Bird vs Magic Documentary: Bird vs Magic is a famous documentary that explores the historic basketball rivalry between two legendary NBA players - Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. The documentary delves into the lives and careers of these two players who defined an entire era of basketball in the 1980s. It provides an in-depth analysis of their playing styles, strategies, and influences on the game. The documentary highlights the contrasting backgrounds of Bird and Magic. Bird, a white player from Indiana, was known for his gritty work ethic and determination. On the other hand, Magic, a black player from Michigan, possessed exceptional charisma and court vision.

Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals

Another one of those scintillating documentaries that give grown men an excuse to cry.

Brian Lowry

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Thanks, HBO Sports, for another one of those scintillating documentaries that give grown men an excuse to cry, if only in the safety of their living rooms. “Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals” is a walk down memory lane with two basketball legends, sure, but it’s simultaneously a look at an unlikely friendship between two guys who couldn’t be more different, except for their extraordinary skills on the court. Teeming with carefully selected clips and interviews — and welcome insight into the sociology of the NBA and indeed America in the 1980s — for hoops aficionados, it’s fan-tastic.

The introductions to “a rivalry that transformed a sport, and intertwined two legacies” go back to Larry Bird‘s youth as a painfully shy kid whose father committed suicide, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s as a gregarious sort who naturally gravitated toward the spotlight. They faced off in the 1979 NCAA championship game, then took their ongoing battle to the NBA, where Bird was affixed with a tag he didn’t care for as the mostly African-American league’s “great white hope.” (Even Johnson, reminiscing about playing with Bird in an all-star game in the ’70s, describes him as “the baddest white dude I’ve ever seen in my life.”)

The next half-hour or so is sheer sports-fan nirvana, tracing the epic history of the Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers matchups in the 1980s — as well as its part in race relations, given Boston’s uneasy racial history and Bird’s prominence as the town’s marquee player.

The last segment, however, might be the most moving, chronicling how the two bitter on-court rivals gradually became friends, beginning during time they spent together shooting a shoe commercial. During that encounter, Bird discovered, “I like Earvin a lot better than Magic.” And Johnson tears up when he relates how Bird was among the first to call when the Lakers star announced that he had contracted HIV and would be retiring from basketball.

In addition to tying in with a related book, “When the Game Was Ours,” the timing could hardly be better, coming as a sort of tip-off to the NCAA basketball tournament.

These HBO docs have become one of TV’s most reliable pleasures — and a rare bastion of sobriety in a cable-verse where sports analysts always seem to be shouting at the top of their lungs. By contrast, Liev Schrieber’s narration is as soothing as a warm blanket, and for those who grew up or grew old watching these dazzling talents trade baskets and no-look passes, don’t be surprised if there’s a bit of furtive dabbing at the eyes before the buzzer sounds.

‘Winning Time’ Director on Building to the Rivalry Between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in Season 2

Todd Banhazl made his directorial debut with Sunday's episode of the HBO series, which lays the foundation for the longstanding feud.

Brande Victorian

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[This story contains spoilers from the third episode of season two of Winning Time, “The Second Coming.”]

Stepping into dictating the overall creative vision for the latest episode in season two of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty was “a natural progression” of the work Todd Banhazl has done on the sports drama about the emergence of the basketball franchise. So says the filmmaker who received an Emmy nomination for best cinematography for a single-camera series for his work on the HBO show in 2022. Yet when it comes to being the one who directed Sunday’s pivotal episode — which sets the stage for the decades-long rivalry between Lakers leading man Magic Johnson (played by Quincy Isaiah) and Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird (played by Sean Patrick Small) — Banhazl, says casually, “I think I got really lucky.”

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“I think this whole season is building up towards this battle, right?” Banhazl tells The Hollywood Reporter in the chat below. “It’s like this Lord of the Rings thing where we’re building both storylines until they collide. Episode three, for me, is like our supervillain’s backstory, but at the same time, it’s also about humanizing him completely. I think by the time you get to later in the season, the hope and the goal is that you really understand both characters and you actually care about both of them too.”

How did your longevity as a cinematographer and on this series in particular aid you in making the leap to direct this episode?

I think I know what I need as a cinematographer from my directors to help me do my best work, so it was such a joy being able to help give my DP, Ricardo Diaz, who’s a close friend of mine, permission to do his best work and to be free to try things and experiment. Directing felt kind of like what I’d already been doing as a DP, I was just able to do it more broadly and be one of the emotional leaders and one of the creative leaders, and bring out the best in everyone, including the actors.

Often sports dramas rely heavily on the action on the court or field of whatever sport they’re portraying to move the plot along. Winning Time is much more story focused. Can you talk about that creative choice?

I think what Winning Time is really about is America. It’s about race and capitalism and how those two things interact, particularly at that time in America, and how that mirrors what’s happening now in America; what things have changed and what things haven’t changed. I feel like for us, the answers always come from the characters’ experiences. In some ways, Magic versus Bird, or Buss versus Red, or L.A. versus Boston is like the story of new America versus old America, or like Black versus white. It’s all these different things converging, which is why I think it’s so important that Magic and Bird personify those ideas, and why it’s so important that ultimately, they become friends in the actual true story of their lives. This series is about those themes and those characters told through the story of basketball.

There’s also a unique approach to treating some scenes as though they’re documentary footage versus fictionalized depictions of real-life events. How is that technique important to the overall feel of the series?

We always wanted the show to feel like a collage of American memory. We wanted the audience to lose track of what we shot and what’s archival, and the truth is, it’s all what we shot. But that’s what we want the feeling to be. The mixed format is a way to see these kinds of mythic-like characters from our culture as larger than life figures, and then also see them in this really stripped down, vulnerable human way. You’re constantly confronted with different ways of seeing them.

Season one was focused on the Showtime era of the Lakers dynasty during Jerry Buss’ first year as owner from 1979-1980. Season two now centers on the period from 1980-1984. What’s critical about these years?

From my standpoint, the ‘60s and ‘70s had a little more romance. It was the team’s first season winning with Magic and at the end of season one when they win, they ask, “What are you gonna do now?” And Buss says, “Well, I guess we do it all over again.” But it becomes a lot more complicated now. It becomes a question of: What do you do when you’re chasing these mountains and you get to the mountain peak only to realize there’s just another mountain beyond? There’s a very big existential question. Season two and stepping into the ‘80s is about stepping into more money, more power, the loss of innocence, and these two dynasties coming together.

The end of the episode foreshadows the disruption of winning time, so to speak, that is Larry Bird. Why is there no series about the Lakers without his story?

There’s no Magic without Bird and there’s no Bird without Magic. They start off like mortal enemies, but really, they need each other, and they push each other to become better. The rivalry between the two dynasties is the rivalry between the two of them, and we all know that they actually become friends and that’s what’s so beautiful; they’re actually two sides of the same character.

There are also these parallel surrogate father-son stories. This is the episode where Buss offers Magic a huge deal to be a Laker for the rest of his career and it really comes down to trust. Magic came in as a kid being mentored by Buss, and there’s this limit with Magic’s real father, who did such an amazing job raising him, but now there are parts of Magic being a modern young kid in this new world that he can only connect with Buss about. Things like money, power, and a way of being in the world as a celebrity. And it’s really tested in this episode because Magic’s not a kid anymore and he’s asking himself: Can I trust you? Do you really have my best interest in mind?

The same thing is happening with Bird with the tragedy that happens with his real father and him finding a surrogate father figure in Bill Hodges, his assistant coach, the first person to really see him and say, “I see your talent, and I see that you’re scared, follow through with it.” Ultimately, it becomes Red Auerbach who’s this other surrogate father-figure who really helps Bird transition into who he becomes. I think it’s interesting to see those two kinds of parallels running in the episode.

When the first season came out, some of the players took issue with their portrayals, as did Jerry West. Do you know whether sentiments have changed upon the release of season two?

I don’t know how they feel about season two. I do know that our intentions have always been to represent these characters with the most grace and empathy possible. I look at the Kareem episode in season one and there’s just always been a goal of letting these characters grow and showing all of the incredible things that happened during their lives. I don’t know that they’ve seen it since then. I hope that they’ve seen it and I hope that they like it.

In addition to making your directorial debut this year, you also became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in January. Can you speak to the significance of that milestone?

The ASC is an organization that I’ve looked up to my whole life. I remember when I was a kid and I wanted to make movies, and this horror movie came through my hometown. I went to try to get on set and I met the grips and they let me hang out and I got to hold a bounce board and I was so excited. One of them had an issue of American Cinematographer Magazine in their truck and I remember reading it and having no idea what anything meant but wanting to be part of that community. Being a part of the ASC feels like such an honor to be a part of that community that I hold in such high esteem. These are all the artists that have inspired me my whole life. There’s no Winning Time without so many of the cinematographers that I look up to in ASC.

Are you looking forward to your next director role?

Absolutely. The big thing that I felt while directing this episode was, “Oh, I I’m a filmmaker,” you know? There are these boxes that we kind of build for ourselves. Like I’m a DP, I’m a director, and I just kind of realized for myself, I just love this thing and I’m a filmmaker. So, whatever it’s going to look like for me, the future is shooting things that I love, directing things that I care about. This makes me happy and it’s filmmaking no matter what.

In thinking about that future in the midst of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, are you hopeful about the value that will be placed on your work as a filmmaker when negotiations are said and done?

I feel like this is a moment in time that needs to happen and I really, really support what’s going on with the strikes. I think we’re at a real inflection point and I think the trick for me, and maybe for a lot of us, is to try to find hope and inspiration — self-generate hope and inspiration to make good work going forward when there’s not a lot of that inspiration being reflected back to us right now. My mentor a long time ago told me the real trick in this thing is to stay passionate and stay hopeful and keep that fire. And I think right now it’s hard for a lot of us to keep that fire because it’s such an overwhelming prospect, what’s going on right now. But that’s the trick. And that’s what I’m searching to do, while we’re also figuring this out and fighting for a better system for all of us and for all artists.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

Season two of Winning Time airs Sundays at 6 p.m. PT on HBO and Max.

Bird & Magic, Best Of Frenemies

Magic Johnson (left) and Larry Bird facing the press before the 1979 NCAA Final. Their storied rivalry in the NBA began at that game, the most watched in the history of college basketball.

One of the most storied rivalries in sports history became so ingrained in popular culture that it was even recreated as a Broadway show called “Magic/Bird”.

Starting in the late 1970s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson did legendary battles on the basketball court, first electrifying the NCAA’s March Madness tournament and then igniting a beleaguered NBA.

Before they were enemies, they were All-American teammates for 5 days, thrust against teams from the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Yugoslavia at the 1978 World Invitational Tournament. At the time, Bird and Magic were second-stringers on the U.S. squad.

But few predicted the duo would soon explode as college stars, professional rivals, and later on, close friends. That odyssey only added to their lore.

In 2020, Bird and Magic even released a book together, ‘When The Game Was Ours’, a compelling portrait of the two giants that became a bestseller.

A dazzling African-American hoopster with an infectious smile and an outgoing personality, Earvin Johnson, Jr. got his “Magic” nickname from a local reporter who was enthralled by his dynamic ball handling skills.

Johnson grew up in Lansing, Michigan in a busy household with 6 siblings and was influenced by his parents’ strong work ethic. His father was employed at a GM plant and his mother was a school janitor.

Magic’s future nemesis couldn’t be any different except for displaying the same drive for winning on the basketball court. A quiet white kid from French Lick, Indiana, Bird was slow and flat-footed, but a tough competitor and an undeniable shooting wizard.

Bird’s early years in rural Indiana were fraught with family problems and financial hardships. His parents divorced when he was in high school and his mother worked 2 jobs to support him and his 5 siblings. His father committed suicide a year after the divorce.

Brought together under unlikely circumstances, the two were now facing each other at the 1979 NCAA Division I Championship, Magic as a sophomore point guard for Michigan State and Bird as a senior forward for Indiana State.

The young prodigies lit up TV screens across the country and helped transform the tournament into the hottest sports property for CBS. ESPN network was founded the following year on that success.

At the 1979 Regional Finals, Indiana State defeated Arkansas with just a 2-point margin (73-71) before overcoming DePaul at the Final Four in an equally tight game (76-74).

Led by Bird who would be unanimously voted Player of the Year, the Sycamores managed an undefeated record of 33-0 when they got to the national stage.

No. 2 ranked Michigan State took down Notre Dame (80-68) before sweeping the University of Pennsylvania (101-67) to earn a trip to the championship.

Averaging 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 8.2 assists during the regular season, Magic’s sophomore year was his last with the Spartans before making the leap to the NBA.

Neither Michigan, nor Indiana had ever fought for the national crown and the showdown was now set for what would become the most watched college game of all time.

On March 26, 1979, at the Special Events Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Spartans defeated the Sycamores 75-64 for the coveted title.

After leading his team to a perfect season, Bird committed turnovers, couldn’t find the open man, and failed to produce his famed distance shots. Sports Illustrated titled their article, “They Caged the Bird”.

The Indiana native ended up succumbing to Magic, who picked up the Most Outstanding Player award for the series. It was the beginning of the Bird and Magic feud, which would carry into the NBA.

The following season, Bird went east to join the Boston Celtics (1st Round/6th Pick) and Magic headed west for the Los Angeles Lakers (1st Round/1st Pick).

With their basketball journeys intertwined, they became the darlings of the sports media who exploited their rivalry to boost ratings.

The Celtics and Lakers weren’t strangers, as the two coastal franchises had confronted each other six times at the Finals during their dynastic heydays of the 1960s.

But times were different now. Boston was mired in a slump and LA hadn’t won a Conference since 1973. Furthermore, a falling fan base and disenchantment with a drug-infested league was eroding the reputation of professional basketball.

Emerging from a thriving college sports scene, the clean and fresh-faced rookies went to work, re-energizing a tattered NBA.

In his first year, Magic averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Bird posted 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.

The kid from French Lick, Indiana helped lift his team’s total victories by 32 games over the prior season and was named Rookie of The Year. Though, the Celtics fell to the Philadelphia 76ers at the Conference.

Magic and the Lakers went all the way to clinch the title, defeating the 76ers 4-2. In a span of just 4 seasons, the talented hoopster from Lansing managed to capture 3 podiums: state high school, NCAA, and NBA.

In the pro championships, Bird and Magic locked horns three times- 1984, 1985, 1987- cementing the Celtics-Lakers rivalry as the greatest in basketball.

After hoisting the trophy with the Celtics in 1984, Bird felt vindicated from his loss to Magic in college. Though, Johnson and the lakers would claim the other two for a 2-1 career favor.

At the 2019 NBA Lifetime Achievement Award, Bird and Magic stood side-by-side, even holding each other’s awards, as they were honored for their dual contributions to the game.

Inevitably during their careers, racial overtones surfaced. Bird’s overwhelmingly white fan base from Boston saw him as the ‘great white hope’ in a game that was increasingly dominated by African-Americans. Blacks derided him as the ‘great white hype’, an overestimated athlete built up by a biased media.

But race was never an issue for the two luminary athletes who just wanted to play basketball and win games. Focused and disciplined, both averted the pitfalls of youth that could have sent them into dead-end, troubled lives.

In the summer of 1985, seeing the combined marketing potential of Bird and Magic, Converse featured them in a sneaker commercial that was shot outside the home of Bird’s mother in Indiana.

Skeptical at first about appearing together, they ended up bonding over lunch in the kitchen of Bird’s mother, planting the seed of a life-long friendship.

That relationship grew even closer after Magic tested positive for the HIV virus in November, 1991. Bird’s empathy and support in an era when HIV was a stigma on men, especially as seen by other NBA players, made Magic realize who his close friends were.

At Magic’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2002, Bird (inducted in 1998) gave the introductory speech and stood on stage with Magic’s family as his close friend and old rival delivered a wistful talk to a packed audience.

Fittingly, the culmination of Bird and Magic’s playing careers came in 1992 when they formed part of the Olympic basketball ‘Dream Team’ that brought home the gold from Barcelona.

Bird and Magic came from different worlds and played a different game, but their dynamic dualism formed the core of a legacy that we will never see again.

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On the other hand, Magic, a black player from Michigan, possessed exceptional charisma and court vision. Their divergent personalities and styles of play made their rivalry all the more intriguing. Throughout their careers, Bird and Magic faced each other numerous times in college and the NBA.

SPORTS HISTORY MAGAZINE in DIGITAL

Winter 2020

This documentary meticulously explores the intense competition and animosity that existed between the two. It showcases some of the most memorable games they played against each other, including their clashes in the NBA Finals. Moreover, the documentary offers insights into the impact of Bird and Magic on the popularity of basketball. During the 1980s, the NBA was struggling with low attendance and television ratings. However, the arrival of Bird and Magic changed everything. Their captivating rivalry brought newfound excitement to the game, captivating audiences across the nation. The documentary chronicles how their rivalry revived the NBA and propelled it into the global phenomenon it is today. Beyond their on-court battles, the documentary also delves into their off-court relationship. It explores how Bird and Magic, despite being fierce competitors, developed a deep respect and friendship. Despite coming from different backgrounds, they shared a common goal - to elevate the sport and entertain the fans. In conclusion, the Bird vs Magic documentary offers a comprehensive and captivating exploration of the legendary rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. It provides an in-depth analysis of their impact on the sport of basketball and showcases their contrasting styles of play. Ultimately, the documentary serves as a testament to the enduring legacy and impact of these two basketball icons..

Reviews for "Birds vs Magic: Witness the Battle in a Captivating Documentary"

1. John - 2 stars - As a basketball enthusiast, I was really excited to watch the "Bird vs Magic Documentary." However, I found it incredibly disappointing. The documentary seemed to focus more on their personal lives and off-court drama rather than showcasing their basketball skills and rivalry. I was looking forward to seeing their epic battles on the court, but there were only a few brief clips. Overall, I felt the documentary did not do justice to the incredible basketball careers of Bird and Magic.

2. Sarah - 3 stars - While "Bird vs Magic Documentary" had its moments, I couldn't help but feel that it lacked depth and substance. The film glossed over critical aspects of their basketball journeys, leaving me wanting more. The documentary seemed more like a superficial overview rather than an in-depth exploration of their rivalry and impact on the game. I was disappointed not to see interviews with other NBA legends or insights from players who competed against them. For true basketball fans, this documentary may not delve deep enough into the subject matter.

3. Mark - 2 stars - "Bird vs Magic Documentary" fell short of my expectations. I was hoping for a comprehensive exploration of the unforgettable rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Instead, the film felt disjointed and lacked a clear narrative. The pacing was inconsistent, and it seemed to jump from one topic to another without proper transition. The inclusion of personal anecdotes and unrelated footage only served to distract from the main focus. Unfortunately, this documentary failed to capture the intensity and significance of Bird and Magic's rivalry.

Conjuring Birds and Magical Feats: A Captivating Documentary