Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird | The Rivalry That Saved The NBA

Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird defined a generation. Larry Bird's Rivalry vs Magic Johnson dominated the 1980's and saved the league. Magic vs Bird were must see TV and and the reason ESPN exploded. Today View The Right Thing talks about the greatness of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird breaking down their game, highlights, stats and legends to show why Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird still have no comparison.
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Chapters
00:00 - Intro - Magic & Bird Save The NBA
01:15 - True Rivals
01:52 - Spartans Vs Sycamores
03:00 - Best Argument For Larry Legend
04:00 - Best Argument For The Magic Man
05:08 - Head to Head
05:30 - Good Faith Takes
06:13 - The Worst Timeline
07:04 - Outro - Style Not Quality
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[@ViewTheRightThing]

Larry and Magic were scary good, TBH, this vid was just an excuse to watch their highlights 😂. But that's my opinion, what's yours? Leave a shout in the comments and here's the one I did on 🦅🏀 kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4vOaWWXhrFoeas

[@dwightlove3704]

When it comes to the stat of The Triple Double check out Oscar Robertson

[@junestevens5123]

10 years 10 rings that small magic has five rings bird has three that makes eight and furthermore if bird had more hell what are you talking about or had Reggie Lewis if he wouldn't have died future Hall of famer he played with Dennis Johnson Hall of famer Robert parish Hall of famer Kevin McHale Hall of famer Bill Walton Hall of famer pistol Pete Hall of famer he has played with more Hall of famers than anybody except for mad maybe magic Johnson what are you talking about

[@ozzieray]

I think the best part of both Bird and Magics game was that they both made their teammates better.

[@ViewTheRightThing]

I agree and by doing that, they made the league better. 'Preciate the excellent comment.

[@73Trident]

One the best comparisons I've ever seen. I would take Larry for my own reasons but Magic would be my next pick. They both made their teammates love to go work.

[@ViewTheRightThing]

I REALLY appreciate that. It's good to know that the content is respected by the real fans. Thanks for comment.

[@seyntwyatt2578]

it's simple, Larry is the better player and if he had more help in Boston, they could even won more chips than magic.

[@intergalacticplanetary]

Great video! Every time there is a Bird vs Magic who’s better debate, the outcome should be either… it’s too close to pick (cop-out or not), or… one is slightly better than the other. Both are legends, and both are in my all time top 5 and starting 5.

[@dougnewman3935]

Great vid and explanation. Tough to say Magic gets the nod in 'making the sum greater than the parts' - I have to give that nod to Bird. His rookie year Celtics gained 32 wins with his presence. I'd take his all-around game and his team building game over Magic's. Magic does get the nod for longevity. If Bird didn't hurt his back trying to build his own driveway for his mom, if he wasn't so almost reckless with loose balls, if Bias didn't die (which also forced Walton to overtrain lose out ion all of '87, and contributed to not getting McHale rest and foot problems), etc. etc. C's could have won one maybe two more championships. But my all-time starting 5 has Magic and Bird so it's all close (rounding out - MJ, Duncan, and Moses Malone - not necessarily 5 best by positions just my starting 5 team).

[@ViewTheRightThing]

Thanks for the comment and the knowledge 🙏🏾

[@davidlipman8093]

Great post. I'd put Kevin McHale at Pf and Wilt Chamberlain at C. Otherwise i agree.

[@clifflawrence7479]

Great video and nothing but facts. Like your top five Doug but I would have Bill Russell at pf and Kareem. My opinion Russell and Bird are the two smartest to ever play the game and along with Magic new how to win as a team. Between Russell’s defense and Kareem’s unstoppable shot And with Magic driving and dishing MJ could do his thing and if Bird wanted to he could just shoot 3’s all night

[@ldybozz]

Good video. Larry was the only one Jordan couldn't beat. 6-0 playoffs 17-11 reg.

[@ViewTheRightThing]

You're right, those early years, he really did Have MJ's number. Thanks for the comment.

[@stanleyrogouski]

@@ViewTheRightThing Jordan never beat the Showtime Lakers with Kareem.

[@robertchflynn]

love Larry Bird but unfair comment.

[@ldybozz]

@@robertchflynn why is truth unfair?

[@spacecolon7760]

Been really enjoying the channel, humor and nuanced discussion

[@ViewTheRightThing]

Thanks!! That's what I've been going for and it's a fine line to walk. I appreciate the shout. 🙏🏾

[@nanook8721]

I would choose Larry Bird over Magic basically for your own reasons. He had a natural ability, was born to play the game, had the highest Basketball IQ ever, and while both were driven to win, I think Larry was just a little bit more driven. He didn’t need to be the star, in fact he shunned a lot of attention, but he did need to challenge himself and he did need to win. He was also an unselfish player… Unless it came down to winning the game… Then he was the best clutch player ever, but he was unselfish with the ball. I think that just kind of puts him over the top a little bit. He played with injuries and rarely did that stop him. But they are equal in the fact that they saved the league. Thank you to Larry and Magic… You brought so much joy to my life and the lives of many, many others.

[@chrisyeh8878]

Your videos are among the best scripted and edited basketball content on KZbin. I am astonished that you don't have 100 or 1000X the number of subscribers!

[@ViewTheRightThing]

Wow, that's high praise man, we just started in earnest in March, I'm just amazed that people the like the content at all honestly 😂. Thanks for the comment and we'll get there 🤞🏾

[@chrisyeh8878]

@@ViewTheRightThing I'm confident that you will. There's a lot of great content out there, like Thinking Basketball, that explores the Xs and Os to a greater extent, but your scripts, clips, and narration are consistently the best.

[@stanleyrogouski]

That play at 3:50 where Bird steals the ball and the Celtics run the court, Jordan pulls off the exact same play (and I mean the same steal and the same sequence of passes) against Laimbeer and the Pistons a few years later. It's uncanny how much alike they are, almost like Jordan memorized all of Bird's and Magic's best plays and just rebooted them (the way he rebooted Dr. J's behind the backboard layup).

[@stanleyrogouski]

Minute 2:15 kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2HEiWVnaJWkbac

[@ViewTheRightThing]

In the way that Kobe basically memorized everything MJ did, I can totally see Jordan doing the same with Bird and other greats. Dude was a basketball android.

[@stanleyrogouski]

@@ViewTheRightThing Funny thing is Bird finishes with a dunk and Jordan with a layup (albeit an incredibly athletic layup that just bamboozled Laimbeer).

[@irishgrl]

Larry Legend IS MY TRUE GOAT 🐐 And Magic is next!

[@marshalpatrick9132]

That was a fair assessment

[@ViewTheRightThing]

I appreciate you saying that, I really was trying to be as down the middle as I could because the two players were so important.

[@b.m.8547]

You are an adept commentator. Thank you. Solid work!

[@ViewTheRightThing]

Thanks, I'm only just now starting to begin to know what I'm doing but I'm going to keep at it. 'Preciate the comment.

[@b.m.8547]

@@ViewTheRightThing wonderful! You have a natural understanding with laying out a dialectical story. My mom always said, “study the masters, the artists you love.” You’re off to a great start.

[@mellowrock555]

Larry Legend 💗

[@glendaWaccount]

NBA Seniors League? Yes, please!

[@ViewTheRightThing]

NGL, I'd watch a league pass of that. Thanks for the great comments.

[@juanfranciscosantana4793]

👏👏 awesome .excelent Job .keep doing buddy .🏀🇩🇴👏

[@ViewTheRightThing]

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 I will, thanks for watching and the comment.

[@bpsactclass2218]

MJ and Wilt are the greatest individual players, but they need teammates that could play with them. Bird and Magic could not only play with anybody, but they made ALL their teammates better. Therefore, if you want to build a successful franchise, you start with Bird or Magic. I find it ironic that people focus on how Bird was not the best athlete. That's because basketball fans tend to focus on a few traits, primarily jumping. However, with the exception of Wilt, no other NBA basketball player had better endurance than Bird. Bird knew he could not jump and was not quick, so he developed his stamina through long distance running. Bird constantly moved during a game while players like MJ and Kobe will spend time resting on the perimeter. NBA greatest defenders who guarded Bird and MJ say Bird was harder to guard because Bird was constantly positioning himself all over the court. Bird does not get enough credit for that. It is hard to compare Bird and Magic, because Magic played with a lot more talent (i.e., Kareem). Bird was the best player on his team in year one. Magic was not. That's not taking anything away from Magic, but it sure helped that he had Kareem in the middle. In my opinion, what makes Bird and MJ two of the top five players ever is the fact that they NEVER claimed to be the greatest. They just wanted to win and knew it took team chemistry to do it. I think that's why the entire country enjoyed watching both of them play. MJ was special, but MJ's team dynasty did not take off until Magic and Bird were at the end of their careers. Magic and Bird's team dynasties began when they entered the league. That's special.

[@73Trident]

That is pretty well said.

[@y2jtopgun]

What kind of question is this?!! LEGENDS BOTH!!!

[@ViewTheRightThing]

This is honestly the only real answer. Thanks for the comment.

[@MegaHat1234]

amazing video

[@ViewTheRightThing]

Thank you! I'm always a bit shocked that people dig my content. I appreciate the comment 🙏🏾

[@jbellflower83]

Im a big hockey fan also and theres alot of similarities betweenMagic/Bird and Ovi/Sid. Ovi and Sid were also pretty much the 2 best players in the league in their era, both won titles and Sid was to Ovi what Magic was to Bird. Magic was that guy standing in Birds way most years and Ovi had the same issue with Sid. The only reverse is that Sid is probably the more well rounded, all around player while Ovi is the pull you out of your seat, holy sh*t what was that guy while in the Bird/Magic argument it was the other way around.

[@LadyShar]

This was excellent 👏 👌 👍 🙌

[@ViewTheRightThing]

I'm really grateful that people actually like them, thanks for the comment 🙏

[@LadyShar]

@@ViewTheRightThing I shared it with a few reactors who react to Larry Bird videos. Hopefully they will react to it and drive some views and subscribers your way. If they do I'll be sure to let you know.

[@ViewTheRightThing]

@@LadyShar That's so dope of you, I don't even know what to say other than Thank You x1,000,000!

[@LadyShar]

@@ViewTheRightThing you are very welcome. I can't guarantee they will react to it but I'm hopeful. If not I will when I get back to reactions. I've had to take a break for health reasons but i plan on coming back eventually

[@glendaWaccount]

It's debatable if Larry would have shined so much if he had a better supporting cast. Remember Phil Jackson being brought in to coach the Lakers to get Shaq and Kobe to play well together? Or Durant and Kyrie stinking it up in the playoffs? Knowing how to work with other elite athletes is a skill, and Magic was able to do that as a rookie.

[@ViewTheRightThing]

I think that this is such a good point and one that I wish that I was smart enough to mention in the video. At his core, Magic, like Lebron is a force multiplier.

[@Giantsfanghg]

You are forgetting one thing though. It’s Larry Bird.

[@devrenhunt969]

Magic went to more finals and won more finals and they both have 3 mvps, if the stat line was in reverse, it would be all about winning lol

[@chadbinette3201]

Bird hurt his back and was never.the same,.and well we all know what happened to magic. So if it's all about titles magic and Kobe are better than LeBron? Bird won 3 MVPs in a row , should tell how dominant he was till hurting his back.

[@nathanmcmullan4264]

Was never a Basketball fan but this rivalry made me really watch the stories of bird shit talking and magic just being magic. Personally I’m taking bird for pure all round ability but magic close close second

[@whiskeythedog578]

larry invented the 50 40 90 club. so i'd say top 10 mt rushmore off basket. all generations combined. magic is on that list, and the 6-0 loser againt the legeng, nr23 jordan aswell. but math dont work on a game that progress. the guys that sent man to the moon didnt have mini cpu's in their pocket. just pure miles off math...

[@anthony0358]

I still think Magic was slightly better. But Magic believes Bird was better. What a great rivalry.

[@ViewTheRightThing]

That's what it felt like doing the research on this thing. Thanks for the watching bro

[@robertchflynn]

Bird was better for the first half of the decade but Magic caught up over the last half. Still Bird's best years were slightly more dominating than Magic's in my opinion...

[@terrenceliburd8655]

ESPN, David Stern, and Nike-e saved the league. Magic and Bird were merley pawns.

[@Sunny-jz3dy]

Magic also had Kareem & Worthy! Bird had McHale & Parish but Kareem & Worthy were better by at least a step or two up. Larry Bird is the Greatest all around basketball player! Imo

[@raymcg06]

"more with less"? Parrish, McHale, Walton, and Archibald are all in the NBA top 75 list and Dennis Johnson and Cedric Maxwell were Finals MVP's 😄...I was with you up until that moment.

[@ViewTheRightThing]

I feel you. I think it really depends on what you think about Kareem and Worthy though. Personally, I think it was an advantage. 'Preciate the comment 🙏🏾

[@stanleyrogouski]

@@ViewTheRightThing Dennis Johnson is a bizarrely underrated player. He was a key part of two championship teams, something neither Jordan nor Magic nor Bird achieved. But I recently watched Game 4 of the 1984 series (the famous game where McHale clotheslines Rambis). The Celtics only won that game because Kareem fouled out. Kareem was really on another level. He was so good it was literally terrifying. He made Parrish and McHale look small.

[@bpsactclass2218]

Watch the 1981 championship series. Cedric Maxwell did not have a super series. At the time, people still did not understand the beauty of Bird's game. Bird had a strong series, but back then people were still focused on scoring and Bird had a few off shooting games during the series, but Bird was rebounding, getting assists, getting steals, and playing great defense. Those statistics became more popular as Bird and Magic changed the game during the 80s. Magic definitely played with more talent than Bird. McHale took awhile to develop. Walton had one good season ONLY with the Celtics. Parrish's career was revitalized because of Bird (Parrish said that himself). Without a doubt, they both made ALL their teammates better. MJ, Wilt, Kobe, and LeBron cannot say that which is why Bird and Magic are in a special category all by themselves.

[@dwightlove3704]

Breaux Man Parrish,Bird, McHale was called The best FRONTCOURT ever assembled.

[@dwightlove3704]

@@stanleyrogouski Ppl forget about DJ winning a NBA TITLE in Seattle in '79

[@pp-vf8ls]

isnt it Magic 2 - Bird 1 for all their meetings in final?

[@Reneica1]

Magic!!! beat Bird in college & Pro 5 rings

[@jit1709]

3:10 prime bron > prine bird

[@ViewTheRightThing]

Fair point, but I'm going to wait until he retires before I start adding into lists.

[@mfdixon1985]

I agree and actually for the same reason. I think at his best, Bird was the better player. I think the gap is much wider between the two in places where Bird was better than where Magic is better. But Bird was not the same player after 88. It wasn't like he sucked but there was a clear drop. Magic, meanwhile, pretty much stayed at his peak throughout his career. They lost the Finals in 91 but he was amazing in it. Normally, I'd say to give me the peak prime over longevity. For instance, I'd rank Charles Barkley over Karl Malone. But while I think Bird was better at his peak, Magic was close enough that what he did over the extra few prime seasons makes up for it. If you play those careers 10 times, I don't know, maybe Bird is better more often than Magic. But in the timeline we have, Magic gets a slight edge.

[@ViewTheRightThing]

Appreciate the insights. The fact that Bird achieved what he did on the back half of his career is a frickin' miracle.

[@mfdixon1985]

@@ViewTheRightThing ​In a semi-related note, if you've never read "Breaks of the Game," I can't recommend it enough for any basketball fan. The focus of the book was on the Blazers during their 1979-80 season but it focused a lot on the NBA in general that year, which was both of their rookie years. It's amazing that even as rookies, everyone knew how special those guys were. But of the two, Bird was actually accepted a lot earlier by the rest of the league as a star player.

[@Kickingit06]

It wasn't that close. Just look at the ROY vote tally if you want to know. But by 87 plus, Magic was worthy of being in the same breath as Bird.

[@dwightlove3704]

Magic as you know won the NBA CHAMPIONSHIP as a rookie and he was the FINALS MVP he was the first rookie to start in the ALL STAR GAME.

[@Kickingit06]

@@dwightlove3704 After Kareem took him to the precipice. After that cake walk in the western conference. After Bird beat up on the Sixers. It's totally different if Lakers and Celtics switch conferences. Again, the tally ain't lying, bro.

[@dwightlove3704]

@@Kickingit06 Speed was the weapon the Lakers had and the Celtics didn't if Magic & Company exposed you what do you think the rest of the West would have done. It was not a cakewalk in West.

[@Kickingit06]

@@dwightlove3704 The Western Conference was a cake walk. The winner got to play a team beat to a pulp too. The Lakers weren't really that "fast" when you look back on it either.

[@dwightlove3704]

@@Kickingit06 Tell this to Boston they seemed to have a problem keeping up with the Joneses.

[@Awk1304]

Magic > Bird