Larry bird vs magic johnson

Before they were enemies, they were All-American teammates for 5 days, thrust against teams from the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Yugoslavia at the World Invitational Tournament. At the time, Bird and Magic were second-stringers on larry bird vs magic johnson U. But few predicted the duo would soon explode as college stars, professional rivals, and later on, close friends.

There are few basketball players who are as memorable as Magic Johnson. Magic was a one-of-a-kind basketball genius: a 6-foot 9-inch Point Guard PG , with amazing offensive capabilities. Even today, he is considered one of the most gifted players in the history of the game. Per game, Bird scored During the playoffs, while Bird scored 0. Meaning, Magic always performed better during playoff time, when the money was on the table, as proven in game 6 of his rookie season. This is why he has two more championships over Bird.

Larry bird vs magic johnson

The film makes an argument that without the massive media attention that was placed on the rivalry that Johnson and Bird had, the NBA might not have made it through the s following the merger with the ABA , among other things. Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird were rivals on the basketball court but unlikely friends off of it. Bird had been selected as an underclassman by the Boston Celtics at the 6 spot in the draft , but opted to play his senior season at Indiana State before signing the richest rookie contract to that time in a team sport. The Celtics took the championship in , the Lakers took it back in The Celtics would win again in , while the Lakers would win the title in both and The careers of both men were cut short, Johnson by his diagnosis with HIV and Bird by a debilitating back injury. This HBO Films documentary follows the two men from the early days of their rivalry up through their present day friendship. The film also explores the deep racial issues as a major part of the rivalry between both Magic and Bird and the Lakers and Celtics generally. Bird's designation as "The Great White Hope" was a role he did not want to play. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version.

Emerging from a thriving college sports scene, the clean and fresh-faced rookies went to work, re-energizing a tattered NBA.

Star Comparison Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. Who scored more points in his career? Who averaged more points in playoffs? Who won more championships? Who led the season more times?

Nothing is likely to draw bigger ratings than the drama of LeBron James , Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh competing for the title in their first season together. They were a bridge between the old and the new, their impact inseparable from the place both pro basketball and the country were when they emerged into the spotlight three decades ago. From to , the NBA had transformed from all-white to majority black, from a stolid half-court game to one played full court, on the run and above the rim. During the s, after the retirement of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, the league fell into the doldrums, failing to land a good television contract and playing to half-full arenas. At the same time, stories spread about widespread cocaine use in the league.

Larry bird vs magic johnson

Both were great players, but which player has the advantage. Even today people still talk about Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Both players were something special and were a one in a million player. Both also fitted the two types of fans of the NBA at least at the time. One half liked teams that were blue collar and played more of an old school basketball the Celtics. The other half loved watching the fast breaks and high octane offense of the Showtime Lakers. Today we will break down the star player for both teams and decide which one is better.

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This HBO Films documentary follows the two men from the early days of their rivalry up through their present day friendship. Before they were enemies, they were All-American teammates for 5 days, thrust against teams from the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Yugoslavia at the World Invitational Tournament. The only aspect of the game in which the two truly differ was defense. Larry Bird With Bird, the Celtics shot from 29 wins to 60 wins in a regular season. Please log in or register to add your comment. Sports MLB baseball. Emerging from a thriving college sports scene, the clean and fresh-faced rookies went to work, re-energizing a tattered NBA. His parents divorced when he was in high school and his mother worked 2 jobs to support him and his 5 siblings. Larry Bird 8. Field Goal Percentage Larry Bird. The Celtics would win again in , while the Lakers would win the title in both and Stats prove that both players were complete players, meaning both did well in most aspects of the game such as scoring, rebounding, assists , each in his own way. Led by Bird who would be unanimously voted Player of the Year, the Sycamores managed an undefeated record of when they got to the national stage.

Magic Johnson. Answering that question would take—and has taken—decades, but it never hurts to dive into the numbers.

Comments No comments on this story Please log in to comment by clicking here. Rookie of The Year Larry Bird. Total Blocks Larry Bird. In his first year, Magic averaged 18 points, 7. Inevitably during their careers, racial overtones surfaced. His spirit and mentality positively affected the entire team. At the Regional Finals, Indiana State defeated Arkansas with just a 2-point margin before overcoming DePaul at the Final Four in an equally tight game Before they were enemies, they were All-American teammates for 5 days, thrust against teams from the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Yugoslavia at the World Invitational Tournament. Bird may have been an amazing small forward, but he was a rather conventional one. Ezra Edelman. Do you shop on Amazon? Though, the Celtics fell to the Philadelphia 76ers at the Conference. Larry Bird 0 Magic Johnson 2. It includes NBA Championships, seasons, playoffs, awards, statistical data for points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and percentages.