“We ain’t never seen Magic Johnson fail” - Isiah Thomas describes his emotional state after Magic Johnson lost to Larry Bird in the 1984 NBA Finals

Following their titanic and legendary duel in the 1979 NCAA men’s basketball finals, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird took their rivalry to the NBA. Basketballs’ then-rising superstars will miss each other for a few years until their much-awaited mega showdown for the 1984 NBA Finals.

Heading into the 84’ Finals, Magic Johnson was already a two-time champion, having won it in 1980 and 1982. Larry Bird won his first championship in 1981 and was looking to tie his rival in the championship trophy count. The heated foes were both desperate to win the ‘84 crown as a big step in winning their NBA rivalry.

The LA Lakers’ crushing loss in Game 7 to the Boston Celtics broke the NBA’s most marketable star at the time. Jackie McMullan, on the Icons Club podcast, retrieved an old record of Isiah Thomas detailing how Magic suffered in that defeat:

“I’ll never forget that night where he laid literally in the bed just crying. Mark [Aguirre] and I, we were in the room, we just sittin there. We ain’t never seen Magic Johnson fail.”

Isiah Thomas and Mark Aguirre were drafted in 1981 by the Detroit Pistons and the Dallas Mavericks, respectively. In their their third season, Magic Johnson’s LA Lakers were blanked 4-0 by Julius Erving’s Philadelphia 76ers in the 1984 NBA Finals, which makes Thomas’ statement confusing. Perhaps that was the first time they’ve seen Johnson lose a series in person.

Whatever the case may be, two of Johnson’s closest friends were stunned by what they had seen. “The Magic Man” would have probably taken it easier had it not been against his mortal enemy. LA’s loss in the ‘84 Finals meant that no Laker team has beaten the Celtics in a championship series.

Larry Bird’s bragging rights were significant, considering he beat Magic in their first NBA championship and until that point kept the Celtics’ mastery over the LA Lakers. It was also during this series that Magic Johnson made some crucial errors and misses, which led to the “Tragic Johnson” ridicule.

The LA Lakers charismatic point guard was so down on himself that Mark Aguirre, in the room with Isiah Thomas that night, only had this to say:

“I think the biggest thing that came out of it was how hard the pain was. The pain was hard. We saw our friend totally committed to doing what he had to do in order to be in the championship. It was sad, but it was another thing that he had to learn. We didn’t know what to do.”

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Magic Johnson would bounce back and beat Larry Bird twice in the NBA Finals

Magic would beat Bird twice in the 1985 and 1987 NBA Finals. [Photo: Sporting News]

That painful night gave way to a more determined Magic Johnson. The following year, they would meet again, but this time, the LA Lakers finally got one over the Celtics. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson led the purple and gold to the franchise’s first-ever win against the mighty Boston Celtics. To top it off, Johnson leveled the head-to-head championship with Larry Bird.

In the 1987 NBA Finals, Magic Johnson would put a stamp on his rivalry with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. LA beat Boston 4-2 behind Johnson’s mind-boggling performance where he averaged 26.2 assists, 13 assists, 8 rebounds and 2.3 steals. He thoroughly outplayed Larry Bird and was the unquestioned Finals MVP.

From that terrible night when he tried to drown his pain with tears, Magic would exorcize his ghosts in just three years. His rivalry with Larry Bird saved the NBA and cemented his legacy as one of the biggest winners ever and the best point guard ever.