Competition is what fuels the game of basketball. And when the best go at it, it is a treat for the NBA fans. Back in the 80s, two of the biggest stars, Michael Jordan ad Magic Johnson, were in a battle to see who was the best. And both the guys had something the other didn’t. Taking to his Instagram story, Shaquille O’Neal lived back this rivalry for the fans. He shared an interview where both the guys admitted their jealousy for each other, which fueled one of the greatest rivalries in NBA history.

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics dominated the NBA in the 80s era. Both these teams would constantly make the trip to the NBA finals and kept going back and forth. Larry Bird and Magic were the faces of these franchises. Bird, a three-time champion with the Celtics, has one of the most iconic rivalries with Johnson. But then came a young Michael Jordan.

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Shaquille O’Neal took to his Instagram stories to share the inside of this rivalry. He shared a clip of an interview where both Jordan and Magic came out clean.

Shaquille O’Neal relives the Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan rivalry

Jordan was quickly swarming up the NBA fans as he rose to stardom by the day. It didn’t take much time for his game to woo various industrial giants. He became the face of several brands and had a bag full of endorsement deals right with him. However, while Magic had the persona and the face, he never got that treatment. The jealousy between the two kept growing, and this became the basis of their rivalry.

One of the things that made both Jordan and Magic Johnson the best was their ruthless competitiveness. They both wanted to win. And it didn’t matter where it was. So, the Lakers legend admitted how he was jealous of MJ bagging all the endorsement deals when he was the man in the NBA. On the other hand, MJ was yet to get the taste of an NBA championship, and he wanted to go through Magic for it.

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While Johnson never got the chance to win the endorsement battle, Jordan lived up to his word. He proved to Magic why he was the best player in the world after beating him in the Finals in 1991.

Air Jordan dominated the entire series, averaging 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game. After that, the final straw came when they teamed up together during the 1992 Olympics. The Dream Team became icons overnight, but this rivalry had one final chapter. It was here that Johnson admitted to losing his seat as the best player in basketball at the time.

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Jordan followed up his 1991 triumph with two more championships for the Bulls and an Olympic gold as well. Surprisingly, he went into retirement after the three-peat, but he couldn’t stay away from the competition.

His Airness returned in 1995 and achieved another three-peat to solidify himself as one of the greatest players, if not the greatest in basketball history.

What do you think of the rivalry between MJ and Magic? Let us know your views in the comments below.