For decades, Stephen A. Smith has unapologetically placed Michael Jordan #1 in every major category. But the veteran ESPN reporter knows that before MJ took his first step in the league, it was Magic Johnson and Larry Bird who carried the league on their shoulders.
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“A source text sent me this, reminding me of the championship with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. When they first came into the league, the championship was on tape delay. When Magic Johnson dropped 42 and 15 playing center because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar couldn’t go into game six,” stated Smith.” Franchise values had declined, and they were struggling. There was a perceived imagery involving d—s, c—-e, etc. And the objective was: how to unify?
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird led the transformation. That’s why one could easily argue they’re more responsible for the success of the NBA than Michael Jordan, because even though Michael Jordan certainly did an immense amount of things in promoting the game and provoking international and global appeal, it had to start somewhere.
Michael Jordan could not have done what he did if it were not for Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. He was able to take the NBA to another level. Certainly assisted Magic and Bird, who dominated the 80s.”
Stephen A. Smith explained the rise of the NBA eloquently. No doubt, Michael Jordan took it to the next level. But amid the racial issues and poor finances of the league, it was the Bird-Magic rivalry that led the NBA to become a household name. The league benefited from this since the two stars continued to be rivals from their collegiate days.
Imago
Larry Bird (re.) und Earvin Magic Johnson (beide USA) im Vorfeld des 30j
It was in 1979 when Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans defeated Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA championship game. That night pulled 35.1 million viewers, and it remains one of the most-watched basketball broadcasts in American television history. From there, their stories were intertwined forever.
Both entered the NBA that same year, drafted by franchises that already had a deep-seated rivalry: the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. One of the other Magic Johnson or Larry Bird would feature in the NBA finals for 10 straight years. That decade, they shaped the league’s future, backed by their individual excellence and team success.
Michael Jordan also gave credit to Bird-Magic
They met three times in the NBA Finals, with Bird winning the first battle in 1984 before Johnson responded with championships in 1985 and 1987. But what fueled MJ was their early success in their careers. The Bulls legend did not win an NBA championship six years into his career. Johnson won the first of his five titles as a rookie in 1980, with Bird winning the first of three in ’81, his second season.
When His Airness achieved that feat with his first title, he explained the emotions behind it in ‘The Last Dance.’ “At last I fit somewhere in the category of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson,” he said. “(It) ate at me, it did. It did. My energy started to gear towards my teammates and pushing them to excel.” By that time, MJ already established himself as one of the greats in the league.
But to achieve the status of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, he knew he had to win. Thus, the three-peat and even the success of the 1992 Dream Team.