“Get Some F**king Rest”: 6ft 9″ Larry Bird Bullied College Kids After Teaming Up With Rival Magic Johnson

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson may just be the most fierce rivals ever witnessed. The two dominated the entire 80s and early 90s with their exceptional style of play. This earned them a much-deserved spot on the historical Dream Team of 1992. The team also included a few college students. The young players after a scrimmage believed they could beat the NBA superstars until Bird and Johnson burst their imaginary bubble.

Traditionally, Olympics disallowed NBA players from participating in the summer games. So, top college students would instead represent the US in the prestigious tournament.

However, in 1992, the Olympics, for the first time, allowed NBA players to participate. Widely believed to be the greatest team ever assembled, Team USA in 1992 included some of the biggest names in history.

Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Scottie Pippen were just some of the few names on the incredible team.

So, during one practice, the younger college players ended up chewing more than they could bite. The duo of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird bullied them until they recognized the vast difference in skill.

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Larry Bird and Magic Johnson teamed up

To any fan, the idea of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson was a dream come true. But for certain college students in 1992, it turned out to be their greatest fear.

In an interview, former NBA player Jamal Mashburn revealed the story in detail. While on the Knucklehead Podcast, Mashburn detailed how when Larry Bird first met him, he told the college party to “get some f**cking rest.” This was probably Bird’s way of warning the youngsters about what was to come.

Mashburn: ““Rodney Rogers says something to a group of Dream Team members like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Everybody’s shooting their s***, and Rodney Rogers said ‘Hey Larry, you ain’t hit a jumper since ’84.'”

He claimed that Magic Johnson may have heard Rodney but he never said anything to the youngster. Instead, they met straight in a game next.

“Larry Bird got the ball on Rodney Rogers, and every time he was about to make a move, he told him what he was going to do. One dribble pull-up going left, glass – bucket. One dribble going right, spin, shot – bucket. He scored 9 times or 8 times in a row. Left the court to lay down because he couldn’t sit on the bench with his back problems. And said ‘Young fella, look like ’84, huh?'”

Magic and Bird’s rivalry and friendship are legendary

The two who get all the credit for making the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers rivalry a globally followed thing. The two went after each other so much, challenging each other to excel.

They acted as each other’s fuel and both were as formidable as the other in their own unique manner. We are fortunate to have seen the two duel and then team up at the 1992 Olympics.

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