It was a competition that changed the NBA when the two players entered the league, playing on opposite ends of the country for two teams that had been bitter rivals for more than four decades. The two players not only represented a clash of teams, but other classic fronts as well, such as grit versus flash, and old tradition versus new luxury.
The rivalry culminated in the NBA Finals in three different seasons, meeting in the 1984, 1985 and 1987 Finals in the ultimate competition of the sport, and the two put on a show for the ages.
A friendship grew between the NBA Hall of Famers after shooting a Converse commercial together in 1985. Their relationship off the court couldn’t have been more different than it was on, but it was one that worked, and the pair remains close friends today.
One of these ferocious competitors is none other than Celtics legend, Larry Bird. Can you name his personal rival-turned-friend that he has shared a connection with since his collegiate days?
