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When Larry Bird Made a Hilarious Joke About Getting Cheated in Rivalry With Magic Johnson; DETAILS Inside
Larry Bird was known to be one of the fierce competitors in the NBA, and his rivalry with Magic Johnson changed the league forever.
The Boston Celtics and LA Lakers share a historic rivalry, and these two teams remain the most successful ones in the NBA. Three NBA Finals were held between Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the legendary Boston Celtics player Larry Bird. The Lakers won two of the three games that they played.
Although it's a bitter pill to swallow, history will always remember it. Therefore, it makes sense if Bird harbors animosity toward Magic. After all, he is the ultimate competitor, and setbacks like those will always bother him.
Larry Bird joked about being cheated
Bird described how the Detroit native encouraged him to be the best basketball player he could be in an interview with David Letterman. The three-time league MVP then cracked a hilarious joke about his playoff battles with Magic, in true Larry Legend fashion.
Bird said, "You never let your guard down. You know, he was so good. You know, I have this thing in my head in the summer. I go shoot 700 jump shots that day, and I get ready to leave; I go, 'God, I know he's shooting 800, and it draws me back out there.'"
Bird added, "But I always respected him and his teammates,” he continued. “We had great teams and it's just unfortunate that we got cheated in a lot of their games in the playoffs."
Bird was kidding, naturally. Not only are all the greats revered for their triumphs but also for how they handled setbacks. Larry Legend was happy to congratulate Magic and the Lakers on their championship after everything had settled.
'Those two changed the league', Charles Barkley
Chuck once said, “Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are the two most important people in NBA history. If it weren't for those guys, the NBA wouldn't be what it is today. Michael Jordan took it to another level, but I'm old enough to remember, before Magic and Larry got into the NBA, the league was too black, too many drugs it wasn't making any money.”
Charles Barkley claimed that despite the two players' constant focus on defeating one another, their combined impact on the game was greater than their rivalry. According to Chuck, the league was in trouble before the two legends arrived. The NBA was improved by their commitment to their craft.
ALSO READ: When Larry Bird Revealed Reason Behind Not Trash-Talking Julius Erving
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