Larry Bird discusses his National Championship loss to Magic Johnson: “That’s the toughest one I’ve ever taken”
Even before their NBA matchup, Larry and Magic had a long-standing feud.
In the 1980s, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird were the top players. After a sharp drop in viewership in the 1970s, they were the NBA’s saviors during that decade. Although it didn’t begin in the professional ranks, the rivalry between Bird and Magic eventually rose to prominence in the NBA.
In college basketball, the rivalry began with a historic National Championship match pitting Magic’s Michigan State team against Larry’s Indiana State team. Larry scored 19 points and Magic scored 24 as the Spartans won the title 75 to 64.
Even after suffering heavy losses over his 13-year NBA career, Bird still views this as the worst loss of his career.
“I’ve never taken one as difficult as that one because you had all of
Even after suffering heavy losses over his 13-year NBA career, Bird still views this as the worst loss of his career.
“Since you had all of your buddies, that was the hardest one I’ve ever taken. You attend a college and leave your family behind. I had the impression that Indiana State welcomed and embraced me. In an interview with David Letterman on Late Show in 2012, Bird stated, “It was tough and it’s still tough.”
The highest Neilsen rating ever for an American basketball game occurred during the Spartans vs. Sycamores match. Given that Magic and Larry dominated the NBA in the 1980s, there was a lot of anticipation for their arrival.
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