Magic Johnson breaks down why no more rivalries exist in the NBA: 'They don't hate each other'

Rivalries have always been the backbone of NBA storytelling, fueling passion and drawing fans into the drama. The Showtime Lakers and Boston Celtics were the rivals of the 80s.

In the 1990s, the Chicago Bulls were the most dominant team, but they had their share of rivals in the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. Also during that period, the New York Knicks and Miami Heat built a rivalry in the Eastern Conference.

Fast-forward to 2024, and no such rivalries exist. Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, who was the driving force of the Showtime Lakers, has an explanation.

"I mean, they don't hate each other. I hated Larry and every Celtic. I really don't like you, but you're my little brother now," Johnson said to co-host Paul Pierce, who was once the captain of the Boston Celtics. "Now I love you because you're out of that green and white. But somewhat, that's how it was, right?"

Magic hated the Celtics

Legendary guard and Larry Bird were college foes who went head-to-head in the 1979 NCAA men's basketball championship game. After they were drafted into the NBA, their rivalry spilled over to the pro ranks as Magic's Lakers met Bird's Celtics three times in the NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, Pierce was born in Oakland and grew up as a Lakers fan. However, because the Celtics drafted him, he swore never to play for the "Purple and Gold" at any point in his career. Later in his career, "The Truth" had a chance to play for his hometown team but chose to sign with the Clippers instead.

"The Celtics and Lakers hated each other, disliked each other, so it made for great TV and people tuning in," added Magic. "And now, I don't know if it's AAU, I don't know what it is. Now everybody's shaking each other's hand. Everybody likes each other and won't go at each other like really hard. That's what happened to the All-Star Game.

The All-Star Game problem

Johnson added that this lack of competitive drive has carried over to the NBA's midseason showcase game. According to the five-time NBA champion, that's why the quality of the NBA All-Star Game has tremendously suffered and why the NBA's TV numbers are down.

"We hated the East. I'm coming out to bust you, Michael, Isiah, Dr. J. You can't have one over me. See, I'm coming to get that. Now, it's 'Hi, Let 'em score 200 to 200.' What is that?" continued Johnson. "It's a reason why the number of viewerships is going down, and these guys better wake up and say, 'Hey man, we got to change this.'"

The NBA has changed the All-Star Game format several times in the past, but to no avail. This coming February, the 2025 NBA All-Star Game will be played under a new format. It remains to be seen if it will work. But as Magic and many others have said, the change has to come from the players, not the league.