Empty the Bench

By Brian Spencer

When you think about NBA all-time greats Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, most NBA fans think about those unforgettable NBA Finals battles between their Boston Celtics and LA Lakers.

Growing up as a Pistons fan, however, when I think about Bird, I think about his heartbreaking steal of an errant inbounds pass by Isiah Thomas in Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals that turned the series’ tide in Boston’s favor. When I think about Johnson, I think about his tense pregame kisses on Thomas’ cheek during the 1988 NBA Finals and the brutal battles that ensued. It was a Golden Era of NBA basketball, one that Bird, Johnson, and Thomas played huge roles in cultivating, and it was that era that helped hook me and millions others onto this sport for life.

Today Bird and Johnson looked back on and talked about their careers, their rivalries, and about today’s NBA as they promoted their new book, When the Game Was Ours, on a conference call with NBA writers. More excerpts from the call later, but here’s my Q&A with these two NBA legends. The questions shouldn’t surprise you.

Empty the Bench: There’s a lot said in the book about Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and the playoff battles you two had with the Bad Boys era Detroit Pistons. I know you both didn’t really agree with the level of physicality those teams had–at one point, Magic, you said the Pistons “crossed the line all the time”–so I’m wondering if despite all that you have respect for what those teams accomplished, and if you feel like they deserved those championships.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson: They definitely deserved them. They played so well, and that three-guard combination was probably one of the best we’ve seen in basketball when you think about Joe Dumars and Isiah and Vinnie Johnson. And then when you add in guys like Dennis Rodman, John Salley, [Bill] Laimbeer, and [Rick] Mahorn, and then when they got Mark Aguirre.

They were just a tremendous team and we’re never going to take anything away from them. The main thing is that it’s okay to get fouled up top–and Larry can talk about this more because he had to play them more–but when you get fouled up top, they should have just left it there. But then they loved to hit you on the way down another couple of times, so that’s what I was talking about.

Larry Bird: You can’t take anything away from a champion. They were true champions. They played the game differently at times than you’d like, but it was a rough game. The Finals are rough. We knew it was going to be a tough series. But they were a very talented team… always felt like sometimes they might have went over the line a little bit, but you have to be man enough to step up and take care of yourself.

As far as the team, they had great teams. Bill Laimbeer was a very heady player, a very smart player, and one helluva coach too by the way. You can’t take anything away from those guys, they’re champions and they should be talked about like champions.

Magic Johnson talks about the Kurt Rambis/Bill Laimbeer pairing in Minnesota after the break…

Johnson: And also Coach Daly was unbelievable too… and a great owner too. Mr. [Bill] Davidson was an incredible owner too. Never take anything away from them. They were truly outstanding, and their defense was some of the best we’ve ever seen.

Empty the Bench: To follow up real quickly on Laimbeer as a coach, Magic, how do you feel about Kurt Rambis hiring Laimbeer as an assistant coach up there in Minnesota?

Johnson: I remember when Kurt called me and said he was considering Laimbeer and Reggie Theus, and I told him it was a great move. Bill has paid his dues. You have to give Bill a lot of credit. He’s won three WNBA Championships, he can coach, he knows how to coach, he’s a gym rat much like Larry and I are, so I think Kurt did an incredible job of hiring somebody like Bill Laimbeer.

Plus, Bill is very intelligent. You have to remember that Bill, when he was a player in the NBA, had a high basketball IQ. That’s why those Pistons teams were so strong. When you think about Isiah, his basketball IQ was off the charts, and Joe Dumars’ basketball IQ… they had it.

I’m happy that Kurt got a great staff because that’s what he needed. Watch out for Bill. He’s probably going to be one of the next four or five guys who are in line to be head coaches, and I think Bill is going to get a job very soon in the NBA as a head coach.

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We’ll have more from Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the coming days on Empty the Bench; lots of interesting stuff was discussed during this hour-long chat. Their book, When the Game Was Ours, is out this Wednesday, November 4, at bookstores everywhere. Stay tuned for a sneak peek and a review on ETB.