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Magic Johnson & Larry Bird Rivalry Reignited by $46.65B Company

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Pranav Kotai | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 11:50 AM ET

46 years ago, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had 35.1 million viewers witnessing history. That record still stands for the most-watched college championship game, and so does their bond. From being rivals in college and the NBA and then being teammates and winning gold for Team USA, there is a lot of history that binds them together.

On Tuesday, Johnson shared that he and Bird recently spoke together about their historic rivalry in front of a crowd of 4,000. ” Larry Bird and I spoke to an amazing audience of 4,000 at the Axon Company Kickoff today in Phoenix, Arizona. We had the crowd going crazy and they ate up all the stories about our rivalry! Thank you to Axon Enterprise CEO Rick Smith and Axon President Josh Isner for having us today! This was an incredible event for Josh because he idolized Larry Bird growing up.”

Axon Enterprise has a net worth of $46.65 billion, plus its president is a big fan of Bird. So, they had the tools to bring the icons together. This is not the only time that the two legends of basketball gave a speech. On Nov. 12, Nuveen CEO Bill Huffman brought them together to speak at a motivational session for more than 300 of the firm’s top global clients. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were chosen to talk about teamwork and developing a winning attitude for a championship mindset.

Larry Bird and I spoke to an amazing audience of 4,000 at the Axon Company Kickoff today in Phoenix, Arizona. We had the crowd going crazy and they ate up all the stories about our rivalry! Thank you to Axon Enterprise CEO Rick Smith and Axon President Josh Isner for having us… pic.twitter.com/wtSIAcLLU9

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 7, 2026

This clearly proves that decades later, fans still want to hear the lore of their basketball story. The rivalry began in 1979, when Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans defeated Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA championship game. Their next steps in the NBA got more prominence as they were selected by long-term rivals Lakers and the Celtics. So, the Magic-Bird rivalry only intensified.

The two met three times in the NBA Finals, with Bird winning the first matchup in 1984 before Johnson captured titles in 1985 and 1987. But did you know that Magic Johnson was Mama Bird’s favorite NBA player?

The Lakers legend was once invited to the Bird household, and that’s when Georgia Bird confessed, “Magic, you’re my favorite basketball player.” Since then, they have been rivals on the court, but never outside of it.

Magic Johnson had to make the call to convince Larry Bird

On Jun 23, 2024, BBC News uploaded a video on its YouTube channel featuring Magic Johnson. Commissioner Stern had called the 5x NBA champion about his selection, despite Johnson’s retirement due to an HIV diagnosis. But to play for the “Dream Team” Stern put up a condition that Magic had to speak with Larry Bird to convince him to play.

Bird was struggling with his back injury and was still not sure. He was 35 years old at the time and already had a legendary resume. “Larry this is a chance for our kids to see us play in the Olympics not on the Boston Celtics not on the Lakers,” said Magic Johnson. “You can just play 10 minutes a game. All I want to do is come down and do a no-look pass to you. And you shoot a three-pointer we both going to be very happy.”

Thus, Bird too came on board for the dream team. And what transpired next remains history. That’s why their rivalry is unique and filled with chapters that some are still unknown to many.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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