@fallbackbroham Number of rings doesn't make one player better than another. Robert Horry has 7 rings - is he better than Magic or Jordan or Bird? Lakers had no competition in the west and coasted to the finals.Bird played in a much tougher eastern conference. The NBA east outplayed the west EVERY year in the 80's. See "Basketball Abstract" by Dave Hereen.
@mrho4speed robert horry,was fortunate enough to play with shaq,hakeem,and duncan.does that make him better than mj,obviously not.he was never an all-star,mvp,or anything.by the way,it really doesn't matter which conference was tougher.the lakers coasted to the finals,because they were the best team and they had magic johnson.magic lead his team to win the championship his rookie year.without kareem.make excuses for bird all you want.magic is clearly the better player. magic-5 rings/bird-3 rings
@fallbackbroham I disagree. Playing in a tougher conf. does matter. Injuries happen. Magic led his team without Kareem? That was in game 6 only. Kareem should have been MVP - he was the reason LA won the other 3 games! Did we forget about Kareem 34 pts 13+ reb and blocked shots? Bird was ROY over Magic and was 2nd in MVP in 81, 82, +83. Bird was MVP in 84,85 + 86. Bird's #'s in 87 were better than Magic's. Bird was also 2nd in MVP in 88. LA did have the better team but Bird > Magic .
@mrho4speed i meant to say that he lead his team to winning the championship without kareem.he played all 5 positions and won finals mvp.bird did win roy,but he didn't deserve it.his team didn't even make the playoffs.magic proved that he was the real roy.i still say that it doesn't matter which conference is tougher.miami had it easier than dallas,and they still lost.mj,had some some tough battles,and he has 6 rings.the playoffs are never easy.they were just that good.
@fallbackbroham Well I disagree again. Hey. I loved watching Magic play - he was great at pushing the ball up the floor and dishing passes, but your statement of "Bird didn't deserve roy" is crazy. Previous year Celtics were 29 wins and 53 losses. With Bird as a rookie C's were 61 wins and 21 losses = a 32 game turnaround at that time the greatest single season turnaround in NBA history! Kareem was LA captain and #1 offense option as was Bird for C's from day 1. Tougher conf. does matter fatigue
@mrho4speed and they still didn't make the playoffs.womp,womp.magic,played the point guard position,so of course he wasn't the #1 scoring option.kareem is a legend no doubt,but magic proved after the finals that he was the co-captain.also,you can't take credit away from the lakers.bird won 3 championships.did the lakers and rockets lose because of fatigue? no right? lakers had it tough too.magic,was just the best at making his team better.he did more than just pass and run the ball. -----
@fallbackbroham remember that game winning three pointer?.remember that game winning running sky hook? did you enjoy that? larry bird's brother even knew that magic was better."yeah..he's alot better than you."
@fallbackbroham Bird's brother was upset that he didn't win the NCAA tournament. MSU entire defense was prepped to stop one guy - Bird- and had a much better team to do so. Magic was better at playing point guard than Bird- Magic's better at point guard than anybody! but to say Magic is "clearly better" than Bird as a basketball player is not true. Bird even at ISU was an incredible shooter,scorer,passer, rebounder and leader. Magic with 1st MVP "I'd like to thank Bird for a slightly off year"
@mrho4speed magic, was not only a better point guard,he was a better power forward,small forward,and center.trust me,if magic was a celtic,he probably would've won 6 championships.if bird was a laker,he would probably win 2 championships. oh,and alan minsky can kiss my converse shoe.refs,did alot of cheating for the celtics,and many other teams over the years,so he can write about that.also,magic said that because he knew that they were going to give it to bird,because they love him so much.
@fallbackbroham Wow, your statements are delusional. FYI Magic jumped center in game 7 but didn't play center. Jim Chones for LA guarded Darrel Dawkins that game and held him to 14 points. Besides Magic, Jamaal Wilkes had a great game with 37 pts. The Minsky book is about all great NBA players and a great read. Too bad when you read something that contradicts your view you get upset. If this and if that? Refs cheating for Celts?MVP's given to Bird? I think you need to take your blinders off.
@mrho4speed if you don't think that the nba referees cheated for the celtics,or any other team,you should take YOUR blinders off.mvp's were given to steve nash,so it's not like i'm making it up.bird,was given the roy trophy.yeah i said it.basically,magic was a better all around player than bird.PERIOD.make the excuses you want about the east being too hard.waah waah. magic- 5 rings. bird- 3 rings
@fallbackbroham Been traveling. FYI Celts did make playoffs in 80, beat rockets then lost to 76ers who went to finals. I'm not knocking Lakers - best team in 80's no doubt. But if LA was in east no way they get to finals 9 of 11 years! Bird was roy - he deserved it - the voting wasn't even close. Magic made a good LA team great, Bird made a poor celtic team great.Bird has highest winning % of any player in NBA history-over 70% "kings of court" by Alan Minsky 1995. Not just my opinion-stat fact
The fact that in the end of the video during the interview all they talk about is Larry Bird proves what Bird accomplished that year..carrying a whole team on his own for a whole season
@Survivor87 Bird would have abused the threepoint line and probably won this game with it in effect...Bird best college player ever...Think of the next time you will see Indiana State in the Championship game.>>???
bird has a high IQ on basketball ,,and he is the sweetest pure shooter ever to shoot the ball on the hoop!! i thought he will get away an inbound slap on magic , ,LOL
is there anybody else rather than just @sauhadjj3 took a sneakpeek at the nba exercise system for being better in basketball? Even Kobe, Lebron, Wade have suggested this system. If you don t know what Im talking about, just look at (50-inch-vertical(dot)com)
1979 NCAA Finals - Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson [Ending]
Right now im being 1 on 1 coached in the off season by Dave Harshman (He was the mich st Assistant coach. If you pause at 5:44 , he's the one holding his hand up with a one
sauhadjj3 I am 5'10 and dunking in games all the time - I'm awesome haha. If you want to know how I did it, have a look at | 50 inch vertical [dot] com |
sauhadjj3 Play basketball? Then you gotta check out - (50 inch vertical [dot] com). I highly recommend it! I m 5 8 and started dunking quickly after 4 weeks of the training!
i watched the hbo special on their rivalry. I wasnt even alive abck then, but damn, they really did save the NBA. The ratings were going down then came Magic and Bird. The media kept spewing BS though about race and crap. Magic and Bird care only about the game, not this racial difference BS.
@mouthanikkogayfish what if then there weren't good players as there are now or 10 years ago. What if all the players were only small fishes for Bird and Magic you know what I mean. (Michael had to play harder to win the tackle with some player but what if then the basketball wasn't this good?)
I'm a brazilian basketball fan and I watch and play basketball since 1980. I never ever saw a rivalry like Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird. They were the the best. All the othes that came after them, they never had a rival as good as themselves... All the others, sit, watch and enjoy...
I was a student a Indiana State at this time, never missed a game. it was heart wrenching for this game to be lost. Bird always blamed himself, when he was a Celtic he dedicated their Finals win to Indiana State. He's a genius on the court, one of the best.
If you have to ask what is so special about this game you clearly don't get it. This game basically saved the NBA. (Now days it's not worth saving).
Bird and Magic saved the NBA. Back then you could NOT travel or palm the ball. There was no rap music playing in the gym. It looks simple on video because they played within the rules.
I don't care if magic has aids, he was still great. And Bird was incredible.
To answer the question: Being a basketball fan all my life, the game became boring... very boring! Along comes the baddest white guy "ever" to lead his undefeated team to play "showtime" before the Lakers. Magic brought back that joy to watch the game of basketball (observe the no look last play of this game). This type of play from a player his size had never been done before. It was a match made in heaven - the very beginning of a long decade of basketball greatness - even in the pros...
Because no one had ever seen anything like these two guys going at it before. Magic was unprecedented, the passes and ball-handling blew everyone away; you don't see it here but mid-game it is awesome.
wow those shorts are.......short,really short. If i had to compare the ballers of today vs. old school legends i think the newer generation is alot more athletic,physical and skillfully gifted then the athletes of the 60's,70' and 80s. Just my opinion
Is it just me or were all sports better in the 70's? I was born in 84 and all of the greatest teams/players in any given sport I've watched have been in the 70's
One thing I remember about this game is that some time later Al Maguire called this, possibly, the most poorly, and one-sided officiating job he had ever seen in any NCAA game.
omg guy the person at the end jumoing up and down with the msu flag beliv e it r n ot thats my dad ha he sia dwne he was 19 now he 50 long time ago =D he live in gthe dorms at college and he live 3 doors down form magic jionson he said i t was kool
the lakers had a great team before magic and norm nixon was already running showtime they just didnt have the name yet. Bird had a team too. Mike had zero, straight busters and still was playoff bound they deferred to him to shoot. ppl should stop saying he wasnt a team player.
There is no question on that. Jordan could wipe the court with either of them as opponent on a one-on-one. However, I think both Bird and Johnson were better than Jordan in terms of team-playing.
Are you kidding me? Magic and Bird came into to the the league with already teams that were atleast past the first round of the playoffs. On the other hand M.J. had like the most crappy team in the league. From that he built on and made players around him better. C'mon man Do you even know how shitty Luc Longley was? But he was good beacause M.J. would get him open and the ball. He would also make Tony Cartright, Horace Grant, Steve Kerr, Shawn Levingston, etc. better players.
What is this so called "system" called if there is one. Don't tell me that Jordan would have never won a title without Jackson he could've easily went to any team and won 6 titles. By the way Face it Bird, Johnson,<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Jordan. Why are you even comparing them when Bird and Johnson already said M.J. is the Greatest.
Jordan wasn't a team player. phil jackson came in and brought horace grant,scottie pippen, paxson,hodges, and other role players. he also got jordan to buy into his triangle system and the strong emphasis on playing as team. everyone knows jordan and like all players who have the primary skill set as a scorer are selfish with the ball. phil emphasized playing as team and jordan then learned how to pass the ball. magic said jordan was the best because he is unselfish. that's how he played.
Yes, Jordan's game as a whole improved drastically when Phil took over. But you cannot merely attribute all of Jordan's success to Phil. Just like Magic, Jordan was a great motivator. Magic great players around him for most of his career. Kareem, Worthy, Cooper, Scott, and one of the most competitive coaches in history in Pat Riley. Besides, if I am not mistaken, Jordan averaged well over 6,7, and once even 8apg for the first decade of his career. Jordan, just like Magic was a great motivator.
no, i won't say that all of Jordan's success came as a result of Phil Jackson coaching the team, but i what i said prior was that if Phil Jackson hadn't joined the team to coach do you think he would have won six championships without phil regardless of the players? i am not saying that Jordan wouldn't have had success, but that without him the bulls wouldn't have dominated the 90's. it didn't matter who coached the Lakers, because Magic one before Pat took over as coach.
Maybe not 6, but you can never underestimate Jordan's competitiveness. As for the "scoring", Jordan is by far the best scorer in the history of the game. He won 10 scoring titles(7 in a row 86-93) in his first 11 full seasons(15 total) with the Bulls. Had he not been injured in '86 , had he not missed the whole '94 season, or come late into the '95 season he would probably had more. That goes without mentioning he has the highest career scoring average in the history of the game.
Yes, but Magic had Kareem by his side. At the time when Magic won his first title with the Lakers in 1980, Kareem was still one of the top 5 players in the NBA. Jordan had Pippen, but its not the same to have a HOF PF like Pippen(best perimeter defender ever) than to have one of the greatest players in history and arguably the greatest center, in Kareem.
yes, but Magic was the man in La. before Magic the lakers had norm nixon, and jamal wilkes, but they were mediocre teams. Magic came and the team went to the head of the pack. don't forget that year that Kareem got hurt and Magic stepped in at center proving he that he could get it done without him.
I know what he did in the 1980 NBA finals when Kareem was injured. But had he not had Kareem at Center the Lakers wouldn't have been in the Finals in the first place, and neither would they have won 5 championships in 8 years. I am not debating Magic's skills and success.
You are the one who keeps throwing negatives on Jordan and you have been proven wrong over and over again. He is one of the most complete players the game has seen (Magic, Bird, Robertson), and during his career he perfected all of his weaknesses to a point in which his game was almost perfect.
well, i can't argue that he probably was the greatest scorer the game has ever seen. if not him then wilt chamberlain. bill russell said that if wilt had played in the modern era with jordan then he could have averaged 45 points a game. no denying jordan could score though.
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look at larry birds shots he was not dominated by any other player, even michael jordens said that if the game was on the line the player he would have take the shot would be bird. he shot about 90% from the line and won the first NBA 3Point Shootout. You cant really say that he was dominated by anyone.
Seems like Bird took an asswhooping or two by Johnson. 5 NBA championships, a college championship before the first NBA one, that shows he is the best. But Bird is still a phenonemal player. I wouldn't pick a better player to lose to.
You can't compare players by the results of their teams. The other 4 players of each man's team must be considered equal in order to compare them!
In any case Bird had a different game than Magic BUT if they played one-on-one probably Bird would win because he was a more accurate shooter, could steal the ball much better and played defense extremely well.
That's open to debate, as Magic had his own shooting ability (plenty of buzzerbeaters).
Steal the ball better? Bird probably made more important, game-clinching steals, but Johnson held three steals titles. Bird was acknowledged for his defense because he could anticipate moves (hence his steals) but not for his actual defending, as he wasn't as quick-footed. Lets not forget that fast-break and those moves Johnson had. The real debate is Jordan or Johnson one-on-one. All are phenomenal.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Magic came off as a very low IQ in the interview. Nature seems to endow the dummies like Magic and Herschel Walker with the most ability as a balancing measure. Although Magic couldn't jump at all and would have been a scrub if he were 6'2.
It's the Kung Pao chicken. George likes his chicken spicy. "Magic would have been a scrub if he were 6'2..." Jimmy makes stupid arguments. Jimmy's comment about height is pointless and gay. Jimmy might as well say something like, "Shaq would suck if he were a 4-foot midget" or "Steve Nash would just stand under the basket and average 60 points a game if he were 13 feet tall." The fact is no 6'9 guy will ever pass the ball as well as Magic did.
PISTOL PETE MARAVICH WAS THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME...Pistol averaged a 'STAGGERING' 44.2 Points per game while at LSU with NO THREE POINT LINE. It was calculated by ex-great LSU coach Dale Brown, that Maravich would have averaged 57 points per game with the benefit of a college three-point line..In the Pros, he was the ONLY player on his team and still won the NBA scoring title..You a non believer? Just type this in here on YOUTUBE: pistol 68 point game shot-by-shot
he was also a turnover machine who would showboat to the detriment of his teammates. He'd often sacrifice an easy play into a potential disaster and was a bad decision maker.
you crazy! he was a great scorer, but not even the greatest in the history of the pros. you got wilt,Jordan, and george gervin who had the most scoring titles. how many did pete have? and what does being the only player on your team do to help your argument? "the only player on the team and still one the scoring title." you should think that one over.
Though Bird and the Celtics were great, Magic and the Lakers always had the edge. This game symbolizes Magic's dominance of Bird which carried on through their pro careers.
Excuse me? Granted Magic had the edge in championships and stuff, but I would hardly call it dominance. I think you need to go back and reread your basketball history if you're going to use the word dominance when it came to the Bird Magic rivalry.
Larry wouldnt shake magics hand without a rubber glove on...he knew what was up. Magic would later show up to Birds retirement wearing a Celtics Jersey to honor his master...bow to your sensie Magic.
Had to love that game!!! Magic out scored burd...burd should've been hit with a tech for that flagrant foul on Magic near the end of the game. Gotta love that Tomahawk dunk Magic made at the buzzer. What an exclamation point.burd refuse to shake Magic's hand after the game <poor sportsmanship> best of all (Larry's teary-eyed face in a towl at the very end...BEAUTIFUL!!!
"Isn't that normally a warning first if you do th-"
"nope, nope, nope nope nope"
kilowlow09 2 months ago
magic 5 rings> bird 3 rings
fallbackbroham 2 months ago
@fallbackbroham Number of rings doesn't make one player better than another. Robert Horry has 7 rings - is he better than Magic or Jordan or Bird? Lakers had no competition in the west and coasted to the finals.Bird played in a much tougher eastern conference. The NBA east outplayed the west EVERY year in the 80's. See "Basketball Abstract" by Dave Hereen.
mrho4speed 1 week ago
@mrho4speed robert horry,was fortunate enough to play with shaq,hakeem,and duncan.does that make him better than mj,obviously not.he was never an all-star,mvp,or anything.by the way,it really doesn't matter which conference was tougher.the lakers coasted to the finals,because they were the best team and they had magic johnson.magic lead his team to win the championship his rookie year.without kareem.make excuses for bird all you want.magic is clearly the better player. magic-5 rings/bird-3 rings
fallbackbroham 6 days ago
@fallbackbroham I disagree. Playing in a tougher conf. does matter. Injuries happen. Magic led his team without Kareem? That was in game 6 only. Kareem should have been MVP - he was the reason LA won the other 3 games! Did we forget about Kareem 34 pts 13+ reb and blocked shots? Bird was ROY over Magic and was 2nd in MVP in 81, 82, +83. Bird was MVP in 84,85 + 86. Bird's #'s in 87 were better than Magic's. Bird was also 2nd in MVP in 88. LA did have the better team but Bird > Magic .
mrho4speed 6 days ago
Comment removed
fallbackbroham 6 days ago
@mrho4speed i meant to say that he lead his team to winning the championship without kareem.he played all 5 positions and won finals mvp.bird did win roy,but he didn't deserve it.his team didn't even make the playoffs.magic proved that he was the real roy.i still say that it doesn't matter which conference is tougher.miami had it easier than dallas,and they still lost.mj,had some some tough battles,and he has 6 rings.the playoffs are never easy.they were just that good.
fallbackbroham 6 days ago
@fallbackbroham Well I disagree again. Hey. I loved watching Magic play - he was great at pushing the ball up the floor and dishing passes, but your statement of "Bird didn't deserve roy" is crazy. Previous year Celtics were 29 wins and 53 losses. With Bird as a rookie C's were 61 wins and 21 losses = a 32 game turnaround at that time the greatest single season turnaround in NBA history! Kareem was LA captain and #1 offense option as was Bird for C's from day 1. Tougher conf. does matter fatigue
mrho4speed 6 days ago
@mrho4speed and they still didn't make the playoffs.womp,womp.magic,played the point guard position,so of course he wasn't the #1 scoring option.kareem is a legend no doubt,but magic proved after the finals that he was the co-captain.also,you can't take credit away from the lakers.bird won 3 championships.did the lakers and rockets lose because of fatigue? no right? lakers had it tough too.magic,was just the best at making his team better.he did more than just pass and run the ball. -----
fallbackbroham 6 days ago
@fallbackbroham remember that game winning three pointer?.remember that game winning running sky hook? did you enjoy that? larry bird's brother even knew that magic was better."yeah..he's alot better than you."
fallbackbroham 6 days ago
@fallbackbroham Bird's brother was upset that he didn't win the NCAA tournament. MSU entire defense was prepped to stop one guy - Bird- and had a much better team to do so. Magic was better at playing point guard than Bird- Magic's better at point guard than anybody! but to say Magic is "clearly better" than Bird as a basketball player is not true. Bird even at ISU was an incredible shooter,scorer,passer, rebounder and leader. Magic with 1st MVP "I'd like to thank Bird for a slightly off year"
mrho4speed 1 day ago
@mrho4speed magic, was not only a better point guard,he was a better power forward,small forward,and center.trust me,if magic was a celtic,he probably would've won 6 championships.if bird was a laker,he would probably win 2 championships. oh,and alan minsky can kiss my converse shoe.refs,did alot of cheating for the celtics,and many other teams over the years,so he can write about that.also,magic said that because he knew that they were going to give it to bird,because they love him so much.
fallbackbroham 1 day ago
@fallbackbroham Wow, your statements are delusional. FYI Magic jumped center in game 7 but didn't play center. Jim Chones for LA guarded Darrel Dawkins that game and held him to 14 points. Besides Magic, Jamaal Wilkes had a great game with 37 pts. The Minsky book is about all great NBA players and a great read. Too bad when you read something that contradicts your view you get upset. If this and if that? Refs cheating for Celts?MVP's given to Bird? I think you need to take your blinders off.
mrho4speed 20 hours ago
@mrho4speed if you don't think that the nba referees cheated for the celtics,or any other team,you should take YOUR blinders off.mvp's were given to steve nash,so it's not like i'm making it up.bird,was given the roy trophy.yeah i said it.basically,magic was a better all around player than bird.PERIOD.make the excuses you want about the east being too hard.waah waah. magic- 5 rings. bird- 3 rings
fallbackbroham 6 hours ago
@fallbackbroham Been traveling. FYI Celts did make playoffs in 80, beat rockets then lost to 76ers who went to finals. I'm not knocking Lakers - best team in 80's no doubt. But if LA was in east no way they get to finals 9 of 11 years! Bird was roy - he deserved it - the voting wasn't even close. Magic made a good LA team great, Bird made a poor celtic team great.Bird has highest winning % of any player in NBA history-over 70% "kings of court" by Alan Minsky 1995. Not just my opinion-stat fact
mrho4speed 1 day ago
Larry Bird > Magic Johnson
Vergecurtis 3 months ago 2
Uniforms were great then too! NOT baggy waggies like today.
marlat1026 5 months ago
two best basketball players in history.
Baseballinfoo99 6 months ago
isnt it funny that this carried over into the nba
kenny6449 8 months ago
Magic's pass to Kelser was the greatest ending in NCAA tournament history ....
In this game , you saw the future of Basketball - Bird and Magic , so young and so ahead of their time ... Unbelievable !
Magic and Bird - and Michael , top 3 ever !
sheppardtrooper 10 months ago
Is Tom Izzo on the MSU bench as an assistant?
huskyjerk 10 months ago
The fact that in the end of the video during the interview all they talk about is Larry Bird proves what Bird accomplished that year..carrying a whole team on his own for a whole season
Skyriim 11 months ago
Where the f*ck is the 3 point line haha? I never knew it didn't exist back then!
You learn a new thing everyday. :D
DalueCommentarys 11 months ago
@DalueCommentarys True... 3 point line wasn't there until '79 in NBA and the NCAA. ABA actually invented it back in '75.
usnate1 10 months ago
@usnate1 NCAA didn't use 3 point line until the 86-87 season
Survivor87 2 months ago
@DalueCommentarys 1986-87 was the first year in the NCAA for it.
Survivor87 2 months ago
@Survivor87 Bird would have abused the threepoint line and probably won this game with it in effect...Bird best college player ever...Think of the next time you will see Indiana State in the Championship game.>>???
MrSlik25 2 weeks ago
I know the indiana state basketball coach
piersman1 11 months ago
the collision at 1:30 would get both players ejected in todays NBA hahaha
GraPhicGamerz 1 year ago
Holly shit here Latino Beauties **rockmycity.info**
tonawaldschmidtnmd 1 year ago
bird has a high IQ on basketball ,,and he is the sweetest pure shooter ever to shoot the ball on the hoop!! i thought he will get away an inbound slap on magic , ,LOL
DROSEfastdontlieCB 1 year ago
Watch Magic Johnson's Michigan State 2010 Graduation Speech here:
/watch?v=0OsFObRwQkc
kaitmcg712 1 year ago
is there anybody else rather than just @sauhadjj3 took a sneakpeek at the nba exercise system for being better in basketball? Even Kobe, Lebron, Wade have suggested this system. If you don t know what Im talking about, just look at (50-inch-vertical(dot)com)
1979 NCAA Finals - Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson [Ending]
WoodrowBramah781985 1 year ago
Right now im being 1 on 1 coached in the off season by Dave Harshman (He was the mich st Assistant coach. If you pause at 5:44 , he's the one holding his hand up with a one
bbeennnneetttt 1 year ago
@gerardjory975
I'm 4-3 and throwing off the backboard reverse double windmills all the time...and im a shark, so suck my dick, im a shark motherfucker.
zeejustin6 1 year ago
@zeejustin6 haha that was bogus
Narutolover55109 1 year ago
It's not Magic Johnson. It's HIV Johnson. No magic in that!
Dionysius63 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
sauhadjj3 I am 5'10 and dunking in games all the time - I'm awesome haha. If you want to know how I did it, have a look at | 50 inch vertical [dot] com |
fredellis2126 1 year ago
sauhadjj3 Play basketball? Then you gotta check out - (50 inch vertical [dot] com). I highly recommend it! I m 5 8 and started dunking quickly after 4 weeks of the training!
charlesvalen446 1 year ago
Classic.
Seeing Bird's reaction after the game is amazing, it shows the passion of college basketball. Great game by two amazing players.
jbails007 1 year ago
Magic enters the NBA at 5:35
TCTSNBN 1 year ago
1:17 offensive foul? The game has really changed.
Trimtoucher1 1 year ago
i watched the hbo special on their rivalry. I wasnt even alive abck then, but damn, they really did save the NBA. The ratings were going down then came Magic and Bird. The media kept spewing BS though about race and crap. Magic and Bird care only about the game, not this racial difference BS.
Rhapthorne3 1 year ago
they saved the nba not michael jordan
mouthanikkogayfish 1 year ago
@mouthanikkogayfish what if then there weren't good players as there are now or 10 years ago. What if all the players were only small fishes for Bird and Magic you know what I mean. (Michael had to play harder to win the tackle with some player but what if then the basketball wasn't this good?)
ndzordz 1 year ago
I wish I lived back then, I heard they were better than Michael Jordan.
fueledbybrenda 1 year ago
Combined they're maybe better than MJ lol
secretstory888888888 1 year ago
it's kind of creepy how this foreshadows the nba in the 80's and 90's so much
cartmanfan4life 2 years ago
I'm a brazilian basketball fan and I watch and play basketball since 1980. I never ever saw a rivalry like Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird. They were the the best. All the othes that came after them, they never had a rival as good as themselves... All the others, sit, watch and enjoy...
Cfontes68 2 years ago
I was a student a Indiana State at this time, never missed a game. it was heart wrenching for this game to be lost. Bird always blamed himself, when he was a Celtic he dedicated their Finals win to Indiana State. He's a genius on the court, one of the best.
jannieja 2 years ago 8
Larry deserves a statue for getting the team there. He was unbelieveable.
Magic certainly had the more talented team this time.
ExplosiveThinMan 2 years ago 2
greatest rivalry between two people.
greatest rivalry between two teams
JustJustin28 2 years ago 41
@JustJustin28 LOL. basketball rivalries are paltry.
volound 1 year ago
@JustJustin28 these 2 stars were responsible for bringing excitement back to the NBA.**
d4seasons 1 year ago
@JustJustin28 wat about bill russell and wilt chamberlain?
50155IMBIAC 8 months ago
greatest of all time ffor sure. respect it.
LmOnAy 2 years ago
Magic brought the skill of dazzling passes and the joy of Showtime to the game.
This at a time when dreary individual scoring numbers and sulking prima donnas - slow tall lumbering dopes - had made the sport a bore.
Magic saved basketball.
egbun 2 years ago 19
Amen! He and Bird brought the NBA back to life!
jubjub2112 2 years ago 7
@egbun Larry helped out too. With thier fierce rivalry, they saved it together.
MultiRockstar34 3 months ago
If you have to ask what is so special about this game you clearly don't get it. This game basically saved the NBA. (Now days it's not worth saving).
Bird and Magic saved the NBA. Back then you could NOT travel or palm the ball. There was no rap music playing in the gym. It looks simple on video because they played within the rules.
I don't care if magic has aids, he was still great. And Bird was incredible.
wrsawy 2 years ago 5
i agree nice comment
jeffrey2177 2 years ago
haha, gumbels fro
alexfreddy 2 years ago
5:37 is epic
gojira931 2 years ago 2
To answer the question: Being a basketball fan all my life, the game became boring... very boring! Along comes the baddest white guy "ever" to lead his undefeated team to play "showtime" before the Lakers. Magic brought back that joy to watch the game of basketball (observe the no look last play of this game). This type of play from a player his size had never been done before. It was a match made in heaven - the very beginning of a long decade of basketball greatness - even in the pros...
bigbenz64 2 years ago
"why was this game so monumental?
this isnt a rhetorical quesiton as im am puzzled. their skills werent modern-day nba's level, in fact, it was quite horrible.
can anyone explain?"
Simply put, you're an idiot.
It's not of NBA quality because it's college.
You may think it's quite horrible, but so is your grammar.
nationalconey 2 years ago
Because no one had ever seen anything like these two guys going at it before. Magic was unprecedented, the passes and ball-handling blew everyone away; you don't see it here but mid-game it is awesome.
mstytz 2 years ago
why was this game so monumental?
this isnt a rhetorical quesiton as im am puzzled. their skills werent modern-day nba's level, in fact, it was quite horrible.
can anyone explain?
blessedspear 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
you are an idiot
hakenslash 2 years ago
bill hodges is my history teacher.
derekallenray 2 years ago
mine too :)
hi derek!
wealltubeyou 2 years ago
who's this?
derekallenray 2 years ago
MJ was the greatest player in nba history. and btw NO i don't mean michael jordan either!!
MichaelMG711 2 years ago 3
wow those shorts are.......short,really short. If i had to compare the ballers of today vs. old school legends i think the newer generation is alot more athletic,physical and skillfully gifted then the athletes of the 60's,70' and 80s. Just my opinion
erking55 3 years ago
Great memories of this season; I was a freshman at MSU at the time.
beaglemusic 3 years ago
GO SPARTANS!!! GO LAKERS!!!
JPfromFlint 3 years ago
And another thing the fans were better too, I wouldn't say the were louder but they sang better
nazm0 3 years ago
rofl. dude your fcking right.
noel4140 2 years ago
Is it just me or were all sports better in the 70's? I was born in 84 and all of the greatest teams/players in any given sport I've watched have been in the 70's
nazm0 3 years ago 4
to bad there were no 3point range at the time, larry would just knock em all down. an the killer clutch buzzer beater
pacboy24 3 years ago
ahh how many times did they face eachother in finals larry and magic?? lol doing a prject due tomorow x.x
TryNRun 3 years ago
One thing I remember about this game is that some time later Al Maguire called this, possibly, the most poorly, and one-sided officiating job he had ever seen in any NCAA game.
enm97 3 years ago
Maic Larry is the greatest rivaly of all time.
ukhistorian 3 years ago 3
this gave me chills
uncmsu721 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
magic johnson's dick has no hair. that's why i suck it day and night
DWadeBball000 3 years ago
omg guy the person at the end jumoing up and down with the msu flag beliv e it r n ot thats my dad ha he sia dwne he was 19 now he 50 long time ago =D he live in gthe dorms at college and he live 3 doors down form magic jionson he said i t was kool
s0ccerchix 3 years ago 3
wow times does fly. what a treat for u!!!!
melsplayground 3 years ago
The last sentence was meant to be: "Jordan and Magic were both great team players".
prospect42191 3 years ago
the lakers had a great team before magic and norm nixon was already running showtime they just didnt have the name yet. Bird had a team too. Mike had zero, straight busters and still was playoff bound they deferred to him to shoot. ppl should stop saying he wasnt a team player.
bobbymarsh1 3 years ago
baskeball is a team game if played properly
one-on-one players don't win championships.
LordofDublin4 3 years ago
that dunk at the end was the SHIZ! who was that?
gojira930 3 years ago
Greg Kelser. The pass from Magic to Kelser was even better.
bigbilly2006 3 years ago
yeah, that pass at 5:30 to kelser was crazy! ISU didn't know what the hell was going on!
MasonsInquiries 3 years ago
Thumper Newman was the Best Basketball player I ever saw
agifb 3 years ago
when did the 3 point line come into play?
kirrabeachbum 3 years ago
i think sometime in the mid 80's
Electro519 3 years ago
In 1979-1980 season.
grandmasterkrush 3 years ago
pistol,
bird,jorden,magin,
playmaker1169 3 years ago
greatest = Jordan
then magic and bird maybe in 10th or 11th
k2themotherfuckingc 3 years ago
Magic is the Greatest!
Waleo32 3 years ago
There is no question on that. Jordan could wipe the court with either of them as opponent on a one-on-one. However, I think both Bird and Johnson were better than Jordan in terms of team-playing.
my8osprive 3 years ago
Are you kidding me? Magic and Bird came into to the the league with already teams that were atleast past the first round of the playoffs. On the other hand M.J. had like the most crappy team in the league. From that he built on and made players around him better. C'mon man Do you even know how shitty Luc Longley was? But he was good beacause M.J. would get him open and the ball. He would also make Tony Cartright, Horace Grant, Steve Kerr, Shawn Levingston, etc. better players.
ThEiLLeZT 3 years ago 2
jordan didn't make those players better. it was the system phil jackson put together. what out phil's system jordan would have never won a title.
LovesDayDream 3 years ago
What is this so called "system" called if there is one. Don't tell me that Jordan would have never won a title without Jackson he could've easily went to any team and won 6 titles. By the way Face it Bird, Johnson,<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Jordan. Why are you even comparing them when Bird and Johnson already said M.J. is the Greatest.
ThEiLLeZT 3 years ago
Jordan wasn't a team player. phil jackson came in and brought horace grant,scottie pippen, paxson,hodges, and other role players. he also got jordan to buy into his triangle system and the strong emphasis on playing as team. everyone knows jordan and like all players who have the primary skill set as a scorer are selfish with the ball. phil emphasized playing as team and jordan then learned how to pass the ball. magic said jordan was the best because he is unselfish. that's how he played.
LovesDayDream 3 years ago
Yes, Jordan's game as a whole improved drastically when Phil took over. But you cannot merely attribute all of Jordan's success to Phil. Just like Magic, Jordan was a great motivator. Magic great players around him for most of his career. Kareem, Worthy, Cooper, Scott, and one of the most competitive coaches in history in Pat Riley. Besides, if I am not mistaken, Jordan averaged well over 6,7, and once even 8apg for the first decade of his career. Jordan, just like Magic was a great motivator.
prospect42191 3 years ago
no, i won't say that all of Jordan's success came as a result of Phil Jackson coaching the team, but i what i said prior was that if Phil Jackson hadn't joined the team to coach do you think he would have won six championships without phil regardless of the players? i am not saying that Jordan wouldn't have had success, but that without him the bulls wouldn't have dominated the 90's. it didn't matter who coached the Lakers, because Magic one before Pat took over as coach.
LovesDayDream 3 years ago
Maybe not 6, but you can never underestimate Jordan's competitiveness. As for the "scoring", Jordan is by far the best scorer in the history of the game. He won 10 scoring titles(7 in a row 86-93) in his first 11 full seasons(15 total) with the Bulls. Had he not been injured in '86 , had he not missed the whole '94 season, or come late into the '95 season he would probably had more. That goes without mentioning he has the highest career scoring average in the history of the game.
prospect42191 3 years ago
Yes, but Magic had Kareem by his side. At the time when Magic won his first title with the Lakers in 1980, Kareem was still one of the top 5 players in the NBA. Jordan had Pippen, but its not the same to have a HOF PF like Pippen(best perimeter defender ever) than to have one of the greatest players in history and arguably the greatest center, in Kareem.
prospect42191 3 years ago
yes, but Magic was the man in La. before Magic the lakers had norm nixon, and jamal wilkes, but they were mediocre teams. Magic came and the team went to the head of the pack. don't forget that year that Kareem got hurt and Magic stepped in at center proving he that he could get it done without him.
LovesDayDream 3 years ago
I know what he did in the 1980 NBA finals when Kareem was injured. But had he not had Kareem at Center the Lakers wouldn't have been in the Finals in the first place, and neither would they have won 5 championships in 8 years. I am not debating Magic's skills and success.
prospect42191 3 years ago
You are the one who keeps throwing negatives on Jordan and you have been proven wrong over and over again. He is one of the most complete players the game has seen (Magic, Bird, Robertson), and during his career he perfected all of his weaknesses to a point in which his game was almost perfect.
prospect42191 3 years ago
well, i can't argue that he probably was the greatest scorer the game has ever seen. if not him then wilt chamberlain. bill russell said that if wilt had played in the modern era with jordan then he could have averaged 45 points a game. no denying jordan could score though.
LovesDayDream 3 years ago
MJ himself considered Magic and Bird to be better than him
joseefu 3 years ago
I think the 3 point line wasnt brought in until 1979/1980 season in NBA basketball. Some guy came up with the idea in 1945 - ?Hobson? (or something)
tightropetomg 3 years ago
why isnt there a three point line?
nikepumps123 3 years ago
they didn't have one back then.
It changes the game drastically anyway
inkovic 3 years ago
Bird is the best along with jordan. but i really like magic too so i dont really care that bird lost
thebreakdown1 3 years ago
magic all the way
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Westdunbartonshire 3 years ago
lol magic and bird have the same jersey number 33!
virgogirl98 3 years ago
Look at Bryant Gumbel rockin' the modified afro at the end!
IntenseLowerChafing 3 years ago
look at larry birds shots he was not dominated by any other player, even michael jordens said that if the game was on the line the player he would have take the shot would be bird. he shot about 90% from the line and won the first NBA 3Point Shootout. You cant really say that he was dominated by anyone.
Bomir3 3 years ago
i just wish basketball was as competative as it was back in the day. (i'm from new york, go figure)
rollinhendrix 3 years ago
It was Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson, and then Michael Jordan took over the NBA.
abmmwl 4 years ago
first of many battles to come with these 2
grooveskin 4 years ago
magic johnson turned out to be the best point guard in nba history!!!
myronkelly67 4 years ago
And Larry Bird the best Small Forward
AceroySangre 3 years ago
and Michael Jordan the best player period.
Smurfman12345 3 years ago
he became the best after so many asswhoopins by bird
albertdude209 3 years ago 2
Seems like Bird took an asswhooping or two by Johnson. 5 NBA championships, a college championship before the first NBA one, that shows he is the best. But Bird is still a phenonemal player. I wouldn't pick a better player to lose to.
africaever 3 years ago
You can't compare players by the results of their teams. The other 4 players of each man's team must be considered equal in order to compare them!
In any case Bird had a different game than Magic BUT if they played one-on-one probably Bird would win because he was a more accurate shooter, could steal the ball much better and played defense extremely well.
my8osprive 3 years ago
That's open to debate, as Magic had his own shooting ability (plenty of buzzerbeaters).
Steal the ball better? Bird probably made more important, game-clinching steals, but Johnson held three steals titles. Bird was acknowledged for his defense because he could anticipate moves (hence his steals) but not for his actual defending, as he wasn't as quick-footed. Lets not forget that fast-break and those moves Johnson had. The real debate is Jordan or Johnson one-on-one. All are phenomenal.
africaever 3 years ago
Can't believe Billy Packer has been doing colour since forever... I hate that guy!!!
thatguysweets 4 years ago 3
this 2 saved the nba when the league suffered its worse crisis since it started
BIRD and MAGIC revolutionize the game in the early and late 80's
misayde 4 years ago 5
oh yea, it didnt happen overnight though. 1984 was the year it was saved. Even Julius couldnt do it.
TRJ22487 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Magic came off as a very low IQ in the interview. Nature seems to endow the dummies like Magic and Herschel Walker with the most ability as a balancing measure. Although Magic couldn't jump at all and would have been a scrub if he were 6'2.
HandsOffJimmy 4 years ago
It's the Kung Pao chicken. George likes his chicken spicy. "Magic would have been a scrub if he were 6'2..." Jimmy makes stupid arguments. Jimmy's comment about height is pointless and gay. Jimmy might as well say something like, "Shaq would suck if he were a 4-foot midget" or "Steve Nash would just stand under the basket and average 60 points a game if he were 13 feet tall." The fact is no 6'9 guy will ever pass the ball as well as Magic did.
geoffds 4 years ago 4
pistol waz a ball hog though
BUTTON89 4 years ago
Yes he was, but when I see AI, Kobe, and company taking as many shots as they do a night ... it's the same deal.
lonewulf44 4 years ago
PISTOL PETE MARAVICH WAS THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME...Pistol averaged a 'STAGGERING' 44.2 Points per game while at LSU with NO THREE POINT LINE. It was calculated by ex-great LSU coach Dale Brown, that Maravich would have averaged 57 points per game with the benefit of a college three-point line..In the Pros, he was the ONLY player on his team and still won the NBA scoring title..You a non believer? Just type this in here on YOUTUBE: pistol 68 point game shot-by-shot
justcruzzinn 4 years ago
the only reason ur dumbass is seying dat stupid shit is cause he is white. how could u sey that?
oAgent47o 4 years ago
maybe because it's true.
maybe because Maravich would've averaged 57 PPG if there were 3-point lines
maybe because nobody has even come CLOSE to Maravich's record
or MAYBE
maybe because Magic said Maravich did things in games that even HE couldn't do when he tried.
wordman 4 years ago 2
he was also a turnover machine who would showboat to the detriment of his teammates. He'd often sacrifice an easy play into a potential disaster and was a bad decision maker.
yb25 4 years ago
Man, even Youtube can't escape people throwing the race card out every five seconds ...
lonewulf44 4 years ago
you crazy! he was a great scorer, but not even the greatest in the history of the pros. you got wilt,Jordan, and george gervin who had the most scoring titles. how many did pete have? and what does being the only player on your team do to help your argument? "the only player on the team and still one the scoring title." you should think that one over.
LovesDayDream 3 years ago
lol....no 3 pointers.............
bstnsportsfan3 4 years ago
Though Bird and the Celtics were great, Magic and the Lakers always had the edge. This game symbolizes Magic's dominance of Bird which carried on through their pro careers.
jsamimi 4 years ago
Excuse me? Granted Magic had the edge in championships and stuff, but I would hardly call it dominance. I think you need to go back and reread your basketball history if you're going to use the word dominance when it came to the Bird Magic rivalry.
artvandelay3911 4 years ago
Michael Jordan the best player!! calderon el mejor de todos!!
kagat92 4 years ago
Indiana St. needed a very fortuitous no-call on a 5-step travel to get to the final four.
Indiana St. 73
Arkansas 71
on a last-second lay-in.
babazarr 4 years ago
babazarr - Have you portained them?
dowling1981 4 years ago
if there was 3 pointers at the time, bird would of WON it ;) but magic an bird are the best
pacboy24 4 years ago 2
WoooW
What a long minute !!
CosZizo 4 years ago
have you the entire game?
verihuete 4 years ago
you can find the entire game in emule
sisibilio 4 years ago
It´s fantastic video.3´w.basketonlinegametk/ . Put . before tk. He was a god
Falaska11 4 years ago
Let the legacy begin.
ExodusPessoa 4 years ago
word!
nomooon 4 years ago
"Coach I don't wanna lose any Ball games" Well you did Larry, so get your face back in that towel and cry like a byotch !
dgil1911 4 years ago
magic only won because michigan state overall was a better team....give bird a better team and goodnight magic
agirard77 4 years ago
you can't be serious.....
iam01 4 years ago
Get real ! Who won more rings in the pros ??
dgil1911 4 years ago
Larry wouldnt shake magics hand without a rubber glove on...he knew what was up. Magic would later show up to Birds retirement wearing a Celtics Jersey to honor his master...bow to your sensie Magic.
vodkashotcmu 4 years ago
will you shut the fuck up! dumb stupid comment!
tonyt55 4 years ago 2
Vodkashot huh ? You have to be drunk to make a dumbass statement like that. Bird wishes he was the player Magic was.
dgil1911 4 years ago
Had to love that game!!! Magic out scored burd...burd should've been hit with a tech for that flagrant foul on Magic near the end of the game. Gotta love that Tomahawk dunk Magic made at the buzzer. What an exclamation point.burd refuse to shake Magic's hand after the game <poor sportsmanship> best of all (Larry's teary-eyed face in a towl at the very end...BEAUTIFUL!!!
trucolorz91 4 years ago
That wasn't Magic on the tomahawk, that was Greg Kelser. Magic is the one who threw it in to him at half court.
winton3377 4 years ago
Larry did a great job to almost get away with that out of bounds steal but got caught for the tech
TRJ22487 4 years ago
fake.
redpepper75 4 years ago
fake
redpepper75 4 years ago