Larry Bird discusses his reluctance to collaborate with Magic…
The legendary Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics never considered playing alongside Magic Johnson. Instead of sharing a locker room and sweeping the NBA, they would rather be competitors.
“It was fun to compete with Magic,” Bird said to NBA Europe. “I genuinely did, and I believe he would concur. We were fairly close friends, but as soon as you stepped onto that court, everything changed.”
Despite Magic’s 2-1 record against Bird in the Finals, Larry had no intention of teaming up with the man who had denied him two NBA titles. For the Hall of Famer going ahead, their rivalry held greater significance, and he was unwilling to give it up.
“I had more fun defeating him than I have ever had defeating anyone, even though he had an incredible career and numerous championships. What would I have if I didn’t have that, except from a few championships? This goes way back; we started in college,” Bird remarked.
The rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics had historical significance when they were teammates. Respecting that, Bird and Magic continued where Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Bill Russell had left off.
“The Lakers and the Celtics were battling back in the ’60s,” Larry stated. “This was merely a carryover, but my, was it enjoyable. It was excellent.”
The NBA landscape of today is distinct. Superstars forming alliances is the norm; loyalists are the exception. Many former players take issue with it, but not Larry Bird—at least not entirely.
“They must carry out their obligations. Part of it makes sense to me. Even though we play in separate leagues, I don’t think Michael or Earvin would have wanted to play with Magic. Naturally, Michael entered the league a little later than the rest of us, but as for Earvin and myself, I can assure you that he would prefer to play against rather than with me “said Bird.
In response to the question of whether he would consider playing alongside Michael Jordan, Magic made a similar statement. Johnson would have loved to remain with the team that had picked him, particularly because he consistently had a strong enough supporting group to prevail.
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