NBA Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas‘ friends-to-foes-to-friends dynamic is well-documented. The duo were close friends during their playing days. However, when Johnson was diagnosed with HIV, Thomas allegedly refused to share the court with him, and their friendship fell apart. Before it did, however, Johnson and Thomas did not try to hide their affection for each other. The duo even started a ritual of sharing a kiss before tip-off between Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers and Thomas’ Detroit Pistons. The most famous instance of the superstars showing their affection towards each other came before Game 1 of the 1988 NBA Finals. Despite not being involved though, Johnson and Thomas’ pregame kiss revolted Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird.
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A passage in the book “When The Game Was Ours” by Jackie MacMullan (in collaboration with Magic and Larry) revealed Bird felt physically sick watching the duo show affection for each other before an NBA Finals game, and he claimed it was nothing but a farce. The Celtics legend said:
“I wanted to throw up. It was all a show. I knew how bad they both wanted to win.”
Johnson’s endearing act toward Thomas sparked outrage in the Lakers locker room too. In the documentary “They Call Me Magic,” the five-time NBA champion revealed:
“[Then-Lakers head coach] Pat Riley did not like that friendship. He came to me and said, ‘Would I [Magic Johnson] go after Isiah [Thomas] if that situation presented itself?’”
Johnson’s teammate and good friend Michael Cooper expressed similar concerns. In response, the Lakers icon put his head coach and teammates’ doubts to rest when he elbowed Thomas in Game 3 of the Finals series.
The hard-fought series went the distance, with the Lakers eventually winning it 4-3. This was Johnson’s fifth and final NBA title. The following season, the Lakers and Pistons met in the NBA Finals yet again. This time, however, Thomas and his team had the last laugh, sweeping Johnson and Co. and bringing Detroit its first championship.
Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas reveal the inspiration behind the kiss ritual
After decades of animosity, Johnson and Thomas buried the hatchet in 2017 in a face-to-face conversation on ESPN. The duo spoke about their friendship, the rivalry that it festered in the late 80s, and their eventual falling out.
The duo also discussed their infamous kiss and how it was put on a billboard in Los Angeles, which shocked both. Explaining the origin of the kiss ritual, Johnson said:
“Remember why we started [the kiss ritual]? We used to see the Italian families greet each other like that. And then our families became close. And we were like, ‘We good. We could do it.’ And everybody was like, ‘What the hell are they doing?'”
Thomas remarked that the outrage made the duo stop the ritual and only shake hands pregame. Johnson claimed the situation was overblown, and he believed that they had no trouble showing each other affection before competing on the court. In hindsight, the outrage around the duo’s ritual was silly. Players today are cordial with each other before and after the game without any qualms despite battling for the same prize.
