Winter Novel: Larry Bird-Magic Johnson (5)<

It's now a tradition on Basket USA: every summer and every winter, we offer long excerpts from a book related to the NBA.

After Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan (by Roland Lazenby), the "Dream Team" and Allen Iverson (by Kent Babb), we continued to dig into the collection of Talent Sport editions and it is an exciting work, signed Jackie MacMullan, that we offer for the long evenings of winter 2018, by the fireplace.

"Larry Bird-Magic Johnson, When the Game Was Ours" recounts the formidable rivalry in the 1980s between the Boston Celtics winger and the Los Angeles Lakers point guard. The one that ensured the success and popularity of the great American League. Embark with us in the time machine... Happy reading!

First part

Second part

Third part

Fourth part

Their road to the title match in Salt Lake City was far from smooth, contrary to what their wonderful records seemed to indicate. Indiana State's flawless record – 33 wins to 0 losses – suggested a perfect season. Yet he did not reflect the instability that escorted Larry Bird, a demanding young player who did not tolerate anyone not convincingly providing the proper effort. Bird had nothing to do with being popular among his teammates. What he wanted from them – what he expected – was that they provide the same intensity as him. And it was often a high demand. "Larry could fight you," Carl Nicks said. He never backed down. If he didn't like what you were doing, he would say so to your face. »

Indiana State winger Leroy Staley learned this firsthand during the preseason, when he casually lost the ball and Bird came to reprimand him, asking him to apply his game. then took out his frustration on underused backup point guard Rod McNelly. He locked him in the corner when he mounted the ball and kneed him when he attempted interceptions. As McNelly collapsed to the ground, Bird charged Staley, fists clenched.

“Leroy was frustrated, I think. He wasn't playing well and he started playing rough. But Larry wasn't going to let him off the hook with such a dirty trick,” Nicks continued. "I really don't know what happened," Staley said. Larry was having a bad day. All I know is that he pounced on me. The two players ended up being separated, but not before three Sycamores overpowered Bird.

No one approached Larry after the altercation; they had understood that it was wiser to let their leader manage his susceptibility alone. Coach Bill Hodges called Bird and Staley to clear up the situation and both players agreed to move on. When Larry returned, he made no apologetic gesture and his eyes were harder than ever. "We had a lot of skirmishes that year," added Nicks. It was a cockfight every day in training. »

Bird's credo was simple: "Play or basketball the right way or get out." In his mind, the previous season had been marred by a lack of discipline. And he wasn't going to let that happen again. “Leroy Staley is a great guy. He was also a good player and a good teammate, who brought us a lot. But it had to be framed and it was not the only one. I didn't mind doing it. I bullied those guys. It was my job as team leader to maintain a high level of intensity, even in training. I knew that was the only way to win a title,” Bird said.

Larry Bird makes people jealous

Larry was well aware of the huge publicity he received and he stopped talking to the press in the hope that the media would highlight other Sycamores. However, he constantly had to deal with the frustration felt by his teammates, who were fed up with only the number 33 being talked about. "There was always a lot of jealousy - until today," Bird said. .

Predictions saw Indiana State finish mid-table in 1978-79 when coach Bob King suffered a heart attack and ruptured aneurysm. He was replaced by assistant Bill Hodges. Until then, Staley, who had fallen out with King, planned to transfer to Florida State to play under coach Hugh Durham. As soon as Hodges was promoted, Staley decided to stay.

The transfers of Carl Nicks, Bobby Heaton and Alex Gilbert have brought new blood and a new approach to the team. They soon became key elements of the Sycamores. Nicks was an arrogant guy from Chicago who attacked the basket hard and wasn't afraid of anyone – defensively and offensively. Heaton, Indiana State's sixth man, was a crafty player with a great sense of space and a perimeter shot that would prove crucial during ISU's remarkable run. Gilbert was a rebounder and blocker with an incredible trigger. The other starters were Brad Miley, a good defender, and point guard Steve Reed, an inexperienced yet selfless boy who was able to shoot from great distance but was still a hesitant shooter.

The Sycamore bench was short; the only other player, besides Heaton, to have big playing time was Staley. Their limited rotation has earned the Sycamores the nickname "The Magnificent Seven". And when a local car dealer used them, showing them with blue cowboy hats, jeans and boots, in an advertisement, that became their go-to look.

In the second game of the season, Bird led ISU to an upset win over Purdue. He stunned the Boilermakers with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Five days later, he planted 40 runs at Evansville. And on December 16, he punished Butler with 48 points, 19 rebounds and 5 assists. It was remarkable basketball and Bill Hodges, who was only 36 years old, felt in very good spirits when Larry made the decision to play his last season at ISU rather than spinning in the NBA. Hodges knew he was looking at a once-in-a-lifetime player.

The draft of all dangers

The previous spring, Bird had become an eligible junior for the NBA draft. Since his career had technically started in 1974, when he spent three and a half weeks in Indiana, he was considered part of the '78 class in the eyes of professional basketball, even though he had not played for a single second with the Hoosiers and that he still had one year left of eligibility at Indiana State.

Under new NBA collective bargaining rules set by the 1976 agreement, a player could be drafted, return to college to serve his senior season, and then negotiate with the NBA team that drafted him. If no agreement had been found, the team lost the exclusivity of its rights and the player appeared again among the elements eligible for the draft. Bird was unaware of these rules which had a direct impact on him. In fact, he was simply in the dark about almost anything related to the NBA. "I didn't care about the pros at all," he said.

The Indiana Pacers inherited the No. 1 pick in 1978. Their coach, Bob "Slick" Leonard, called Bird and invited him to visit him in Indianapolis to talk about his future. Larry drove with Ed Jukes, a local banker and close family friend, to talk to Leonard. The meeting was held in downtown Indianapolis, at the Hyatt Regency. Entering the hotel, Bird was amazed by the long escalator that led to the first floor. “It was the first time in my life that I saw one,” he commented.

Once seated in the hotel restaurant, Leonard asked Bird if he would like a beer. “With joy,” replied Larry. I'll take a Heineken. Leonard gasped. He was a native of Terre Haute and he had grown up "trampling the same dusty grounds as Larry", as he liked to say. Yet after becoming a professional player and then an NBA executive, Slick was still drinking Champagne Velvet, a locally brewed beer that was popular because it was inexpensive. “Friday night it was Pabst Blue Ribbon because we were probably going to drink a lot of it and it was cheaper. Only rich people drank Heineken. But I said to myself: “Oh and then shit! "And I took one with them," Leonard reported.

Slick detailed the tense situation facing the Pacers franchise, which had recently joined the NBA, along with other formations of the American Basketball Association (ABA), and was on the verge of bankruptcy. The team had offered its top free agent, Dan Roundfield, a $200,000 contract. "And it was $200,000 that we didn't have," Leonard clarified. The Atlanta Hawks pounced on their prey by offering Roundfield $450,000. He sold to the highest bidder, leaving a gaping hole in the Pacers' five, as well as a tricky situation to manage. Indiana wanted to draft Bird, but the franchise couldn't risk seeing him go back to Indiana State for his senior season. The Pacers needed reinforcements immediately. “Look, our franchise can't afford it. So, if you're going back to college, you have to tell me because then I'll trade our draft pick. But if you get out, I'll take you,” Slick told Bird.

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Mom Bird wants her son to graduate

There was no hesitation in Larry's response. He had promised his mother Georgia that he would leave Indiana State with a diploma. Even though her financial situation was precarious, she remained adamant and insisted that her son graduate. “My mom didn't care about money. She was getting by. We were not in a survival situation. If that had been the case, I might have made a different decision,” explained Larry.

Leonard and Bird downed two more Heinekens before parting ways after shaking hands amicably. Leaving the bar, Bird asked Ed Jukes to wait a moment. He jumped on the escalator, let himself go up to the top and then came back down, excited like a kid. While disappointed that Larry wouldn't be wearing the Pacers outfit, Slick wasn't desperate either. At that time, there were questions about Bird's body type, velocity and temperament. No one saw him becoming a top notch Hall of Famer. "I liked Larry but you have to admit, nobody knew he was that good," admitted Leonard.

As he said, the latter traded the No. 1 draft pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for point guard Johnny Davis, center Clement Johnson and the No. 3 pick in the 1978 draft, which the Pacers used to recruit the Big Man” by Kentucky Rick Robey. Now it was the Trail Blazers' turn to court the reluctant ISU winger. Bird was inundated with calls at his home in French Lick from a Portland executive, Stu Inman. After a moment, Georgia Bird recognized his voice and politely but firmly hung up. Inman's business pitch incorporated the prospect of playing alongside a future Hall of Famer.

“Larry, you're missing out on an opportunity to grow with Bill Walton. He's one of the greatest pivots of all time, Inman told him. “He's injured all the time,” Bird retorted bluntly.

(Bird would later play alongside Walton at the Celtics in the title season of 1986. If he thought of Bill as one of his closest friends, he was right in his assertion. In his first two seasons in the League, Walton broke his nose, wrist and leg After leading Portland to the NBA title at the end of the 1976-77 season, he broke his foot in 1978, played only 58 games and asked to be traded in the offseason because he felt he had received unsuitable treatment from the team's trainers. The Trail Blazers refused to hire him and the tall redhead remained on the bench throughout. 1978-79 in protest. His fractured foot gave him myriad problems that severely handicapped his career and later required him to undergo ankle arthrodesis.)

If Bird had been adamant about his intention to return to Indiana State, Portland remained determined, using all his contacts to try to make his case with Larry. “I swear Portland really got everyone on edge. Complete strangers came up to me and said, “I can't believe you're not going to turn pro! You have a chance to be able to take care of your family and take shelter. What are you going to do in college? I said to them: “No, I'm going back. "I wasn't going to change my mind," Bird said.

Larry Bird? Loyal, stubborn and touchy

Stu Inman investigated Bird and discovered that he was unwaveringly loyal, incredibly stubborn, very touchy and had a taste for beer. Inman was dubious about the winger's maturity and fitness. On draft day, Portland picked Minnesota winger Mychal Thompson as No. 1. The Trail Blazers had intended to pick Bird with their other first-round pick, No. 7, but Boston, who had No. 6, selected before Portland had the opportunity.

Red Auerbach had made his choice, without even asking Bird what his career aspirations were. The Celtics general manager already knew everything about this highly prized Indiana State player. The day Larry's teammates at WIT saw Red coming down the stairs, he was there to size up Bird. He had also tracked Bird through the reports of recruiting agents John Killilea and KC Jones. Killilea had returned home after a long trip to the Midwest and exclaimed to Auerbach, “Red, I think I've found the next Rick Barry. He can shoot from anywhere. And you would see what an incredible passer this guy is! "I believed Killilea but I also thought he was exaggerating," Auerbach said.

Red called his friend Bob Knight, who assured him he shouldn't be worried about Bird's misstep in Bloomington. “In fact, Bob told me that he regretted not having accompanied this young man more. He put it to me like this: 'The only thing Bird did wrong here was not let me know he was leaving campus,'" Auerbach reported.

One balmy afternoon, Bird was golfing in Santa Claus, Indiana, with longtime friend Max Gibson when a stranger yelled in their direction, “Larry Bird! You just got drafted by the Boston Celtics!

– What does that mean?, Bird asked him. – I don't give a fuck, “replied the stranger.

Gibson and Bird dropped their clubs and went to the clubhouse for a sandwich. At about 4 p.m., they drove home and turned on the television. At that time, without 24-hour news flashes, Internet access or multiple ESPN channels, there was no other way to stay informed than to watch the 6 p.m. news. Bird and Gibson were sitting in the living room. They discussed fishing, golf, and hunting until the NBA topic finally aired. The winger listened, shrugged and then turned off the TV. The greatness of what Auerbach had done no longer existed for him. “Max was a lot more excited than me,” Larry assured.

Throughout Bird's senior year at Indiana State, more and more Celtics members came to the Hulman Center, often on the sly. KC Jones, coach Tommy Heinsohn, Celtics star Dave Cowens and even Red Auerbach, on and off, made appearances to track their investment.

Magic's turn to cover "SI"

At the same time, scouts from nearly every NBA team traveled across the country with Michigan State's schedule in hand. They had also circled number 33: that of Magic Johnson to the Spartans. Johnson had already carefully plotted his plans for the future in basketball in his head. If all went well, he would consider turning pro after his sophomore year, his sophomore year, and the American Big League executives knew it. In fact, Magic had almost taken the plunge after his freshman year. He even went so far as to meet the Kansas City Kings (future Sacramento Kings). But the two sides couldn't agree on a fair salary amount, and Johnson returned to Michigan State, where he intended to solidify his No. 1 draft pick status.

Unlike Bird, Johnson studied the game of the pros and he imitated his idols, Wilt Chamberlain, Dave Bing and Julius Erving, on the Lansing playgrounds. Almost every time, he stayed to play longer than his friends, who got tired of shooting or had to go home for dinner. Also, Johnson was going one-on-one against himself. He had 2 points to Wilt Chamberlain on his first shot out of the crossover then 2 points to Bill Russell on his low post move. “I wanted to play in the NBA more than anything,” Johnson explained.

But first, Magic wanted to win a college title and he was confident that 1978-79 would be his year. Most of the MSU core elements that had made the regional finals were still there, including the very sure Terry Donnelly – his shooting accuracy was key in their postseason run – scorer Jay Vincent and the robust Ron “Bobo” Charles, who gladly did the dirty work under the panels. Senior Greg Kelser was a gifted and explosive athlete whose game meshed beautifully with Magic's.

Jud Heathcote was also very excited about Gerald Busby, a freshman from Buchanan, Michigan, who everyone was praising. Heathcote thought to make him a starter before the end of the season. “Gerald had a trigger comparable to that of Michael Jordan. We saw him as a safe bet in the NBA,” Magic said.

Johnson was practicing shooting by himself in an empty Jenison FieldHouse during the first week of September 1978, when Heathcote waved to him to say that "Sports Illustrated" had chosen him to appear on the cover of its edition. dedicated to college basketball. There wouldn't be any cheerleaders with him promoting the college network's best-kept secret: Everyone had heard of Magic.

For the cover photo of the November 27, 1978 edition, Johnson dressed in a tuxedo, white shirt, top hat and patent leather shoes. In the photo, Magic is in the air, performing a spread-arms and legs lay-up, wearing his costume and sporting his legendary smile. The headline was "Super Sophs," the super sophomores, along with the catchphrase: "Michigan State's Very Stylish Earvin Johnson." »

Magic was so excited to see this cover that it didn't wait to grab the coach lounge number. He called his father, Earvin Johnson Sr, and asked him to pick up ten copies from the tobacconist. When Earvin Sr went into town to buy the magazine, the bins were empty. The Lansing people had bought all the copies available. When Magic returned home for his annual dentist appointment, the secretary lamented that the office had had his copy stolen. "It was a great day for the Johnsons," Magic's father said. A young black man from Lansing, Michigan, on the cover of “Sports Illustrated”? I said to my wife: “Now I have seen everything! » »

As had been the case with Larry Bird, Johnson's cover photo took his already considerable notoriety to new heights. Opposing fans from various Big Ten Conference cities showed up, marker and Sports Illustrated cover in hand, to collect his signature. Magic almost always complied with the exercise. Nine times out of ten, whether the scene was set in Columbus, Ohio, or Minneapolis, he would sign the magazine, receive a warm "Thank you!" » then ate a sonorous « Come on Buckeyes! or "The Gophers rule the roost!" as he turned to leave.

In Terre Haute, someone showed Bird the flashy cover featuring Magic in gala attire. Larry's reaction was, “Good. Let someone else have to handle all the attention. »

The first real opportunity to evaluate Michigan State was a preseason friendly against the Russian national team, which was touring the United States and playing against top universities. The Soviets fielded a methodical team that simply couldn't keep up with Magic Johnson and Greg Kelser. Michigan State outscored them 76-60, knocking them out with repeated counter-attack baskets.

To be continued…

Jackie MacMullan, "Larry Bird-Magic Johnson, when the game was ours", released on May 31, 2017 (352 pages, 22 euros)

From the same publisher

Phil Jackson, "One coach, eleven NBA titles" (2014, 352 pages, 22 euros)Roland Lazenby, "Michael Jordan, The Life" (2015, 726 pages, 24 euros)Jack McCallum, "Dream Team" (2016, 396 pages, 22 euros)Kent Babb, “Allen Iverson, Not a game” (2016, 330 pages, 22 euros)Roland Lazenby, “Kobe Bryant, Showboat” (2018, 600 pages, 24 euros)Marcus Thompson II, “Stephen Curry , Golden” (2018, 300 pages, 21.90 euros)Julien Müller and Anthony Saliou, “Top 50: NBA Legends” (2018, 372 pages, 19.90 euros)Julien Müller and Elvis Roquand, “Little NBA quiz, 301 questions” (2018, 176 pages, 9.90 euros)

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