There are no basketball rivalries as storied as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird‘s. The two superstars defined an era of basketball and were the poster boys of a revival in the NBA’s popularity.
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The duo became household names after a headliner of an NCAA Final clash between Michigan State and Indiana. So fierce was their rivalry at that point that it was rumored to be borderline hateful.
Also read: Magic Johnson, the Only Rookie Finals MVP, was Livid About Losing ROTY Race to Larry Bird
However, with time, the two stars developed a friendship that transcended their differences. It isn’t every day that you see the face of the Lakers being pals with the face of arch-nemesis Celtics.
A Dream Team appearance together added to the bond and the duo was often sighted together off the court. With such a thick bond, naturally, it is tough to imagine how Bird felt when Magic was forced to walk off the game. But it appears, it was beyond what any of us could comprehend.
How did Larry Bird deal with Magic’s HIV-forced hiatus from basketball?
Bird and Magic, as stated earlier, had developed into extremely close friends by the time Johnson was diagnosed with AIDS. Lon Rosen, Magic’s agent, well aware of the bond the duo shared, informed Bird about the situation well before it was public.
Bird instantly informed Lon that he wished to talk to Magic. “I don’t care. I gotta talk to him right now.’ And he put me through to him” reveals Larry Bird of his interaction with Lon as described how he went through the emotion.
The Celtics star suited up against the Atalanta Hawks the night after Magic’s tragic announcement. “That was the first time in my life I played in a game that I didn’t want to play” is all Bird could muster about that sad night in NBA history.
For a competitor of Bird’s repute to lose interest in a game, shows how close Magic was to the Celtic legend. “I didn’t have anything that night” described Bird of making an appearance in that contest against the Hawks.
Bird too, sadly, saw a relatively quick exit from the NBA following injuries. History shall remember the two pals as two absolute giants of the game who were taken away from the game too soon.
What forced Larry Bird into early retirement in 1992?
Merely a season after Magic’s retirement in 1990-91, Larry Bird too was forced to leave the game of basketball behind him. There was no dip into mediocrity or irrelevance, however, to tarnish Bird.
Bird dropped 20 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in his last season in the NBA and left the game with his pride intact. However, the fact remains that we lost a good chunk of Larry Legend’s career with his injury-forced retirement.
Constant back issues and an eventual condition associated with a compressed nerve root took their toll on Bird. The Celtics franchise star succumbed to the troubles as his body just could not keep up. And so, despite still being able to carry an aging Celtics roster to the Playoffs, Bird bade farewell.
And unline Magic, Bird had no attempt at a comeback either. Bird did return to the game of basketball, however. Larry returned to the game he loved as an executive and coach. But no version was quite as awe-striking as the player he was. A light that shone shortly but extremely brightly in Boston.
Also read: Larry Bird could shoot from “anywhere on the court” since he was in high school
