“They Don’t Hate Each Other”: Isiah Thomas Shares Magic Johnson’s Views On Why NBA Rivalries Don’t Exist

It would appear that the NBA rivalries, once a defining aspect in the game’s appeal, have diminished over time. Isiah Thomas, known for frequently indulging in the old-school NBA vs. the modern game debates, reiterated it again by sharing a reel on his Instagram story featuring Magic Johnson’s perspective on the topic.

The reel featured an old basketball show clip in which Johnson was answering Paul Pierce’s question about the decrease in rivalries in the modern game. The Los Angeles Lakers legend claimed that players didn’t hate each other as they had in the past. Magic gave an example of his approach toward players of the Boston Celtics to describe the animosity that led to fierce battles on the court.

“They don’t hate each other. See, I hated Larry [Bird] and every Celtic. I really don’t like you (Pierce)… That’s what it was, right? The Celtics, Lakers hated each other, disliked each other. So it made for great TV and people tuning in,” Johnson had said in the clip.

In contrast, players seems to share a strong affinity for each other, observed Johnson in the video.

“Now, everybody is shaking each other’s hand, everybody like each other, won’t go at each other like really hard. That’s what happened to the All-Star Game, see? It’s a reason why the viewership numbers are going down,” he added.

Thomas’ view on the declining rivalries debate clearly matches Johnson’s. And perhaps it’s apt, and ironic too, that he chose to reshare his fierce rival’s clip to highlight it.

Thomas’ tiff with Johnson

During his playing days, things would flare up very badly when Thomas faced Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, Bird’s Boston Celtics, and Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers. The players hardly ever exchanged pleasantries in these matchups.

Some of the rivalries extended beyond the court. Thomas’ relationship with Johnson outside the court deteriorated after the Pistons legend was accused of spreading rumors about Magic’s HIV diagnosis. Johnson revealed details of this in his memoir, When the Game Was Ours.

“Isiah kept questioning people about it…The one guy I thought I could count on had all these doubts. It was like he kicked me in the stomach,” wrote Johnson.

Magic overcame the difficult period, and the duo eventually mended their relationship to an extent too.