How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird performed in their storied head-to-head matches: A breakdown of the rivalry

How Magic Johnson and Larry Bird performed in their storied head-to-head matches: A breakdown of the rivalry.

The tale of the 1980s would be incomplete without Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Only two seasons concluded with a player other than Johnson or Bird taking home the championship between 1980 and 1989. Johnson won three Finals MVP awards while leading the Los Angeles Lakers to titles in 1980, 1982, 1985, and 1988. Bird won two Finals MVP honors and guided the Boston Celtics to wins in 1981, 1984, and 1986.

The other two instances? In 1983, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Lakers, and in 1989, the Detroit Pistons unexpectedly defeated the Lakers. Thus, one of the two premier teams participated in the NBA Finals for a full ten years.

Johnson and Bird also took home five of the ten MVP trophies that were given out in the 1980s. Between 1983 and 1986, Bird won three straight, while Johnson won two MVP honors to end the decade.

Though it’s evident that the two ruled the decade, who triumphed over the other?

The regular season will be discussed first.

Typical season.

Johnson and Bird faced off against one another eighteen times during their careers in the regular season, according to Basketball Reference. In their head-to-head meetings, Johnson averaged 19.4 points, 11.5 assists, and 6.8 rebounds, while Bird averaged 21.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. Johnson won 11 of the games.

Head-to-head regular season games between Magic and Bird
Player AcquiresPTSREB AST FG% 3PT% FT%
Enchantment Johnson11.5, 19.4, 6.8, 11.5, 49.6, 31.6, 85.6
Larry Bird10 9~6.2 50.0~47.4 81.5 7 21.7
A few of Johnson’s standout moments versus Bird were: