“No Larry Bird, No Cover”: If Not For Magic Johnson’s Firm Demand, Michael Jordan’s Iconic Photo Alongside Team USA Superstars Wouldn’t Have Been Possible

The 1992 Dream Team of USA basketball paved the way for an iconic photo consisting of all three, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. It became the cover of Newsweek magazine giving rise to an unforgettable moment for fans of the NBA for years to come. Interestingly however, the photo shoot would not have been possible, if not for the firm demands of Magic, as revealed in the book, ‘When the Game Was Ours by Magic and Bird‘.

Johnson had returned to play basketball months after his retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers due to his HIV diagnosis. It was his second time featuring on-court following his involvement in the 1992 All-Star game as the hype around his comeback reached a new high. Thus, several attempted to make the instance memorable for the then-33-year-old point guard.

Newsweek magazine made the list as they wanted the 5x champion to appear on their cover alongside Jordan. Magic agreed to it but under one condition. The 3x MVP wanted his long-time rival, Bird to be a part of the cover, as he declared, “No Larry, no cover”. The organization’s representative fulfilled Johnson’s wish as the trio featured together for the first and last time in history.

So, Magic’s stipulation helped Bird become part of the iconic photo, which later received the title of ‘Team Dream’. It was a sign of acknowledgment and recognition for the Boston Celtics legend following his years of contribution to the NBA. His rival wanted to highlight him for that as the cover represented what true competition was all about.

Magic Johnson shed light on the uniqueness of the 1992 Dream Team

After months of hardships in his personal life, Magic cherished the opportunity to represent his nation alongside a few of the all-time greats. The 12x All-Star felt like a part of the NBA group again as he enjoyed the level of competition in the training. A couple of years back from now, he reflected on those moments on First Take putting the limelight on the quality of the plays.

“The scrimmage was the greatest basketball that we all had ever played in because the fact that every player on the team was a Hall of Famer, an All-Star in their own right,” he stated. “We had big egos, so we were playing for our ego,” the 3x Finals MVP mentioned. He further added, “We were playing to let guys know that, ‘Hey, I’m the best at what I do and I’m gonna go head-to-head against you'”.

During one such scrimmage, Johnson attempted to ‘trash talk’ Michael before it backfired soon enough. The Chicago Bulls star took over the entire training as Magic and Bird had to gracefully accept their defeat. Thus, when Jordan approached them later on, stating, “Guys, there’s a new sheriff in town,” the legends agreed with the remark. They mentioned, “You know what? You’re right, it’s your league now,” while passing the torch to Michael in 1992.

Moments such as these made the camp unforgettable for the players and the people within it. The team won the gold in Barcelona in August, giving rise to a new era and benchmark to follow for the generations to come.