Fan Request: Magic Johnson & Larry Bird | Letterman 

Often times I'll watch a 2 minute video on RU-vid and think "well...that's 2 minutes I'm never getting back". This video was 21 minutes and I wished it could have lasted forever.

Larry’s dry sense of humor cracks me up

When Magic was diagnosed with HIV many people turned their back on him but Larry Bird was by his side. That is a TRUE FRIEND when you are in need 👍

Magic and Bird together is pure gold

Magic Johnson's laughter is infectious for real.

Magic made a great point at the end of the video that was basically ignored by Letterman. He said we made passing fashionable again. That is one of the most underlooked things they brought to the game! They were 2 of the best passers the game has ever seen.

NO ONE balled out like these two. Past or present. They both made each other the best.

Man, I loved watching these guys play each other in the 80s. 2 GOATs

Even now, French Lick's population is less than 2,000 and it's high school, Spring's Valley, has a roll of less than 500. What are the odds of such a tiny place producing a basketball player of Larry Bird's caliber; one of the greatest to ever play the game? Incredible.

Larry's sense of humor is hilarious! I'll bet when it's just the two of them, they're laughing most of the time.

Basketball royalty right there!!!! Thank you Magic&Bird for all the great games...Legends.

You can tell that when Larry was talking about his honest reactions to Magic's HIV diagnosis and thinking that he was going to lose his friend in 9 years, Magic really felt the love. That's so genuine. Also, its really interesting to learn that Magic and Bird never "hated" each other like we were all taught, but just respected each other on a competitive scale so highly that they just wanted to beat the breaks off each other lol

There was no color between these two, they looked each other with the utmost respect and have an unbreakable friendship

Two of the greatest to EVER play the game. Massive RESPECT for these two!! 👏👏👏👏👏

I love Magic.. his laugh is infectious… His smile is effervescent… He took his basketball career and did so much with the money and the celebrity after it was over, for his community, his city and humanity.

Just two wholesome guys.. Great ball players and even better men..

Two players on my Mount Rushmore with MJ. Salute!

As a Hoosier it was amazing to watch Larry Bird grow into Larry Legend. The epic battles between the Lakers and the Celtics are etched in sports history forever.

their friendship-came from their intense competition with each other...then respect, then love...one of the best stories in all of sports.

Arguably this is the best interview Dave ever did.

I feel so fortunate that I grew up at a time when I saw them in their prime. I'm a dedicated Laker fan and lived and died over the years through their success or failures so I hated the Celtics. Still, you can't help but admire Bird too. It truly was a golden age for the NBA.

Damn. I could have listened to these two for hours.

Its so rare for two sports rivals to be as impactful as these two all time greats. Then for it all to end on genuine mutual respect and real friendship is just icing on the cake. Ali and Frazier almost made it to real friendship, but were always a little on edge with each other. Magic and bird are totally comfortable together.

Never get enough of these two guys, they did not just changed basketball, they touched and changed lives.

Friends and rivals for life. Larry and Magic. The best of the best.

These two gentlemen literally saved the NBA from going out of business and made it what it is today. This is a legendary moment right here. I love it.

Magic's voice and smile never changed. Bird's jokes are so witty and good. Rivals to friendship! Amazing❤

One of the best friendships of all time. That is the essence of sports

I live in England. I have never heard of Larry Bird. This is so good. These people are so good. I love the closeness of these two respected men.

Magic just seems like such a happy smiley person. It's infectious. 😀

Still remember watching this live. What an absolute pair of legends.

I was a Philly kid and had no real interest in the NBA. But then Dr. J came to town in 1977. I was hooked. That interest in bball was heightened with the 1980 entry of the Bird-Magic or Magic/Bird show. That's pretty much the extent of me caring about bball. The NBA will NEVER be as good as it was in the 1980s.

Larry looked so mad in the beginning magic was just cracking up 🤣

I love how excited and “in awe” DL is here…these two Magic Men.

What an ovation when they came in to two of the greatest basketball players whoever play the game

Larry Bird is my favorite of all time.

When basketball was it's best by far.

MAGIC and BIRD - they ruled on the court - and were nuts off the court.

"He wanted to shake everybodys hand, i wanted to take 3 of them teeth home with me" Larry is a straight up killer😂

These 2 are the odd couple! Watching these 2 growing up playing against each other and seeing them now as best friends is so awesome!

Man I could watch two hours of them talking together. What a pair of legends!

Magic changed the way people passed the ball and spread the floor and Birds 3 pointers made that very fashionable again....

Larry is a funny guy. Magic, too, of course.

These 2 guys not only saved the NBA, but they created the beginning of the modern NBA. The most iconic rivalry in sports, Magic vs Bird.

One of the best interviews Letterman has ever done. Love both of these players and the respect they have for each other and the respect they had for the game and the love of competition!!

This is old school at it's finest.... Love it

These guys were so great to watch. Then Jordan. Basketball was at it's peak. Beautiful interview and display of their friendship. They're STILL a pleasure to watch.

From tape delay to live tv. These 2 saved the NBA

If I could give this one more thumbs up, I would. Thanks to all 3 involved!😎👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Thanks to Mom Bird ❤

Glad to have witness these great competitors compete in my lifetime. Don't even watch anymore....

There have been influential athletes but these 2 literally saved an entire league, while being the foundation for creating the most unparalleled time in sports; an entire decade full of excellence and elevated play never before seen. I'm a 3rd gen Angeleno, grew up with the Lakes through 3 arenas. My childhood has an Auerbach dark cloud to this day. I say this because in the 80s when the Celts rolled into LA or the Lakes into Boston, it was drop everything else. There's nothing and never will be anything to rival the 1980s NBA. What a time it was.

Lots of magics so called friends dirched him because of the stigma attached but Larry was a true friend to magic and a loyal one !!! God bless em both

Bird, Magic and Jordan... did a lot more than change basketball... they brought to the game what the real meaning of what sports competition is all about and know that there is a real world that exists off the court. I consider myself very lucky to witness both Magic and Bird on the court at the same time. Those were the days... it was all about the Lakers and Celtics... Baseball took second seat. Beantown was rich in sports back then.

From far off Australia… we are still in awe of what these guys brought to the court…my memory of the ‘80s and their positive effect on the NBA will always stay with me… GOATS to the end👍🍷

Love their rivalry & friendship! No body has done for the NBA than these 2!! Brought so much to the sport!! Thank you both for the heart & memories!! Larry Legend!!! #33!!!!

I was very fortunate that my father loved the Lakers and always had season tickets for all the years of the Showtime era with Magic Johnson. I got to see the Lakers against the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons and the Philadelphia 76ers among all the great teams they played. And still even lucky enough to go to all the playoff games and championship games. I will never forget those games and will always be grateful to my father for creating and sharing those memories with me. ❤

Not only 2 of the greatest basketball players of all time, but 2 of the greatest competitors of all time. Any sport.

Magic and Bird two of the all time greats of basketball and life! I truly loved seeing those two again, and seeing that dynamic between them! Just awesome!

It was absolutely surreal to be in L.A. when Magic made his announcement. Immediately afterwards, the man got a version of living through his own funeral for days (if not weeks) on end. Driving home from work on the day, a radio station kept playing Magic's statement over "Purple Rain," and I was a complete mess by the time I got there. Everyone genuinely thought he was in denial when he insisted that he was going to beat it because such a thing just didn't seem remotely possible at the time. Thank goodness Magic knew something the rest of us didn't.

In my book, these two are the two best and together, even better!

Those 2 men are a class act

The best era of basketball ever

We were blessed to see them play, and even be on the dream team together

This is video is iconic! Magic and Bird made passing fashionable on the playgrounds. The fact that one was black and the other white played a huge roll in barbershop talk. For me this two are a history lesson in life. Enemies on the court great friends off the court with mutual admiration and respect for one another. They absolutely saved the NBA, and changed the game forever. 🙏🏿❤️✌🏿🏀

Oh, yeah!! Bird is a legend!! He is just humble. Did the game and went home. 💪

One of the great interviews

I like that Magic is wearing a light blue necktie. It could be a reference to Indiana State. Could be a super classy move, and I'm here for it.

Larry is the greatest pure shooter there ever was, period.

I saw the 1979 game with them on tv. Then I saw them both live in the NBA. Thank God for them.

This 21 mins was better then the last 21 years in the NBA.

I love these two legends both so much! Larry Legend and Magic - THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!!

I remember watching the 79 championship as a kid. I was never a die hard basketball fan, but I did love watching these guys. Great to see how good of friends they are and continue that friendship beyond the game. Great interview.

80s basketball was GREAT! These guys were pioneers...

if u were watching basketball when these 2 played in their prime-u were a part of seeing history.I loved that era and i always say I was blessed to have been a teenager seeing these two compete aganist each other.great memories from 2 players who saved the NBA from the brink of going down the sports tubes.

That was great. The word Legends is thrown out s lot, but if the shoe fits, come on these Men were Legends? They had quite the rivalry.

I grew up watching these 2 playing. Larry Bird was my fav player back then. Also, my Dads fav player, ever. My Dad passed away 3 years ago. He was 88 years old. My grandson was 11 when Dad passed. I taught my grandson about Larry Bird. He drew a picture of Larry, and placed it in his Great grandfather's casket. My grandson loves basketball. Hes played on many leagues, school ball, YMCA, and many town leagues. Larry was one of the best. Magic, as well.

This was so precious, thank you! They are both great players and great human beings.

I started watching the NBA as a kid when these guys had their rivalry. True lagends and a high standard set for all time.

Honestly, being from California, and a white dude, yet I followed the Lakers those years. Because of Magic, or so I think, those Laker games were always referred to as 'Showtime'. And that team was literally fun to watch. I didn't know much about Bird or the Celtics, but that Laker-Celtic rivalry heated up pretty fast. I remember watching Larry and thinking 'he's not that good. But then I began to notice more of the things he was doing to help his team. I noticed how good a shooter he was, and by the time that rivalry was indeed cemented, while still a Laker fan, I couldn't wait to see those guys play. I still remember how Bird would usually know when the shot left his hand if it was good. I remember when he got his own rebound from his missed shot and put it in because he knew what the others could not see. For a brief time when younger, I would know that too, but I didn't love basketball and quit playing for a long time. When older, I quickly recovered my shooting skills, but never did recover that ability to know if the shot was good, except on a mere two occasions that really don't matter... Bird was great. His ability and heart were unmatched. Need a shot to win the game? None were better. He nearly always found a way to make the win happen. Magic was great. His ability to channel the game through himself was unmatched; he would literally do whatever his team needed on any particular night. They needed points? He'd score 38. Rebounds? He'd pull down double figures. Ball movement? No one was better at getting the ball to an open teammate, even in ways that defied expectation. Magic could have been a jack of all trades except he would not do everything well; rather, he would be the best at whatever his team needed most to win on a particular night. Jack of all trades? How about King of all trades. I remember when he developed his 'baby hook', so called because Kareem used a hook shot and he wanted that weapon in his arsenal. I remember games where he played forward, even center. His ball handling precision had some otherworldly sense to it. Those games were fun to watch, and great basketball. Kudos to those two champions for being who they were, and are.

Wow What amazing human beings as well as amazing players Love and respect from Ireland

Both Magic and Larry are all time greats! They're also very competitive, but gentlemen.

Bird and Magic are a classic example of how true friendship is measured by the content of ones character and not the color of their skin. Two young men, who became rivals, ( the first Catlin Clark and Angel Reese, without social media), and pitted against each other by segments of our society, largely along racial lines to determine who was the best. The respect they have for each other and the friendship these two champions forged along the way has become legendary and inspiring.

MAGIC JOHNSON has the MOST WONDERFUL SMILE in the NBA.

I was wrong for so many years about Bird. Respect....

dave is like 6'2" and looks like a shrimp next to these guys lol

There were no "Participation Trophies" when they played!

MJ is the greatest basketball player of all time but NOBODY will EVER be more important to the game of basketball than Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

Please make sure both of these kings get their flowers now. 🐐🐐

Legends 🏀

Love both of these guys. Thanks for all the great memories fellas.

People, this is class. All the way!

This interview was wonderful!!! A great many insights about them both.👌🏾🌺🏀🏀🏀

I smiled the entire time while watching these two.

Let's face it folks, these two class acts literally saved the NBA! I feel extremely fortunate to have grown up watching these two gentlemen compete in the greatest rivalry of professional sports, period!

Magic, Larry, AND Jim Gaffigan right after? What a show that night!

I love this Two they funny together too lol

God Almighty. Thank you so kindly for Larry and Earvin and allowing your children to see the wonderful people they both are. Amen

Two AMBASSADOR of the GAME..... RESPECT 😐

Magic has ALWAYS said Bird was GOAT.