User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Wow. I didn't want this book to end, because that would mean Magic and Larry weren't playing any more. Which is silly, since they haven't played in years.
I wish I had paid more attention to basketball while these two were playing. I had no idea of their significance to the game. Their leadership and rivalry remains unmatched today.
Rating: really liked it
Intriguing and detailed look at two basketball greatsI am a huge NBA basketball fan, with a special love of the game from the 80s--00s. I also really love journalist Jackie MacMullan, so when I received this book through a bookswap, I was quite excited. Obviously it probably appeals to a particular set of people, but if you love NBA basketball and detailed retellings of events that already occurred, then this book is for you. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson recount events to MacMullan, starting from childhood and going through their multiple NBA championships (and a bit beyond). The focus is on their similarities--and the fact that they rose up in basketball at the same time, became fierce rivals, but also friends.
I'll confess that the bulk of the Magic and Bird rivalry was just a little ahead of my time. I fell hard for the NBA with the Chicago Bulls and MJ (both parents being from the Chicago suburbs), so, of course, I knew Bird and Magic, and saw them play a bit, but I missed most of their true heyday.
Still, I found this book absolutely fascinating. I learned so much I didn't know--especially about Magic and the racism he faced, about Magic and Kareem, and about Larry's background. It was intensely detailed. I loved how similar the two were in some ways--both so basketball-minded--yet so different in their personalities (Magic so open and brash, Larry so private and shy).
I also loved how much the late David Stern appeared in this book. I hadn't realized the depth of how much David came up with Bird and Magic in the league--combining their success with his amazing acumen to build the league into what it is today. MacMullan and Magic's discussion of Magic's HIV diagnosis is amazing (and heartbreaking) and the way Stern reacted is honestly visionary.
Overall, if you don't like basketball, you probably wouldn't gravitate to this book, yet it's so informative and factual, that if you love learning new things, I would still recommend it. It's not a fast read--I usually read one or two chapters a night after finishing whatever fiction book I was reading that evening--but it made up for it in how compelling and factual it was. Certainly worth a read and a huge find for any basketball fan. 4+ stars.
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Rating: really liked it
Bird and Magic were NBA saviors just before my time, and this book, expertly written, helped me appreciate both more as players and for their role in the league. It jumped around a bit here and there, but moved quickly and was always engaging.
Rating: really liked it
I feel like I’ve always known about Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, but I never really knew much about their careers until I read this book. After reading this book, I have a new appreciation for just how great and influential they both were. Their rivalry was instrumental in preventing the NBA from dying out, which it seemed like the league was on the path to before they arrived. When the Game Was Ours dives deep into the rivalry between Magic and Larry and explores what made them connected throughout the course of their careers.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes basketball!
Rating: really liked it
This book made my top 10 nonfiction list of 2021! Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/TByaMqiy4JQ
As a lifelong fan of the NBA this book hurts me. Reading about Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and that time period of basketball makes me feel like an old man who just doesn’t understand kids today.
I thoroughly enjoyed how competitive these two legends were, and how they went from rivals, to enemies, to life-long friends in a natural way that felt earned. I love how at that time the two best players in the NBA were the two best passers in the NBA and yeah, they could score the ball, but their true value came from their ability to elevate the play of their teammates.
I know that romanticizing the past is an easy trap to fall into, but I don’t love where the game of basketball is at today. Where the best players want to join up instead of competing against each other, I think it’s weak. Where players staying with one team for their entire career almost never happens. I’ve often thought there’s a strong correlation between relationships and sports. Older generations simply had more loyalty and perseverance, you could even call it stubbornness. Marriages lasted longer, not necessarily because people were more in love but because they refused to give up. Look at Magic Johnson. He cheated on his wife profusely, caught the HIV virus, and yet she stayed with him. That’s some hardcore perseverance. And it was more prevalent in sports as well, both Magic and Bird played for one team their entire careers. With my generation, we seem to be much more entitled and selfish about our happiness. The minute something goes wrong, we quit, we want something different, we want it easier, we think we deserve better. Of course, I’m generalizing, but it’s something I’ve noticed with modern athletes, and I don’t love it. That might seem like a random tangent to go off on, but reading this book led me to that, and other, trains of thought.
Jackie MacMullan’s reporting is excellent here in uncovering the personalities of Magic and Bird that drove them to be the best, and helped them develop a lifelong friendship. I’m not sure if the story here is appealing enough to attract readers who aren’t sports fans, but any fan of sports, in particular basketball, will love this trip down memory lane.
Story-8, Language-8, Ideas-8, Characters-9, Enjoyment-8, Overall-8.2
Rating: really liked it
Reading this book really took me back to my college days. I was a freshman at Indiana University the year Bird and Johnson faced each other in the NCAA finals, and had been an IU basketball fan for years. I remember seeing Larry Bird on the IU campus for some kind of sports dinner just before he started his freshman year there, and I always wondered what the story was behind his departure before the season started. The unofficial word around campus was that the campus was just "too big" for a small-town boy. There may have been a grain of truth behind that, but I found his account in the book made much more sense, and I empathized with his feelings of not quite fitting in on a campus filled with upper middle class kids.
While plenty of ink is allocated to Magic's and Larry's lives after their NBA careers, I found the story most riveting when it centered on their college years and their first few years in the NBA. I really admire the work ethic displayed by both men. The latter part of the book focuses on their respective roles with the NBA after their careers, but I didn't find that part particularly interesting, other than to illustrate the difficulty identifying with a new generation of somewhat spoiled superstars. I think it would have been interesting to hear a little about the effect of Larry Bird's departure on Indiana State. That school was virtually unknown before he arrived, then he ultimately leads them to an undefeated regular season and the NCAA finals. That must have been quite an adjustment for the ISU fans in the 1980 season!
Rating: really liked it
Man, what a book. What a show NBA games depicted back in the day. I think this book captured some of the magic that nowadays you don't see everyday; legends battling it out on the basketball courts from East Coast to the West Coast for the championship. Great details from the author, Larry Bird in showing how the players dealt with internal pressures of trying to live up to the hype and dealing with the corporate machines and sponsors. Trash talking taken to a new heights among players. Great game. Great book.
Rating: really liked it
This is a well-researched look at the two NBA icons who practically saved the league in the 1980's - Larry Bird, the self-professed "Hick from French Lick" and the effervescent play maker from Lansing, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Author Jackie MacMullen lets Bird and Magic tell the story with very little other than their first person voice present.
The story begins shortly before the dramatic 1979 NCAA final between Bird's undefeated Indiana State team and Magic's Big Ten champion, Michigan State Spartans. Truly it was a battle royale between the two best collegiate teams from that season. As he often did, Magic's team had the last laugh on Bird's squad, but Bird dominated the stat sheet. Each man's professional life from that moment on was dedicated to besting his rival, but without ever losing the huge amount of respect that was always present.
As the story continues through each rival's NBA career, the cool professional relationship develops into a friendship that continues to this day. The story chronicles that relationship well and is the most endearing part of the book. MacMullen also details the painful conclusions of each man's career - Bird with a debilitating back injury, and Magic, when diagnosed with the HIV virus.
Fans of the two basketball giants will definitely want to add "When the Game Was Ours" to their To Be Read list. Ever non-basketball fans interested in a good story about loyalty and friendship should find something to like in the book.
Rating: really liked it
Among the generally lame selection outside of Harry Potter that is available in Amazon Prime's free library, this one was a find. Bird and Magic's mutual drive comes across well, and the differences in their personalities are highlighted. The book was worth reading just to hear Magic's initial reaction to his HIV-positive diagnoses, but even Bird's legendarily icy reserve cracks from time to time. As a college counselor among largely poor students, for instance, I was intrigued by the idea that a scholarship athlete with such obvious talent as his would still feel so out of place at Indiana because other middle-class students had clothing and experiences that he did not.
Rating: really liked it
Despite not being a keen follower of basketball, I had heard of Magic Johnson. I had never heard of his counterpart Larry Bird until a friend showed me a YouTube documentary on him. That kindled a wide eyed search for something that I could delve into a bit deeper and that's when I came across this book, which had inputs from the legends themselves and evokes a nostalgia for a time that you were not even a part of. Turns out Magic and Bird were widely and deservedly credited for the revival of NBA and its skyrocketing from the low millions to the high billion dollars range of sporting entertainment. And the rivalry cut through multiple layers and added its own intrigue due to the stark contrasts each exhibited. Legendary rival teams, Bird at the Boston Celtics and Magic at the LA Lakers, East vs West, White vs Black, the carefree street style Showtime vs the hard grind of the city boys at Bird's Celtics and above all the one thing that united them : the selflessness to pass to teammates which pushed their teams ahead rather than themselves alone. Fans flocked to watch them and Bird and Magic always put on a show for everyone every single time. For a league ravaged by cocaine induced deaths, premature, undistinguished career ends, and a selfish brand of basketball, the drug abstaining, unbelievable pass masters' intensity and tricks and hunger to win was the cliched breath of fresh air for a floundering NBA. The early days of their rivalry revolved around what Niki Lauda quips in 'Rush' : "Stop thinking of it as a curse, to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing too. A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends." And Bird and Magic pushed themselves harder knowing that the one is training hard to beat the other.
Appearing for a sneaker ad together was when the two bonded and came to realize how similar the two actually were. That meeting set off a budding cordial respect for both of them for each other that amazingly did not offset their intense on field rivalry. The respect that Magic had for Bird was displayed evidently when Magic told the Boston crowd on Larry Bird Night - held to honor Bird's contributions to the Celtics a few days after his retirement - 'that in all the years Bird had played in Boston, he had only ever told them one lie. To a genuinely perplexed Bird, Magic then said, "You said there would be another Larry Bird. And I'm telling you, you're wrong. There will never be another Larry Bird. You can take that to the bank."'
Bird too acknowledged Magic's pure skill often. When the two of them played for the US Olympics team of 1992 (along with Michael Jordan as part of the 'Dream Team'), during the pummeling of Cuba, Johnson pulled off an incredible no-look bullet pass back to Bird, which the latter converted to a three-pointer. Bird's reaction in the book : "To this day, I have no idea how he saw me". I watched the clip of this on YouTube and it was a sporting melody for the eyes.
Their rivalry melted to warm friendship, a friendship that caused Bird deep heartache when he found out that his friend had contracted HIV and was forced to retire. Magic's fight against HIV and his subsequent efforts in raising awareness and funds for the cause was an inspiring subplot to read within a double biography of two Hall of Fame, multiple championship winning, blockbuster basketball blokes.
Overall a heartening read, especially since their rivalry was deeply rooted in respect and neither had ever told anything to regret about, to each other ever, even when they hated each other's teams and were fierce rivals. Recommended for those who are interested in sporting rivalries. Watching a few Larry Bird videos might help spark an interest in the book too :)
Rating: really liked it
I got this book as a gift years ago and if you had asked me had I read it, I would have said "I'm sure I did". Well, while moving books amongst bookshelfs, I took a look at this one a little harder and realized I never had read it. And I'm glad I did cause it was a really strong telling of both a bond between rivals and of a time looked at as the golden era of the game. As a Sixers fan then a Jordan acolyte, I hated Bird and thought Magic was overrated back when they played (and I was much younger), but respected both quite a bit. This book doesn't diminish that respect in any way and definitely makes me think differently of them, particularly Bird. Magic mostly is what he always appeared - a leader at heart who is most happy in a crowd and enjoying the back and forth. Bird was always a little less well known, and that was very much on purpose. And while they were relatively even in stature, they definitely didn't start that way as Bird, while a great youth player who started at IU but didn't last even till the first season, was never destined for the stardom they both attained while Magic was pretty much the man from early on.
I love MacMullan to this day, but I did find some of the writing a bit clunky - just seemed to be writtten in parts, then no editing was done to join the parts smoothly. Chapter to chapter, that's fine particularly as there were time and perspective jumps, but this would happen in the middle of a page that was all about one series or game, and it just felt like she wrote one paragraph in June and the next in September without actually reading the first one. Was a bit jarring for an otherwise great book.
I wouldn't say it was no holds barred as she obviously got a lot of cooperation from both guys and they both definitely come off 90% positive, but they do go in depth on Magic's HIV diagnosis and some of the tough steps taken there, including not shying away from the homophobia that encompassed that event, both from Magic and others. Now, other than noting it definitely came from him screwing around, the book never really details much of the sordid side of things for either player or the league in general - it doesn't exactly hide it so much as just leave it as an assumed as the goal was not to be the full autobiography of the two, but to really focus on the relatively unique rival dynamic they had. In modern sports history, the only other one I could thing was close to this was Manning-Brady, and because they were in the same conference and because end of the day football is more random in it's champion, it didn't hold the same status as what Magic and Birds quest for the ring each and every year of the 80's did.
If at all a fan of the NBA, it's almost a necessary read both to learn how these two ruled the league until Michael came in, and just to remember what that 80's period was like.
Rating: really liked it
I listened to this book on Kindle (at 2x speed). An excellent sports book about how Bird and Johnson, and their rivalry, revitalized the NBA. I thought the best part of the book was recounting the early years through their retirement. The book fills in the rest of the story, such as Johnson's various comebacks and the 1992 dream team, which didn't quite have the charge of the rest of the book.
Its a sports book. The author (Jackie McMullin, NOT Bird and Johnson) does a good job of recreating the competitive milieu of the NBA. There was a lot of good material on the Lakers and Celtics. Also some cameos by Kentucky coach Joe B. Hall, Isaiah Thomas, and Ron Artest (all negative). Deeper aspects of their characters are not addressed, so you will have to judge for yourself about their motivations and behavior, especially when they were no longer at their peak. Given their involvement in the book, any criticism of Bird and Johnson is muted, to say the least.
Rating: really liked it
This is a fun, fast-paced return to the Bird/Magic NBA of the 80's. MacMullen touches all of the areas you'd expect and never stays on a subject beyond the amount necessary. (To suggest the book was written by Larry and Magic with an assist from Jackie MacMullen is absurd.) It reads a bit YA but it's a sports book so that's fine, maybe even its strength.
Magic is pretty fully drawn but his Lakers teammates come across flat. As a Celtics fan that didn't trouble me in the least. Bird's former teammates come across much livelier. I wish there had been a little more about Kevin McHale. His laid-back, funny demeanor was a great counterpoint to Bird's all-business approach.
The highlights for me were the parts about their early careers and peaks, I felt wistful reading about Bird's debilitating injuries and Magic's initial HIV diagnosis and its eventual fallout.
I recommend this book highly along with video highlights of Bird's and Magic's careers.
Rating: really liked it
Basketball aficionado my age (or older) must have heard of a couple of stories about Larry and Magic. Only by reading this book do we realize however, just how large each man loomed in the other's mind during their playing days.
Problem is, these two greats, two legends, are so well known, the book covers a lot of material that most hoops fans already know. The run-up to their epic 1979 NCAA Championship battle, their ascension to NBA superstardom, their quest for NBA rings, Bird's struggles with his back problems, and Magic dealing with the aftermath of becoming a high-profile HIV carrier. Nevertheless, "When the Game Was Ours" is still a must-read for anyone who loves basketball and sports biographies.
Rating: really liked it
Really enjoyed this book; a definite keeper and one I would highly recommend. I grew up watching them play and it floods back memories of the NBA greats as I read it. The days when the game was a team sport and less of the ego drama of today. It’s uniquely written giving the perspectives of both players. My favorite passage documents after the Dream Team won the Olympics…
“ The two superstars, who spent their entire careers affixing their signatures to pictures, posters, papers, and sneakers for complete strangers, each pulled a ball from their gym bag and signed it for the other. Then they turned and walked away, leaving the game just as they had come to it - together.”
Pure class…. Enjoy!
