Rivals push each other to their best. Sometimes, they also push each other to sleeplessness. This was the case between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson , whose insomnia kicked in the night before they faced each other.
It didn't matter if it was the NBA Finals or a regular-season game. When the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics played each other during the 1980s, Bird and Johnson knew they had to be at their best.
Long, sleepless nights
In their joint interview with David Letterman, the Detroit native admitted to having long sleepless nights before facing Larry Legend. Magic couldn't relax as he envisioned the Lakers' plays and the Celtics' counters. The Purple and Gold icon knew he must play a perfect game to beat Bird's C's.
"I knew Larry could beat me if I made mistakes, if we didn't play our best game," Magic said . "Larry made me have sleepless nights. He did. Because I was scared to death, I knew he could beat me. So that's what a great player does to you that you have to up against. Not only was he great, the Celtics were great."
"I wish the same way.. when he went to sleep, he was thinking about me because I was thinking about him when I went to sleep. That was for sure," Johnson added.
It may have sounded funny, but the five-time NBA champion was speaking the truth. If he beat Larry and the Celtics, he knew they were the best team in the world.
It was as simple as that. However, the road to victory wasn't easy. Paraphrasing Johnson, blinking once could cost them the game, and the Detroit native always had his guard up.
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What do the stats reveal?
Numbers reveal that Magic faced Bird 22 times in the NBA and holds a 22-15 record. Johnson averaged 20.5 points in those duels, slightly up from his career average of 19.5 points. The Lakers playmaker also logged 12.5 assists per game against Larry's Celtics, as opposed to his career average of 11.2 dimes per game.
The improvements may seem small, but they mattered in the end. Magic's Lakers faced Bird's Celtics three times in the NBA Finals, with the Purple and Gold snagging two rings. This made all those sleepless nights worth it. The history books would've been different if Johnson had taken Larry's skills for granted.
Related: "My goal was to take three of them teeth home with me" - Bird didn't fall for Magic's deceiving smile
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