Magic & Bird Take Over March Madness (feat. Jackie MacMullan & Howard Bryant)

March 26, 1979. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird. The pair of basketball superstars have reached the biggest moment in their young careers: the NCAA Tournament championship. Magic goes to greet Bird with a pre-game hug… but he’s not having it. “It’s on now,” says Johnson.

Today, two of the greatest basketball players ever face off for college hoops’ crown. Who wins this legendary matchup? And with their own distinct paths to stardom, how do Magic and Bird come together to reshape the game?

Special thanks to our guests: Howard Bryant, senior writer at ESPN; Len DeLuca, former executive at CBS Sports and ESPN; Jackie MacMullan, co-author of “When the Game Was Ours,” alongside Larry Bird and Magic Johnson; and Doug Merlino, author of “The Crossover: A Brief History of Basketball and Race.”

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