The NBA’s 1980s boom was driven by the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It brought the league back from the brink of extinction to previously unheard-of levels of popularity. The intense games between Magic’s LA Lakers and Bird’s Boston Celtics were central to the phenomenon that brought the NBA to the attention of the general public. Their rivalry developed into an incredible friendship through hardship that rocked the sports world.
Magic Johnson was still a tremendous player in the summer of 1991, posing numerous difficulties for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Since he didn’t appear to be slowing down, the news shocked the NBA, especially his rival Larry Bird. Expand Tweet.
On November 7, 1991, the five-time Lakers champion declared in a tearful press conference that he was retiring from basketball because of HIV. Johnson appeared to be enjoying a successful career before receiving the shocking news; he had just won back-to-back championships in the 1987 and 1988 seasons. Additionally, he guided the Tinseltown team to another Finals game, which they unfortunately lost to the Bad Boys Pistons.
When the heartbreaking news arrived, the competitive rivals discovered for themselves how strong and profound their friendship had grown. Although Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s careers were coming to an end, their friendship has remained strong to this day.
After hanging up their jerseys, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird will always be connected in the world of basketball and their individual careers. There has been no escaping their fate as enduring rivals ever since Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans defeated Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the 1979 NCAA Finals.
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