Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals (2010) - full transcript

THE FOLLOWING IS A SPECIAL
PRESENTATION

OF HBO's
"SPORTS OF THE 20th CENTURY."

THEY TALK ABOUT IT
EVERY DAY SOMEWHERE.

IF I GO
TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY,

"MAGIC, MAGIC,
WHERE'S MAGIC?"

I MEAN,
IT'S THE SAME EVERYWHERE.

WE DON'T HAVE TO
SEE EACH OTHER.

WE DON'T HAVE TO
SAY HELLO. WE DON'T
HAVE TO CALL EACH OTHER.

THAT'S MY MAIN COMPETITION.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN
LIKE THAT.

YOU KNOW YOU GOT THIS
TIGHT BOND WITH THIS CAT.



AND YOU DON'T
HAVE TO SEE HIM

FOR A YEAR OR TWO.

BUT YOU'RE ALWAYS
GONNA BE LINKED TO HIM.

WE GOT THIS CONNECTION
THAT'S NEVER GONNA BE BROKEN.

I MEAN,
RIGHT TO OUR GRAVES.

THEY'LL BE TALKING
ABOUT THIS A HUNDRED
YEARS FROM NOW.

IT ALL BEGAN HERE
IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,

ON THE NIGHT
OF MARCH 26, 1979.

IT WAS
THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP.

INDIANA STATE
VERSUS MICHIGAN STATE--

A GAME THAT STILL RANKS
AS THE HIGHEST-RATED
COLLEGE FINAL

EVER ON TELEVISION.

A GAME THAT'S NOW REMEMBERED
AS A PROLOGUE

TO A RIVALRY THAT
TRANSFORMED A SPORT



AND INTERTWINED
TWO LEGACIES.

BUT ON THAT NIGHT,
MARCH 26, 1979,

THE FIRST TIME MAGIC JOHNSON
AND LARRY BIRD

EVER WENT HEAD-TO-HEAD
ON A BASKETBALL COURT,

THEY WERE SIMPLY
TWO YOUNG MEN TRYING

TO WIN A VERY
BIG BALLGAME.

THIS IS PROBABLY
THE BIGGEST GAME I'LL
EVER PLAY IN MY LIFE.

I JUST FEEL LIKE
I'M REPRESENTING NOT
ONLY MYSELF, MY TEAM,

BUT WE'RE REPRESENTING
OUR SCHOOL AND OUR TOWN
TERRE HAUTE.

IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE
REALLY FOR ME.

I WON THE STATE TITLE BACK
IN MY HOME STATE.

THEN MY NEXT ACCOMPLISHMENT
WAS GOING TO THE NCAA

AND PLAYING IN A GAME
LIKE TONIGHT IN THE FINALS.

THEY WERE TWO STARS
THROWN TOGETHER

BY THE COSMOS TO COMPETE,

BUT ONLY ONE OF THEM
HAD BEEN GROOMED FOR
THE SPOTLIGHT.

IN HIS CASE,
IT SEEMED SINCE BIRTH.

I THINK HIS UPBRINGING
IN EAST LANSING

REALLY PUT THAT SMILE
ON HIS FACE IN THE BEGINNING,
AND IT NEVER CAME OFF.

BORN AUGUST 14th, 1959,

EARVIN JOHNSON
GREW UP IN LANSING,

THE GRITTY INDUSTRIAL
CAPITAL CITY OF MICHIGAN.

RAISED UNDER THIS
LITTLE ROOF,

HE WAS ONE OF CHRISTINE
AND EARVIN JOHNSON
SENIOR'S 10 KIDS.

CHRISTINE
WAS A SCHOOL CUSTODIAN,

WHILE EARVIN SENIOR
WORKED TWO JOBS

NEARLY AROUND THE CLOCK.

MY FATHER GOT UP
EARLY EVERY MORNING,
6:00 OR SO,

AND HE WENT TO WORK
ON HIS TRASH HAULING TRUCK

EVERY SINGLE DAY.

AROUND NOON HE WOULD
COME HOME, CATCH A NAP,

AND THEN HE WORKED
FOR GENERAL MOTORS
FOR 30 YEARS.

AND HE WON AN AWARD
FOR NEVER BEING LATE

AND NEVER MISSED A DAY.

AS A YOUNGSTER,
EARVIN DISPLAYED

HIS OWN STRONG WORK ETHIC
ON THE BLACKTOP.

I WAS OUT THERE
ALL DAY LONG.

BEFORE WE WENT TO SCHOOL--

THE BUS LEAVES
AT 7:00, 7:30.

I WAS OUT THERE AT 6:00,
6:30 WORKING ON MY GAME.

MY MOTHER SOMETIMES
HAD TO BRING ME FOOD,

OR SHE WOULD HAVE ONE
OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS--

"GO GET THAT BOY
SO HE COULD EAT SOMETHING."

FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE,
EARVIN KNEW WHAT HE
WANTED TO DO.

HE HAD IT ALL PLANNED OUT.

MY DREAMS WERE
TO PLAY IN THE NBA

AND BECOME
A BUSINESSMAN.

THE FIRST STOP
IN HIS JOURNEY--

NEIGHBORHOOD BASKETBALL
POWERHOUSE SEXTON HIGH.

- I KNEW THE PLAYERS.
- I KNEW THE TRADITION.

I WANTED TO BE A PART
OF THAT,

AND IT WAS ON
THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN,

WHICH WAS AT THAT TIME
PREDOMINANTLY BLACK.

BUT WHEN LANSING, LIKE
MANY CITIES IN THE MID '70s,

BEGAN BUSING TO DESEGREGATE
ITS SCHOOL SYSTEM,

EARVIN'S JOURNEY
TOOK AN UNEXPECTED DETOUR--

TO A PREDOMINANTLY
WHITE SCHOOL ACROSS TOWN.

MY FIRST DAY AT EVERETT
HIGH SCHOOL

WAS MY FIRST TIME
I REALLY HAD TO UNDERSTAND

THERE WAS A RACE PROBLEM.

NOBODY WHITE

WOULD SPEAK
TO ANYBODY BLACK

AND NOBODY BLACK
WOULD SPEAK TO ANYBODY WHITE.

A LOT OF RACIAL TENSION.
A LOT OF FIGHTS,

RIOTING.

THEY DIDN'T WANT
MINORITIES THERE.

HE KIND OF SHRUGGED IT OFF,

AND BASICALLY HIS
ATTITUDE WAS,

"OKAY, WELL,
I'LL OVERCOME THIS."

WHENEVER THERE IS
ANY RACIAL PROBLEMS,

THE PRINCIPAL
WOULD GET EARVIN

AND GO TALK
TO THESE KIDS.

I CAN JUST SEE HIM
WITH HIS BIG HANDS--

"JUST CALM DOWN."
HE'D BREAK UP FIGHTS.

TALK WITH HIS FRIENDS,
TELL THEM, "LET IT GO.

WE CAN'T FIGHT
ABOUT EVERYTHING.

LET'S JUST CHILL.
LET'S PLAY BASKETBALL."

AND THERE WAS NO DISPUTE
OVER EARVIN JOHNSON'S ABILITY

TO PLAY BALL.

HIS TALENT WAS SO GREAT

THAT SOON AFTER
HIS VARSITY DEBUT,

A LOCAL REPORTER
DAZZLED BY HIS EXPLOITS

GAVE THE BUDDING STAR
A NICKNAME.

IN THE BEGINNING, I THOUGHT
IT WAS FOOLISH AND DUMB.

I DIDN'T KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT A NICKNAME.

THEN WHAT HAPPENED WAS
YOU START SAYING,
"WAIT A MINUTE.

IT FITS MY GAME."

HANGING OUT WITH MY BOYS
ON THE STREET CORNERS,

WE USED TO SING
TEMPTATIONS SONGS.

THEY STARTED SAYING,
"HEY, MAN, MAGIC,
THAT'S COOL."

AND THEN PEOPLE ON THE STREET
STARTED SAYING, "HEY, MAGIC."

AND I SAID, "HMM."

HE BOUGHT INTO IT,
AND I THINK HE THOUGHT

HE HAD TO KIND OF LIVE UP
TO THAT NAME.

AND I MUST SAY
THAT HE DID.

HE LOVED IT,
THE MORE ATTENTION HE GOT.

HE WANTED ATTENTION
FROM ANYBODY HE COULD
GET IT FROM.

YEAH, IT DOES.
I REALLY LOVE THE GAME,

AND I JUST WANNA WIN.

- He jams it through--
- Earvin Johnson.

EARVIN LOVED TO DRESS--

NICE SANSABELT PANTS

AND OVERCOATS WITH THE FUR
AROUND THE COLLAR.

ALWAYS HAD TO HAVE
HIS AFRO BLOWN OUT.

HE HAD TO LOOK THE PART,

PLAY THE PART.

EARVIN WAS THE FIRST GUY
TO HAVE A POSSE.

HE NOT ONLY HAD A POSSE
OF A LOT OF BLACK KIDS,

HE HAD A LOT OF WHITE KIDS
HANGING AROUND HIM.

SOME OF MY WHITE
FRIENDS WAS LIKE,

"WE'RE HAVING
A KEGGER TONIGHT.
WHY DON'T YOU COME ON BY?"

AND I'M SAYING,
"WHAT'S A KEGGER?"

SO HE SAID,
"WELL, WHAT IT IS,

WE GET THIS BIG KEG OF BEER
AND YOU JUST GO FOR IT."

"OKAY, WELL,
WHAT TIME DOES
THE KEGGER START?"

'CAUSE REGULAR
PARTY TIME

IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
IS 10:00, 11:00.

"THE KEGGER STARTS
AT 7:00."

I SAID, "THE PARTY
STARTS AT 7:00?"

I SAID, "OKAY, MAN,
I'M GONNA COME TO THE KEGGER."

WE HAD A GOOD TIME.
THE MUSIC WAS KIND OF BAD,

BUT WE HAD A GOOD TIME,
YOU KNOW?

HIS SENIOR YEAR,
JOHNSON DID AT EVERETT

WHAT HE HAD PLANNED
TO DO AT SEXTON--

WIN THE STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP.

AND WHEN IT CAME
TO CHOOSING A COLLEGE,

HE DECIDED TO STAY WHERE
THE LOVE WOULD BE ASSURED--

HOME IN LANSING.

NEXT YEAR I WILL BE ATTENDING
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.

AT M.S.U.,

MAGIC'S STAR
QUICKLY WENT NATIONAL,

BUT ATOP THE COLLEGE GAME,

HE SOON DISCOVERED A CERTAIN
PRESENCE BESIDE HIM.

THE FIRST TIME
I SAW LARRY BIRD

WAS ACTUALLY
IN A MAGAZINE,

SAW HIS STATS--

BLOWN AWAY BY HIS STATS.

BUT LET'S SEE
IF HE CAN REALLY DO IT

AGAINST US.

AND THAT'S ALWAYS A MINDSET
OF BLACK PLAYERS

IF HE'S A GREAT
WHITE PLAYER.

IN 1978, AFTER HIS
FRESHMAN YEAR,

MAGIC WOULD
QUICKLY FIND OUT

WHEN BOTH HE AND BIRD
WERE CHOSEN TO PLAY

FOR TEAM USA IN THE WORLD
INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT.

THEY WOULD PUT
LARRY BIRD AND I

ON THE SAME TEAM TOGETHER
TO SCRIMMAGE, RIGHT?

IT WAS BLOWING MY MIND
BECAUSE HE'S DOMINATING
JACK GIVENS,

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL.

LARRY BIRD IS
EATING HIM ALIVE.

I COULDN'T WAIT TO
CALL HOME TO TELL MY BOYS

THIS DUDE NAMED
LARRY BIRD IS FOR REAL.

THIS IS THE BADDEST
WHITE DUDE

I'VE EVER SEEN
IN MY LIFE.

I THOUGHT HE WAS VERY GOOD.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

ACTUALLY, I THOUGHT HE WAS
PROBABLY THE BEST GUARD
ON THE TEAM.

Earvin Johnson--
look at that!

What a play!

WE DIDN'T GET
TO PLAY A LOT,
BUT YOU COULD TELL.

I THINK OUR FIRST GAME
WAS IN KENTUCKY.

WE GOT ABOUT
A 10-, 12-POINT LEAD.

MAN, THEY PUT US IN.

WENT TO 25, 30
JUST THAT FAST.

Fast break again,
three on two.

Griffith...

A steal by Larry Bird...

TAKE US OUT,
THE LEAD GO BACK DOWN,

PUT US BACK IN,
THE SHOW STARTED AGAIN.

WHEN YOU PLAY
WITH MAGIC, THERE'S
JUST SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

YOU WANNA MAKE
THAT EXTRA PASS.
YOU WANNA GET THAT REBOUND

AND START THE BREAK.

WE CAME DOWN
A COUPLE TIMES,
I GO BEHIND MY BACK,

NO LOOK TO HIM,
HE NO LOOK BACK TO ME.

AND I'M LAYING IT UP.
I'M SAYING, "OH, MAN!"

There's that last play.
Magic Johnson going in,
drops off to Bird.

Bird puts it back off,
inside to Johnson.

Super basketball.

THIS GUY GOT GAME.

THEY HAD SOME WONDERFUL
MOMENTS ON THE COURT,

BUT THEY PROBABLY SPOKE
TO EACH OTHER FOUR,

MAYBE FIVE TIMES
DURING THAT ENTIRE
TIME PERIOD.

AND IT WAS MORE LIKE,
"HELLO. HOW ARE YOU
THIS MORNING, LARRY?"

"I'M GOOD, MAGIC.
WHAT DID YOU HAVE
FOR BREAKFAST?"

"DON'T REMEMBER.
HAVE A NICE DAY."

BUT SUCH CURTNESS
WAS HARDLY STRANGE

COMING FROM LARRY BIRD,

WHO WAS NOT ONLY ONE
OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL'S
BEST PLAYERS,

BUT ALSO
ITS BIGGEST ENIGMA.

I THINK HE WAS A MYSTERY
TO THE EXTENT

THAT HE WANTED
TO BE A MYSTERY.

HE DIDN'T ENJOY
DOING INTERVIEWS.

HE DIDN'T GO OUT
OF HIS WAY TO DO THEM.
HE WASN'T GOOD AT THEM.

HE WAS KIND OF LIKE,
"HEY, THIS IS WHO I AM.
YOU WANNA KNOW WHO I AM?

WATCH THE GAME.
THAT'S WHO I AM."

I START TO READ MATERIALS
THAT YOU'RE VERY QUIET

AND YOU DON'T ENJOY TALKING
TO NEWSPAPER PEOPLE.

WELL, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S DIFFERENT KINDS
OF NEWSPAPER PEOPLE.

THERE'S PEOPLE
THAT TRY TO PUSH YOU.

PEOPLE TRY TO GET
THINGS OUT OF YOU,

THINGS THAT DON'T EVEN
PERTAIN TO BASKETBALL.

THEY'RE THE TYPE OF PEOPLE
I LIKE TO STAY AWAY FROM.

HE DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE
TALKING ABOUT HIS FAMILY.

HE DIDN'T WANT HIS MOTHER
TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT
OR HIS SIBLINGS

TO HAVE TO DEAL
WITH THAT.

YOU GOTTA REMEMBER
WHERE LARRY CAME FROM.

LARRY WAS RAISED IN A TWO-
OR THREE-ROOM HOUSE

ON A RAILROAD TRACK.

THEIR FAMILY PROBABLY LIVED
ON $50 A WEEK.

HE WAS RAISED TOUGH.

LARRY JOE BIRD GREW UP
IN SOUTHERN INDIANA

IN THE TWIN TOWNS
OF FRENCH LICK AND WEST BADEN.

"THE VALLEY," AS LOCALS
CALL IT,

WAS A TOUGH
WORKING-CLASS AREA.

TINY AND REMOTE,

IT WAS ONE OF THE POOREST
PLACES IN THE STATE.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE
MADE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY
HAD A FAMILY CAR.

I WAS IN MY OWN COCOON.
I WAS IN A SMALL TOWN WITH
THE PEOPLE I KNEW,

AND I THOUGHT I WOULD
LIVE THERE FOR THE REST
OF MY LIFE.

ARRIVING PEARL HARBOR DAY,
1956,

LARRY WAS THE FOURTH
OF SIX KIDS BORN

TO GEORGIA AND JOE BIRD.

EARLY ON,
HE AND HIS OLDER BROTHERS

EARNED A REPUTATION
AROUND THE VALLEY.

WE WERE ALWAYS
CONSIDERED TROUBLEMAKERS.

WE WERE EITHER FIGHTING
AMONGST OURSELVES

OR THERE WAS ALWAYS ONE
OF US FIGHTING SOMEBODY.

LARRY WAS ALWAYS ONE THAT
KIND OF INSTIGATED THINGS.

IF I COULD GET MY BROTHER
IN A FIGHT WITH SOMEBODY
HIS AGE,

I WAS AS HAPPY AS HELL,
'CAUSE I LIKED TO SEE
HIM GET BEAT UP,

AND THAT'S
JUST THE WAY IT WAS.

IF I GOT IN SCRAPE
WITH SOME KID,

AND MY BROTHERS
DIDN'T COME TO MY SIDE,

THEY KNEW THAT
WHEN HE GOT HOME,
MY DAD WAS GONNA WHIP 'EM.

LARRY AND MY DAD

WERE BEST OF FRIENDS.

THEY DONE EVERYTHING
TOGETHER.

WHEN MY DAD WOULD GO OUT
TO MY GRANDMA'S HOUSE,

LARRY WOULD ALWAYS GO WITH HIM.
THEY'D GO FISHING,

DO A LOT OF THINGS
TOGETHER.

BUT JOE BIRD
ALSO HAD A DARKER SIDE,

STEMMING FROM A TRAUMATIC
TOUR OF DUTY IN KOREA.

LARRY REMEMBERS WAKING UP
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT

HEARING HIS FATHER'S
BLOODCURDLING SCREAMS

FROM THE NIGHTMARES
HE HAD HAD FROM THE WAR.

WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS FATHER
IN THE WAR AFFECTED
HIS ENTIRE LIFE.

HE WAS NEVER ABLE
TO QUITE GET RID OF

WHATEVER
THOSE DEMONS WERE.

A TALENTED CRAFTSMAN,

JOE BIRD STRUGGLED
TO HOLD STEADY JOBS.

AND EVEN WHEN
HE WAS WORKING,

HIS DEMONS WOULD, ON OCCASION,
DRIVE HIM TO THE BOTTLE.

THERE WERE TIMES WHEN JOE
WENT OUT WITH THE GUYS

AND HAD A FEW BEERS,
AND THE WAGES DIDN'T
COME HOME THAT NIGHT.

THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN
EVERY DAY.

IT HAPPENED ONCE
IN A WHILE, BUT WHEN MONEY'S
AS TIGHT AS IT WAS

FOR THE BIRDS, ONCE
IN A WHILE WAS A MAJOR
PROBLEM FOR THEIR FAMILY.

MY MOM SOMETIMES
WORKED LATE.

SOMETIMES SHE HAD TWO JOBS,
BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT WAS.

I WORKED AT SCHOOL
DURING MY LUNCH HOURS,

WORKED AT THE LOCAL
GROCERY STORE,

PUT UP HAY
IN THE SUMMER.

IF YOU WANTED MONEY,
YOU HAD TO GET IT ON YOUR OWN.

TO YOUNG LARRY, ACTIONS
SPOKE LOUDER THAN WORDS.

HE WAS VERY QUIET,

KIND OF HUNG TO HIMSELF
A LITTLE BIT.

I SAW LARRY TAKE AN "F"
IN AN ENGLISH CLASS

BECAUSE HE HAD TO GET UP
IN FRONT OF HIS PEERS
AND GIVE A SPEECH.

"I WON'T DO IT."

HE JUST COULD NOT GET UP
IN FRONT OF HIS FRIENDS
AND TALK.

HE WAS THAT SHY.

OF COURSE,
NEXT THING YOU KNOW,
WHEN HE KNEW IT WAS TIME

FOR ALL OF US TOGETHER
AT THE GYMNASIUM,
THERE HE'D BE.

THE MINUTE HE'D GET
A BASKETBALL IN HIS HAND,

THINGS WERE
TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

BASKETBALL WAS JUST--

IT CAME TO ME,
SEEMED LIKE EASY.

I DIDN'T HAVE THE QUICKNESS.
I DIDN'T HAVE JUMPING ABILITY.

I JUST THOUGHT
THE GAME OUT.

BY HIS SENIOR YEAR
AT SPRINGS VALLEY HIGH,

LARRY BIRD HAD SPROUTED
INTO A STAR.

BUT BIRD WAS
FROM THE VALLEY,

HARDLY A HOTBED
OF TALENT

IN THE BIG-TIME WORLD
OF INDIANA HOOPS.

THE FIRST THING THEY SAY,
"WELL, THEY DON'T PLAY
NOBODY DOWN THERE.

HE'S FROM FRENCH LICK.

THEY DON'T PLAY NOBODY."

I THINK THAT PUT
A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER,

ALWAYS HAVING
TO PROVE WHO HE WAS
AND HOW GOOD HE WAS.

HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR INDIANA
UNIVERSITY'S BOBBY KNIGHT

TO COME CALLING
LATE HIS SENIOR YEAR.

AND FOLKS IN THE VALLEY

COULDN'T HAVE
BEEN PROUDER.

THEIR LOCAL HERO
WAS HEADING 60 MILES NORTH

TO PLAY BALL FOR ONE
OF THE BEST COLLEGE TEAMS
IN THE LAND.

ONCE I GOT TO I.U.,

IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG
TO REALIZE THAT I WAS

OUT OF MY COCOON.

HAD OVER 30,000 STUDENTS.

DAD DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS.

FIRST WEEK AND A HALF,

I THOUGHT,
"MAN, THIS AIN'T GONNA WORK."

HE LEFT AFTER 24 DAYS.

LET MY MOTHER DOWN.

SHE DIDN'T TALK TO ME
FOR TWO MONTHS,

BUT IT DIDN'T MATTER
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAID.
TO THIS DAY, I DON'T CARE.

BACK IN FRENCH LICK,

BIRD TOOK TO WORKING
FOR THE CITY,

HAULING TRASH
AND PAINTING PARK BENCHES.

MEANWHILE,
BY THAT WINTER,

HIS FATHER'S DEMONS
HAD TAKEN HIM

TO AN EVEN DARKER PLACE.

BY THIS POINT,
JOE AND GEORGIA WERE DIVORCED.

AND HE WAS BEHIND IN
HIS PAYMENTS TO THE FAMILY.

THE POLICE CAME BY,
AND OF COURSE, THEY
ALL KNEW HIM.

SO JOE SAID,
"HEY, I NEED A FEW HOURS
TO GET MY AFFAIRS TOGETHER

BEFORE YOU TAKE ME AWAY,"
SO HE CALLED GEORGIA

AND HE SAID, "YOU GUYS
WILL BE BETTER OFF
WITHOUT ME,

AND I'M GONNA TAKE MY LIFE,"
AND HE PUT THE PHONE DOWN

AND HE KILLED HIMSELF.
HE SHOT HIMSELF.

WHEN DAD PASSED,
IT HURT LARRY.

I MEAN,
THAT WAS HIS BEST FRIEND--

WAS GONE NOW,

BUT LARRY DIDN'T SHOW IT
A LOT.

HE JUST DIDN'T SAY MUCH.

YOU KNOW, HE JUST KIND OF
HELD IT WITHIN.

I NEVER HEARD HIM
SPEAK OUT ABOUT IT

AT ALL.

I WAS MAD WHEN
I HEARD ABOUT IT.

AND I WAS MADDER

AFTER THE FUNERAL

BECAUSE I THOUGHT
HE SORT OF

CUT OUT ON US
DURING A TOUGH TIME,

BUT HE WENT THROUGH
A LOT IN HIS LIFE.

HE DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO.

IF BILL HODGES HADN'T
BEEN AS PERSISTENT

AS HE HAD BEEN,
LARRY BIRD MIGHT HAVE NEVER
EXISTED IN ANY OF OUR MINDS.

I BELIEVE THAT
WITH ALL MY HEART.
I REALLY DO.

IT WAS BILL HODGES,
A YOUNG COACH

FROM INDIANA STATE
UNIVERSITY

WHO CONVINCED BIRD
TO GIVE COLLEGE HOOPS
ANOTHER SHOT.

SO WITH A PROMISE
TO HIS MOM TO GRADUATE,

BIRD HEADED TO TERRE HAUTE
AND I.S.U.,

A SCHOOL THAT NEVER
SO MUCH HAD BEEN TO
THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.

ONCE I STARTED PLAYING,
IT WAS THE SAME OLD THING--

IT WAS A SMALL SCHOOL,
AND WE AIN'T PLAYING
AGAINST ANYBODY,

WHICH IS FINE.
STILL DOMINATED.

BY THE TIME HE HAD LED
TINY I.S.U. AS A SENIOR

TO A 33-0 RECORD

AND A SPOT
IN THE '79 TITLE GAME,

LARRY BIRD HAD BECOME,
ALONGSIDE MAGIC JOHNSON,

THE TALK
OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL.

JUST A YEAR AFTER SHARING
THE COURT ON TEAM USA,

THEY WERE BACK TOGETHER,
AND THE DAY BEFORE
THE BIG GAME,

MAGIC COULDN'T WAIT
TO GREET HIS OLD PLAYMATE.

INDIANA STATE WAS
PRACTICING.

AND WE WERE
WAITING IN THE TUNNEL.
WE GOT THERE EARLY.

I WANTED TO DEFINITELY
SAY HELLO TO LARRY.

WHEN THEY CAME THROUGH,

IT WAS LIKE
NOBODY WAS SAYING NOTHING.

I WANTED TO GO
TOWARD 'EM.

LIKE HIS GUYS MADE SURE
THAT HE DIDN'T SAY NOTHING,

AND THEN THEY KIND OF
STARTED SNICKERING.

LIKE MICHIGAN STATE,
YOU IN TROUBLE.

WE'RE GONNA KILL
YOU GUYS TOMORROW.

I PROBABLY DID SNUB HIM.

I DON'T REMEMBER IT,
BUT I'M SURE I DID.

I DIDN'T...

WANT ANY, YOU KNOW,

LIKE I CALL IT
"LOVE FEST"--

HUGGING AND SLAPPING
HIGH FIVES WITH OPPONENT.

YOU WERE THERE FOR A REASON.
YOU'RE THERE TO WIN A GAME.

THAT JUST SAID,
"IT'S ON NOW."

IT IS INDIANA STATE
AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE.

I'M BRYANT GUMBEL,
AND THE FANS HERE
ARE GOING BANANAS.

LET'S FACE IT.
IF LARRY BIRD WERE BLACK
AND CAME FROM CHICAGO,

IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN
AS BIG A DEAL.

THEY WERE POLAR OPPOSITES.

ONE BLACK, ONE WHITE.
ONE OUTGOING, ONE SHY.

THAT WAS THE CHARM
OF THE ATTRACTION.

THE BIRD AGAINST MAGIC,
ALL OF THE SUPERLATIVES
HAVE BEEN USED

AND BELIEVE ME, ALL OF
THEM HAVE BEEN WARRANTED.

HEADING INTO THE TOURNAMENT,
MAGIC WAS THE BIGGER STAR,

BUT BY TIPOFF
IT WAS BIRD,

HAVING HARDLY MISSED A SHOT
IN THE SEMIFINAL,

WHO WOULD BECOME THE FOCUS

OF FANS AND MORE IMPORTANTLY
OF MICHIGAN STATE.

WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO MEN
ON LARRY EVERYWHERE HE WENT.

There he is, Dick.

They have him sandwiched
in completely.

I'M SURPRISED THEY
DIDN'T PLAY A BOX ON ONE--
FOUR GUYS ON LARRY,

AND ONE ON THE OTHER FOUR,
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE
A LOT OF TALENT.

IF YOU STOP LARRY,
YOU PRETTY MUCH STOP THEM.

Look at the pressure
around him-- two, three men.

And he's short.

I DIDN'T PLAY WELL AT ALL.
BIGGEST GAME OF MY LIFE,
I DIDN'T PLAY WELL.

Way short.

I THINK OUR LENGTH
AND OUR SIZE,

OUR JUMPING ABILITY,

WAS ABLE
TO BOTHER HIM.

Turn, hanging,
can't score.

I DIDN'T SHOOT WELL.

MISSED
THREE FREE THROWS.

Larry Bird has had
a cold shooting night.

I BATTLED 'EM,
BUT I DIDN'T HAVE IT.

Oh!

Oh, there's a pass!

It's all over.

Michigan State
University--

National Champions
1979.

MAGIC, NOT ONLY WERE
YOU ONLY A LEADER
ON OFFENSE,

I THOUGHT YOU DID A GREAT JOB
ON LARRY BIRD IN THE ZONE,
DENIED HIM THE BALL.

YES, COACH GAVE US

A GOOD GAME PLAN

TO GO AGAINST
LARRY BIRD.

AND ALL WE HAD TO DO
WAS GO OUT AND DO IT.

- THAT'S WHAT WE DONE.
- CONGRATULATIONS,
SUPER BALLGAME.

- IT WAS OVER.
- THAT WAS MY FOUR YEARS.

IT WAS DONE.

IT STILL HURTS.

WHEN YOU WIN 33 IN A ROW,
YOU WALK INTO A GAME,

YOU NEVER KNOW
WHAT TO EXPECT,

BUT I EXPECT TO WIN.

WE DIDN'T WIN.

TOUGHEST LOSS
I EVER TOOK.

I KNEW IT WAS
GONNA HAUNT HIM FOREVER.

'CAUSE WE WERE GONNA
SEE EACH OTHER A LOT.

THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL
ASSOCIATION IN ITS 33rd SEASON

IS TROUBLED
BY DIMINISHING CROWDS

AND DECLINING TELEVISION
RATINGS,

SIGNS THAT FAN INTEREST
MAY BE WANING.

IF COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WAS FLOURISHING AT THE END

OF THE 1970s,
THE PRO GAME WAS CRUMBLING.

AFTER THE GOLDEN ERA
OF BILL RUSSELL

AND JERRY WEST
IN THE 1960s,

A MERGER WITH THE A.B.A.
IN 1976 HAD LED NOT ONLY

TO NEW TEAMS,
BUT A NEW TEMPERAMENT.

IT WAS A NEW LEAGUE WITH
NEW TIMES WITH RENEGADES,

WITH INDIVIDUALS.

THERE WAS AN ARGUMENT MADE,
PLAUSIBLY, I THINK,

THAT IT
WAS TOO BLACK A LEAGUE

FOR THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA IN THE LATE 1970s.

YOU THINK ABOUT
THE KNICKERBOCKERS AT THE TIME,

THE RUNNING JOKE WAS IT
WAS THE NIGGER-BOCKERS.

THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.
IT WAS THE "N" WORD.

IT'S TURNING OFF A LOT
OF WHITE CUSTOMERS

THAT ARE COMING
TO THE GAME.

WHY?

I THINK THERE'S
A CONFLICT BETWEEN
THE WHITE AND THE BLACK,

AND I DON'T ENJOY

GOING TO BASKETBALL
AND SEEING ALL BLACK PLAYERS.

I MEAN,
WHEN THEY SAID TOO BLACK,

THEY MEANT NOT JUST
IN TERMS OF COLOR,

BUT IN TERMS OF STYLE--

"LET ME GET MINE
AND THE HELL WITH YOURS."

BASKETBALL FOR US WAS
ABOUT THE BEST MOVES.

YOU WANT IT TO BE
THAT BIG PLAYER THAT
EVERYBODY TALKED ABOUT.

YOU WANTED TO BE THE ONE.

YOU DIDN'T THINK ABOUT
WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS
OR TEAM PLAY.

AND THOSE WERE
JUST THE ISSUES

ON THE COURT.

THE NBA HAD THIS IMAGE
OF AN ALL-BLACK LEAGUE

WITH A BUNCH OF GUYS
WHO DID DRUGS.

THE TEAMS WERE LOSING MONEY,
AND THEY HAD NO SPONSORS.

AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH
A DEATH KNELL RIGHT THERE.

IT'S A KNOWN FACT THAT

YOU NEED YOUR
WHITE SUPERSTARS.

YOU JUST NEED MORE WHITE
BALLPLAYERS ON THE TEAM
FOR THE WHITE FANS

TO IDENTIFY WITH.

AND IN THE NEWEST MEMBER
OF THE BOSTON CELTICS,

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE LEAGUE
APPEARED TO BE GETTING.

THERE'S HOPE HE CAN
HELP SOLVE PROFESSIONAL
BASKETBALL'S DIFFICULTIES,

WHICH SOME SAY ARE
COMPOUNDED BY A QUESTION
OF BLACK AND WHITE.

- THE GREAT WHITE HOPE.
- WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WELL, YOU KNOW,
IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY

BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT
OF GREAT WHITE PLAYERS
AROUND,

AND I JUST HOPE THAT
I CAN JUST FIT IN AS WELL

AS SOME OF THEM
THAT HAVE FIT IN.

HE RAN AWAY
FROM THAT DESIGNATION.

HE MADE IT VERY CLEAR,

ALMOST FROM DAY ONE,

THAT HE WAS NOT
THE GREAT WHITE HOPE.

THE GREAT PLAYERS
ARE THE BLACK PLAYERS,
AND THEY'RE THE BEST.

SUCH DEFERENCE MEANT
LITTLE TO BLACK CELTICS

LIKE CURTIS ROWE,
SIDNEY WICKS

AND CEDRIC MAXWELL,

WHO LOOKED AT BIRD AND SAW
NOT THE GREAT WHITE HOPE,

BUT ANOTHER CASE
OF GREAT WHITE HYPE.

HE DIDN'T IMPRESS ME
NO MORE THAN ANY OTHER

WHITE GUY I'VE
EVER SEEN PLAY BEFORE.

I THINK THAT YOU WOULD SAY
THAT MOST BLACK PLAYERS

AT THE TIME
WERE RACIST,

IN THE SENSE
THAT WE DID NOT THINK

THAT YOU COULD
FIND A WHITE GUY

WHO COULD PLAY BETTER
THAN ANY BLACK GUY.

WHEN I WALK IN
THE FIRST DAY OF CAMP,

THEM GUYS WERE
ON THE FLOOR STRETCHING,

AND "HERE COMES
THE WHITE SAVIOR.

HERE COMES THIS,
HERE COMES THAT."

I SORT OF ENJOYED IT,
'CAUSE I KNEW I WAS GONNA
BATTLE 'EM ALL DAY.

BUT CURTIS AND SIDNEY
DIDN'T LAST LONG.

THEY DIDN'T EVEN
MAKE IT THROUGH
THE FIRST PRACTICE.

THEY WERE CUT.
SO THEN IT WAS JUST CEDRIC.

I'M THINKING,
"HE'S SLOW. HE CAN'T
GET OFF A SHOT.

HE'S NOT THAT STRONG.

THIS IS GONNA BE
A LAYUP."

BAM!
KNOCKS DOWN A JUMP SHOT.

IT'S OKAY.
MAYBE THAT WAS LUCK.

GETS THE BALL AGAIN.

BAM! KNOCKS DOWN
ANOTHER JUMP SHOT.

NOW I'M THINKING LIKE,
"OKAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT?

I'M GONNA 'D' THIS GUY UP.
I'M GONNA SHOW HIM
WHAT IT'S LIKE."

20 FEET AWAY.

BAM! 25 FEET AWAY.
BAM!

MY MIND JUST--

"DAMN, THIS WHITE
GUY CAN PLAY."

IT WAS A GOOD THING TOO.

THE STORIED CELTICS MIGHT
HAVE BEEN THE WINNINGEST
TEAM IN NBA HISTORY,

BUT THEY WERE FRESH OFF
THEIR WORSE SEASON

IN 30 YEARS.

AND IN BIRD,
THEY HAD A PLAYER

WHO WAS NOT ONLY
SUPREMELY TALENTED,

BUT TOUGH ENOUGH
TO TAKE ON ANY CHALLENGE.

I ALWAYS PLAYED LIKE EVERYBODY
IN THE WORLD WAS AGAINST ME.

THOUGHT EVERYBODY
WAS AGAINST ME,

USED TO THINK UP THINGS
TO GET ME RATTLED
BEFORE A GAME.

HE KNEW HOW TO FIGHT.
I KNOW THAT FROM
OFF THE FLOOR.

ONE NIGHT SOMEBODY
WAS GIVING ONE

OF HIS BUDDIES
A HARD TIME,

AND LARRY
WENT OVER AND SAID,
"HEY, THIS IS MY FRIEND."

THIS GUY WAS A PRETTY
GOOD SIZED GUY.

THEY GO OUT BACK
AND THE GUY TURNS AND
SAYS SOMETHING TO LARRY,

AND I MEAN, LARRY HIT
THIS GUY AND I CAUGHT HIM.

HIT HIM SO HARD,
I GO, "WHOA!"

HE WAS
FROM THE OLD SCHOOL.
THAT'S HOW HE PLAYED.

Larry Bird plays it
to the hilt, baby.

I PLAYED THE GAME HARD,
PLAYED ROUGH.

THERE WAS NO FRILLS
ABOUT HIM.

HE CAME IN.
HE THREW ELBOWS.

THERE WAS NOTHING SMOOTH
ABOUT LARRY.

NEW ENGLANDERS LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE HARDWORKING PEOPLE.

THEY LIKE THAT THAT'S
HOW PEOPLE VIEW THEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT LARRY WAS.

Larry Bird--
follows his own shot.

Oh, what a play!

THEY ALSO LIKE WINNERS.

WHEN BIRD LED THE CELTICS
TO THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

IN JUST
HIS SECOND SEASON,

HE WAS FINALLY ONE
OF THOSE TOO.

BOSTON LOVED LARRY BIRD.

IT JUST WASN'T SO CLEAR
AT FIRST HOW MUCH BIRD
LOVED THE CITY BACK.

THERE'S ONLY ONE PLACE
I'D RATHER BE-- FRENCH LICK.

THANK YOU.

MAN, LARRY WAS ALMOST
AGORAPHOBIC IN HIS TREATMENT

OF ANYTHING OUTSIDE
HIS HOMETOWN.

HE WANTED TO BE
THE WIZARD OF OZ.

HE WANTED
TO INTIMIDATE PEOPLE

AND KEEP THEM AT BAY.

"THE FURTHER WE ARE
AWAY FROM EACH OTHER,
THE MORE I LIKE IT."

I HAD A NICE LITTLE HOUSE.

I HAD MY LITTLE YARD.

I WANNA GO FROM THERE
TO PRACTICE, BACK.

IF WE HAD A GAME COMING UP,
I WANNA GO THERE,

TO THE GAME
AND BACK HOME.

IT WAS ALL BASKETBALL.

MY WHOLE LIFE
WAS BASKETBALL.

IF HE WAS JUST SITTING
THERE, IT WAS JUST ME,

YOU WERE LOOKING
AROUND MUMBLING,

TRYING TO FIND THINGS
THAT WE HAD IN COMMON THAT
WE COULD TALK ABOUT.

WE START TALKING
ABOUT BASKETBALL,
ABOUT PLAYERS,

YOU KNOW, IT WAS GREAT.

U.S. HISTORY? NO.

WE FORCED PASSES.
WE MADE ERRORS DOWN
THE STRETCH.

DAILY EVENTS? NO.

I MADE THE SHOT
AND FROM THEN ON,
WE WAS UP BY TWO.

AND THEY HAD
TO GET BACK IN THE GAME,
WHICH THEY DID.

POLITICS? NO.

TRY NOT TO DO ANYTHING
I CAN'T DO OR DO NO MORE
THAN WHAT I CAN DO.

I JUST DO
MY BASIC GAME.

HE PROUDLY DUBBED HIMSELF
"THE HICK FROM FRENCH LICK."

AND HE LOOKED
EVERY BIT THE PART,

BUT THOSE WHO PLAYED HIM
FOR SIMPLE

DID SO
AT THEIR OWN PERIL.

ONE OF THE GREAT WAYS
I THINK OF WINDING UP WITH
NO MONEY IN YOUR POCKET

IS TO THINK LARRY BIRD
IS DUMB.

SYNTAX IS NOT INTELLIGENCE.

UNLETTERED IS NOT STUPID.

HE'S GOT A GREAT SENSE
OF HUMOR.

HE JUST DIDN'T SHOW THAT
TO PEOPLE.

THAT DIDN'T MEAN
HE DIDN'T HAVE IT.

HE DID, HOWEVER,

ALLOW THE PUBLIC
ONE SMALL INDULGENCE.

YOU COULD COME OUT
ON SATURDAY AND WATCH
HIM MOW HIS LAWN.

HUGE CROWDS STOOD
AND STOPPED.

LARRY BIRD'S CUTTING GRASS
IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE.

HE'S MOWING HIS LAWN

IN THE SPRINGTIME.

LARRY IS ABOUT
DOING THINGS HIMSELF.

I THINK IT'S ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT MADE
HIM SO BELOVED IN BOSTON.

BUT AS BIRD NAVIGATED
THROUGH HIS NEW WORLD,

HE STILL HAD ONE EYE FIXED
ON A FAMILIAR FOE

IN A FARAWAY LAND.

WHAT TRIPPED ME OUT WAS,
I'M RIDING, RIGHT?

I'M RIDING
IN THE LIMO.

I'M SEEING ORANGE TREES
AND LEMON TREES

IN PEOPLE'S
FRONT YARDS.

SAID, "STOP.
I GOTTA GO PICK AN ORANGE."

"ARE YOU CRAZY?"
I SAID, "NO, I GOTTA DO THIS."

AND SO I RAN UP
LIKE A SCARED LITTLE KID,

GRABBED IT
AND RAN BACK TO THE LIMO.

I NEVER SEEN
AN ORANGE TREE.

I HAD NEVER
SEEN A LEMON TREE.

I WAS FASCINATED.

WHEN 20-YEAR-OLD
EARVIN JOHNSON

ARRIVED IN LOS ANGELES
IN THE FALL OF 1979,

HE WAS A WORLD
AWAY FROM LANSING,

THE ONLY HOME
HE'D EVER KNOWN.

HE WAS THE NUMBER-ONE PICK
OF THE L.A. LAKERS--

A ONCE DOMINANT FRANCHISE
STUCK IN MEDIOCRITY.

IN THE STOIC
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR,

THE LAKERS HAD TALENT.

WHAT THEY LACKED
WAS ENERGY.

EARVIN MAGIC JOHNSON
WAS ONLY TOO HAPPY
TO PROVIDE IT.

LIT THE PLACE UP.
CHANGED THE FRANCHISE.

CHANGED THE TEMPERAMENT.
CHANGED HER FROM
THE VERY FIRST GAME.

Sky-hook, up and good!

Lakers win!

HERE IT WAS THE FIRST GAME
OF A LONG SEASON

AGAINST THE LOWLY CLIPPERS

AND MAGIC WAS EMBRACING
KAREEM AS IF...

THEY'D JUST WON THEIR
10th STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

IT WAS LIKE, "MAN,
THIS IS A DIFFERENT
KIND OF DUDE."

FROM THE DAY HE ARRIVED,

HE BECAME THE PRINCE
OF THE CITY.

HE REMINDED ME
OF A GUY WHO WAKES UP
WITHOUT AN ALARM CLOCK,

AND THAT'S WHAT I USED
TO ALWAYS SAY.

I WANNA BE HAPPY ENOUGH
TO WAKE UP WITHOUT
AN ALARM CLOCK,

'CAUSE I WANT TO GO
INTO MY WORLD.

- HE HAD "IT"--
- WHAT "IT" IS.

AS FAR AS I WAS
CONCERNED, THE IT
WAS NOT HIS ABILITY,

OR HIS SIZE.

THE IT WAS HIS ATTITUDE,
WAS HIS LEADERSHIP,
WAS HIS MIND.

I MEAN,
I DON'T HAVE TO TALK

ABOUT GAME 6
AT PHILADELPHIA.

IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON,

MAGIC HAD HELPED LEAD
THE LAKERS TO THE NBA FINALS

AGAINST
THE PHILADELPHIA 76ers.

IN GAME 6, WITH AN INJURED
ABDUL-JABBAR BACK HOME IN L.A.,

MAGIC PLAYED
ALL FIVE POSITIONS,

SCORED 42 POINTS,
GRABBED 15 REBOUNDS

AND DISHED OUT
SEVEN ASSISTS,

LEADING THE LAKERS
TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

IN JUST FOUR YEARS,
HE HAD WON TITLES
IN HIGH SCHOOL,

COLLEGE
AND THE PROS.

MAGIC, WHAT DO YOU
HAVE THAT MAKES YOU
PERFORM LIKE THIS

IN THESE
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES?

WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
JUST, I LOVE TO WIN.

ACROSS THE MASTHEAD
OF "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES"

THE NEXT DAY, IT SAID,
"IT'S MAGIC!"

HE WAS A STAR
WHEN HE FIRST ARRIVED HERE,

COMING OFF THE NCAA GAME.

AND QUICKLY DURING
THAT FIRST SEASON,

HE BECAME ONE
OF THE STARS IN TOWN,

BUT THAT GAME PUT HIM
ON ANOTHER LEVEL.

THAT MADE HIM
THE STAR IN TOWN.

IT'S FUNNY HOW I WANTED
TO MEET THE CELEBRITIES,

BUT THEY WANTED TO MEET ME.
I WAS, LIKE, SHOCKED.

LIKE,
"WOW, YOU KNOW WHO I AM?"

HE WAS YOUNG, FAMOUS,

AND AFTER LAKERS' OWNER
JERRY BUSS SIGNED HIM

TO A 25-YEAR
$25 MILLION CONTRACT,

VERY RICH.

THE KID FROM LANSING
WAS READY

TO SAMPLE A DIFFERENT
KIND OF FRUIT.

HIS PLAYBOY BOSS
KNEW ALL THE RIPEST TREES.

I SAID,
"OH, I'M HANGING WITH HIM."

WHEN THEY WERE COMING
INTO THE BOX,

AND HE HAD 10, 20
OF 'EM,

AND "LOOK, EARVIN,
WHICH ONE YOU WANT?"

I WAS LIKE,
"OH, OKAY, IT'S LIKE THAT?"

AND THEN HE SAID,
"I'M GONNA TAKE YOU
TO THE PLAYBOY MANSION."

"WHAT--
THE MANSION?!

NO, YOU'RE KIDDING."
HE SAID, "YEP."

SO I WENT THERE.

MY FIRST TIME
I'M BACKING UP LIKE,
"I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M IN."

BUT I'M BACKING UP AWAY,
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE
I'M SCARED TO DEATH.

PROBABLY 10 GUYS TO 100 WOMEN,
YOU KNOW?

EVERYBODY THINK
IT'S SEX-DRIVEN,
BUT IT'S REALLY NOT.

YOU HAVE DINNER,
THEN YOU WATCH THE LATEST MOVIE.

AND THEN OF COURSE,
I DON'T WANNA EVER SAY
THAT SEX WASN'T INVOLVED.

IF YOU MEET SOMEBODY,
THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW,
YOU WANTED TO DO.

AND YOU DID THAT,

BUT IT'S REALLY
A GREAT EXPERIENCE

TO GO UP THERE.

SO, YEAH,
I HAD FUN THERE.

HE CAME TO L.A.
LIKE THE PIED PIPER.

PEOPLE WERE GIVING HIM THIS
AND GIVING HIM THAT,

BUT HE STAYED
PRETTY GROUNDED TO THE GAME.

EVERYBODY WAS
GETTING HIGH THEN,

BUT YOU CAN'T EVEN

SMOKE A JOINT
AROUND MAGIC.

HE HAD REAL OLD SCHOOL,

DOWN-IN-THE-TRENCHES
WORK ETHIC,

AND THAT WAS HONED
IN HIM

BY HIS DAD,
EARVIN JOHNSON SENIOR.

MAGIC WAS ALWAYS
THIS GUY.

YOU KNOW?
HE NEVER DID NONE OF THAT,

SO I DID
EVERYTHING FOR HIM.

MAGIC JOHNSON WAS LIVING
ON A NATURAL HIGH.

HE WAS STARRING
IN THE ROLE OF A LIFETIME--

POINT GUARD
OF A HOLLYWOOD TEAM

WITH AN OFFENSE
CALLED "SHOW TIME."

HE EVEN HAD THE ALTER EGO
PERFECT FOR THE PRODUCTION.

"MAGIC" WAS HIS
STAGE NAME.

EVEN HE WOULD LAUGH
ABOUT IT.

HE ALWAYS SAYS
THERE'S TWO PEOPLE.

THERE'S EARVIN JOHNSON
FROM EAST LANSING

AND THERE'S MAGIC JOHNSON
FROM HOLLYWOOD.

EARVIN JOHNSON
IS ANOTHER GUY.

YOU KNOW,
HERE'S MAGIC OVER HERE,

AND HERE'S EARVIN
OVER HERE.

EARVIN'S
THIS FUN-LOVING GUY.

GERONIMO!

OH!

MAGIC WAS SO SERIOUS

AND DEDICATED
TO HIS GAME.

AND HE WAS A CRAZY,
CRAZY COMPETITOR

AND A CRAZY MAN.

EARVIN, I THINK,

IS THE SMILING KID
FROM LANSING.

I THINK EARVIN DIED
ABOUT 25 MINUTES

AFTER THE NCAA
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

EARVIN DOESN'T HAVE
THE EGO THAT MAGIC HAS.

MAGIC GOT A CRAZY EGO

AND WINNING
IS EVERYTHING.

AND EARVIN WANTED TO,
ALONG WITH MAGIC,

CONQUER L.A.

AFTER HAVING
LED THE LAKERS

TO TWO NBA TITLES
IN THEIR FIRST FOUR
YEARS IN TOWN,

MAGIC AND EARVIN
WERE WELL ON THEIR WAY.

I THINK MAGIC WANTED
TO BE FRIENDS WITH LARRY BIRD.

HE WANTED TO BE FRIENDS
WITH HIM ON THE WORLD
INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

AND LARRY JUST WASN'T
VERY RECEPTIVE.

I THINK HE WANTED
TO BE FRIENDS WITH HIM
DURING THE FINAL FOUR.

LARRY WOULDN'T EVEN GO OVER
AND SHAKE HIS HAND.

SO NOW MAGIC'S SAYING,
"WELL, WHAT'S WITH THIS GUY?

EVERYBODY LOVES ME.
HOW COME YOU DON'T LOVE ME?"

THEN THEIR ROOKIE YEAR,
THE FIRST TIME THEY
PLAY EACH OTHER,

THEY HAVE
A VERY HARD FOUL...

...AND THEY HAVE TO
BE SEPARATED A LITTLE BIT.

AND MAGIC'S LIKE,
"THE HECK WITH THIS GUY.

YOU DON'T LIKE ME?
FINE. ALL RIGHT, GOOD.
I DON'T LIKE YOU EITHER."

HE'S A VERY COMPETITIVE
PLAYER, AND I'M A VERY
COMPETITIVE PLAYER,

AND WE GO HEAD TO HEAD
AND WE GO FOR BLOOD ALMOST.

THE VIBE, IT WAS NASTY.
IT WAS UGLY.

WE DIDN'T LIKE EACH OTHER.

I'M THE ONE
THAT DID ALL THAT,
TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.

I JUST DIDN'T WANT
TO BE HANGING AROUND HIM.
THAT WAS MY MAIN COMPETITION.

AND HE COULDN'T ESCAPE
THE MEMORY OF LOSING TO HIM

IN 1979.

IT ATE AT HIM BAD
THAT HE DIDN'T WIN

THAT NATIONAL TITLE
AGAINST MAGIC.

THAT WAS SOMETHING
THAT JUST BURNED HIM.

IT WAS ONE THING FOR THEM
TO BE IN THE '79 CHAMPIONSHIP.

MAGIC HAD THE BETTER TEAM.
EVERYBODY AGREED WITH THAT.

MAGIC HAD THE BETTER
GAME, FINE.

NOW YOU GET TO
THE PROS-- LARRY HAS
THIS INCREDIBLE YEAR...

Bird, a runner,
it's good!

...BUT THERE HE IS
WATCHING IN A CLUB

WHILE MAGIC JOHNSON
WINS A CHAMPIONSHIP.

HE'S THINKING,
"ALL RIGHT, I'M BEHIND
TWO TO NOTHING NOW."

I WATCHED THAT GAME,

AND I COULDN'T
BELIEVE IT.

I ALWAYS WANTED
TO PLAY AT THAT LEVEL.

BUT WHAT BIRD COULDN'T
POSSIBLY HAVE KNOWN

WAS THAT HE HAD INSPIRED
MAGIC'S PERFORMANCE

WHEN HE WAS NAMED
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
EARLIER THAT SAME DAY.

THE P.R. PERSON
FROM THE LAKERS SAYS,

"EARVIN, THE ROOKIE
OF THE YEAR VOTING
HAS COME OUT."

MAGIC SAYS, "OKAY,
WHO WON?" HE SAID,
"WELL, LARRY BIRD WON."

AND MAGIC SAYS,
"WELL, WAS IT CLOSE?"
AND HE SAID, "OH, NO."

HE WENT OUT THAT DAY,

YES, TO TRY TO WIN
THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP,

BUT ALSO TO PROVE IT
TO ONE LARRY BIRD--
"YOU KNOW WHAT?

I SHOULD HAVE BEEN
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR."

EVEN THOUGH I WON
THE CHAMPIONSHIP,

I STILL WANTED TO WIN
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR TOO.

WHEN HE WON THAT CHAMPIONSHIP,
I WAS PISSED.

I WANTED ONE.

BUT EVEN AFTER HE
HAD WON ONE THE NEXT YEAR,

HIS OBSESSION
ONLY GREW DEEPER.

I'D GET UP IN THE MORNINGS
AND SEE WHAT HE DID,

'CAUSE THEIR GAMES CAME
ON LATE. THEN YOU LOOK
AT THE BOX SCORE.

I HAD TO HAVE HIM THERE
FOR SOME REASON.

IT WAS LIKE A CRUTCH,
SOMEBODY I CAN COMPARE
MYSELF TO.

I HATED WHAT
WAS BEING SAID,

THAT LARRY
WAS BETTER THAN ME.

I'M JUST A GUY
WHO CAN CONTROL THE GAME.

MY FIRST FOUR,
FIVE YEARS THAT
BOTHERED ME A LOT.

I DIDN'T TELL NOBODY
IT BOTHERED ME,
BUT IT DID.

THEIR COMPETITIVE
DISLIKE EMERGED

FROM A GREATER TRUTH--
THAT ON THE COURT

THEY WERE DOPPELGANGERS,

TEAM-ORIENTED STARS

WHO CARED ABOUT WINNING
ABOVE ALL ELSE,

BASKETBALL SAVANTS

WHO FUSED THE SUBSTANCE
OF THE '60s WITH THE
STYLE OF THE '70s

TO CREATE A NEW
AND EXCITING,

YET SELFLESS WAY TO PLAY
THE GAME IN THE 1980s.

YEAH, I'M GONNA PASS,

BUT I'M GONNA PASS
IN A WAY TO MAKE YOU
LOOK LIKE A JACKASS.

THEY WERE SO SIMILAR
IN THE WAY THEY COMPETED.

THEY WERE TWO HALVES
OF THE SAME BRAIN--

THE SAME CRAZINESS
TO EXCEL.

I SEEN THAT
THE FIRST COUPLE DAYS
I WAS WITH HIM.

- BASKETBALL I.Q.
- OFF THE CHART.

SEEING THE GAME A LITTLE
DIFFERENT THAN MOST PLAYERS.

PLAYING THE GAME
THE RIGHT WAY WAS EVERYTHING.

A LOT OF GUYS CAN
JUST SCORE, JUST REBOUND.

A LOT OF GUYS
CAN JUST MAKE PLAYS.
WE COULD DO IT ALL.

LARRY AND MAGIC
COULD CONTROL THE GAME
WITH 12 SHOTS.

IT WAS AMAZING.
THEY'D BE 7 FOR 12.
THEY'D HAVE 20 POINTS,

15 REBOUNDS
AND 12 ASSISTS.

AND YOU'D GO, "THE GUY
SHOT THE BALL 12 TIMES

AND WAS THE BEST PLAYER
ON THE COURT BY FAR."

I THINK IT WAS TOUGH AT
FIRST. I DON'T THINK
EITHER ONE OF THEM

WANTED TO RECOGNIZE
THAT THEY HAD ANY EQUAL
ANYWHERE IN WHAT THEY DID,

BUT THEY SURE AS HELL
DIDN'T WANNA RECOGNIZE

THAT THEIR EQUAL HAPPENED
TO BE THAT OTHER GUY.

THAT'S WHY WE HATED EACH OTHER.
WE KNEW WE WERE MIRRORS
OF EACH OTHER.

I THINK FOR A WHILE
THE TWO OF THEM HAD

TO COME TO GRIPS
WITH THAT.

THEY HAD BEGUN
CHANGING THE GAME,

BUT WITH CONTINUED
LOW TELEVISION RATINGS,

AND TAPE-DELAYED FINALS,

THE LEAGUE WAS STRUGGLING
TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WHEN THE NBA AND CBS
SIGNED A NEW TV DEAL,

BEFORE THE 82-83 SEASON,

THE RESCUE PLAN
WAS SIMPLE--

SELL MORE BIRD
AND MAGIC.

AND SELL THEM NOT JUST
AS BALLPLAYERS,

BUT AS ARCH-RIVAL
CHARACTERS

IN THEIR
OWN DRAMATIC SAGA.

YOU GOT THIS SLICK SHOW TIME
AFRICAN-AMERICAN GUY OUT WEST,

AND YOU GOT
THE LUNCH BUCKET
FLOPPY-HAIRED WHITE GUY

WITH THE BRUISES
ALL OVER HIS BODY.

IT'S CENTRAL CASTING.
IT'S PERFECT.

I MEAN, THIS WAS,
LIKE, MADE IN HEAVEN.

IN 1979,
THIS IDEA OF MAGIC
AND BIRD WAS CREATED.

AND SO THAT WAS
SORT OF A NO-BRAINER.

WE'D HAVE A DOUBLE-HEADER.
IT WOULD BE THE CELTICS
PLAYING FIRST.

AND THE LAKERS PLAYING SECOND.
THAT'S THE WAY WE DID IT.

AND WHEN THE CELTICS AND LAKERS
BOTH REACHED THE FINALS

JUST A YEAR INTO THE NEW
TV DEAL IN 1984,

IT APPEARED
THE SUPERSTAR INVESTMENT

WAS ABOUT TO PAY OFF.

IT WAS HUGE. IT WAS PROBABLY
THE BIGGEST MOMENT

THE NBA HAD
UP TO THAT POINT.

YOU HAD BOSTON AND L.A.,
EAST AGAINST WEST.

IT HAD ALL THE ELEMENTS
OF A CLASSIC SHOWDOWN.

INCLUDING WHAT
WAS BECOMING

THE MOST INESCAPABLE
ELEMENT OF ALL.

DID WE KNOW THAT BLACKS
AND WHITES WERE LINING UP,
THE WHITES WITH THE CELTICS,

THE BLACKS WITH
OF COURSE WE KNEW THAT.

EVEN IN THE CELTICS'
OWN BACKYARD.

THEY LAND AT LOGAN AIRPORT
AT THE '84 FINALS,

AND HE'S GETTING
ACCOSTED BY VARIOUS PEOPLE

WHO WERE TELLING HIM
LARRY'S GONNA TAKE HIM DOWN.

BUT THIS ONE OLDER
AFRICAN-AMERICAN GENTLEMAN
COMES UP TO HIM,

HE GOES, "MAGIC, I WANNA
WISH YOU WELL. GOOD LUCK.
CRUSH THE CELTICS."

AND HE SAID,
"OH, WHERE ARE YOU FROM?"

HE SAID,
"WELL, I'M FROM BOSTON."

AND HE SAID,
"YOU'RE FROM BOSTON AND YOU'RE
ROOTING FOR THE LAKERS?

I THOUGHT EVERYBODY HERE
WAS CRAZY ABOUT THE CELTICS."

AND HE LOOKED RIGHT AT HIM.
HE SAID, "NOW WHY WOULD I ROOT
FOR THOSE WHITE BOYS?"

NIGGER, GO HOME!

BOSTON AFTER ALL WAS
A TOWN STILL SCARRED

BY THE UGLY BUSSING
CRISIS OF THE MID '70s,

A VIOLENT PERIOD OF
URBAN UNREST DURING
WHICH WHITE

HAD BEEN PITTED
AGAINST BLACK.

THE RESULTING TAINT
ON THE CITY NATIONALLY

COUPLED WITH A BOSTON
ROSTER LITTERED WITH
WHITE PLAYERS

AFFIRMED
TO MANY BLACK AMERICANS

THAT THE CELTICS
WERE NOT THE TEAM FOR THEM.

EVEN TODAY, PEOPLE SAY,
"YOU PLAYED WITH THE CELTICS.

I HATED YOU
AT THAT TIME.

I WANTED MAGIC TO WIN.

I DIDN'T WANT
THAT DAMN LARRY BIRD TO WIN."

WE HAD ALL THESE
BLACK PLAYERS,

BUT THEY LOOKED AT US,
BECAUSE WE HAD LARRY BIRD
LEADING US,

AS A TEAM
THAT WAS WHITE.

THEY WERE PERFECT ARCHETYPES
FOR WHAT WAS BECOMING

THE BIGGEST STORY
IN SPORTS

BUT FOR
THE REAL LIFE PLAYERS

THE NARRATIVE
WAS MUCH SIMPLER.

IT'S FINALLY GONNA HAPPEN.

WE GET TO GO
HEAD TO HEAD AGAIN.

IT'S JUST A MATTER
OF ROLLING THAT BALL
OUT THERE AND LET'S GET IT ON.

Welcome to the Boston Garden

and the start of the NBA
World Championship Series.

I'm Brent Musburger.

IN EACH OF THE LAST FOUR
NBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

EITHER MAGIC OR BIRD
HAS COMPETED,

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
THAT THE TWO HAVE GONE

HEAD TO HEAD
FOR THE TITLE.

BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.!
BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A...

MAN, WE JUMPED OUT ON 'EM
THAT FIRST GAME.

AND WE WON IN BOSTON.

AND WITH LESS THAN
A MINUTE TO GO IN GAME 2,

THE LAKERS
WERE CLOSING IN

ON A COMMANDING
SERIES LEAD.

- And it's picked off.
- And he lays it up and in.

It's all tied up...

FROM THAT POINT ON,
THINGS BEGAN TO CRUMBLE.

Down to nine seconds.
Magic holds the ball.

Magic trying
to work on Maxwell.

Magic has still got it.
It's down to two seconds,
one second.

He's gonna have to shoot it.
He doesn't get it off.

He doesn't
get it off!

JOHNSON DRIBBLING
THE TIME OUT.

COME ON,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

THE LAKERS REGAINED
THEIR STRIDE

IN GAME 3,

ONLY TO BE RUDELY
KNOCKED OFF IT AGAIN
IN GAME 4.

- And now let's watch it.

Cooper and the Celtics
and now the bench is empty.

WHEN KURT RAMBIS
GOT TAKEN OUT...

WE STARTED FIGHTING
INSTEAD OF PLAYING.

Kareem--
swings the elbow

and now is yelling
at Larry Bird

jaw to jaw.

AND IT MADE US REALIZE

WE WERE NOT MENTALLY TOUGHER
THAN THE CELTICS.

MAGIC'S JUST NOT HIMSELF.

They'll be sure they
won't let the time run out

as they did
in game 2.

Parish steals the ball
and the Celtics call a timeout.

THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PLACES
WHERE EARVIN DIDN'T DO

WHAT PEOPLE EXPECTED
HIM TO DO.

Tied at 123.

- He misses the first.

Johnson misses them both.
Celtics want a timeout.

Despondent Magic Johnson
goes to the bench.

Bird-- turnaround,
hits.

GAME 5 WENT TO THE CELTICS.

GAME 6 TO THE LAKERS.

IT WAS LIKE 1979
ALL OVER AGAIN.

DOWN TO ONE GAME
FOR BIRD AND MAGIC.

IF EVERYBODY HAD
TO LOOK AT IT,

PROBABLY WOULD HAVE
SAID THIS IS GONNA BE
A SEVEN-GAME SERIES.

I THOUGHT WE'D
SWEEP 'EM IN FOUR,

BUT THIS WENT
A LITTLE BIT LONGER.

NOW WE JUST HAVE TO
DO IT IN SEVEN.

THAT'S THE ONLY TIME
I EVER FELT THAT

AIN'T NO WAY THEY'RE WALKING
OUT OF HERE WITH A WIN.

- Magic Johnson...
- NO WAY.

Lakers had
several chances,

and here's Larry Bird
shucking down the court.

Bird.
How does he do it?

Now Johnson
with the ball.

The Lakers trying
to cut it to one.

And he loses it.

The Boston Celtics
are the NBA World
Champions!

I PRIDE MYSELF
IN BEING THE GUY

WHO'S GOING
TO WIN IT FOR US

AND DELIVER
UNDER PRESSURE.

AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

I HOPE HE WAS HURT.
I HOPE IT KILLED HIM.

HE MADE SOME BAD PLAYS
DOWN THE STRETCH

AND NOBODY IN THERE
WAS HAPPIER THAN ME.

NOT ONLY WINNING THE GAME
MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD,

BUT JUST KNOWING
THE OTHER GUY'S SUFFERING,

AND YOU KNOW HE WAS.

I REMEMBER AFTER THE GAME
THAT BOTH HE AND I WERE

IN THE SHOWERS CRYING

AND STAYED IN THERE
FOR ABOUT 35, 40 MINUTES.

IT WAS HARD,
BECAUSE NOT ONLY HAD WE LOST
TO THE BOSTON CELTICS,

HE HAD LOST TO HIS
NEMESIS LARRY BIRD.

I THINK HE JUST MADE ME
JUST LIKE HIM MORE,

BECAUSE HE WAS
THAT GOOD.

AND I THINK
YOU'D BE JEALOUS.

YOU'RE JEALOUS
A LITTLE BIT.

LARRY, DOES THIS GET
YOU EVEN WITH MAGIC

FOR WHAT HAPPENED
BETWEEN MICHIGAN STATE
AND INDIANA STATE

- WE'RE PROFESSIONALS NOW,

BUT I WON THIS ONE
FOR TERRE HAUTE.

WELL, IT WAS A BIG DEAL.

I REMEMBER ASKING QUINN BUCKNER
ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.

THEY HAD A CELEBRATION
IN DOWNTOWN BOSTON

AFTER THEY WON
THE CHAMPIONSHIP,
AND YOU KNOW,

IT WAS UNUSUAL
FOR LARRY TO HAVE
THESE LITTLE OUTBURSTS

AS QUINN WOULD
CALL THEM.

ABOUT 11:30 AT NIGHT,
FINALLY, HE TURNED TO QUINN,

HE GOES, "I GOT HIM.
I FINALLY GOT HIM."

AND HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT MAGIC.

THE LEAGUE WAS
REJOICING, TOO.

GAME 7 OF THE '84
SERIES WAS ONE

OF CBS' HIGHEST-RATED
TELECASTS OF THE YEAR.

AND THE HIGHEST-RATED GAME
THE NBA HAD EVER PRODUCED.

ALL OF A SUDDEN,
WHETHER IT WAS AT CBS

OR MADISON AVENUE,

THE SPORTSWRITERS
AROUND THE COUNTRY

BECAME THE PHENOMENON.
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?

THE ABSOLUTE FOUNDATION
OF THIS RESURGENCE WAS

THE CELTICS
AND THE LAKERS--

LARRY BIRD
AND MAGIC JOHNSON.

BUT MAGIC WAS IN NO MOOD

TO BASK
IN THE ACCOMPLISHMENT.

I TOOK A MEDIA BEATING.

"TRAGIC MAGIC,"

"THIS IS WHY WE SAY
LARRY BIRD IS BETTER."

IT'S PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME
EVER IN MY LIFE

I WAS DEPRESSED.

AND I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE
TO SEE ME.

IT WAS SOMETHING I NEVER
DEALT WITH IN MY LIFE.

THAT PARTICULAR SERIES,
THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES,

REDEFINED HIS WHOLE CAREER
BECAUSE HE NEVER STOPPED
WORKING AFTER THAT.

MAGIC WAS ON A MISSION

TO PROVE TO HIMSELF
AND THE WORLD

THAT WITH THE BALL
IN HIS HANDS, HE WAS
STILL THE ONE IN CONTROL.

AND AFTER HIS LAKERS
RAN THROUGH THE '85 SEASON,

HE QUICKLY GOT
WHAT HE WANTED--

ANOTHER SHOT AT BIRD
AND THE CELTICS.

THEY WON THE EAST.
WE WON THE WEST.

SO IT'S LIKE,
EVERYBODY JUST GET READY,

SIT BACK
AND LET'S ENJOY IT.

BUT THAT SMILE BELIED
THE INTENSITY

OF THE CLASH
THAT AWAITED.

IF I HAD A GLASS
OF WATER,

AND ANY OF THOSE GUYS
HAD BEEN ON FIRE,

I WOULD HAVE DRANK THE WATER
AND WATCHED THEM.

THEY CALLED US CHOKERS
AND SISSIES.

WE DIDN'T LIKE THAT,
AND THEY THOUGHT LESS OF US.

I KNEW THEY DID.

IN '85,
WE PLAYED 'EM FOUR
TIMES IN EXHIBITION SEASON

FOR SOME REASON.
I DON'T KNOW WHY
THEY SCHEDULED THAT.

BY THE FOURTH GAME,
THERE WAS AN ALL-OUT BRAWL.

They call this one
of the greatest rivalries

in all of sports--
the Celtics and the Lakers.
And if that is true,

IT IS THE MOST
ONE-SIDED RIVALRY
IN ALL OF SPORTS.

Eight times these
two have met for the
NBA Championship,

and eight times
the Celtics have won.

At guard, in his sixth year,

from Michigan State,
number 32-- Magic Johnson.

BUT IN THE '85 FINALS,
MAGIC CHANGED THE SCRIPT.

OVER SIX GRUELING GAMES,

HE MASTERFULLY CONTROLLED
THE PACE WITH ALL AROUND
BRILLIANCE.

He has a triple-double
again.

BEHIND THEIR POINT GUARD,

THE LAKERS FINALLY
KNOCKED OUT THE CELTICS,

WINNING THE CLINCHING GAME
IN THE BOSTON GARDEN.

Three in six years.
L.A. comes to Boston

and wins
the world title!

REDEMPTION
FOR ONE MAGIC JOHNSON.

IT'S A LONG YEAR
LAST YEAR TO WAIT
FOR THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW.

MAGIC HAD EVENED
THE SCORE

WITH BIRD
ON THE NBA FLOOR.

BUT THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF THEIR RIVALRY

AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP
WAS STILL JUST TAKING HOLD.

"YOU'RE CRAZY."

I SAID, "YOU'RE CRAZY.

I'M NOT SHOOTING
NO COMMERCIAL WITH LARRY."

SO I SAID,
"OKAY, WHAT, WE'RE
GONNA SHOOT IT IN L.A.?"

- I WOULD NEVER HAVE
WENT TO L.A. TO FILM IT.

IF YOU WANT
TO SHOOT A COMMERCIAL,
COME TO MY HOUSE.

I WAS LIKE,
"OH, NO!"

ONE STOPLIGHT.

AND I THOUGHT LANSING
WAS SMALL.

I THINK THE PLAN WAS,
"I'M GONNA GO HERE,

I'M GONNA DO
WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO,

AND I'M TRYING
TO GET UP OUT OF HERE."
MY PLAN WAS THAT.

EVEN AFTER CONVERSE
HAD CONVINCED MAGIC AND BIRD

TO FILM A SNEAKER AD TOGETHER
IN THE SUMMER OF '85,

A QUESTION REMAINED.

HOW WOULD THE TWO HATED
RIVALS ON THE COURT

GET ALONG OFF OF IT?

I DON'T KNOW HOW HE'S GONNA
REACT. I DON'T KNOW HOW
I'M GONNA REACT.

WE DIDN'T EVEN SHAKE HANDS,
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA DO
A COMMERCIAL TOGETHER?

THE AD WAS TO BE FILMED AT THE
HOME BIRD BUILT FOR HIS MOM.

IT FEATURED A FULL-LENGTH
BASKETBALL COURT,

THE DAY'S
FIRST LOCATION.

SO THEY SAY, OKAY,
YOU'RE PLAYING ONE ON ONE.

AND I'M LOOKING AT LARRY.
HE'S LOOKING AT ME LIKE,
"IS THIS REAL?

ARE WE PLAYING PLAYING?"

'CAUSE YOU KNOW,
THIS IS MAGIC AND BIRD.

I COULD JUST HEAR
LARRY STARTING IN ON,

"WELL, YOU BRING IT
TO THE BASKET, I'M GONNA
SEND IT 30 ROWS UP."

SO THE GUY WAS LIKE,
"NO, NOT LIKE THAT.
A FUN GAME."

WE WERE BOTH LIKE,
"OH, OKAY."

LIKE YOU COULD SEE
THIS RELIEF COMING OVER
BOTH OF OUR FACES.

THAT BRIEF DETENTE LED

TO THE NEXT STAGE--
DIALOGUE.

WE SAT DOWN NEXT
TO EACH OTHER.

"HOW WAS YOUR SUMMER?"
"IT'S GOING GOOD.
HOW WAS YOURS?"

"IT'S GOING GREAT."

I SAID, "MAN, THIS IS
A NICE SPREAD YOU GOT."

HE'S ASKING ME,
"IS THIS WHERE YOU PLAY?"

I SAID, "YEAH, I PLAY HERE
IF IT'S NOT WINDY.

IF IT'S RAINY OR WINDY,
I GO TO THE GYM,

BUT THIS IS WHERE
I DO ALL MY WORK."

"I SEE THAT TRACTOR,
YOU WORK ON THE TRACTOR?"

HE SAID, "MAN, I WORK
ON THIS TRACTOR EVERY DAY."

"LARRY BIRD
WORKS ON A TRACTOR?"
HE SAID, "YEAH."

IT'S JUST THEM TWO
WALKING AND TALKING.

AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
THEY'D STOP AND ONE OF THEM
WOULD SAY SOMETHING,

AND THEN
THEY'D START LAUGHING.

THEN THEY SAID, "OKAY, BREAK.
IT'S LUNCH BREAK TIME."

I WAS GOING TO
MY TRAILER.

HE SAID, "NO, MY MOTHER HAS
PREPARED LUNCH FOR US

UP AT THE HOUSE."

WE WENT UP TO THE HOUSE,
AND WE SIT DOWN THERE

AND WE TALKED,
AND MY MOM, MY BROTHERS,

THOUGHT THE WORLD OF HIM.

HIS MOTHER WAS SO NICE,

MAKING SURE I HAD
ENOUGH TO EAT.

I JUST SAW MY MOTHER.
IT WAS CRAZY.

- HE CHARMED HER.
- YOU COULD SEE IT.

BUT THAT'S MAGIC.
HE MAKES EVERYBODY
FEEL WELCOME AND WARM,

AND HE'S A CON MAN.

AND WHILE MAGIC
CHARMED GEORGIA BIRD,

IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE
WHO INTRIGUED HER SON.

HE MET EARVIN AT LUNCH.

EARVIN IS A GOOD DUDE.

I LIKE EARVIN
A LOT BETTER THAN MAGIC.

I WAS JUST SO HAPPY
TO FINALLY BE EARVIN WITH HIM

BECAUSE MAGIC WAS LIKE,

"I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT
TO GET TO KNOW THIS GUY."

BUT EARVIN GOT A CHANCE
TO TALK ABOUT FAMILY,

HOW HE GREW UP.

WE JUST
WE JUST BECAME

TWO RELAXED GUYS
JUST TALKING.

THAT DAY WAS GREAT.
IT WAS A GREAT DAY.
BEAUTIFUL DAY.

STILL FOR BIRD,
EVER THE COMPETITOR,

THAT'S ALL IT WAS--
JUST ONE DAY.

MAGIC THINKS THE NEXT YEAR,
"OKAY, WELL, NOW WE'RE
GREAT FRIENDS.

SO AFTER THE GAME,
WE'RE GONNA GO OUT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BEER."

AND LARRY'S LIKE,
"NO, YOU'RE RIGHT.

I KNOW YOU BETTER.
YOU'RE A GOOD GUY,

BUT I STILL DON'T WANT
ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU."

HE'S A HAPPY-GO-LUCKY GUY.

IF ME AND HIM GOT TO BE
REALLY GOOD FRIENDS,

GO OUT ON THE COURT,
HE COULD STILL PLAY
THE SAME GAME. I COULDN'T.

THAT'S JUST THE WAY
IT IS.

BUT WHEN THE AD
HIT THE AIRWAVES,

FOR OTHERS
THE PERCEPTION CHANGED.

I SAW THOSE LIMOUSINES
GOING THROUGH THE CORNFIELDS

AND I SAID,
"NO, THEY DIDN'T
SELL THEMSELVES OUT."

I HEARD CONVERSE
MADE A PAIR OF BIRD SHOES

- FOR LAST YEAR'S MVP.
- YEAH.

WELL, THEY MADE A PAIR
OF MAGIC SHOES FOR
THIS YEAR'S MVP.

OKAY, MAGIC,
SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT.

THIS IS REALLY
A BUSINESS THING.

AND MAYBE THAT'S
WHERE THE BUSINESS THING
STARTED TO GET BIGGER

AND BEGAN TO TRUMP
WHO THEY BOTH REALLY WERE.

IT POLARIZED
THE WHOLE IDEA

OF LUNCH BUCKET
VERSUS HOLLYWOOD,

WHITE VERSUS BLACK.

JUST CEMENTED ALL
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM.

KIDS WEREN'T WEARING
BLACK GYM SHOES

'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT
TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH
THE LARRY BIRD CAMP.

YOU WORE
YOUR WHITE CONVERSE.

THE BASKETBALL RIVALS HAD
MORPHED INTO CULTURAL WARRIORS,

AND RACE MORE THAN EVER

HAD BECOME AN UNAVOIDABLE
PART OF THE CONVERSATION.

YO!

BUT NOTHING ABOUT BIRD
AND MAGIC HAD EVER BEEN

AS SIMPLE
AS BLACK AND WHITE.

ONE OF THE BIG REASONS
THIS RIVALRY BECAME
SO EMBLEMATIC

OF SO MANY THINGS IS BECAUSE
IT WAS AN EASY DICHOTOMY FOR
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND.

BUT IT'S CRAZY
TO SIMPLIFY IT AS SAYING,

"WHITE PEOPLE LIKE BIRD
AND BLACK PEOPLE LIKE MAGIC,"

BECAUSE 13%
OF THE COUNTRY IS BLACK.

IT WASN'T LIKE 87%
OF BASKETBALL FANS
PREFERRED THE CELTICS.

- WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE
BASKETBALL PLAYER?
- MAGIC JOHNSON.

- WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE
MOVIE STAR?
- EDDIE MURPHY.

ALL YOU EVER TALK
ABOUT IS "NIGGER THIS"
AND "NIGGER THAT."

AND ALL YOUR FAVORITE PEOPLE
ARE SO-CALLED NIGGERS.

IT'S DIFFERENT.
MAGIC, EDDIE, PRINCE

ARE NOT NIGGERS.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT BLACK.

I MEAN--
LET ME EXPLAIN MYSELF.

HAS THE "N" WORD
EVER BEEN USED

BY A WHITE PERSON
TO DESCRIBE EARVIN?
I DOUBT IT.

BUT AS MAGIC ENJOYED
HIS IMAGE

AS A CROSSOVER STAR,
IT WAS BIRD,

THE ONE-TIME GREAT WHITE HOPE,
WHO HAD FURTHER EMERGED

AS THE POLARIZING
RACIAL FIGURE

DUE IN PART TO THAT ERA'S
INCREASINGLY CONSERVATIVE
POLITICAL CLIMATE.

ROLLING BACK INSTITUTIONALLY,
IT'S LIKE THE ACHIEVEMENTS

OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
WERE GOING ON APACE
FROM ABOUT 1975 ON,

BUT THE TRIUMPH
OF THE MOVEMENT THAT
ROLLED THEM BACK

TOOK PLACE
IN THE 1980s.

AND I THINK THERE WAS
PEOPLE WHO WERE VERY AWARE
IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY

OF WHAT WAS GOING ON,
AND I THINK THERE WAS A LOT
OF SUBLIMATED FRUSTRATION.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE WAYS
IT GOT SUBLIMATED WAS
INTO BASKETBALL.

AND I THINK LARRY,
THROUGH NO FAULT OF HIS OWN,

WAS THE RECEPTACLE

WITHIN WHICH THE LINGERING
RESENTMENTS SOMEHOW FLOATED.

AND AFTER BIRD
LED THE CELTICS

TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
IN 1986,

HIS THIRD IN THE PROS,
WINNING HIS THIRD
STRAIGHT MVP AWARD,

IN THE PROCESS,
THE RESENTMENT GREW.

I ALWAYS FELT THAT
THE PRESS

WAS BIASED
IN FAVOR OF LARRY BIRD.

IT ALWAYS FELT
TO ME LIKE

THEY WERE GONNA MAKE
LARRY THE HERO.

YOU'D SEE
SOMEBODY SCORE,

AND LARRY WOULD BE IN A CAST
IN A SUIT ON THE BENCH,

AND THEY'D SAY "LARRY BIRD
MADE THAT POSSIBLE

A COUPLE WEEKS AGO
WHEN HE TOLD THAT GUY
HE COULD DO IT,

AND HE JUST DID IT."

"THEY GONNA GIVE THIS
MOTHERFUCKER THE ASSIST,
AND HE'S NOT IN THE GAME?!"

NOT TO BE RACIST,
BUT WE HAVE A WHITE GUY
WHO'S THE BEST IN THE WORLD,

AND IT'S PREDOMINANTLY
A BLACK SPORT NOW.

AND YOU GOT A GUY LIKE
LARRY BIRD, WHO CAN'T RUN,
WHO CAN'T JUMP,

BUT CAN DO
EVERYTHING OUT THERE.

THAT DON'T MEAN
NOTHING TO ME.

IT DON'T MEAN
ANYTHING TO ME.

IT NEVER HAS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY.

I MEAN, AM I DOING
SOMETHING WRONG HERE?

BIRD MAY HAVE SOUGHT

TO AVOID
THE CONVERSATION ENTIRELY,

BUT THE MORE HE WON,
THE LESS HE COULD ESCAPE IT.

Now there's a steal
by Bird,

underneath to DJ,
and he lays it in.

What a play by Bird!

IN 1987, AFTER BOSTON
BEAT THE DETROIT PISTONS

TO ADVANCE TO THE FINALS
FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT YEAR,

PISTONS ROOKIE DENNIS RODMAN
CALLED BIRD OVERRATED

BECAUSE HE WAS WHITE.

HIS TEAMMATE ISAIAH THOMAS
THEN CHIMED IN

WITH SOME THOUGHTS
OF HIS OWN...

I CAN REMEMBER

IN THE LOCKER ROOM,

I THINK IT WAS JACKIE MacMULLAN
COME UP TO ME

AND SAID ISAIAH JUST SAID
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

AND I GO, "SO?"

HE DIDN'T CARE.
HE DIDN'T CARE.

EVERYBODY ELSE AROUND HIM
CARED VERY DEEPLY

IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS,
AS IT TURNED OUT, AHEAD.

I MEAN, THE MEDIA MADE OUT
LIKE IT WAS SOMETHING.

BUT IT DIDN'T
MATTER TO ME

WHAT ISAIAH
OR DENNIS RODMAN SAID,

AND IT STILL DON'T.

HAS NO BEARING
ON WHAT I DO IN MY LIFE.

HE DOESN'T SEE RACE.
HE REALLY DOESN'T.

AND HE COULD HAVE.

THIS GUY
GREW UP POOR, WHITE

IN SOUTHERN INDIANA.

SOUTHERN INDIANA,
THE HOME, BY THE WAY,

OF THE MODERN
KU KLUX KLAN.

HOW HE MANAGED
NOT TO BE AFFECTED

BY THE CULTURAL MILIEU
THAT HE GREW UP IN

IS, I THINK, A MIRACLE.
TO ME IT'S INEXPLICABLE.

WHEN I WAS IN ABOUT
SIXTH OR SEVENTH GRADE,

I COULDN'T WAIT
TILL SCHOOL WOULD BE OVER.

'CAUSE I KNEW
OVER ON THE COURTS

THE WAITERS FROM THE HOTEL
WOULD BE OVER THERE.

THEY WERE BLACK, OLDER,

AND THEY LET ME PLAY.

I ALWAYS LOOKED AT THAT
AS I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY
TO PLAY AGAINST A BLACK MAN,

AND THEY TREATED ME GOOD.

I COULDN'T WAIT TO PLAY
AGAINST THE BEST.

AND AT THAT TIME,
THEY WERE THE BEST.

AND IN 1987,

AS BIRD VIED WITH MAGIC
TO BE THE BEST,

THE FLAP OVER ISAIAH THOMAS'S
RACIALLY FUELED REMARKS

FORCED BIRD TO ADDRESS
HIS LEAST FAVORITE TOPIC

AT THE WORST
POSSIBLE TIME.

I HAD TO GO
TO A PRESS CONFERENCE

WHEN WE WERE IN L.A.
TRYING TO GET READY
TO PLAY THE LAKERS,

AND TELL PEOPLE I DIDN'T CARE.
THIS DON'T BOTHER ME.

THE MAIN THING IS
IF THE STATEMENTS
OR WHATEVER WAS SAID

DOESN'T BOTHER ME,
I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD
BOTHER ANY OF US.

FROM PLAYING ALL YEAR,
TRYING TO GET BACK
TO THE FINALS,

TO PLAY AGAINST MAGIC,
THIS WAS A DISTRACTION.

BIRD WAS FACING OFF
AGAINST MAGIC

FOR THE THIRD TIME
IN FOUR YEARS.

AND IF THEIR RELATIONSHIP
HAD SOFTENED,

THE DETERMINATION
TO BEAT EACH OTHER HAD NOT.

AS GAME 4 PROVED,

THE LEVEL OF COMPETITION
BETWEEN THEM WAS HIGHER
THAN EVER.

BIRD PLAYED AWESOME
DOWN THE STRETCH
OF THAT GAME.

TRAILING 2-1 IN THE SERIES,

THE CELTICS WERE DOWN
BY ONE POINT IN THE FINAL
MINUTE OF THE GAME,

BUT LARRY BIRD WOULDN'T
BE EASILY VANQUISHED.

Open is Ainge.

Bird goes for three!

LARRY! LARRY!
LARRY! LARRY!

WITH SEVEN SECONDS LEFT,
THOUGH,

THE LAKERS
STILL HAD LIFE.

THREE YEARS EARLIER
IN THE '84 FINALS,

MAGIC HAD FLUBBED
A SIMILAR SITUATION.

BUT THIS WAS
A DIFFERENT MAGIC,

ONE WITH A WHOLE
NEW BAG OF TRICKS.

MY MAN SWITCHED
TO KAREEM

AND KEVIN McHALE
JUMPED OUT TO ME.

AS SOON AS I SAW KEVIN,
I SAID, "OH, I'M TAKING HIM."

MAGIC PUTS IT
ON THE FLOOR.

A COUPLE HEAD
AND SHOULDER FAKES

AND HE RAISED UP
IN THE AIR

AND THERE WAS NOBODY THAT
WAS GONNA GET THAT SHOT.

Magic with a hook shot,
scores with :02.

I REMEMBER AFTER THEY
CALLED TIMEOUT, THINKING,

THERE'S STILL A SHOT HERE.
THE CELTICS MAY STILL
WIN THIS GAME.

THEY SET UP A GREAT PLAY.

BIRD WALKED WORTHY
ALL THE WAY UP,

FORCED A DENIAL
ALL THE WAY UP.

WE DONE IT BEFORE.
CLEAR EVERYBODY OUT,

GO TO THE BALL
AND BREAK THE CORNER.

HE CAUGHT IT HERE
AND AS HE CAUGHT IT,

ALL HE HAD TO DO
WAS TURN AND JUST TURN,

AND HE JUST LET
THIS THING GO.

Bird fires it.

HAD A WIDE OPEN LOOK.
COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

AND I'M STANDING RIGHT THERE,
IT IS STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW.

- DEAD ON.

And the Lakers
have won...

THEY WERE LUCKY
BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT
ON A LINE.

HE LOOKED AT ME LIKE,

"HOW DID YOU EVER LEAVE ME
THAT WIDE OPEN?"

YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME.

CHANGED THE WHOLE SERIES.

THE LAKERS WON
THE SERIES IN SIX.

AND IN THE AFTERMATH
OF A YEAR IN WHICH MAGIC
HAD WON HIS FIRST MVP,

THE RIVALRY SUDDENLY
TOOK ON A NEW TONE.

MAGIC'S JUST
A GREAT BASKETBALL PLAYER.

HE'S THE BEST
I'VE EVER SEEN.

UNBELIEVABLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

I WAS SHOCKED
THAT HE SAID IT,
'CAUSE I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,

"MAYBE THIS IS THE BEGINNING
OF A NEW ERA THAT'S NOT
GONNA INCLUDE HIM."

IT WAS THE PASSING
OF THE TORCH A LITTLE BIT.

AFTER VANQUISHING BIRD
IN '87,

MAGIC WASN'T
DONE WINNING.

THE FOLLOWING YEAR
HE SQUARED OFF IN THE FINALS

AGAINST HIS GOOD
FRIEND ISAIAH THOMAS
AND THE PISTONS.

BEATING THEM TO BECOME THE
NBA's FIRST REPEAT CHAMPIONS

IN TWO DECADES.

BY THE DAWN OF THE '90s,
HE'D WON FIVE TITLES,

PLAYED IN EIGHT FINALS

AND EQUALED BIRD'S
MVP TALLY OF THREE.

BUT THE MORE MAGIC WON,

THE LESS EARVIN SEEMED
TO BE AROUND TO REAP
THE SPOILS.

ONCE I TASTED
THE CHAMPAGNE

AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP,
I WANTED MORE OF THAT

AND MORE OF THAT.

SO MAGIC KEPT GROWING
BECAUSE WE WERE SUCCESSFUL.

AND THE PERSONA
AND ALL THAT

CAME WITH THAT.

- THE PRINCE OF L.A.
- WAS NOW THE KING...

AND IN HOLLYWOOD,

BEING ROYALTY
HAD ITS PERKS.

WOW!

WHAT WAS EARVIN
JOHNSON'S VICE?

NOW YOU KNOW MY PUBLICIST
WANTS ME TO SAY WINNING.

BUT WOMEN LOVED EARVIN.

BACK THEN BEFORE VOICEMAIL,
THEY USED TO HAVE
THESE MAIL SLOTS

IN THE HOTELS WHERE
YOU'D LEAVE YOUR KEY.

WHEN WE'D GET INTO A TOWN,
EARVIN'S MAIL SLOT WOULD
BE SO PACKED.

AND IT WOULD BE JUST SUSAN
AND A PHONE NUMBER,

LINDA AND A PHONE NUMBER,
JOYCE AND A PHONE NUMBER.

THAT WAS EVERY CITY,
EVERY TIME.

I WAS ON TOP
OF MY GAME AS MAGIC,

SO I NEEDED ALL THAT
AROUND ME AT THAT TIME--

THE WOMEN, THE THIS,
THE THAT-- HOLLYWOOD.

MAGIC WAS LIVING IN A CONTEXT
OF SYBARITIC EXCESS

FROM THE MINUTE
HE WALKED IN THE DOOR.

AND HE DEVELOPED
A SWEET TOOTH FOR IT.

SEX WITH SEVERAL WOMEN
AT THE SAME TIME?

YEAH.

LIKE I SAID,
WOMEN HAVE DIFFERENT FANTASIES.

SOME WANNA BE WITH TWO,
THREE AT A TIME.

ONE TIME I HAD SIX
AT ONE TIME.

I REALLY DO BELIEVE
HE LOOKS UPON MAGIC JOHNSON

AS A MOVIE CHARACTER
HE PLAYED.

I THINK EARVIN
GOT OVERWHELMED IN L.A.

BY WHAT IT MEANT
TO BE A STAR.

THAT'S PROBABLY TRUE--
THAT THE MAGIC EGO

SWALLOWED EARVIN
A LITTLE BIT.

BUT THAT'S OKAY
BECAUSE I COULDN'T

WIN FIVE CHAMPIONSHIPS
WITHOUT THAT.

THROUGH ALL OF THIS HAZE
OF WOMEN AND MONEY

AND FAME AND FORTUNE,
HE STILL KEPT BASKETBALL
AT NUMBER ONE.

HE NEVER SEEMED
TO LOSE THAT FOCUS.

LARRY HAD TWO JOBS HIS LAST
SEVEN YEARS OF PLAYING.

IT WAS PLAYING BASKETBALL
AND THEN IT WAS HIM
BEING COMMITTED

TO TAKING CARE
OF HIS BACK.

HE HAD FIRST
HURT IT IN 1985,

BUILDING THE DRIVEWAY
AT HIS MOM'S HOUSE BACK
IN FRENCH LICK.

LARRY DECIDED
TO DO IT HIMSELF.

THIS IS LARRY BIRD,
THE SUPERSTAR, OUT THERE,

BREAKING HIS BACK LITERALLY
SHOVELING GRAVEL.

AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING
OF A PROCESS.

I WOULD SEE HIM
ON TV LAYING DOWN

AND THEN THEY TOLD ME
HE HAD TO LAY DOWN ON PLANES,

DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I WAS LIKE, "WOW."

AS MAGIC SOARED THROUGH
THE PRIME OF HIS CAREER,

BIRD WAS BREAKING DOWN.

HIS DETERIORATING BACK
AND PUNISHING STYLE OF PLAY

PROVING
AN EXCRUCIATING MIX.

FROM '88 TO '92,

IT WAS PAINFUL TO WATCH.
IT WAS PAINFUL TO COVER.

LARRY IS QUITE ORNERY
WHEN HE'S NOT FEELING WELL,

WHICH MEANS HE WAS ORNERY
FOR THOSE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

HE COULD MANAGE
THE PAIN IN A WAY

THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE CAN DO.

THERE'D BE DAYS HE'D
COME IN THE OFFICE AND
HE COULDN'T STAND UP STRAIGHT.

BUT EVEN AFTER TWO
RUPTURED ACHILLES TENDONS

AND SURGERY ON HIS BACK
IN 1991,

BIRD KEPT GOING TO WORK,

PRODUCT OF A LESSON
LEARNED MANY YEARS BEFORE

SEEING THE SWOLLEN ANKLE
OF A MAN LONG SINCE GONE.

WE DON'T KNOW IF IT BROKE
OR NOT, BUT IT LOOKED
BROKE TO ME.

HAD TO GO TO WORK,
AND HE HAD TO GET
HIS BOOT ON IT.

AND IT TOOK EVERYTHING
I HAD TO HELP HIM GET
THAT BOOT ON HIS FOOT.

HE STOOD UP LIMPING
AND HE SAYS, "I'LL SEE
YOU THIS WEEKEND,"

'CAUSE HE WAS WORKING
CONSTRUCTION AT THE TIME.

AND I WAS PRETTY AMAZED
HE COULD FIGHT THROUGH
THAT ALL WEEK

AND COME HOME
ON THE WEEKEND AND IT
WAS BLACK AND SWOLLEN,

AND HE'D SIT AROUND
ON THE WEEKEND,

THEN PUT THAT BOOT ON
AND GO AGAIN.

IF YOU GET PAID
TO GO TO WORK,
YOU GOTTA GO TO WORK.

IT WAS A SITUATION
HE WAS SEEING ALMOST DAILY.

HE HAD LOST THE STRUCTURAL
STABILITY IN HIS SPINE.

SO IT WOULD SLIP
INTO ABNORMAL POSITIONS

TO TRY AND LOCK ITSELF
TO GET ARTIFICIAL STABILITY.

THAT'S LIKE GETTING
YOUR FINGER STUCK IN A DOOR

AND SOMEBODY'S STILL PUSHING
ON THE DOOR.

SO WHAT WE HAD TO DO
WAS UNLOCK HIS SPINE,

REALIGN IT,

DO TECHNIQUES THAT WOULD HOLD
THAT FOR FOUR HOURS,

SIX HOURS, THAT TYPE
OF THING. AND THEN HE'D
GO PLAY BASKETBALL.

EVERY TIME I WOULD PLAY,

I WAS WONDERING IF I WAS
GONNA BE IN A WHEELCHAIR.

WAS I EVER GONNA
BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW,

WALK ON THE BEACH
OR HOLD MY KIDS?

HIS PAIN AND HIS QUEST
FOR BASKETBALL BECAME
ALL ENCOMPASSING.

VERY FEW PEOPLE
REALLY KNEW

WHAT LARRY
WAS LIVING WITH.

'CAUSE THIS WAS
LARRY'S ISSUE.

AND THERE WAS NO SHARING
OF HIS PAIN.

YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY
SHOULD HAVE RETIRED

IN '88, 89,

BUT IT'S THAT COMPETITION.

MAYBE ONE MORE CHANCE
ME AND MAGIC GET TOGETHER

IN THE FINALS,
BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED.

I'M SLEEPING REALLY,
LAYING DOWN,

JUST WAITING ON THE GAME
AND THE PHONE RINGS

AND...

THE VOICE SAYS, "HEY,
YOU GOTTA COME BACK TO L.A."

AND I SAY,
"OKAY, WHY?"

"WELL, I CAN'T TELL YOU
TILL YOU GET TO L.A."

SO I SAID, "OKAY."

TWO HOURS LATER,

HE WAS IN THE OFFICE
OF LAKERS' TEAM PHYSICIAN
MICHAEL MELLMAN.

DR. MELLMAN STARTS TO

TELL ME THAT THROUGH
THE PHYSICAL THAT I TOOK

THAT THEY DISCOVERED

THAT I HAD H.I.V.

FIRST TIME EVER
IN MY LIFE--

I'M SUCH A CONTROL FREAK,
RIGHT, AND DO THINGS
THE RIGHT WAY--

I'M OUT OF CONTROL.

IT WAS EVERYTHING.
"HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?

WHAT HAPPENED?

HOW DID IT HAPPEN
TO ME?"

AND MY MIND IS RACING,

YOU KNOW, AND...

AND THEN YOU'RE
JUST DEVASTATED.

FURTHER COMPLICATING THINGS,

MAGIC HAD GOTTEN MARRIED
JUST TWO MONTHS EARLIER.

AND HE FEARED THE WORST
FOR HIS NEW BRIDE COOKIE,

WHO WAS PREGNANT
WITH THEIR FIRST CHILD.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
GONNA HAPPEN WITH MY WIFE

AND MY BABY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
GONNA HAPPEN TO ME.

I DON'T HAVE CONTROL
OF THE SITUATION

AND I WAS LOST
JUST FOR THAT NEXT TWO

OR THREE WEEKS.

AND AFTER MAGIC LEARNED
NEITHER HIS WIFE

NOR HIS UNBORN CHILD
WERE INFECTED,

HE BEGAN REVEALING THE NEWS
TO HIS INNER CIRCLE.

THE PHONE RANG,

AND IT WAS MAGIC'S AGENT
LON ROSEN.

AND HE SAID,
"EARVIN'S LOOKING
FOR YOU. CALL HIM."

AND I SAID,
"I'LL CALL HIM
WHEN I GET TO PARAMOUNT."

AND HE SAYS,
"CALL HIM NOW."

I SAID,
"LON, I'LL CALL HIM
WHEN I GET TO PARAMOUNT.

I'LL BE THERE
IN 20 MINUTES."

AND HE SAID,

"YOU GOTTA CALL HIM NOW.
EARVIN'S H.I.V. POSITIVE."

I WAS SITTING ON THE BED.

I REMEMBER STANDING UP

AT THAT POINT,

AND I SAID,
"HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?"

I'M THINKING EARVIN'S
GONNA GET SKINNY AND DIE.

I MEAN, LITERALLY,
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT--

"EARVIN'S GONNA
GET SKINNY AND DIE."

THE FIRST PERSON
I THOUGHT OF WAS LARRY--

"I WONDER
WHAT LARRY THINKS."

THE DAY THAT I HEARD
ABOUT MAGIC,

IT JUST SORT OF CHANGED
MY LOVE FOR BASKETBALL.

IT SHOOK ME UP.

YOU GET THAT FEELING,

PROBABLY THE SAME
TYPE OF FEELING I HAD
WHEN MY FATHER DIED.

HE WANTS
TO UNDERSTAND WHY.
"HOW CAN I TALK TO HIM?

I NEED TO SPEAK TO HIM."
IT WAS JUST REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR LARRY TO TALK TO HIM.

YOU KNOW...

YOU KNOW, SORT OF--

I DON'T KNOW.

I WANTED TO HEAR IT
FROM HIM. I PROBABLY
DIDN'T BELIEVE IT.

CALLS ME, WE'RE TALKING.

IT'S JUST,
"HOW YOU DOING?

I HEARD ABOUT IT."

YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR
BOTH OF US

WITH SOME TEARS
IN OUR EYES.

AND I'M CHOKED UP

BECAUSE HE DID CALL ME.

YOU KNOW...

WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS...

TO YOU...

AND THEN YOU FIND OUT

WHO REALLY YOUR
FRIENDS ARE

AND PEOPLE
WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT YOU.

YOU FIGURE
ALL THOSE BATTLES,

ALL THOSE THINGS
WE HAD TO GO THROUGH

AS WARRIORS,
AS COMPETITORS

AND AS MEN.

AND HERE THIS MAN SAYS,

"HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, MAN?
YOU'RE OKAY."

AND SO...

THAT WAS THE GREATEST MOMENT
FOR ME TOO,

YOU KNOW, TO HAVE HIM
CHECK ON ME

AND TO MAKE SURE

I WAS OKAY.

FIRST OF ALL,
LET ME SAY,

- GOOD LATE AFTERNOON.

BECAUSE OF...

THE H.I.V. VIRUS
THAT I HAVE ATTAINED,

I WILL HAVE TO RETIRE
FROM THE LAKERS TODAY.

IT'S THE ONLY PRESS CONFERENCE
I'VE EVER BEEN IN

WHERE I'VE
SEEN REPORTERS CRY.

I MEAN, WE THOUGHT
THIS GUY WAS IN
TOTAL DENIAL.

I PLAN ON GOING ON LIVING
FOR A LONG TIME,

BUGGING YOU GUYS
LIKE I ALWAYS HAVE.

WE THOUGHT THE SMILE
WAS GONNA BE WIPED OFF
HIS FACE FOREVER,

AND HE WAS GONNA DIE,
AND WE'RE GONNA WATCH
HIM DIE IN PUBLIC.

I JUST REMEMBER IN THE ROOM.
HE WAS JOKING AND I'M SITTING
THERE LOOKING AT HIM CRYING,

AND HE'S LIKE, "COOP,
MAN, I'M GONNA BE OKAY.
IT'S GONNA BE ALL RIGHT."

I AM GONNA GO ON.
I'M GONNA BEAT IT,
AND I'M GONNA HAVE FUN.

- SURE, COME ON.
- YOU'RE GONNA BEAT THIS?

TO HIM,
IT WAS A CONTEST.

LARRY BIRD
AND MAGIC JOHNSON--

AIDS AND MAGIC JOHNSON,
SAME THING.

"IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT GAME,
DIFFERENT RULES,

BUT I'M STILL GONNA WIN."

HE WASN'T PLANNING
ON GOING NOWHERE.

EARVIN WAS PLANNING
THAT DAY

TO FIND
THE RIGHT MEDICINE,

TO EAT RIGHT, GET REST
AND LIVE FOREVER.

THAT'S WHAT
HE WAS PLANNING.

THANK YOU AGAIN
AND I'LL SEE YOU SOON.

BUT AS MAGIC PUT UP
A POSITIVE PUBLIC FACE,

HIS NEMESIS,
STILL OUT OF SORTS,

SHED THE MASK HE HAD
HIDDEN BEHIND FOR YEARS.

HE WAS VISIBLY LIKE,
"WOW! HOW COULD THAT HAPPEN?"

IT REALLY SET HIM BACK.

PROBABLY THE TWO TOUGHEST DAYS
I'VE HAD SINCE MY FATHER
PASSED AWAY.

I'VE BEEN VERY DEPRESSED
AND IN SORT OF DENIAL OF IT.

I LISTENED TO HIM TALK
IN THIS PRESS CONFERENCE

ABOUT HOW DEVASTATED
HE WAS, AND I REMEMBER
THINKING TO MYSELF,

"GOD DAMN,
LARRY FOUND EARVIN."

OUT OF THE BLUE
SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING,

IT'S JUST--

I'VE NEVER HAD OTHER THAN
ONE OTHER INSTANCE,

AND I WAS HOPING
I WOULD NEVER SEE THAT AGAIN

BECAUSE I REMEMBER HOW
I FELT WEEKS AFTER THAT,

AND YESTERDAY
WAS JUST A SAD DAY.

AND AT HIS GAME THAT NIGHT,

BIRD WAS FORCED
TO CONFRONT PAIN

HE COULDN'T SO EASILY
PLAY THROUGH.

I DIDN'T WANNA
BE THERE THAT NIGHT.

FIRST TIME EVER

AND REALLY THE LAST.

I REMEMBER
WE PLAYED ATLANTA.

HAD NO FEEL FOR THE GAME,
YOU KNOW?

JUST WASN'T A GOOD TIME
TO BE OUT THERE.

NEVER HAD THAT BEFORE.

THAT NIGHT
HE THREW A PASS.

I'LL NEVER FORGET IT.
HE THREW A HALF-COURT PASS

BEHIND HIS BACK
FOR A LAYUP,

AND IF YOU BLURRED YOUR EYES,
YOU SQUINTED YOUR EYES,
IT LOOKED LIKE MAGIC.

AND IT WAS LARRY
SAYING GOODBYE.

I MEAN, THIS COMPETITION
THING IS AMAZING,

WHAT IT DOES TO YOU.

WHAT YOU PUT
YOUR BODY THROUGH
AND WHAT YOU DO

AND WHAT YOU SAY
AND HOW YOU FEEL,

AND KNOWING
THAT HE'S NOT THERE

WOULDN'T FEEL RIGHT,

BUT I THINK IT'S ALL
THEM YEARS THAT, YOU KNOW,

"WHAT'S HE DOING?
I WONDER IF HE'S
PRACTICING AS HARD."

I BET HE SHOT 500 SHOTS TODAY,
AND I DIDN'T GET 500 IN.

THERE'S ALWAYS
MIND-GAMES.

BIRD PLAYED THROUGH
THE '91-'92 SEASON,

HIS LAST IN THE NBA,

BUT A PART OF HIM
WAS ALREADY GONE.

I DIDN'T CHECK
THE PAPERS ANYMORE.

IT DIDN'T MATTER.

I STILL WANTED TO COMPETE,
YOU KNOW?

BUT IT WASN'T THE SAME.

IT REALLY WASN'T.

WITH THE EXCEPTION
OF THAT YEAR

WHEN HE WAS CALLED
"TRAGIC" JOHNSON,

'CAUSE ON THE BASKETBALL
COURT, THINGS DIDN'T
SHAKE DOWN PROPERLY,

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
I'M HEARING IGNORANCE,

HATRED,

VICIOUS, NASTY THINGS.

THERE WERE SOME
OF MY FORMER TEAMMATES

WHO HAD THEIR OWN
LITTLE THINGS THAT THEY
WERE TALKING ABOUT

AND WHY THIS HAPPENED
TO ME.

"YOU KNOW ANYBODY ELSE
THAT'S A HETEROSEXUAL
THAT GOT IT?

COME ON, MAN.

YOU'RE IN DENIAL."

I'VE BEEN CALLED GAY,
FAGGOT, EARVIN'S LOVER.

I'VE BEEN CALLED
ALL THAT SHIT.

LON ROSEN GOT A CALL
FROM ISAIAH THOMAS ASKING,

"YOU KNOW,
I KEEP HEARING MAGIC'S GAY."

AND LON SAID, "FOR CRYING
OUT LOUD, YOU KNOW BETTER
THAN ANYBODY HE ISN'T.

YOU'RE ONE OF HIS
BEST FRIENDS."
AND HE SAID,

"WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S GOING ON
IN HOLLYWOOD."

AND THE FACT THAT ISAIAH
WAS QUESTIONING WHY
HE GOT THIS,

I THINK IT WAS REALLY
REALLY HURTFUL TO HIM.

HE USED TO SAY,
"I DON'T WANT PEOPLE

TO STOP SHAKING MY HAND
AND GIVING ME MY HUGS."

HE LOVES TO BE LOVED.

THAT'S WHAT BOTHERED
HIM THE MOST--

THAT PEOPLE WOULD CHANGE

IN RELATIONSHIP TO HIM.

HE WOULD SHOW UP AT THE LAKERS'
FACILITY TO WORK OUT

AND TO SHOOT SOME BASKETS.
AND HE'D TRY TO ENGAGE
HIS TEAMMATES,

AND SAY, "HEY, YOU WANNA
PLAY A LITTLE ONE-ON-ONE
BEFORE PRACTICE?"

"OH, JEEZ, NO, I CAN'T.
I GOTTA GO GET TAPED."

OR "OH, JEEZ,
I GOT WORK TO DO.
I GOTTA DO SOMETHING ELSE."

THE WORST THING
OF ALL OF THIS--

THAT I COULDN'T
PLAY BASKETBALL.

I DON'T EVEN THINK
DEALING WITH H.I.V.--

IT WAS I COULDN'T PLAY.

THE GAME,

THE SURROUNDINGS
WAS HIS WHOLE WORLD.

THAT'S HIS PERSONALITY.

WHEN YOU TAKE THAT AWAY,

YOU'RE HURTING HIM.

I KNEW HE WAS HURTING
IN A BIG WAY.

THE ONLY SEX IS SAFE SEX,
AND THAT'S NO SEX.

AS BASKETBALL
WENT ON WITHOUT HIM,

MAGIC PERFORMED ABLY
IN HIS NEW ROLE AS H.I.V.
EDUCATOR AND SPOKESMAN.

I'M GONNA HELP
IN EVERY WAY THAT I CAN.

BUT HE STILL PINED
FOR THE ARENA

WHICH HAD MADE HIM
A STAR.

SO WHEN HE WAS INVITED
TO PLAY

IN THE 1992
NBA ALL-STAR GAME...

Magic Johnson!

...HE'D JUMP
AT THE CHANCE,

PROMPTLY STEALING THE SHOW
AND WINNING MVP HONORS.

BUT THAT WAS
JUST A WARM-UP

FOR THE ENCORE
MAGIC HAD UP HIS SLEEVE.

HE'S NOT DONE YET.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO BARCELONA
AND BRING BACK THE GOLD

FOR EVERYONE HERE
IN THE UNITED STATES.

THANKS, LARRY.

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,
NBA PLAYERS WOULD BE COMPETING

IN THE OLYMPICS, AND MAGIC,
ARMED WITH A MESSAGE,

WAS NOT ABOUT
TO MISS THE SHOW.

IT WAS TO PROVE
TO PEOPLE

THAT YOU WERE NOT
GONNA GET THE DISEASE
PLAYING AGAINST ME,

AND THEN ALSO FOR ME TOO,
PERSONALLY.

YOU KNOW,
IT WAS THERAPY.

IT WAS A WAY TO SAY,

"MAN, YOU GET TO DO
THIS ONE MORE TIME."

THERE WAS ALSO
ONE OTHER PERK.

I THINK PLAYING WITH LARRY
WAS VERY IMPORTANT.

THAT'S SOMETHING
THEY TALKED ABOUT. HE WAS
GONNA BE ON THE DREAM TEAM.

HE WAS GONNA BE
WITH MICHAEL, BARKLEY,

BUT HE WAS GONNA PLAY
WITH LARRY.

MAGIC KEPT SAYING TO HIM,
"I JUST WANNA GET YOU OUT
ON THAT COURT ONE MORE TIME.

LET'S JUST HAVE ONE MORE
SEQUENCE LIKE WE HAD

ALL THE WAY BACK
IN 1978."

BUT IT WAS INTERESTING
WITH MAGIC BEING THE ONE
THAT WAS H.I.V. POSITIVE,

HE FELT GREAT.
HE WAS IN THE BEST
SHAPE OF HIS LIFE.

HE HAD WORKED SO HARD
TO MAKE SURE HE DIDN'T GO THERE

AS A TOKEN PLAYER,
AND HERE WAS LARRY,

WHO COULDN'T EVEN PRACTICE.
WHO COULD BARELY MOVE.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
IT DIDN'T MATTER.

WE WERE STILL TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW,
IT DIDN'T MATTER.

AND WHEN HE GOT
HIS OPPORTUNITIES,

HE SWISHED A FEW.

LARRY!

Larry Bird!

WHO'S TAKING THE LAST SHOT
WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE?

WHEN I GOT
MY OPPORTUNITY,

I STILL WAS MAGIC.

It's Magic!

14 YEARS AFTER THEY'D
FIRST CROSSED PATHS,

THE SMILING KID
FROM LANSING

AND THE SHY BOY
FROM FRENCH LICK

WERE HAPPILY BACK
TOGETHER IN BARCELONA.

BUT IT TOOK JUST
ONE GLANCE

OUTSIDE THEIR HOTEL'S
FRONT DOOR EACH MORNING

FOR THEM TO SEE THAT
AS FAR AS THEY HAD COME,

THEY WERE AS FAR APART
AS EVER.

THE ONLY WAY YOU WALK OUT THAT
DOOR IF YOU WANTED ATTENTION.

BUT I ASKED THIS GUY
I KNOW, "HOW CAN YOU
GET AROUND THIS?

THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY."

LO AND BEHOLD,
THERE WAS A SIDE DOOR.

YOU CAN GO
WHEREVER YOU WANT.

I WAS GONNA TELL HIM
ABOUT IT,

BUT SEEING THAT SMILE
ON HIS FACE

THE CLOSER HE GOT
TO THAT FRONT DOOR, COME ON.

HE DIDN'T WANT NO SIDE DOOR.
YOU KNOW EARVIN.

HE'D GO RIGHT
IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM.

TURN IT THE LONG WAY,
SWEETHEART. THERE YOU GO.

I'M GOING OUT THE FRONT
'CAUSE THAT'S WHO I AM.

I DON'T GO OUT THE BACK.

I DON'T GO OUT
THE SIDE.

THAT'S NOT ME.

IF YOU WANNA GO SOMEWHERE
IN A HURRY,

THERE'S A DOOR
THAT LEADS YOU THERE.

I FOUND IT.

I RESPECTED HIM FOR THAT.

AND SO, HELL, I WOULD TRY
TO FIND A SIDE DOOR FOR HIM.

AND WE NEVER TRIED
TO CHANGE EACH OTHER.

THAT'S WHAT MADE
THIS RELATIONSHIP GREAT.

ONE OF MY PET PEEVES
ALWAYS IS WHEN PEOPLE SAY,
"MICHAEL JORDAN SAVED THE NBA."

BULLSHIT!
BULLSHIT.

MAGIC AND LARRY
SAVED THE NBA.

THAT'S WHO SAVED
THE NBA--

MAGIC AND LARRY.

MAGIC AND LARRY.

BIRD AND MAGIC.

TO THE MILLIONS
WHO ONCE WATCHED THEM,

NOW MORE THAN EVER
THEY ARE INSEPARABLE,

A PAIR OF ATHLETES
THROWN TOGETHER

BY THE COSMOS
TO COMPETE;

A PAIR OF MEN
WHO DISCOVERED A BOND

IN THE MIDST
OF THAT COMPETITION.

DECADES REMOVED FROM
THE HEIGHT OF THEIR RIVALRY,

THEIR BOND ENDURES,

TWO IMPOSSIBLY
DIFFERENT MEN

WITH A CONNECTION
ONLY THEY CAN FULLY GRASP.

IT'S ALMOST LIKE
A PRIVATE LITTLE CLUB,

AND ONLY THE TWO OF THEM
ARE IN IT.

AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
THEY NEED TO SHOW UP

TO HAVE A REUNION
AND PAY THEIR DUES
TO EACH OTHER,

BUT THEY DON'T NEED
THE DAY-TO-DAY CONTACT
THAT MOST FRIENDS NEED.

IT'S JUST NOT THAT KIND
OF RELATIONSHIP.

I ALWAYS GET THIS
GOOD FEELING WHEN I KNOW
I'M GONNA SEE HIM

BECAUSE HE MAKES
YOU FEEL GOOD.

HE REALLY DOES.

HE'S UNBELIEVABLE.

HE'S VERY PRIVATE,
BUT IF HE'S YOUR FRIEND,

MAN, YOU GOT A FRIEND
FOR LIFE.

AND LARRY BIRD
IS A STRAIGHT SHOOTER.

HE'LL TELL YOU
WHEN HE DON'T LIKE YOU.

THAT'S ONE THING
I WISH I COULD HAVE

THAT HE HAS
THAT I DON'T HAVE.

I WISH I HAD THAT.

IF HE WALKED IN HERE,
THIS WHOLE ROOM WOULD CHANGE.

AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT
I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE,

BUT I JUST COULDN'T.

THIS HAS BEEN
A PRESENTATION

OF "HBO SPORTS."