Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry: How it came abouthome/Sports/Sports Columns/Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry: How it came aboutThe NBA will be honoring former rivals Magic Johnson and Larry Bird with a joint Lifetime Achievement on the league’s 2019 Awards Night on June 24. Magic and Bird were embroiled in a personal rivalry in the world’s oldest and most prestigious professional basketball league during their time while carrying the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, respectively, in the 80s. I didn’t even see the game through the magic of television for some reasons I can’t remember. The real culprit, as he admitted later, was the Spartans’ 2-3 matchup zone, in which a player was assigned to train Bird step-for-step. Larry and Magic revived the NBA with their talent, their high basketball IQ, their commitment and most of all, their personal competition.

Source: Manila Times May 18, 2019 16:30 UTC