Magic Johnson took a trip down memory lane, reminding everyone that it was his and Larry Bird’s famed rivalry in college basketball that literally created the term ‘March Madness’. While Johnson played for Michigan State, Larry Bird played for the Indiana State Sycamores, and their matchup still holds the record as the most-watched college basketball game.
Johnson posted pictures and clips from the historic game on his Instagram account, remarking that he still cannot believe that it is 46 years since the matchup ended. Johnson played for the Michigan State Spartans from 1977 to 1979 after which he was picked up by the Lakers in the draft.
“Who would’ve thought that two kids from the Midwest would put the Madness in March and play in the most watched college basketball game ever with 35.1 million viewers? I can’t believe it’s already been 46 years since the big game against my arch-rival Larry Bird!” Magic Johnson wrote on his Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Magic Johnson went on to be selected by the Lakers as the first overall pick in the first round of the 1979 NBA draft. Johnson stayed with the Lakers until 1991, and joined the team again for one season in 1996. Meanwhile, Larry Bird was the sixth overall pick in the very first round of the 1978 draft and went to the Boston Celtics, where he played until his retirement in 1992.
Magic Johnson’s College Team To Play Against Ole Miss In Sweet 16
Meanwhile, Magic Johnson’s college team, the Michigan State Spartans, are still killing it on the court. Michigan State got their entry ticket for the Sweet 16 round after defeating the New Mexico Lobos in the second round of the NCAA tournament. In this season, the team finished at the top of the Big Ten table with a 17-3 conference score and 29-6 overall, with the Maryland Terrapins placed one spot below with a 27-8 overall score.
In the NCAA second round matchup against the New Mexico Lobos, the Michigan State Spartans managed to win with an impressive 71-63 final score. In that game, Michigan State’s Jaden Akins led the team on the scoreboard with 16 points, grabbing a single rebound and assisting once, while Tre Holloman chalked up another 14 points with a solo board and four helpers.
In this college basketball season, the Michigan State Spartans have Jaden Akins proving himself as the best scorer with a 12.7 point average per game, while Jase Richardson is second on the list with an 11.9 point average.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at papadanph@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
