Part 2: An Alternate Universe

There’s a reason why I think back on that vintage Converse commercial with Bird and Magic. You couldn’t have asked for two more outwardly different personalities to become rivals on the NBA’s marquee franchises, nor could you ask for those teams to play any differently from each other than they already did. You had Bird, the surly introvert vs. Magic, the smiling showman; you had the lunch pail Celtics vs. the Showtime Lakers.

You also had two players and two teams that worked their way towards the joy of playing basketball. We’re well aware of Magic’s ability to put on a show, and one of the great things about the Bird/Magic rivalry is that time and reflection has given us a much better appreciation of how much work Magic put into his game. Exhibit A is the “junior junior Sky Hook” he used to beat the Celts in Game 4 of the ’87 Finals. Exhibit B is the significantly more accurate outside set shot he developed by that same point in his career. He possessed neither of these weapons when he entered the NBA at 19—just a year older than LeBron when he made his debut.

Bird had an unparalleled work ethic, and yes, the most fun thing was winning, but Bird could put on a show, too. And he enjoyed it--enjoyed inventing shots or passes on the fly. In fact, his work ethic gave him the space to create something new, just as Magic’s time in the gym allowed him to do the same. Sort of like a guitarist who spends countless hours practicing scales, and then in concert whips off amazing solos that seem to come out of nowhere. Of the many things Bird and Magic had in common, one of the most prominent was the sense that on any given night, either of them might do something you’d never seen anyone do before—an off-balance shot from a crazy angle, or a flashy pass that was on its way to being an assist before a gap had even opened up to let it through. The most entertaining plays Bird and Magic made ultimately sprung from all the private work they undertook to become the best possible players.

Maybe Bird and Magic would have possessed very different attitudes if they had become pros in the last 15 years. Neither player made the cover of Sports Illustrated before he left high school. Neither player grew up in the AAU world, where talent is spotted and cultivated obscenely early. And can you imagine a modern college coach losing sight of Bird now, the way Bobby Knight lost sight of him at Indiana in 1974?

There’s no telling how either player would have developed, athletically or mentally, under those conditions. Run Magic and Bird through the AAU framework and imagine a career path that leads them to 2010 free agency. Would they, too, have wanted to join up instead of trying to beat each other? If they had signed with the same team, would they have pranced on a catwalk in front of adoring thousands in their new city? Would they have expected the regular season to be a party and the playoffs a coronation?

Tomorrow: How Many Cabs Will You Be Needing?