Photo : Sports Illustrated - Manny Millan 1985
Rivalry inspiring empathy and transcending animosity
In this essay, UC Berkeley Student Josh Mathisen questions the way we look at “divisive” sports rivalries by re-examining the story of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who questioned the national narrative of racial animosity and became close friends through their battles in the 1980s.
The NBA in the 1970s appeared to be on the brink of collapse. Rampant drug use, specifically cocaine, created a terrible image problem for the NBA, making players seem reckless and selfish. Even more problematic was the relationship between fans and players, as there were rumblings that the NBA was “too black” to be palatable for a white audience. In an interview from the HBO documentary A Courtship of Rivals, a white fan at an NBA game in the ‘70s said, “It’s turning off a lot of white customers at the game. I think there is still a lot of conflict between the white and the black and I don’t enjoy going to a game and seeing all black players.”
In 1987, Isiah Thomas was vilified after he said that Larry Bird would be “just another good guy” if he were not white. There was an uproar in both the media and NBA fans, and they expected Bird to share their fury. In a press conference with Bird, Thomas apologized and explained that his comments were an expression of resentment that only white players were given credit for their hard work: “'Larry definitely had to work hard to get where he is at, but so many times it's been said about black athletes that their talent is 'God-given' or that it's 'natural ability.' I had to work just as hard to get where I am.” Bird couldn’t have cared less about Thomas’s original comments and was confused as to why anyone else was. Bird was not interested in race and he never bought into the idea that he was the champion of white Americans, fighting for them against black players.
How did Bird and Magic bridge the chasm of enmity between them that intense competition and the prejudice of others had created? Through their battles, they found respect and admiration for the characteristics that they shared and realized that their differences were unimportant. They both came from poor, working-class families that inspired them to demonstrate unbelievable levels of hard work and determination. The flash that they both shared made their games appear effortless, but the passion for winning that they demonstrated each and every night made it clear just how much effort they put into practicing and mastering the fundamentals of basketball. They both were team-oriented players who cared more about winning than personal glory -- something that is often said about players but which is hardly ever as true as it was for Bird and Magic. In his article for Sports Illustrated, Bob Ryan quotes Magic as having once said, “It's hard to look at a white man and see black, but when I looked at Larry, that's what I saw. I saw myself.” Magic was able to look past the color of Bird’s skin (while everyone else was fixated on it) and found a brother, someone with whom he could deeply relate. Bird’s stone-cold hostility on the court eventually gave way to affection because he respected the competitor that Magic was and admired the characteristics that made him so formidable. After years of measuring themselves against each other and being used by a still racially-charged society to measure their races against each other, they formed a kinship that showed America it didn’t have to be Black vs. White -- it could be Black and White, hand-in-hand bringing the NBA forward together. Their rivalry didn’t have to be about humiliating each other: it could be about inspiring each other.
Read the full story on Josh's blog beets.bears.basketball
The NBA in the 1970s appeared to be on the brink of collapse. Rampant drug use, specifically cocaine, created a terrible image problem for the NBA, making players seem reckless and selfish. Even more problematic was the relationship between fans and players, as there were rumblings that the NBA was “too black” to be palatable for a white audience. In an interview from the HBO documentary A Courtship of Rivals, a white fan at an NBA game in the ‘70s said, “It’s turning off a lot of white customers at the game. I think there is still a lot of conflict between the white and the black and I don’t enjoy going to a game and seeing all black players.”
In 1987, Isiah Thomas was vilified after he said that Larry Bird would be “just another good guy” if he were not white. There was an uproar in both the media and NBA fans, and they expected Bird to share their fury. In a press conference with Bird, Thomas apologized and explained that his comments were an expression of resentment that only white players were given credit for their hard work: “'Larry definitely had to work hard to get where he is at, but so many times it's been said about black athletes that their talent is 'God-given' or that it's 'natural ability.' I had to work just as hard to get where I am.” Bird couldn’t have cared less about Thomas’s original comments and was confused as to why anyone else was. Bird was not interested in race and he never bought into the idea that he was the champion of white Americans, fighting for them against black players.
How did Bird and Magic bridge the chasm of enmity between them that intense competition and the prejudice of others had created? Through their battles, they found respect and admiration for the characteristics that they shared and realized that their differences were unimportant. They both came from poor, working-class families that inspired them to demonstrate unbelievable levels of hard work and determination. The flash that they both shared made their games appear effortless, but the passion for winning that they demonstrated each and every night made it clear just how much effort they put into practicing and mastering the fundamentals of basketball. They both were team-oriented players who cared more about winning than personal glory -- something that is often said about players but which is hardly ever as true as it was for Bird and Magic. In his article for Sports Illustrated, Bob Ryan quotes Magic as having once said, “It's hard to look at a white man and see black, but when I looked at Larry, that's what I saw. I saw myself.” Magic was able to look past the color of Bird’s skin (while everyone else was fixated on it) and found a brother, someone with whom he could deeply relate. Bird’s stone-cold hostility on the court eventually gave way to affection because he respected the competitor that Magic was and admired the characteristics that made him so formidable. After years of measuring themselves against each other and being used by a still racially-charged society to measure their races against each other, they formed a kinship that showed America it didn’t have to be Black vs. White -- it could be Black and White, hand-in-hand bringing the NBA forward together. Their rivalry didn’t have to be about humiliating each other: it could be about inspiring each other.
Read the full story on Josh's blog beets.bears.basketball