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Q&A; INTERVIEW. Eric Newman
When The Game Was Ours
From the moment Larry Bird and Magic Johnson took the court on opposing sides, they engaged in a fierce physical and psychological battle. But it was this uncommonly competitive relationship that came to symbolize one of the most compelling rivalries (and friendships) in NBA history. With intimate, fly-on-the- wall detail, nationally recognized sports columnist Jackie MacMullan penned an up-close-and-personal portrait with basketball's most inimitable duo after spending three decades at the Boston Globe. From a basketball history standpoint, When the Game Was Ours is one of the best books I have ever read – and my time speaking with her only added to it.
Dime: What was the process like putting this book together?
Jackie MacMullan: Well, Larry contacted me in 2003 in response to an unauthorized book that was being put together. It was actually supposed to be a coffee table book highlighting Larry and Magic's career in pictures with about 30,000 words – which I was asked to write. But after beginning the process, we realized there was much more to be done with this and luckily the publisher messed up the project, so thankfully it never happened.
Dime: Do you think the HBO special aided in the
popularity of the book? JM: At first I was very uncertain about the HBO special. Through an agreement they had ac- cess to the manuscript, which was a bit nerve- racking at first, but they stuck to their word and I really enjoyed the show.
Dime: Were there any specific subjects that provided Q&A;
surprising insight? JM: I was surprised just how deep the hate was on both sides of the rivalry. I originally thought it was just an on-court thing, but guys like Cedric Maxwell and Byron Scott had such hatred towards the other team. Of course Pat Riley had so much to do with fueling the Lakers side of things and Larry on the Celtics side, but Dennis Johnson, before he was traded to the Celtics, used to work out with Magic in L.A. during the offseason, which stopped immediately after he headed east to Boston.
Dime: Do you think enough of today's players realize the enormous effect that Bird-Magic and Celtics-Lakers had on essentially saving the NBA
and propelling it to an extremely high level? JM: I do, to an extent, and I credit the coaches for that. Doc Rivers, Scott Brooks, Phil Jackson and Doug Collins are all examples of coaches that talk about it a lot. Glen Davis told me that Doc gave the book to the team to read last season. After the Celtics won the championship in 2008, Paul Pierce told me he had gotten so tired of watching Bird championship highlights that he had to have his own.
Dime: At the height of the 1980s, did you realize you were watching
basketball greatness and history as it was unfolding in front of you? JM: Yes. Bob Ryan reminded me each and every day, as he was a
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1984 and 1988? JM: One of the best to ever play the game. Michael Jordan and Bill Russell are at the top, bar none, but Bird is the most motivated athlete I have ever covered. Losing ate at him more than any person I have ever seen. Every year, Larry and Magic would come back with something new to their game. It was awesome to witness.
Dime: What was Larry's relationship like with the late Dennis Johnson? JM: Their relationship was almost entirely based on basketball.
There were some days at practice or even a game where D.J. was not ready to play and Larry would be all over him. But when it came down to it, D.J. was a great competitor who always knew where to be and he made clutch plays. Obviously the steal in 1987 against the Pistons is the prime example. When Larry stole the ball and was tiptoeing the baseline, he did not see that it was D.J. cutting to the basket, he just saw a white flash and he knew it was D.J. That is why Larry would refer to him as "the best teammate he ever had," because of those instincts. D.J. was also a complete gentlemen, as he was the first player who tried to learn anything about me and actually got the team to upgrade my plane ticket to first class on a road trip while I was having back problems.
Dime: After Larry and Magic shot that Converse commercial in 1985, Dime: Where would you rank Bird all-time based on his years between
mentor to me. He would ask, "Jackie, do you realize what we are watching?" There will never be another team like the mid-'80s Celt- ics because of both the time period and the dilution of the league. As a young reporter I got very lucky, as I have not covered a more gracious group of athletes. It was the best professional experience I've had.
Dime: How would you best describe the evolution
of your relationship with Larry Bird? JM: Larry was always great to me. He pur- posely waited almost an entire season to address me by my name, which of course I later found out was completely calculated on his part. I was able to do the Sports Illustrated cover story on him when he was coaching the Pacers, which led to my first book with him, "Bird Watching," which he asked me to write. I was shocked to learn he thought so highly of me.
PHOTOS. HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT