Unexpectedly, Larry Bird Identified His Boston rival as his biggest rival…
During the Hall of Fame career of Larry Bird, the Boston Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers three times in the NBA Finals. When he and Magic Johnson graduated from college following their thrilling 1979 NCAA championship game, they delivered the NBA a shock. They revived the Celtics/Lakers rivalry and carried on their personal battle for 13 years at the professional level.
Bird talked back about his NBA career before his jersey was retired on Larry Bird Night in February 1993. He said something unexpected: the despised Lakers weren’t the Celtics’ main opponents.
Among sports’ biggest personal rivalry is the one between Bird and Magic. The Celtics and Lakers engaged in some of the most memorable matchups in NBA history as a result of their personal rivalry. Every year in the 1980s, the Lakers or the Celtics advanced to the NBA Finals. Three times they faced one another.
Despite playing on different sides of the nation, the two maintained in touch with one another.
“Every year when the new schedule was released,” Johnson said to Sports Illustrated in 1992, “I would take hold of it and mark the Boston games.” It was The Two and the other 80 for me. Throughout the season, I would start by looking at Larry’s line. I knew exactly what I would want that night if he had a triple-double. However, his huge ones, like when he got 20 rebounds, would really get to me. “I’d better get me 20 assists tonight,” I would say.
Every game, Bird would watch Johnson’s performance.
Throughout the season, Bird stated, “I would check the box scores first thing in the morning to see what Magic did.” I was indifferent to everything else.
Several thrilling NBA Finals matchups included the Celtics and Lakers. Even though they were vastly outplayed in 1984, the Celtics snatched the series. Boston was able to salvage a split in the first two games thanks to Gerald Henderson’s steal in Game 2. The Celtics utilized a Kevin McHale clotheslining of Kurt Rambis to turn the tide in Game 4 after losing badly in the previous game.
