Larry Bird admits to secretly checking Magic Johnson's stats: 'I had to have him there for some reason'

Originally posted on Basketball Network
By John Jefferson Tan | Last updated Nov 24, 2024 1:53 PM ET

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson played 18 games against each other in the regular season and 19 in the playoffs. In those epic duels, Bird kept himself fueled to outmatch Johnson by secretly checking his ultimate rival's stats in the box score.

At the time, "Larry Legend" never let anybody know that he was studying Magic's numbers. Decades later, the Boston Celtics icon finally came clean about it.

"I had to have him there for some reason," Bird told Steve Aschburner of NBA.com of stalking Magic via box scores in 2019. "Like a crutch, somebody I could compare myself to."

Magic knew Bird could also do everything he does well

As it turned out, checking Magic's stats was an effective way to motivate Bird to perform at his best against the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, his numbers during his head-to-head battles with Johnson say the same thing.

Magic holds an 11-7 winning record over Bird in the regular-season, and 11-8 in the playoffs. However, as far as performances go, it's easy to see that both legendary players gave it all they had every time they took on one another on the NBA hardwood.

My favorite part of the Magic-Bird rivalry is that two men from different worlds who competed like rabid animals came to legitimately love one another. That’s the best of what sports has to offer if you ask me. pic.twitter.com/YuiW35VhvE
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) April 15, 2023

Bird averaged 23.5 points, 11 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game against Magic, while the Lakers icon logged 20.1 points, 12.5 assists and 7.2 rebounds on his Celtics counterpart. For Johnson, knowing that Bird could do the things he did well and vice versa was probably one of the reasons why their rivalry grew stronger over time.

"That's why we hated each other. We knew we were mirrors of each other," Magic said of Bird.

Different animal, same beast

Bird once openly recognized that he and Magic were fierce rivals but beneath the competitive surface, they shared many similarities as players. Larry knew all along that he and Johnson possessed extraordinary skills that set them apart from their peers.

However, Bird also acknowledged that apart from having been gifted with talent, they were also deeply committed to winning.

"We both liked to pass the ball," Bird once said of Magic. "We liked to try to make other guys better. And then we were winners, there was no question about that. Not that there wasn't a lot of winners before us. But just how we played the game and approached the game, I think, made a big impact throughout the league as far as watching the game."

In retrospect, it's fascinating to hear Bird and Magic reflect on how they were united by healthy competition during their playing years and how they shared a common goal, which was to always get the better of the other.

This article first appeared on Basketball Network and was syndicated with permission.

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