
In the 1980s, the “golden era” of the NBA, basketball superstars Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson had an intense rivalry that elevated the entire league. After years of hating each other, the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was based on the Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson hatred in the 80s. Larry says they didn’t even shake hands post a match. While Johnson and Bird had a fierce rivalry during their career’s early years, especially on the court, the basketball stars eventually developed a friendship. According to Magic Johnson, their friendship was one of the greatest rivalries of all time.
The best rivalries aren’t about hate; the best rivalries are about respect. And the very best end up being about something much more. Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson never really hated each other. They were great friends, but hated each other early in their careers playing for the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics, respectively. However, they respect each other and are friendly.
📹 The REAL Reason Larry Bird Was HATED So Much.
The REAL Reason Larry Bird Was HATED So Much.. Welcome to Latest Hoops in this video, we will be delving into the …
Who did Magic Johnson fear?
Magic Johnson, known for his exceptional skills and charisma, faced significant challenges from his rival Larry Bird in the NBA. Despite Bird’s lack of grace and athleticism, Magic acknowledged that he feared him every time they faced off. Throughout his career, Magic viewed Bird as the only player he was afraid of, a sign of deep respect for his opponent’s style of play. He expressed his admiration for Bird, stating that he spent sleepless nights preparing for him and that the highest respect one can pay to any player is fearing him. This deep respect for Bird’s determination and unwavering determination to win was evident in their unusual relationship and their mutual respect.
Who made more money, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson?
Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Patrick Ewing were some of the NBA players who have achieved significant salary milestones. Bird earned $5 million in 1991-92, Johnson $10 million in 94-95, Ewing $15 million in 95-96, Jordan signed a contract worth over $20 million and $30 million in a season in 1996-97, and Jordan set the record for the largest 1-year contract in NBA history in 1997-98. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James also reached significant milestones, with James becoming the third in 2016-17.
Do Magic and Larry get along?
It is not uncommon for former archrivals in the National Basketball Association (NBA) to form unexpected friendships after the conclusion of their professional careers. They engage in discourse pertaining to their shared Midwestern values, affinity for competition, and the fortuitous friendship that was forged following the conclusion of their respective careers.
Was Larry Bird as good as Magic Johnson?
Magic’s regular season stats are impressive but not significantly different from Larry Bird’s, with Bird scoring 24. 3 points, 10 rebounds, and 6. 3 assists per game. However, Magic’s playoff stats are better, with Magic delivering one more assist and picking 0. 5 more rebounds per game. This performance is why he has two more championships over Bird.
Bird, a conventional small forward, was a tall player who played closer to the rim, focused on rebounding, and rarely dribbled. Magic, on the other hand, revolutionized the point guard position and the game itself. He was a tall all-around point guard who handled the ball with great talent, passing it perfectly, taking it to the rim, and rebounding. Magic also transformed the game from a solid half-court game to one played on a full court, on the run, and above the rim.
Bird played with a group of players whose collective talent was no match for Magic’s teammates, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, a No. 1 draft pick, three-time NBA champion, and one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.
Who won more, Magic or Bird?
Larry Bird has been victorious in three championship competitions throughout the course of his professional basketball career.
Is LeBron better then Larry Bird?
The Athletic has ranked Bird as the seventh-best player in NBA history, a significant achievement. Despite being considered underrated, Bird’s career is comparable to LeBron James’, who has four championships, four MVPs, and the most points in the league’s history. Bird, who struggled to win his first championship during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was a champion by his second season and had more team success during his first few seasons. Despite the different league landscapes during their respective eras, Bird’s success speaks volumes for him.
Who did Magic Johnson apologize to?
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Did Larry ever beat Magic?
In the 1990s, Los Angeles and Boston reached every NBA Finals, with Johnson and Bird facing off three times in the championship series. Johnson won two of the three matchups, becoming two of the greatest players of all time and ultimately in the Hall of Fame. Despite their friendship and appreciation, fans from that era remain entrenched in their stances, with fans either on Team Magic or Team Bird. This article provides stats for these basketball legends to add facts to the debates.
What is the lowest paid player in the NBA?
Mouhamed Gueye, the 39th pick in the 2023 National Basketball Association draft, is currently the lowest-paid player in the league. Subsequently, he was traded to the Boston Celtics and then to the Atlanta Hawks, where he signed a four-year, $7. 64 million rookie contract. This remuneration is considerably less than that of Kyrie Irving, who is currently receiving $51, 915, 615 for this term as part of his four-year contract with the Golden State Warriors.
Are Larry Bird and Michael Jordan friends?
It is worth noting that the two men frequently engaged in golfing activities together during the 1990s, which coincided with both Bird’s tenure as coach and Jordan’s period of playing.
Why was Magic Johnson kicked out of the NBA?
Ervin “Magic” Johnson Jr., an American businessman and former professional basketball player, was known for his contributions to the NBA and the Olympics. He was a five-time NBA champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and 12 times NBA All-Star. Johnson was also a member of the NBA All-Rookie Team and was a consensus first-team All-American. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten player and a McDonald’s All-American.
Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing he had contracted HIV. However, he returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996 at age 36 to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.
Johnson’s career was marked by success, including being the first overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft and leading the Lakers to five NBA championships during their “Showtime” era. After announcing his HIV diagnosis, Johnson announced his retirement in a press conference on November 7, 1991.
📹 Magic Johnson is still pissed Larry Bird won Rookie of the Year | Ep. 57 | CLUB SHAY SHAY
Shannon Sharpe sits down with 5x NBA Champion Earvin “Magic” Johnson to discuss his fierce rivalry with Larry Bird and the …
Man I enjoyed this one, Magic and Kareem are the first Basketball players I ever remember perusal with my pops and that year the Lakers won the second Chip, Larry Bird also was my favorite as well. Great times and that Larry Bird was a monster, People don’t understand how smart and how great he was, Larry Legend.
Larry Bird turned around Boston in his first year with a much inferior team to the lakers. Celtics won 29 games the year before Bird and won 61 the next year with Rookie Larry Bird, and this was before Mchale, Parish, DJ. It’s one of the best rookie impacts in NBA history and they won the NBA Title the next year. Magic joined a very good team. He made them great but Larry had the greatest impact that year.
I’ll never forget that commercial seeing it for the first time, so awesome, those old Converse shoes, and Larry and Magic. I wish more people would talk about the truth about them, as great as Jordan was, and even Lebron now, even Kobe, none of those guys had the reflexes and hand eye coordination that Bird and Magic had.
Slightly revisionist. Most people don’t know that Magic is 3 years younger than Bird. Bird’s rookie season was a borderline MVP season, while Magic’s was a borderline ALL-NBA season. The fact that Magic had 1 monstrous all-time game in the finals. A game on the level that he wouldn’t even have for the next 3 years. And now everyone is trying to pretend that Magic was the same level as Bird when they started. Bird from 1988 onward wasn’t in Magic’s league either, but don’t pretend that their on court impact was similar when they came into the league.
Love hearing Magic talking about the good old days. He and Bird did save Basketball. I wasn’t a fan of Basketball back then, but it’s when i first started taking some interest in it. I grew up on the side of a mountain in a coal camp. We kids back then considered Basketball a game for sissy’s, but later on i realized how tough it was!
Shannon drives me nuts sometimes but the man puts in the work. I have never seen him in a interview with someone and looked like he was out classed. For him to know something about players back in 1978 shows he deserves all the success he has received. People see his larger than life personality and thinks he just drops in and wings it. What we see him Do looks fun but trust me it takes so much time and effort to get on his level. He will stand alone soon as the best at what he does. He passed skip and is on the heels of SAS.
Well, Magic, you’re wrong because my Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Championship in 1983 and the 1989 Detroit Pistons did it too. We also went in 1980 because Philly is still the only city with all 4 major teams to go to their respective sports Championships in the same year. The Phillies were the only winner of the bunch.
A lot of ignorant nephews on here saying Magic Johnson couldn’t shoot. He was a career 85% free throw shooter, his career field goal percentage was 52%. And his last three years in the NBA after he had a chance to develop three-point shot, he shot 35% from 3. (Better than Jordan!) Those are not Larry Bird numbers, but those are good shooting numbers.
Larry Bird stories are straight platinum, and probably my favorite of any athlete.. I was a witness. They are all true. That being said, the best Larry Bird story teller is Magic. By far.. Second best Bird storyteller would be Barkley.. I could listen to Magic tell Bird stories all day/ Never gets old…
I grew up in Portland – Blazers fan. We sometimes got a Blazer game on TV; there were 5 websites back then. When Bird and the Celtics played, we watched. When Magic and Kareem and the Lakers played, we watched. When Dr J or Joe Montana or Reggie Jackson or Jack Nicklaus or Gretzky or McEnroe played, we watched. Those players taught me to not be a baby – just keep playing. 🍻
That season, I’d say the voting per their regular season performances should have been a 38-28/40-26 type deal. Larry fairly won it, but Magic had a very comparable rookie season to what Bird did. Magic should’ve made 2nd team all nba that year tho, that’s where the voting truly failed that year. Dennis Johnson? Who??? Dan Roundfield? Again, who??? Maybe Kareem winning MVP stole the thunder from him and Jamaal Wilkes, bc they both should’ve been voted onto it over those two. Edit: actually give it to Cedric Maxwell, that was a quietly nice season.
Nice interview with NBA basketball player Earvin Johnson of LA Lakers talking to Shannon Sharpe. Earvin story was funny about NBA basketball player Larry Bird of Boston wanting Earvin to have lunch food at Larry house in Indiana when they filmed a television commercial for Converse shoes. Larry said to Earvin that Larry mother had made lunch food. Earvin said i can’t reject Larry when Larry mother made lunch food LOL. Earvin Johnson, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Shawn Kemp are my favorite NBA basketball players.
Larry Bird got ripped off in the Rookie of the Year voting. He should have gotten all the votes. Rookie Bird finished fourth in the MVP voting and was first team All-NBA. Magic was a rookie playing with Kareem who was the league MVP and dominated all season. Bird clearly was the superior rookie and player. Magic had one great game in the playoffs and it was very special. However, it was just one great game. Bird had an unbelievable season and shocked the entire league.
I love ya Magic but c’mon man, you got 5 championships, your an all time great, you beat Larry 2-1 in the finals rivalry. I’d say you did well for yourself. I consider Magic the overall best Laker of all time. Kobe is in that discussion, Kareem as well but Magic preceded over the greatest era of Lakers basketball ever. I’d say that makes him the greatest Laker ever.
I hate when all the discussions happen about how good today’s players are at such a young age; no one in any professional sport has ever approached what Magic Johnson did his rookie year. Imagine, the best player in the NBA gets hurt in game 5 of the NBA finals and can’t play in game 6. Magic Johnson as a 20 year old point guard only two seasons removed from his senior year of high school is asked to step in to those shoes and he ends up playing all 5 positions on the floor dropping 42 pts, grabbing 15 boards, and dishing 7 assists to secure the championship. No one has ever come close to matching that accomplishment.