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Magic Johnson and Larry Bird saved the NBA in the 1980s by having one of the greatest rivalries in all of sport. Johnson and Bird were great friends, but hated each other early in their careers playing for the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics, respectively.
In an interview on "The Dan Patrick Show," Johnson revealed that it took some time before he became friends with Bird. Their rivalry really started at the 1979 NCAA championship between Johnson's Michigan State and Bird's Indiana State. They only became friends after shooting a commercial for Converse in 1985.
"We were so much alike and then we shot a commercial," Johnson said.
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"In the early beginning, we hated each other. We had to because he ended up on the Celtics, I ended up on the Lakers. You knew there was going to be hatred's there because the Celtics had beat the Lakers seven straight times (in the NBA Finals).
"They beat us in '84, so I had to hate him. I had to hate the Celtics. And then we shot the commercial, I believe in '87 (1985 actually), at his house in French Lick, Indiana, that when we became friends. That's when we finally said, 'We're more alike than we are different.'"
The friendship that developed between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird continued for the rest of their careers. According to a report by NPR, Bird was one of the first players Johnson called when he was diagnosed with HIV.
When the LA Lakers retired Johnson's jersey in 1992, one of the special guests was Bird. When the Boston Celtics retired Bird's jersey a year later, Johnson returned the favor and even wore a Celtics shirt underneath his Lakers warmups.
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Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry
The rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird started before they entered the NBA in 1979. The duo captivated the nation as collegiate players, with Johnson representing Michigan State and Bird repping Indiana State.
They faced off in the 1979 NCAA championship, with Johnson getting the upper hand by helping the Spartans lift the national title. Bird followed it up by winning the Rookie of the Year over Johnson, who later won his first NBA championship and first NBA Finals MVP trophy.
Johnson and Bird met at the NBA Finals three times in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Bird won their first meeting in seven games, winning the NBA Finals MVP. Johnson evened the series after helping the LA Lakers win the following year.
In 1987, Johnson won their third and final meeting by hitting his famous "baby hook" to beat the Boston Celtics in a pivotal Game 4. The Lakers triumphed in six games to win their fourth NBA championship of the decade.
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