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The NBA has seen some incredible rivalries over the years, such as the one between Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird and LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson. Bird reflected on his 75-64 loss to Johnson in the 1979 NCAA Finals on TNT's "Basketball Stories" on Thursday.
It was arguably one of the most highly anticipated matches in NCAA basketball, considering the incredible talent on display. It was a disappointing result for Larry Bird, who was looking forward to bringing a championship to the Indiana State Sycamores.
"I was sitting there thinking, 'Man, I got to score 40 points, 45 points this game, I got to be on my best behavior or we have no chance of winning this game'" Bird said. "I wasn't. That was a big let down because I thought I could rise to that occasion and keep us in it and maybe get it at the end." (8:40)
Heading into the game, Larry Bird already knew that he needed to be an offensive juggernaut for his team to even have a chance against Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans. However, the Spartans' zone defense proved to be too much for a young Bird to handle at the time.
The Michigan State Spartans were able to restrict Larry Bird to 19 points (7-of-21 shooting), 13 rebounds and 6 turnovers. Magic Johnson, on the other hand, was a force to be reckoned with. He finished the game with 24 points (8-of-15 shooting), 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
Despite having a great professional basketball career, Bird recalls the NCAA Finals loss as one he wishes he could redo and play differently to change the outcome.
Larry Bird briefly talked about his rivalry with LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson
In a 2009 one-on-one ESPN interview between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the Boston Celtics legend looked fondly at his historic rivalry with the five-time NBA champion, dating back to their classic 1979 NCAA Finals matchup.
"It was one of the greatest experiences of my life," Bird said. "And knowing you was on the West Coast, I was on the East Coast, I was just dreaming about another chance, maybe I get to play against you."
Some would say that the 1979 NCAA Finals head-to-head game was what started the rivalry. It placed an itch on Bird as he looked forward to the next time he would go up against LA Lakers legend Johnson.
Their rivalry allowed them to become the best versions of themselves and to reach heights that not many are capable of achieving in their lifetime.
