User:Niwde hus/Celtics–Lakers rivalry

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 * Celtics-Lakers Rivalry: 1980's

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Race was a determining factor for fans in the 80’s, with a surge of white fans cheering for the predominately white Celtics team and black fans appreciating the more athletic style of the Lakers. The city of Boston itself was split, as in an anecdote said by Magic Johnson, he mentioned black fan came up to him to tell him that the majority of black Boston cheered for the Lakers over the home team Celtics. Deemed the “Great White Hope '', Larry Bird was seen by Boston as a means to represent their views, “to be their final stronghold to a game that in less than 20 years had turned almost completely black demographically”. But, Bird never bought into the narrative, rejecting the label “Great White Hope '' and focusing purely on wanting to, as teammate Maxwell would say, “kick some ass and win”. Magic and Bird held the highest respect for each other, demonstrating on a national platform, “how people of different races and backgrounds can compete, be rivals even, and still coexist”.

Amidst a time where the NBA saw diminishing views, the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, led by Bird and Johnson, helped bring national attention to the NBA. In just their first Finals matchup, game 7 drew in a record breaking 40 million views on CBS. As a result, CBS started to shift their focus on the Celtics and the Lakers, showcasing a double header with both teams playing every weekend.

Many basketball experts also mention how Bird and Magic changed the way the game was played. They gave people different perspectives on the game, like making that extra pass on the fast break or going up hard for a layup. They were basketball geniuses and played a game that required fundamentals and hard work; something that can be replicated by the fans watching their games. Jerry West, when talking about Bird and Magic, said that, “They definitely had a positive impact on the league”.