There will always be a connection between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as we reflect on the history of basketball. The NBA was on the verge of extinction until the competing colleges took their rivalry to the NBA. Their matches defined the 1980s, during which time the pair won eight titles together.
Unfortunately, though, sickness and injuries put an end to the long-standing rivalry, with Magic retiring in 1992 and Bird departing the next season. In celebration of perhaps their team’s greatest-ever player, Bird’s retirement, Boston went all out, even closing the Boston Garden. There was magic involved in the events as well.
Magic Johnson’s admiration for Larry Bird
Johnson soon took the stage for the eagerly awaited sit-down between the two. Johnson had taken off his suit in favor of Lakers sweats, but there was a surprise waiting beneath. Returning the favor from his retirement, Bird. He was wearing a Celtics shirt underneath, Magic revealed. The two authors of “When the Game Was Ours” write a detailed account of that evening. A passage from the book says,
“As the two legends bantered onstage during the ceremony, Bird suddenly lunged towards Magic and ripped open the Lakers warm-up jacket to reveal Celtics green. The Boston fans howled with delight. Magic, matching Bird’s gesture from his own retirement, presented him with a piece of the Forum floor signed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor.”
Johnson even made a joke about “all those other guys you don’t care about” when he handed out the gift, referring to the former Lakers players who had signed the piece of hardwood. In answer, Bird laughed.
Magic declared his Boston opponent to be “the greatest player” he has ever faced during the ceremony. Jerry West concurred with Magic when he said that Bird was the greatest.
