When the Game Was Ours | Larry Bird, Earvin Johnson Jr., ...

When the Game Was Ours | Larry Bird, Earvin Johnson Jr., ... | When the Game was Much Better

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	When the Game Was Ours Larry Bird, Earvin Johnson Jr., ... Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 86 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

From the moment these two players took the court on opposing sides, they engaged in a fierce physical and psychological battle. Their uncommonly competitive relationship came to symbolize the most compelling rivalry in the NBA. These were the basketball epics of the 1980s--Celtics vs Lakers, East vs West, physical vs finesse, Old School vs Showtime, even white vs black. Each pushed the other to greatness--together Bird and Johnson collected 8 NBA Championships, and 6 MVP awards and helped save the floundering NBA at its most critical time. When it started they were bitter rivals, but along the way they became lifelong friends. With intimate, fly-on-the-wall detail, When the Game Was Ours transports readers to this electric era of basketball and reveals for the first time the inner workings of two players dead set on besting one another. From the heady days of trading championships to the darker days of injury and illness, we come to understand Larry's obsessive devotion to winning and how his demons drove him on the court. We hear him talk with candor about playing through chronic pain and its truly exacting toll. In Magic we see a young, invincible star struggle with the sting of defeat, not just as a player but as a team leader. We are there the moment he learns he's contracted HIV and hear in his own words how that devastating news impacted his relationships in basketball and beyond. But always, in both cases, we see them prevail. A compelling, up-close-and-personal portrait of basketball's most inimitable duo, When the Game Was Ours is a reevaluation of three decades in counterpoint. It is also a rollicking ride through professional basketball's best times.

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Basketball at it's best

If you like NBA basketball and remember how good Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were, you need to read this book.

When the Game was Much Better

I was living in Milwaukee during the start of the Johnson/Bird era and I got to see a number of Lakers and Celtics games. The Bucks were an excellent team as well in the late 70's and early 80's and I truly enjoyed the quality of play in the NBA back then. There was no question that Bird and Magic were in a class by themselves and the NBA benefitted from their style of play. Things have changed since then and I haven't watched an NBA game since Michael Jordan retired for the last time from the Bulls. The brief looks I had while switching channels reinforced my opinion that the NBA game has deteriorated from the standards I had been accustomed to. After reading "When the Games was Ours" I was reminded of those previous high standards. This book brought back a ton of good memories and a lot of additional background about the two players and their teammates.

The book begins with Larry and Earvin in college and their head-on collision at the NCAA championship. We follow their intense rivalry into the NBA and as the author documents their influence on the game. Throughout the book we get constant reminders of their rivalry, respect, and eventual friendship. Some of their comments on each other are downright touching especially considering their determination to beat each other. Author Jack MacMullan covers more than just the games they played. Much is written about the major events in their lives outside the NBA; Barcelona Olympics, coaching jobs, Magic's HIV contraction and his subsequent attempts to return to the NBA, and more. As the book nears the end, we are reminded of their absence from the NBA and the league's not so gradual decline.

"When the Game was Ours" is a story of two men whose quest for excellence elevated all their teammates to new heights. It's a story of two men who understood each other as only they could. Opposites in many ways, they were united in their determination to win. In telling their story, "When the Game was Ours" reads like a continuous fast break. There is an energy to this book that most sports books only strive for. Even in print Magic Johnson and Larry Bird leave the others behind.

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When Pro Basketball was Great

I was a fan of Larry Birds the whole time he played ball, never missing a game on the Dish TV. Drove to Houston Tx, almost 700 miles to see him play on two occasions. This book says it all, about the good times and the bad between the Lakers Magic and Larry. The first couple of chapters are rather slow going untill the rytham of the story comes thru. Many things I did not know and so many games I had watched, the excitement of winning an the heart break of losing. I read it first from the liberary then 3 of my grandsons, teenagers and budding ball players wanted to read it. So ordered it from Amazon for them. A very good account of Bird and Magic.

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Bird and Magic

When the Game was Ours by Jackie Macmullan is a great sports book. We follow the exploits of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson from high school days up until current times. I am assuming that most folks reading this understand that Bird and Johnson were two of the greatest NBA players ever. They both had outstanding college careers, and the rivalry between the two basically started with the NCAA championship game of 1979 when Magic's Michigan State team beat Bird's Indiana State team to win what is now thought of by millions as March Madness.

The two men came from similar backgrounds, were bitter rivals for years, and gradually developed a respect for each other's talents that grew into a great friendship. We follow Bird through his days as a Boston Celtic and Magic through his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. The several championship series between the two teams were particularly interesting to read about. We also learn about Magic's announcement that he was HIV-positive and the resulting fallout among the other NBA players as well as the general public. I found the behind the scenes information to be particularly interesting. The author gives us a real feel for what it must be like to be part of a professional basketball team.

I highly recommend When the Game was Ours to all basketball and sports fans and also to anyone who has a surface familiarity with Bird and Magic but wants to know more about the two. A very entertaining book to read.

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Captured the voices of two of the game's greatest players

When the Game Was Ours captures the recollections of Larry Bird and Irving "Magic" Johnson as they talk about their storied basketball careers and their decades long rivalry. I was present where it all began, the finals of the 1979 NCAA tournament in Salt Lake City, tickets weren't hard to get back then. The final game between Johnson's Michigan State and Bird's Indiana State was exciting from beginning to end and from it emerged two characters....Magic the smiling showman signing with the Lakers and Bird, the hardworking everyman signing with the Celtics. These two players were going to help launch the NBA into a new era.

Jackie MacMullin has wisely allowed these two greats of the game to tell their stories, from the rookie days to the retirement and return of Magic, the struggles with personal life, the friendship that was forged early on and the enduring respect between two rivals. It becomes very clear that each used the other as a yardstick and to furthar drive thier own game. This is a tale told from the players' point of view and a fascinating glimpse into the world of professional athletics. It also provides a glimpse into the world of famously taciturn Larry Bird, known for guarding his privacy. Also revealed is the tumult of Johnson's return to the pro game after his announcement of being HIV positive. Money, publicity, old teammates, the Olympics, coaching and refereeing, nothing goes untouched. When the Game Was Ours is the ultimate front row seat.

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