LARRY BIRD & MAGIC JOHNSON: Magic Was HUMILIATED… Then He Got His Revenge

Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird, Magic Bird rivalry, Lakers vs Celtics, Showtime Lakers, Boston Celtics 1980s, 1979 NCAA championship, 1984 NBA Finals, Tragic Magic, Converse commercial French Lick, junior skyhook, Magic Johnson HIV announcement, Dream Team, NBA history, NBA legends. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird spent more than a decade trying to take everything from each other: one college title game and three NBA Finals. For most of those years they couldn't stand each other. Then, on November 7, 1991, one phone call to Boston showed what that hatred had turned into. This is the full story of the greatest rivalry in NBA history. It starts in Salt Lake City in 1979, when Magic's Michigan State beat Larry Bird's undefeated Indiana State in the highest-rated basketball game ever. Bird wins Rookie of the Year, Magic wins the title with 42 points at center in Game 6. Celtics vs Lakers, East vs West, Bird reading Magic's box scores every morning. The brutal 1984 NBA Finals: "played like sissies," Kevin McHale's clothesline on Kurt Rambis, the 97-degree Game 5 at Boston Garden, and the birth of "Tragic Magic." The Lakers' revenge in 1985. The Converse commercial in French Lick, Indiana, and the lunch with Larry Bird's mom that changed everything. Magic's junior skyhook in 1987 and Bird's famous words afterward. Bird's back and heels giving out. And the day Magic Johnson announced he was HIV positive, and the call he made to Larry Bird. ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 "We truly hated each other" 0:56 One college title game, three NBA Finals 1:18 Could Bird ever play with Magic? 2:01 1979: Michigan State vs Indiana State 3:03 Rookie of the Year vs a title 3:57 Magic's 42-point Game 6 at age 20 4:14 Black vs white, East vs West 5:20 Rivals 3,000 miles apart 5:45 "Cheesy Johnson" 6:17 Reading Magic's box scores 7:09 1984 Finals: "played like sissies" 8:26 McHale clotheslines Rambis 8:43 The 97-degree Game 5 9:18 "Tragic Magic" 10:39 Who really talked trash in Boston? 11:50 1985: the Lakers finally beat Boston 12:06 The Converse commercial 13:21 Larry Bird's coldness 14:17 Magic flies to French Lick 15:32 Lunch with Georgia Bird 16:25 Bird's three MVPs, Magic's first 17:35 1987: Magic's junior skyhook 18:04 "He's the best I've ever seen" 18:37 Bird's body breaks down 19:50 November 7, 1991 21:11 Inside the Lakers 22:07 The list of phone calls 23:20 The call to Boston 24:37 Barcelona, No. 33 and the Hall of Fame ❓ QUESTIONS THIS VIDEO ANSWERS Why did Magic Johnson and Larry Bird hate each other? How did Magic and Bird become friends? What happened in the 1979 NCAA championship game? Why was Magic Johnson called "Tragic Magic"? What happened at the Converse commercial in French Lick? What did Larry Bird say about Magic after the 1987 Finals? How did Larry Bird react to Magic's HIV announcement? Who won the Magic vs Bird rivalry? Magic Johnson Larry Bird rivalry explained, Magic Bird hated each other, Magic Bird friendship story, Lakers Celtics rivalry 1980s, 1979 Michigan State Indiana State final, 1984 Finals Celtics Lakers, Tragic Magic 1984, Kevin McHale Kurt Rambis clothesline, Converse commercial Magic Bird French Lick, Larry Bird mom lunch Magic, Magic Johnson junior skyhook 1987, Magic Johnson HIV announcement 1991, Larry Bird jersey retirement Magic speech, NBA rivalry documentary. 🔔 Subscribe to Locker Leaks for more NBA stories. #MagicJohnson #LarryBird #LakersCeltics #NBAHistory #Showtime