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When the Game Was Ours
From the moment these two players took the court on opposing sides, they engaged in a fierce physical and psychological battle. Their uncommonly competitive relationship came to symbolize the most compelling rivalry in the NBA. These were the basketball epics of the 1980s — Celtics vs Lakers, East vs West, physical vs finesse, Old School vs Showtime, even white vs black. Each pushed the other to greatness — together Bird and Johnson collected eight NBA Championships, six MVP awards and helped save the floundering NBA at its most critical time. When it started they were bitter rivals, but along the way they became lifelong friends.
With intimate, fly-on-the-wall detail, When the Game Was Ours transports readers to this electric era of basketball and reveals for the first time the inner workings of two players dead set on besting one another. From the heady days of trading championships to the darker days of injury and illness, we come to understand Larry’s obsessive devotion to winning and how his demons drove him on the court. We hear him talk with candor about playing through chronic pain and its truly exacting toll. In Magic we see a young, invincible star struggle with the sting of defeat, not just as a player but as a team leader. We are there the moment he learns he’s contracted HIV and hear in his own words how that devastating news impacted his relationships in basketball and beyond. But always, in both cases, we see them prevail.
A compelling, up-close-and-personal portrait of basketball’s most inimitable duo, When the Game Was Ours is a reevaluation of three decades in counterpoint. It is also a rollicking ride through professional basketball’s best times.
With intimate, fly-on-the-wall detail, When the Game Was Ours transports readers to this electric era of basketball and reveals for the first time the inner workings of two players dead set on besting one another. From the heady days of trading championships to the darker days of injury and illness, we come to understand Larry’s obsessive devotion to winning and how his demons drove him on the court. We hear him talk with candor about playing through chronic pain and its truly exacting toll. In Magic we see a young, invincible star struggle with the sting of defeat, not just as a player but as a team leader. We are there the moment he learns he’s contracted HIV and hear in his own words how that devastating news impacted his relationships in basketball and beyond. But always, in both cases, we see them prevail.
A compelling, up-close-and-personal portrait of basketball’s most inimitable duo, When the Game Was Ours is a reevaluation of three decades in counterpoint. It is also a rollicking ride through professional basketball’s best times.
369 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2009
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March 12, 2023
"Stop thinking of it as a curse, to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing, too. A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends."
- Niki Lauda in the movie Rush
I wanted this book to never end. It does such a fantastic job at taking you back and even, in my case, making you nostalgic about a time you haven't even witnessed. At least not really. I was late to the whole thing, becoming a basketball fan in the early to mid-nineties, when both Magic and Larry had already retired. I only really saw Magic's brief comeback in 1996. But I've always been enamored with his game and his personality. I have developed a whole new level of respect for Larry Bird now, too.
The book covers their college and the height of their NBA rivalry in quite some detail, goes rather quickly over the seasons beyond 87/88 and then mostly focuses on Magic's battle with HIV, Larry's battle with his aching body and the roles they took on after their time as players, and the new challenges they were facing in those.
Magic and Larry saved the NBA, a league that had a severe image problem and didn't even generate enough interest to have its games shown live on TV at the time. Their talent and fierce rivalry paved the way for players like Michael Jordan or LeBron James to take the whole thing to another level. That Magic and Larry ended up on the Celtics and Lakers respectively, and remained there for their whole careers, it couldn't have gone any better for the NBA. The book covers that aspect quite well. But what I found most riveting was the changes in their relationship over the years. The way they pushed each other and how their sometimes bitter rivalry turned into friendship when they realized how much they had in common and how much they really needed each other to become the exceptional players they were.
When we got towards the end of their playing careers, I actually became quite sad. Which is kinda silly, considering that they are both retired for three decades now. But in spite of their huge success, both individually and on a team level, they also remain two of those great what-ifs. Magic being diagnosed with HIV and being forced into retirement at the age of 32; Larry playing in severe pain from 1988 onwards for the rest of his career - it just makes you wonder if they could have added a few more chapters to their basketball story. Although Michael Jordan was already well on his way to take the throne. We'll never know.
No book is perfect and I also had two issues with this one. When Isaiah Thomas questioned Magic's sexual orientation after his HIV diagnosis, Magic was quite hurt by this. I had trouble to understand why that was so important for either of them. I mean, look, Magic through his Magic Johnson Foundation did a lot to educate people on HIV and AIDS. And I guess the point was to make it clear to people that just because you are heterosexual doesn't mean you can't contract the virus. This has nothing to do with your believes or sexual orientation. It's not a disease that's only a threat to the gay community. Remember this is the early 90s. There were a lot of misconceptions. But that it mattered so much to Isaiah and Magic whether the latter was gay or not ... I'm just not sure the book did get the point across there. But I also feel I'm not educated enough on the history of HIV. Maybe I should look into this.
The other thing: Magic, and to some extend Larry too, got really frustrated with the work ethic of NBA players when they returned as coaches and/or executives. At some point it felt like the book was saying, today's NBA just isn't the same. The players are entitled, immature brats that don't put in the work. But look, not everyone is Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. Maybe they are right. Or maybe they just looked to the wrong players to come to that assessment. It makes sense that they looked at the teams they were coaching, of course, because those were the players they saw working, or rather not working enough, on their game. But this book was published in 2009. There were also guys like Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki, who put in hours and hours and hours of extra work to get better; who also pushed their bodies to the limit. Not everyone is Dirk or Kobe either.
The main point of the book is how intertwined Magic and Larry's careers were and how much they benefitted from each other even though they both were the others' greatest obstacle to win the ultimate price. They had something special there. Who did Michael Jordan have to measure himself against? There was just no one on the same level. This also makes it such a great story for the fans. Those two-man teams of exceptional athletes are always the best. Ronaldo and Messi, Senna and Prost, Federer and Nadal. All of them would have probably achieved even more success without the other. But neither of them would have been as great as they were without the other either.
Basketball had Magic and Larry. Thank God it did.
- Niki Lauda in the movie Rush
I wanted this book to never end. It does such a fantastic job at taking you back and even, in my case, making you nostalgic about a time you haven't even witnessed. At least not really. I was late to the whole thing, becoming a basketball fan in the early to mid-nineties, when both Magic and Larry had already retired. I only really saw Magic's brief comeback in 1996. But I've always been enamored with his game and his personality. I have developed a whole new level of respect for Larry Bird now, too.
The book covers their college and the height of their NBA rivalry in quite some detail, goes rather quickly over the seasons beyond 87/88 and then mostly focuses on Magic's battle with HIV, Larry's battle with his aching body and the roles they took on after their time as players, and the new challenges they were facing in those.
Magic and Larry saved the NBA, a league that had a severe image problem and didn't even generate enough interest to have its games shown live on TV at the time. Their talent and fierce rivalry paved the way for players like Michael Jordan or LeBron James to take the whole thing to another level. That Magic and Larry ended up on the Celtics and Lakers respectively, and remained there for their whole careers, it couldn't have gone any better for the NBA. The book covers that aspect quite well. But what I found most riveting was the changes in their relationship over the years. The way they pushed each other and how their sometimes bitter rivalry turned into friendship when they realized how much they had in common and how much they really needed each other to become the exceptional players they were.
When we got towards the end of their playing careers, I actually became quite sad. Which is kinda silly, considering that they are both retired for three decades now. But in spite of their huge success, both individually and on a team level, they also remain two of those great what-ifs. Magic being diagnosed with HIV and being forced into retirement at the age of 32; Larry playing in severe pain from 1988 onwards for the rest of his career - it just makes you wonder if they could have added a few more chapters to their basketball story. Although Michael Jordan was already well on his way to take the throne. We'll never know.
No book is perfect and I also had two issues with this one. When Isaiah Thomas questioned Magic's sexual orientation after his HIV diagnosis, Magic was quite hurt by this. I had trouble to understand why that was so important for either of them. I mean, look, Magic through his Magic Johnson Foundation did a lot to educate people on HIV and AIDS. And I guess the point was to make it clear to people that just because you are heterosexual doesn't mean you can't contract the virus. This has nothing to do with your believes or sexual orientation. It's not a disease that's only a threat to the gay community. Remember this is the early 90s. There were a lot of misconceptions. But that it mattered so much to Isaiah and Magic whether the latter was gay or not ... I'm just not sure the book did get the point across there. But I also feel I'm not educated enough on the history of HIV. Maybe I should look into this.
The other thing: Magic, and to some extend Larry too, got really frustrated with the work ethic of NBA players when they returned as coaches and/or executives. At some point it felt like the book was saying, today's NBA just isn't the same. The players are entitled, immature brats that don't put in the work. But look, not everyone is Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. Maybe they are right. Or maybe they just looked to the wrong players to come to that assessment. It makes sense that they looked at the teams they were coaching, of course, because those were the players they saw working, or rather not working enough, on their game. But this book was published in 2009. There were also guys like Kobe Bryant or Dirk Nowitzki, who put in hours and hours and hours of extra work to get better; who also pushed their bodies to the limit. Not everyone is Dirk or Kobe either.
The main point of the book is how intertwined Magic and Larry's careers were and how much they benefitted from each other even though they both were the others' greatest obstacle to win the ultimate price. They had something special there. Who did Michael Jordan have to measure himself against? There was just no one on the same level. This also makes it such a great story for the fans. Those two-man teams of exceptional athletes are always the best. Ronaldo and Messi, Senna and Prost, Federer and Nadal. All of them would have probably achieved even more success without the other. But neither of them would have been as great as they were without the other either.
Basketball had Magic and Larry. Thank God it did.
After eight years of envy, bitterness, anger, and despair, the two stars were finally able to step back and evaluate their rivalry with a hint of appreciation.
"I just knew no one else pushed me like he did," Bird said. "And I knew, the way my body was feeling, it wasn't going to last forever."
December 3, 2024
The 1980s. Looking back so much happened but because I didn’t turn ten until the end of the decade, I don’t remember much. I have favorite moments and movies but the memories are vague because I viewed the decade through a young child’s eyes. Even music I only remember as being the soundtrack to after school roller skating parties. I should consider myself a 1990s kid, but the 1980s shaped who I am. One facet of society I remember well no matter what the time period is sports. I am a walking sports encyclopedia; however, certain sports I did not really start following until later. Basketball is one of them. Ask me anything that happened on the basketball court during the 1990s and I can recall entire games and what I was doing at the time. Prior to the 1987 Shot on Ehlo, my basketball total recall is fuzzy and being the sports historian that I am, I wanted to rectify this. Even though I am a Chicagoan to the core and am team Jordan all the way, I respect and study the players who came before him to pave the way for his ascendancy. No two players shaped the modern NBA more so than Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. During the 1980s when the only sport I watched much was baseball, the basketball courts belonged to Magic and Bird or Larry and Magic however one looks at it. I wanted to know more about when these two icons dominated the NBA right before Jordan rose to stardom and shaped my adolescent memories.
In the 1970s, baseball and football were the two most popular sports in America. They had been around the longest, and football came of age especially with the advent of television in the 1950s. At the time basketball was a white man’s sport dominated by set shooters. African American players could participate on the Harlem Globetrotters or other barnstorming teams. There was little flair or balletic poetry in motion in the early days of the NBA and no shot clock in the college ranks. Once, North Carolina beat Duke 4-2, a game that is still studied only for the absurdity of the score. Today, that would be the score of a game after maybe twenty seconds. After basketball became integrated, the league had to make concessions to placate both white and the emerging black fan. By the 1970s, the game was dominated by black stars, lead by Julius Irving and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. At this juncture, drug use ran rampant in the NBA and colleges and really all facets of society. It was easy for locker rooms to be the site of players snorting cocaine or ingesting marijuana in any way shape or form, and drug testing players did not exist in any sport. Convincing white fans to pay to see young blacks who most likely did drugs was not an easy selling point. The league needed to clean up its image via both drug testing and a new generation of players who it could market. By the end of the decade, the league would get both a new commissioner and the two stars it had been looking for.
The Midwest is known as a down home meat and potatoes region of America where generations of kids were raised with strong family values. Larry Bird of French Lick, Indiana and Earvin Johnson, Jr of Lansing, Michigan were two of these kids who grew up the youngest in their families with strong role models in older siblings to look up to. Both had strong work ethics and spent all of their free time in the gym. By the time they reached high school, they were well known as future all American stars and both desired only to play for their hometown schools, Johnson at Michigan St and Bird at little, unheralded Indiana St. There they lead their respective teams to meet in the 1979 NCAA National championship game, a game that still holds the record in its sport for most watched. Johnson had a stronger cast of characters and his team won. Both men got drafted in the upper first round, Johnson to the Lakers and Bird to the Celtics, two storied franchises that had seen better days. The two men were intertwined with each other’s histories and would go on to become storied rivals, leading their teams to instant success. Upon their entry to the NBA, they brought with them legions of fans who had watched them play in college. At this time, a new entity called cable television emerged as well, allowing millions of fans to watch the NBA that had never viewed it before. Johnson and Bird were at the forefront of this NBA renaissance that emerged from the embers of the drug saddled league, and shortly they would become the game’s most recognizable stars.
Magic and Bird wrote this book together with the adept assistance of long time Boston Globe reporter Jackie MacMullan. One would think that MacMullan would enjoy a pro Bird bias; however, she gave equal press to both men and crafted their stories interchangeably. From 1980 to 1988, Magic’s Lakers won five championships and Bird’s Celtics won three. The rivalry in the finals when they played each other were the most intense and this happened on multiple occasions. Americans of all stripes either supported the Lakers’ Showtime or the grittiness of Boston’s original big three. One either loved Johnson’s no look passing or Bird’s willingness to dive after every loose ball. With the 1980s branding of America, kids coast to coast could be seen wearing either or both of their jerseys and Converse sneakers. Both men noted that their respect for each other pushed them to want to win and outdo the other. It was this rivalry that pushed both Magic and Bird to achieve what they did on the court. At the time there was no conversing with opposing teams, so the two did not enjoy a friendly relationship until after their playing days were over. They recognize how their careers are intertwined and how along with commissioner David Stern rescued the league and brought it to the point where Jordan could bring it to the level of international prominence that it is now. The 1980s were all about Magic and Bird, the Celtics and the Lakers.
MacMullan takes readers back to the days when Magic and Bird were kings of the court. She also discusses their lives at length after their playing days ended. Both men were given their due, Bird dealing with career ending injuries and how he fought them off to enjoy his moment with Magic on the 1992 Dream Team and then later coaching an Indiana Pacers team that took Jordan’s 1998 Bulls team to the limit. MacMullan presents Magic’s HIV diagnosis in an unbiased manner. I remember where I was on November 7, 1991 and was really disappointed because I wanted the Bulls to play the Lakers in the finals for a second year in a row, and without Magic’s presence, it wouldn’t happen. He has since become a successful businessman and has been a spokesperson for HIV/AIDS funding and research for over thirty years. My husband is a Celtics fan although doesn’t watch much basketball, yet even he admits that Magic belongs to a select people known as Homo sapiens sapiens who are above what Darwin referred to as natural selection. I laud MacMullan for not treading on this issue lightly and for Magic to not merely being a celebrity lending his name for a cause. Today both men are NBA icons but not involved much in the league’s operations. In 2012, they agreed to the production of the Broadway musical Magic-Bird, which played to great fanfare, exposing new generations of fans to their ascendancy. In the 1980s, Magic and Bird saved the NBA from itself. I don’t remember much other than my aunt cheering for the Celtics, but they most definitely ruled the league and segued it to the Jordan years that I grew up immersed in. Those years although I do not remember much must have been such a thrilling time to be a basketball fan.
4 stars
In the 1970s, baseball and football were the two most popular sports in America. They had been around the longest, and football came of age especially with the advent of television in the 1950s. At the time basketball was a white man’s sport dominated by set shooters. African American players could participate on the Harlem Globetrotters or other barnstorming teams. There was little flair or balletic poetry in motion in the early days of the NBA and no shot clock in the college ranks. Once, North Carolina beat Duke 4-2, a game that is still studied only for the absurdity of the score. Today, that would be the score of a game after maybe twenty seconds. After basketball became integrated, the league had to make concessions to placate both white and the emerging black fan. By the 1970s, the game was dominated by black stars, lead by Julius Irving and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. At this juncture, drug use ran rampant in the NBA and colleges and really all facets of society. It was easy for locker rooms to be the site of players snorting cocaine or ingesting marijuana in any way shape or form, and drug testing players did not exist in any sport. Convincing white fans to pay to see young blacks who most likely did drugs was not an easy selling point. The league needed to clean up its image via both drug testing and a new generation of players who it could market. By the end of the decade, the league would get both a new commissioner and the two stars it had been looking for.
The Midwest is known as a down home meat and potatoes region of America where generations of kids were raised with strong family values. Larry Bird of French Lick, Indiana and Earvin Johnson, Jr of Lansing, Michigan were two of these kids who grew up the youngest in their families with strong role models in older siblings to look up to. Both had strong work ethics and spent all of their free time in the gym. By the time they reached high school, they were well known as future all American stars and both desired only to play for their hometown schools, Johnson at Michigan St and Bird at little, unheralded Indiana St. There they lead their respective teams to meet in the 1979 NCAA National championship game, a game that still holds the record in its sport for most watched. Johnson had a stronger cast of characters and his team won. Both men got drafted in the upper first round, Johnson to the Lakers and Bird to the Celtics, two storied franchises that had seen better days. The two men were intertwined with each other’s histories and would go on to become storied rivals, leading their teams to instant success. Upon their entry to the NBA, they brought with them legions of fans who had watched them play in college. At this time, a new entity called cable television emerged as well, allowing millions of fans to watch the NBA that had never viewed it before. Johnson and Bird were at the forefront of this NBA renaissance that emerged from the embers of the drug saddled league, and shortly they would become the game’s most recognizable stars.
Magic and Bird wrote this book together with the adept assistance of long time Boston Globe reporter Jackie MacMullan. One would think that MacMullan would enjoy a pro Bird bias; however, she gave equal press to both men and crafted their stories interchangeably. From 1980 to 1988, Magic’s Lakers won five championships and Bird’s Celtics won three. The rivalry in the finals when they played each other were the most intense and this happened on multiple occasions. Americans of all stripes either supported the Lakers’ Showtime or the grittiness of Boston’s original big three. One either loved Johnson’s no look passing or Bird’s willingness to dive after every loose ball. With the 1980s branding of America, kids coast to coast could be seen wearing either or both of their jerseys and Converse sneakers. Both men noted that their respect for each other pushed them to want to win and outdo the other. It was this rivalry that pushed both Magic and Bird to achieve what they did on the court. At the time there was no conversing with opposing teams, so the two did not enjoy a friendly relationship until after their playing days were over. They recognize how their careers are intertwined and how along with commissioner David Stern rescued the league and brought it to the point where Jordan could bring it to the level of international prominence that it is now. The 1980s were all about Magic and Bird, the Celtics and the Lakers.
MacMullan takes readers back to the days when Magic and Bird were kings of the court. She also discusses their lives at length after their playing days ended. Both men were given their due, Bird dealing with career ending injuries and how he fought them off to enjoy his moment with Magic on the 1992 Dream Team and then later coaching an Indiana Pacers team that took Jordan’s 1998 Bulls team to the limit. MacMullan presents Magic’s HIV diagnosis in an unbiased manner. I remember where I was on November 7, 1991 and was really disappointed because I wanted the Bulls to play the Lakers in the finals for a second year in a row, and without Magic’s presence, it wouldn’t happen. He has since become a successful businessman and has been a spokesperson for HIV/AIDS funding and research for over thirty years. My husband is a Celtics fan although doesn’t watch much basketball, yet even he admits that Magic belongs to a select people known as Homo sapiens sapiens who are above what Darwin referred to as natural selection. I laud MacMullan for not treading on this issue lightly and for Magic to not merely being a celebrity lending his name for a cause. Today both men are NBA icons but not involved much in the league’s operations. In 2012, they agreed to the production of the Broadway musical Magic-Bird, which played to great fanfare, exposing new generations of fans to their ascendancy. In the 1980s, Magic and Bird saved the NBA from itself. I don’t remember much other than my aunt cheering for the Celtics, but they most definitely ruled the league and segued it to the Jordan years that I grew up immersed in. Those years although I do not remember much must have been such a thrilling time to be a basketball fan.
4 stars
June 3, 2017
Wow. I didn't want this book to end, because that would mean Magic and Larry weren't playing any more. Which is silly, since they haven't played in years.
I wish I had paid more attention to basketball while these two were playing. I had no idea of their significance to the game. Their leadership and rivalry remains unmatched today.
I wish I had paid more attention to basketball while these two were playing. I had no idea of their significance to the game. Their leadership and rivalry remains unmatched today.
October 25, 2020
Intriguing and detailed look at two basketball greats
I am a huge NBA basketball fan, with a special love of the game from the 80s--00s. I also really love journalist Jackie MacMullan, so when I received this book through a bookswap, I was quite excited. Obviously it probably appeals to a particular set of people, but if you love NBA basketball and detailed retellings of events that already occurred, then this book is for you. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson recount events to MacMullan, starting from childhood and going through their multiple NBA championships (and a bit beyond). The focus is on their similarities--and the fact that they rose up in basketball at the same time, became fierce rivals, but also friends.
I'll confess that the bulk of the Magic and Bird rivalry was just a little ahead of my time. I fell hard for the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and MJ (both parents being from the Chicago suburbs), so, of course, I knew Bird and Magic, and saw them play a bit, but I missed most of their true heyday.
Still, I found this book absolutely fascinating. I learned so much I didn't know--especially about Magic and the racism he faced, about Magic and Kareem, and about Larry's background. It was intensely detailed. I loved how similar the two were in some ways--both so basketball-minded--yet so different in their personalities (Magic so open and brash, Larry so private and shy).
I also loved how much the late David Stern appeared in this book. I hadn't realized the depth of how much David came up with Bird and Magic in the league--combining their success with his amazing acumen to build the league into what it is today. MacMullan and Magic's discussion of Magic's HIV diagnosis is amazing (and heartbreaking) and the way Stern reacted is honestly visionary.
Overall, if you don't like basketball, you probably wouldn't gravitate to this book, yet it's so informative and factual, that if you love learning new things, I would still recommend it. It's not a fast read--I usually read one or two chapters a night after finishing whatever fiction book I was reading that evening--but it made up for it in how compelling and factual it was. Certainly worth a read and a huge find for any basketball fan. 4+ stars.
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I am a huge NBA basketball fan, with a special love of the game from the 80s--00s. I also really love journalist Jackie MacMullan, so when I received this book through a bookswap, I was quite excited. Obviously it probably appeals to a particular set of people, but if you love NBA basketball and detailed retellings of events that already occurred, then this book is for you. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson recount events to MacMullan, starting from childhood and going through their multiple NBA championships (and a bit beyond). The focus is on their similarities--and the fact that they rose up in basketball at the same time, became fierce rivals, but also friends.
I'll confess that the bulk of the Magic and Bird rivalry was just a little ahead of my time. I fell hard for the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and MJ (both parents being from the Chicago suburbs), so, of course, I knew Bird and Magic, and saw them play a bit, but I missed most of their true heyday.
Still, I found this book absolutely fascinating. I learned so much I didn't know--especially about Magic and the racism he faced, about Magic and Kareem, and about Larry's background. It was intensely detailed. I loved how similar the two were in some ways--both so basketball-minded--yet so different in their personalities (Magic so open and brash, Larry so private and shy).
I also loved how much the late David Stern appeared in this book. I hadn't realized the depth of how much David came up with Bird and Magic in the league--combining their success with his amazing acumen to build the league into what it is today. MacMullan and Magic's discussion of Magic's HIV diagnosis is amazing (and heartbreaking) and the way Stern reacted is honestly visionary.
Overall, if you don't like basketball, you probably wouldn't gravitate to this book, yet it's so informative and factual, that if you love learning new things, I would still recommend it. It's not a fast read--I usually read one or two chapters a night after finishing whatever fiction book I was reading that evening--but it made up for it in how compelling and factual it was. Certainly worth a read and a huge find for any basketball fan. 4+ stars.
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August 20, 2021
I feel like I’ve always known about Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, but I never really knew much about their careers until I read this book. After reading this book, I have a new appreciation for just how great and influential they both were. Their rivalry was instrumental in preventing the NBA from dying out, which it seemed like the league was on the path to before they arrived. When the Game Was Ours dives deep into the rivalry between Magic and Larry and explores what made them connected throughout the course of their careers.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes basketball!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes basketball!
January 10, 2018
Bird and Magic were NBA saviors just before my time, and this book, expertly written, helped me appreciate both more as players and for their role in the league. It jumped around a bit here and there, but moved quickly and was always engaging.
March 13, 2022
This book made my top 10 nonfiction list of 2021! Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/TByaMqiy4JQ
As a lifelong fan of the NBA this book hurts me. Reading about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and that time period of basketball makes me feel like an old man who just doesn’t understand kids today.
I thoroughly enjoyed how competitive these two legends were, and how they went from rivals, to enemies, to life-long friends in a natural way that felt earned. I love how at that time the two best players in the NBA were the two best passers in the NBA and yeah, they could score the ball, but their true value came from their ability to elevate the play of their teammates.
I know that romanticizing the past is an easy trap to fall into, but I don’t love where the game of basketball is at today. Where the best players want to join up instead of competing against each other, I think it’s weak. Where players staying with one team for their entire career almost never happens. I’ve often thought there’s a strong correlation between relationships and sports. Older generations simply had more loyalty and perseverance, you could even call it stubbornness. Marriages lasted longer, not necessarily because people were more in love but because they refused to give up. Look at Magic Johnson. He cheated on his wife profusely, caught the HIV virus, and yet she stayed with him. That’s some hardcore perseverance. And it was more prevalent in sports as well, both Magic and Bird played for one team their entire careers. With my generation, we seem to be much more entitled and selfish about our happiness. The minute something goes wrong, we quit, we want something different, we want it easier, we think we deserve better. Of course, I’m generalizing, but it’s something I’ve noticed with modern athletes, and I don’t love it. That might seem like a random tangent to go off on, but reading this book led me to that, and other, trains of thought.
Jackie MacMullan’s reporting is excellent here in uncovering the personalities of Magic and Bird that drove them to be the best, and helped them develop a lifelong friendship. I’m not sure if the story here is appealing enough to attract readers who aren’t sports fans, but any fan of sports, in particular basketball, will love this trip down memory lane.
Story-8, Language-8, Ideas-8, Characters-9, Enjoyment-8, Overall-8.2
As a lifelong fan of the NBA this book hurts me. Reading about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and that time period of basketball makes me feel like an old man who just doesn’t understand kids today.
I thoroughly enjoyed how competitive these two legends were, and how they went from rivals, to enemies, to life-long friends in a natural way that felt earned. I love how at that time the two best players in the NBA were the two best passers in the NBA and yeah, they could score the ball, but their true value came from their ability to elevate the play of their teammates.
I know that romanticizing the past is an easy trap to fall into, but I don’t love where the game of basketball is at today. Where the best players want to join up instead of competing against each other, I think it’s weak. Where players staying with one team for their entire career almost never happens. I’ve often thought there’s a strong correlation between relationships and sports. Older generations simply had more loyalty and perseverance, you could even call it stubbornness. Marriages lasted longer, not necessarily because people were more in love but because they refused to give up. Look at Magic Johnson. He cheated on his wife profusely, caught the HIV virus, and yet she stayed with him. That’s some hardcore perseverance. And it was more prevalent in sports as well, both Magic and Bird played for one team their entire careers. With my generation, we seem to be much more entitled and selfish about our happiness. The minute something goes wrong, we quit, we want something different, we want it easier, we think we deserve better. Of course, I’m generalizing, but it’s something I’ve noticed with modern athletes, and I don’t love it. That might seem like a random tangent to go off on, but reading this book led me to that, and other, trains of thought.
Jackie MacMullan’s reporting is excellent here in uncovering the personalities of Magic and Bird that drove them to be the best, and helped them develop a lifelong friendship. I’m not sure if the story here is appealing enough to attract readers who aren’t sports fans, but any fan of sports, in particular basketball, will love this trip down memory lane.
Story-8, Language-8, Ideas-8, Characters-9, Enjoyment-8, Overall-8.2
July 25, 2010
Reading this book really took me back to my college days. I was a freshman at Indiana University the year Bird and Johnson faced each other in the NCAA finals, and had been an IU basketball fan for years. I remember seeing Larry Bird on the IU campus for some kind of sports dinner just before he started his freshman year there, and I always wondered what the story was behind his departure before the season started. The unofficial word around campus was that the campus was just "too big" for a small-town boy. There may have been a grain of truth behind that, but I found his account in the book made much more sense, and I empathized with his feelings of not quite fitting in on a campus filled with upper middle class kids.
While plenty of ink is allocated to Magic's and Larry's lives after their NBA careers, I found the story most riveting when it centered on their college years and their first few years in the NBA. I really admire the work ethic displayed by both men. The latter part of the book focuses on their respective roles with the NBA after their careers, but I didn't find that part particularly interesting, other than to illustrate the difficulty identifying with a new generation of somewhat spoiled superstars. I think it would have been interesting to hear a little about the effect of Larry Bird's departure on Indiana State. That school was virtually unknown before he arrived, then he ultimately leads them to an undefeated regular season and the NCAA finals. That must have been quite an adjustment for the ISU fans in the 1980 season!
While plenty of ink is allocated to Magic's and Larry's lives after their NBA careers, I found the story most riveting when it centered on their college years and their first few years in the NBA. I really admire the work ethic displayed by both men. The latter part of the book focuses on their respective roles with the NBA after their careers, but I didn't find that part particularly interesting, other than to illustrate the difficulty identifying with a new generation of somewhat spoiled superstars. I think it would have been interesting to hear a little about the effect of Larry Bird's departure on Indiana State. That school was virtually unknown before he arrived, then he ultimately leads them to an undefeated regular season and the NCAA finals. That must have been quite an adjustment for the ISU fans in the 1980 season!
December 30, 2023
This book was really interesting. Obviously I know Larry Bird and Magic Johnson but it was really good to read more about their personal lives and just how extreme their rivalry was. At times the book seemed to lose its focus or explain some issues too much, but overall it was a very good book that detailed their lives well.
October 3, 2019
Man, what a book. What a show NBA games depicted back in the day. I think this book captured some of the magic that nowadays you don't see everyday; legends battling it out on the basketball courts from East Coast to the West Coast for the championship. Great details from the author, Larry Bird in showing how the players dealt with internal pressures of trying to live up to the hype and dealing with the corporate machines and sponsors. Trash talking taken to a new heights among players. Great game. Great book.
February 7, 2015
This is a well-researched look at the two NBA icons who practically saved the league in the 1980's - Larry Bird, the self-professed "Hick from French Lick" and the effervescent play maker from Lansing, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Author Jackie MacMullen lets Bird and Magic tell the story with very little other than their first person voice present.
The story begins shortly before the dramatic 1979 NCAA final between Bird's undefeated Indiana State team and Magic's Big Ten champion, Michigan State Spartans. Truly it was a battle royale between the two best collegiate teams from that season. As he often did, Magic's team had the last laugh on Bird's squad, but Bird dominated the stat sheet. Each man's professional life from that moment on was dedicated to besting his rival, but without ever losing the huge amount of respect that was always present.
As the story continues through each rival's NBA career, the cool professional relationship develops into a friendship that continues to this day. The story chronicles that relationship well and is the most endearing part of the book. MacMullen also details the painful conclusions of each man's career - Bird with a debilitating back injury, and Magic, when diagnosed with the HIV virus.
Fans of the two basketball giants will definitely want to add "When the Game Was Ours" to their To Be Read list. Ever non-basketball fans interested in a good story about loyalty and friendship should find something to like in the book.
The story begins shortly before the dramatic 1979 NCAA final between Bird's undefeated Indiana State team and Magic's Big Ten champion, Michigan State Spartans. Truly it was a battle royale between the two best collegiate teams from that season. As he often did, Magic's team had the last laugh on Bird's squad, but Bird dominated the stat sheet. Each man's professional life from that moment on was dedicated to besting his rival, but without ever losing the huge amount of respect that was always present.
As the story continues through each rival's NBA career, the cool professional relationship develops into a friendship that continues to this day. The story chronicles that relationship well and is the most endearing part of the book. MacMullen also details the painful conclusions of each man's career - Bird with a debilitating back injury, and Magic, when diagnosed with the HIV virus.
Fans of the two basketball giants will definitely want to add "When the Game Was Ours" to their To Be Read list. Ever non-basketball fans interested in a good story about loyalty and friendship should find something to like in the book.
April 19, 2013
Among the generally lame selection outside of Harry Potter that is available in Amazon Prime's free library, this one was a find. Bird and Magic's mutual drive comes across well, and the differences in their personalities are highlighted. The book was worth reading just to hear Magic's initial reaction to his HIV-positive diagnoses, but even Bird's legendarily icy reserve cracks from time to time. As a college counselor among largely poor students, for instance, I was intrigued by the idea that a scholarship athlete with such obvious talent as his would still feel so out of place at Indiana because other middle-class students had clothing and experiences that he did not.
July 28, 2022
I am a big sports fan but did not know much of the history of the NBA, and this was a treat! I was so entertained learning about Magic and Bird and the incredible stories from their time changing the league. Jackie MacMullan is also a wonderful author who writes in a way that allows the player’s stories to shine. “When the Game Was Ours” makes me wish I had witnessed the NBA revival of the 80’s, but it certainly lives on through this book.
February 16, 2019
Despite not being a keen follower of basketball, I had heard of Magic Johnson. I had never heard of his counterpart Larry Bird until a friend showed me a YouTube documentary on him. That kindled a wide eyed search for something that I could delve into a bit deeper and that's when I came across this book, which had inputs from the legends themselves and evokes a nostalgia for a time that you were not even a part of. Turns out Magic and Bird were widely and deservedly credited for the revival of NBA and its skyrocketing from the low millions to the high billion dollars range of sporting entertainment. And the rivalry cut through multiple layers and added its own intrigue due to the stark contrasts each exhibited. Legendary rival teams, Bird at the Boston Celtics and Magic at the LA Lakers, East vs West, White vs Black, the carefree street style Showtime vs the hard grind of the city boys at Bird's Celtics and above all the one thing that united them : the selflessness to pass to teammates which pushed their teams ahead rather than themselves alone. Fans flocked to watch them and Bird and Magic always put on a show for everyone every single time. For a league ravaged by cocaine induced deaths, premature, undistinguished career ends, and a selfish brand of basketball, the drug abstaining, unbelievable pass masters' intensity and tricks and hunger to win was the cliched breath of fresh air for a floundering NBA. The early days of their rivalry revolved around what Niki Lauda quips in 'Rush' : "Stop thinking of it as a curse, to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing too. A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends." And Bird and Magic pushed themselves harder knowing that the one is training hard to beat the other.
Appearing for a sneaker ad together was when the two bonded and came to realize how similar the two actually were. That meeting set off a budding cordial respect for both of them for each other that amazingly did not offset their intense on field rivalry. The respect that Magic had for Bird was displayed evidently when Magic told the Boston crowd on Larry Bird Night - held to honor Bird's contributions to the Celtics a few days after his retirement - 'that in all the years Bird had played in Boston, he had only ever told them one lie. To a genuinely perplexed Bird, Magic then said, "You said there would be another Larry Bird. And I'm telling you, you're wrong. There will never be another Larry Bird. You can take that to the bank."'
Bird too acknowledged Magic's pure skill often. When the two of them played for the US Olympics team of 1992 (along with Michael Jordan as part of the 'Dream Team'), during the pummeling of Cuba, Johnson pulled off an incredible no-look bullet pass back to Bird, which the latter converted to a three-pointer. Bird's reaction in the book : "To this day, I have no idea how he saw me". I watched the clip of this on YouTube and it was a sporting melody for the eyes.
Their rivalry melted to warm friendship, a friendship that caused Bird deep heartache when he found out that his friend had contracted HIV and was forced to retire. Magic's fight against HIV and his subsequent efforts in raising awareness and funds for the cause was an inspiring subplot to read within a double biography of two Hall of Fame, multiple championship winning, blockbuster basketball blokes.
Overall a heartening read, especially since their rivalry was deeply rooted in respect and neither had ever told anything to regret about, to each other ever, even when they hated each other's teams and were fierce rivals. Recommended for those who are interested in sporting rivalries. Watching a few Larry Bird videos might help spark an interest in the book too :)
Appearing for a sneaker ad together was when the two bonded and came to realize how similar the two actually were. That meeting set off a budding cordial respect for both of them for each other that amazingly did not offset their intense on field rivalry. The respect that Magic had for Bird was displayed evidently when Magic told the Boston crowd on Larry Bird Night - held to honor Bird's contributions to the Celtics a few days after his retirement - 'that in all the years Bird had played in Boston, he had only ever told them one lie. To a genuinely perplexed Bird, Magic then said, "You said there would be another Larry Bird. And I'm telling you, you're wrong. There will never be another Larry Bird. You can take that to the bank."'
Bird too acknowledged Magic's pure skill often. When the two of them played for the US Olympics team of 1992 (along with Michael Jordan as part of the 'Dream Team'), during the pummeling of Cuba, Johnson pulled off an incredible no-look bullet pass back to Bird, which the latter converted to a three-pointer. Bird's reaction in the book : "To this day, I have no idea how he saw me". I watched the clip of this on YouTube and it was a sporting melody for the eyes.
Their rivalry melted to warm friendship, a friendship that caused Bird deep heartache when he found out that his friend had contracted HIV and was forced to retire. Magic's fight against HIV and his subsequent efforts in raising awareness and funds for the cause was an inspiring subplot to read within a double biography of two Hall of Fame, multiple championship winning, blockbuster basketball blokes.
Overall a heartening read, especially since their rivalry was deeply rooted in respect and neither had ever told anything to regret about, to each other ever, even when they hated each other's teams and were fierce rivals. Recommended for those who are interested in sporting rivalries. Watching a few Larry Bird videos might help spark an interest in the book too :)
July 18, 2020
I got this book as a gift years ago and if you had asked me had I read it, I would have said "I'm sure I did". Well, while moving books amongst bookshelfs, I took a look at this one a little harder and realized I never had read it. And I'm glad I did cause it was a really strong telling of both a bond between rivals and of a time looked at as the golden era of the game. As a Sixers fan then a Jordan acolyte, I hated Bird and thought Magic was overrated back when they played (and I was much younger), but respected both quite a bit. This book doesn't diminish that respect in any way and definitely makes me think differently of them, particularly Bird. Magic mostly is what he always appeared - a leader at heart who is most happy in a crowd and enjoying the back and forth. Bird was always a little less well known, and that was very much on purpose. And while they were relatively even in stature, they definitely didn't start that way as Bird, while a great youth player who started at IU but didn't last even till the first season, was never destined for the stardom they both attained while Magic was pretty much the man from early on.
I love MacMullan to this day, but I did find some of the writing a bit clunky - just seemed to be writtten in parts, then no editing was done to join the parts smoothly. Chapter to chapter, that's fine particularly as there were time and perspective jumps, but this would happen in the middle of a page that was all about one series or game, and it just felt like she wrote one paragraph in June and the next in September without actually reading the first one. Was a bit jarring for an otherwise great book.
I wouldn't say it was no holds barred as she obviously got a lot of cooperation from both guys and they both definitely come off 90% positive, but they do go in depth on Magic's HIV diagnosis and some of the tough steps taken there, including not shying away from the homophobia that encompassed that event, both from Magic and others. Now, other than noting it definitely came from him screwing around, the book never really details much of the sordid side of things for either player or the league in general - it doesn't exactly hide it so much as just leave it as an assumed as the goal was not to be the full autobiography of the two, but to really focus on the relatively unique rival dynamic they had. In modern sports history, the only other one I could thing was close to this was Manning-Brady, and because they were in the same conference and because end of the day football is more random in it's champion, it didn't hold the same status as what Magic and Birds quest for the ring each and every year of the 80's did.
If at all a fan of the NBA, it's almost a necessary read both to learn how these two ruled the league until Michael came in, and just to remember what that 80's period was like.
I love MacMullan to this day, but I did find some of the writing a bit clunky - just seemed to be writtten in parts, then no editing was done to join the parts smoothly. Chapter to chapter, that's fine particularly as there were time and perspective jumps, but this would happen in the middle of a page that was all about one series or game, and it just felt like she wrote one paragraph in June and the next in September without actually reading the first one. Was a bit jarring for an otherwise great book.
I wouldn't say it was no holds barred as she obviously got a lot of cooperation from both guys and they both definitely come off 90% positive, but they do go in depth on Magic's HIV diagnosis and some of the tough steps taken there, including not shying away from the homophobia that encompassed that event, both from Magic and others. Now, other than noting it definitely came from him screwing around, the book never really details much of the sordid side of things for either player or the league in general - it doesn't exactly hide it so much as just leave it as an assumed as the goal was not to be the full autobiography of the two, but to really focus on the relatively unique rival dynamic they had. In modern sports history, the only other one I could thing was close to this was Manning-Brady, and because they were in the same conference and because end of the day football is more random in it's champion, it didn't hold the same status as what Magic and Birds quest for the ring each and every year of the 80's did.
If at all a fan of the NBA, it's almost a necessary read both to learn how these two ruled the league until Michael came in, and just to remember what that 80's period was like.
October 12, 2017
I listened to this book on Kindle (at 2x speed). An excellent sports book about how Bird and Johnson, and their rivalry, revitalized the NBA. I thought the best part of the book was recounting the early years through their retirement. The book fills in the rest of the story, such as Johnson's various comebacks and the 1992 dream team, which didn't quite have the charge of the rest of the book.
Its a sports book. The author (Jackie McMullin, NOT Bird and Johnson) does a good job of recreating the competitive milieu of the NBA. There was a lot of good material on the Lakers and Celtics. Also some cameos by Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall, Isaiah Thomas, and Ron Artest (all negative). Deeper aspects of their characters are not addressed, so you will have to judge for yourself about their motivations and behavior, especially when they were no longer at their peak. Given their involvement in the book, any criticism of Bird and Johnson is muted, to say the least.
Its a sports book. The author (Jackie McMullin, NOT Bird and Johnson) does a good job of recreating the competitive milieu of the NBA. There was a lot of good material on the Lakers and Celtics. Also some cameos by Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall, Isaiah Thomas, and Ron Artest (all negative). Deeper aspects of their characters are not addressed, so you will have to judge for yourself about their motivations and behavior, especially when they were no longer at their peak. Given their involvement in the book, any criticism of Bird and Johnson is muted, to say the least.
April 28, 2018
This is a fun, fast-paced return to the Bird/Magic NBA of the 80's. MacMullen touches all of the areas you'd expect and never stays on a subject beyond the amount necessary. (To suggest the book was written by Larry and Magic with an assist from Jackie MacMullen is absurd.) It reads a bit YA but it's a sports book so that's fine, maybe even its strength.
Magic is pretty fully drawn but his Lakers teammates come across flat. As a Celtics fan that didn't trouble me in the least. Bird's former teammates come across much livelier. I wish there had been a little more about Kevin McHale. His laid-back, funny demeanor was a great counterpoint to Bird's all-business approach.
The highlights for me were the parts about their early careers and peaks, I felt wistful reading about Bird's debilitating injuries and Magic's initial HIV diagnosis and its eventual fallout.
I recommend this book highly along with video highlights of Bird's and Magic's careers.
Magic is pretty fully drawn but his Lakers teammates come across flat. As a Celtics fan that didn't trouble me in the least. Bird's former teammates come across much livelier. I wish there had been a little more about Kevin McHale. His laid-back, funny demeanor was a great counterpoint to Bird's all-business approach.
The highlights for me were the parts about their early careers and peaks, I felt wistful reading about Bird's debilitating injuries and Magic's initial HIV diagnosis and its eventual fallout.
I recommend this book highly along with video highlights of Bird's and Magic's careers.
October 24, 2018
Basketball aficionado my age (or older) must have heard of a couple of stories about Larry and Magic. Only by reading this book do we realize however, just how large each man loomed in the other's mind during their playing days.
Problem is, these two greats, two legends, are so well known, the book covers a lot of material that most hoops fans already know. The run-up to their epic 1979 NCAA Championship battle, their ascension to NBA superstardom, their quest for NBA rings, Bird's struggles with his back problems, and Magic dealing with the aftermath of becoming a high-profile HIV carrier. Nevertheless, "When the Game Was Ours" is still a must-read for anyone who loves basketball and sports biographies.
Problem is, these two greats, two legends, are so well known, the book covers a lot of material that most hoops fans already know. The run-up to their epic 1979 NCAA Championship battle, their ascension to NBA superstardom, their quest for NBA rings, Bird's struggles with his back problems, and Magic dealing with the aftermath of becoming a high-profile HIV carrier. Nevertheless, "When the Game Was Ours" is still a must-read for anyone who loves basketball and sports biographies.
January 22, 2022
Really enjoyed this book; a definite keeper and one I would highly recommend. I grew up watching them play and it floods back memories of the NBA greats as I read it. The days when the game was a team sport and less of the ego drama of today. It’s uniquely written giving the perspectives of both players. My favorite passage documents after the Dream Team won the Olympics…
“ The two superstars, who spent their entire careers affixing their signatures to pictures, posters, papers, and sneakers for complete strangers, each pulled a ball from their gym bag and signed it for the other. Then they turned and walked away, leaving the game just as they had come to it - together.”
Pure class…. Enjoy!
“ The two superstars, who spent their entire careers affixing their signatures to pictures, posters, papers, and sneakers for complete strangers, each pulled a ball from their gym bag and signed it for the other. Then they turned and walked away, leaving the game just as they had come to it - together.”
Pure class…. Enjoy!
January 16, 2019
When the game is ours is a book about Larry Bird and magic johnson. it's about how they make it to the nba the two best friends that never spoken to one another. they start in college and they heard about one another and but they don't want to be outdone. the book is a adult book it's a little more detailed. they cuss, and talk about their commercials, their struggles and their success. Then they battle it out in the nba finals countless of times. They also was on the first nba team called the dream team.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2018
Any fan of the game should read this book. It needed to be written and it needed to be a collaborative work, which it was. It captures so well the heated rivalry, the legendary performances, and the deep respect between the two. It chronicles their earliest days, their near mythical heights, and their days in the front office. It's written without bias or prejudice, just a recounting of one of the greatest eras in basketball history. I loved every second.
December 9, 2023
Fantastic. These guys were Mamba mentality before Mamba. Made me yearn for my younger and more motivated days when everything meant everything in sports.
There is a mistake where it says the Lakers played the Grizzlies in Vancouver in 1991 offseason. They actually played the Sonics in Vancouver.
Recommended for all these ignorant youngsters who think LeBron is the beginning and end of basketball.
There is a mistake where it says the Lakers played the Grizzlies in Vancouver in 1991 offseason. They actually played the Sonics in Vancouver.
Recommended for all these ignorant youngsters who think LeBron is the beginning and end of basketball.
May 13, 2018
Great book if you love the NBA and want to know what is was like the decade before MJ took over. I never got to watch Magic & Bird but this interesting book gave me a context for all the highlights I’ve seen over the years. Really fun read.
January 30, 2022
Fantastic book on the rivalry between Bird and Magic. Goes into great depths about their college careers and how they became forever linked with each other. It was also great to see how the NBA has changed since they took over in the 80s, and a total resurgence of the league.
February 18, 2022
I'm a sucker for books that make me feel nostalgic about the 80s and 90s. When it comes to sports books, it helps when they are well written and don't seem overly self-serving. This one is a solid read.
I was *obsessed* with sports, but I came along at the tail end of the Magic and Larry years. All I knew was that the Lakers and Celtics had been really good when I was too young to pay much attention. I didn't realize quite how linked they were, pretty much from high school through now. Nowadays, it's inescapable that everyone knows about the best athletes from an early age and can see videos, read articles, everything. The era described in this book is long gone, for better and worse.
I was *obsessed* with sports, but I came along at the tail end of the Magic and Larry years. All I knew was that the Lakers and Celtics had been really good when I was too young to pay much attention. I didn't realize quite how linked they were, pretty much from high school through now. Nowadays, it's inescapable that everyone knows about the best athletes from an early age and can see videos, read articles, everything. The era described in this book is long gone, for better and worse.
July 5, 2018
The odd couple
There was a time when the NBA was not the worldwide renown show that we know today… then Larry and Magic came. This sums up the importance of this “double biography” that goes through twelve essential dates for the two sportsmen (from their first encounter in the ‘78 World Invitational Tournament to Larry’s retirement ceremony in ‘92), picturing the rivalry as it was: a mix of envy, admiration, respect and competition that grew in time into one of the most iconic friendships in modern sport. A book where basketball enthusiasts will find engrossing match descriptions, and any other reader will find inspiration and two solid role models.
There was a time when the NBA was not the worldwide renown show that we know today… then Larry and Magic came. This sums up the importance of this “double biography” that goes through twelve essential dates for the two sportsmen (from their first encounter in the ‘78 World Invitational Tournament to Larry’s retirement ceremony in ‘92), picturing the rivalry as it was: a mix of envy, admiration, respect and competition that grew in time into one of the most iconic friendships in modern sport. A book where basketball enthusiasts will find engrossing match descriptions, and any other reader will find inspiration and two solid role models.
January 17, 2019
This book made me Re-evaluate and increase how I feel about the legacy's of Bird and Kareem, but not Magic's. 3.49☆
March 10, 2020
Larry Bird and Magic Johson. They are legendary eighties talent NBA players .
June 9, 2024
Remains a classic about Bird and Magic.
June 17, 2022
For someone who has watched every Larry Bird documentary out there, read his biography, and watched countless highlight reels, I still learned a decent amount of things I didn’t know prior to this book. Same goes for Magic. While this book focuses on their relationship, it also goes into both of their lives individually. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Celtics vs Lakers, east coast vs west coast. No one could have designed it any better. This book reads like you are watching a movie, highly recommend to any old school basketball fans.
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