“I’m not gonna let this guy upstage me” Magic Johnson reflects on playing with Larry Bird on the same team

“I’m not gonna let this guy upstage me” Magic Johnson reflects on playing with Larry Bird on the same team

Magic Johnson with Rival and friend Larry Bird

NBA legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson have been fierce rivals for a long time during their playing days. There are very few know that both the NBA greats were teammates back in 1978 when a team of college basketball’s best players was assembled to compete in an international tournament. That event marked the beginning of the legacy for both individuals and their rivalry, which led to a beautiful friendship.

Magic Johnson at the NBA75 enshrinement
Magic Johnson at the NBA75 enshrinement

In the book ‘When the game was ours,’ the LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson opened up on his time playing alongside a competitive person. Little did he know Larry would go on and become his future rival. Magic said, “I’m not going to let this guy upstage me. It was an incredible three seconds of basketball. It was boom, boom, boom! I’m thinking, ‘Man, I love playing with this guy!’ And believe me, the crowd loved it too.”

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Magic Johnson’s primary focus was to come out as one of the best, especially when both were playing for the same team. This initiated a rivalry between Magic and Larry. The legendary duo is considered a pioneer of the NBA league in the 80s when the game wasn’t familiar to the crowd.

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Magic Johnson and Larry Bird have been successful in keeping their friendship intact

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson

In the decades when NBA greats Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were leading their respective teams, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, to dominance, people only talked about the growing rivalry. Only a few knew that a friendship was building, too, and this friendship has remained intact even after many seasons passing. Johnson and Bird continue to celebrate their company and their rivalry even now.

They were also announced as co-recipients of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. They shared fun banter at the NBA Awards ceremony, proving how far they’ve come since after the Converse commercial shoot. Very rarely do rivals end up having the most vital friendship and Magic and Larry are a perfect example of this. Everyone will hope their company continues to grow deeper in the coming time.

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