Lakers legend Magic Johnson paid his eternal rival Larry Bird an unforgettable tribute on the Celtics legend’s jersey retirement
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Before the era of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird ruled the NBA for over a decade. The two maestros, Bird and Magic relentlessly competed for league titles throughout the 80s.
Johnson, who played as the Lakers’ point guard, is often considered amongst the best pg in league history. At 6’9″, he could still move like an agile guard but was big enough to post up forwards and centers.
But his size wasn’t the only extra advantage Magic had over his rivals. Lakers #32 had a deep enough bag to go toe-to-toe with anybody.
A sensational passer, his court vision was unrivaled, and could find an open player anywhere on the court. For Magic, predicting where a player would be in the next second and passing the ball to that particular spot was easy.
That is why he led the league in assists 4 different times. A Hall of Famer and 12-time All-Star, he carried forward Lakers’ perpetual rivalry against the Celtics.
Bird, on the other hand, played as Boston’s small forward. Also 6’9″ like Magic, Bird definitely had a size advantage over his matchups. But again, that isn’t what made him so great.
Larry Bird was considered one the most lethal shooters of his era. Nicknamed the White Hope, he won three consecutive three-point contests.
Though slow and less agile than Johnson, Larry had his own style. He used his pace to mess with opponents’ rhythm and frequently drove inside or used mid-range to score.
Rivals throughout their career, the two became great friends based on mutual respect for each other.
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Magic Johnson put on Celtics green underneath to surprise Larry Bird on his jersey retirement
Larry legend, after 13 seasons in the league, had retired after the 91-92 season. So, in 1993, the Boston Celtics management decided to hold a jersey retirement ceremony for the great Larry Bird.
It seemed as if the entire city of Boston filled up the Garden to watch their legend in his jersey one last time.
The grand jersey retirement was a celebration for the legend but left countless fans heartbroken. To see an era of greatness end is especially difficult for the ones who witnessed it throughout.
But the best moment of the entire ceremony was when Magic showed up with a Celtics jersey underneath.
Bird who immediately noticed it tried to tear it off of his rival turned friend and held it open for the entire stadium to see.
It’s a rivalry and friendship that is etched in history books and will be remembered for decades to come.
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