Latest News, NBA / Jul 21, 2010 / 11:00 am

Magic: I wouldn’t have teamed up with Jordan and Bird

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After Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley weighed in with their thoughts on Miami’s “Super-Friends” collaboration, now Magic Johnson is having his say:

“We didn’t think about (superstars teaming up) ’cause that’s not what we were about,” Magic told reporters during a visit to New York. “From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird.”

That’s following Jordan’s comments over the weekend that he never would have teamed up with Magic and Bird because, “In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys.”

However, both Michael and Magic admitted that times are different now. “It was never a question in our mind because nobody had ever done that,” Magic said.

Players today are encouraged by the League to be friendly with each other, and you could even argue that the crackdowns on hard fouls and rough play have contributed to a more buddy-buddy NBA culture. Plus, with players sharing the same agents (like Wade and Bosh), pros now playing with Team USA (and other countries) together every summer, annual rookie symposiums, and the NBA sending non-teammates on goodwill tours around the world in the offeason, friendships are more likely to develop. Once upon a time, hard-fought games and playoff series seemed genuinely bitter; now it’s hugs all around before and after games.

There are more qualifiers. By all accounts, Jordan wasn’t good friends with Magic or Bird. Now had the opportunity come up for Jordan to play with close off-court buddies Barkley and Patrick Ewing? That might be a different story.

Also, consider that Magic never had a problem with carrying mediocre talent around him. He walked onto a team with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and a couple years into his career, L.A. landed James Worthy with the No. 1 pick in the Draft. The same could be said for Bird (who has yet to comment on the Miami trio), who had Hall of Famers Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson with him in Boston during his prime; and Jordan eventually got Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman on his side in Chicago. Had Magic or Mike been playing with Reggie Theus‘ Sacramento supporting cast for seven years, they might have sought help elsewhere.

Lastly, in Jordan’s role as an owner, would he be opposed to signing three superstars to his team if he had the cap space? Would Magic, in his role as public ambassador for the Lakers, be opposed to three superstars joining forces in L.A. for the purple and gold? Just saying…

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  • LakeShow84

    Bottom line people we can spin it with “friendship”, “history” (oooooo first ever!), teams (im sure Cleveland never did ENOUGH) or whatever the hell else..

    BUT

    All this spin is exactly what made Lebron feel so entitled to shit on HIS city on national TV..

    THE GREATS HAVE SPOKEN..

    THE CURRENT GREAT HAVE SPOKEN..

    SHIT EVEN THE MEDIA HAS SPOKEN..

    Cracks me up to see people on here (AB SHAME ON YOU) dragging down TOP 5 PLAYERS OF ALL TIMES accomplishments by saying they werent THAT great, hell even they had help!! NAH sorry Kareem wasnt on the floor when Magic played C and dropped 40 clinchin a chip..

    I didnt see damn near any kind of play when MJ destroyed the Jazz and shat on Russell..

    Some shitty players have gotten rings BECAUSE they played with someone who led them through the fire.. No roster in the NBA is perfect.. you mold ur team to beat the best team and a weaker team matches up perfectly with you and beats you.. Yes it happened to Dallas.. but was Dallas’ roster really that weak or did DIRK just wilt under the pressure?? ill take the latter..

    But this all comes back to Lebron not being able to do cut it as the clear cut ALPHA.. and thats the BOTTOM LINE.. even if he said some of you wouldnt believe and that is WACK..

    YES this does diminish his standings in the stars and YES he is wack for jumping ship so earlier and YES all of you career long Lebron supporters basically have PIE ON YOUR FACES because while you PREMATURELY touted dude as possibly the best ever he basically ADMITTED he couldnt handle the PRESSURE of becoming a DIAMOND and went somewhere to become a pearl..

    Which is cute dont get me wrong but from straight competitors and players who played the loyalty card and were rewarded for it Lebron looks like what he has always looked like..

    A spoiled ass punk teenager who wont grow up and has a legion of minions who’ll make excuses for the diva until the finally drown in the very hype they created for dude..

  • Claw

    @Lakeshow – Damn, I have to agree with you now? What a change in events.

    @ 1 & Done – I don’t agree that TD had won a championship and was set, Robinson and Elliot retiring, TP and Manu weren’t even drafted. He didn’t know his future and how it would turn out but he stayed even though he could have left to team up with TMac and GHill and had a higher probability of winning.

    I just don’t think ANYBODY that is a high level competitor or top of their game would jump ship to team up with somebody else. Because their friends?? Barkley and MJ are friends, doesn’t mean they had to be on the same team. I don’t get it, dude is weak. I hate to say this but Kobe talked about getting help but he was never leaving and Durant just signed an extension to play in OK.

    Its just disappointing, and probably a byproduct of the Me Generation. I mean he actually thought it was a good idea for a 1 hour special on his decision and to say he is leaving? That was assinine, dude needs to stop surrounding himself with YES people. Grow up, this ain’t high school.

  • me

    “Also, consider that Magic never had a problem with carrying mediocre talent around him. He walked onto a team with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and a couple years into his career, L.A. landed James Worthy with the No. 1 pick in the Draft. The same could be said for Bird (who has yet to comment on the Miami trio), who had Hall of Famers Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson with him in Boston during his prime; and Jordan eventually got Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman on his side in Chicago. Had Magic or Mike been playing with Reggie Theus‘ Sacramento supporting cast for seven years, they might have sought help elsewhere.”

    that’s the only sensible thing i’ve heard regarding this whole big 3 thing, and why it isn’t such a bad idea. None of the other superstars before him had such a lack of talent surrounding him.

    But still, if anything, that’s more of a reason he should have went to Chicago.

  • K Dizzle

    @ AB
    “The Spurs were set up to contend because they had a very good, proven front office and a good coach. So while that particular roster was old, Duncan could trust they’d put good pieces around him. Which, as it turns out, is exactly what happened. Your claim that Duncan decided to “tough it out” in a situation where he was already winning championships doesn’t make any sense.”

    I can’t agree with this. Let’s review how the Spurs “proven” front office got Tim Duncan. Robinson goes out with a back injury and Duncan falls into their lap in the draft. Robinson comes back and they win in a lockout shortened season. Even Isiah coulda fell into that. Manu and Parker came years after that season. Pickin up Elie, Kerr and Antonio Daniels are the only moves they made after they got Duncan before they won it all.

    @ one and done
    I think your timeline is off a bit.
    Spurs first title was the lockout season in 98-99.
    The Magic made the offer to Tim, GHill and TMac after the 99-00 season
    Tony Parker didn’t come in till 2001-2002(3 seasons after the first chip)
    and Manu didn’t come over till 2002-2003(4 seasons after)

    I keep hearin that Duncan won right away and had this loaded roster just waitin for him. Wasn’t like that. His help didn’t come til 3-4 years later. Orlando put Hill and McGrady in his face when the Spurs were at their weakest. Google their roster when the Lakers were threepeatin and check who their 2nd best player woulda been. Dudes forget Robinson was at Navy for 4 years and had his military committment for 2 more years so he was already 34 when they got the first chip.

    “A spoiled ass punk teenager who wont grow up and has a legion of minions who’ll make excuses for the diva until the finally drown in the very hype they created for dude..”
    -That’s the post of the day

  • http://www.facebook.com/Mr.Brogden Mr. Brogden

    The reality is MIKE AND MAGIC AND BIRD played with A SUPERIORLY BETTER SUPPORTING CAST THAN ANYTHING LEBRON HAS HAD, ANYTHING BOSH HAS HAD…AND ANYTHING WADE HAS HAD.

    Meaning what exactly???

    Meaning, thier situation is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT then the NEW BIG 3.

    Meaning, they cannot fathom why a Bosh or Bron would wanna leave an average coming up short squad to join a better squad.

    If you don’t recognize this fact, go out on a court with an average squad and ONLY PLAY VERSUS THE GOOD GUYS. The “good guys” will more often than not, WHUP DAT AZZ.

    MAGIC : “I came…to play with Kareem and the Lakers.”

    Earv on why he wouldn’t play for the bum azz Chicago Bulls when came outta college.

    via

    http://articles.latimes.com/1991-06-05/sports/sp-83_1

    by way of

    http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/18462/magic-johnson-sought-elite-teammates-too

    Keep it funky, Magic. We got quotes dawg!!! You even said you want to play with better players. HOLLABACK

    OH YEAH, by the way : Lebron IS great already. hahaha take that witcha!! Dont nut-hug me. Dont slurp me. Just stating FACTS. Basically, before you hop on mine, just get off. lmao

  • Luke

    MJ’s jock called, it said you have to be this tall to ride.

  • boto

    This should put a new perspective on Magic

    http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/18462/magic-johnson-sought-elite-teammates-too

    Why is it so hard for people to understand that MJ and Magic never left because they had no reason to. Jordan did have a bad team when he was drafted, but as a rookie he couldn’t really demand much. Then he got Pippen and Horace Grant a few years later. Magic won a championship his rookie year and 5 in 9 years. Why would he want to leave again?

    So what is really bothering you (mostly Laker fans) is that he actively wanted to play with other good players instead of having them come to him. I didn’t realize there were different levels of winning in basketball.

  • one and done

    @ K Dizzle

    As a Spurs fan, I know the timeline just fine. Should Duncan be commended for sticking it out for 4 years before he won his next championship? It’s not like he was wasting his prime waiting to win. He already won one and was confident that he’d get his help. The same goes for Kobe, he had to wait 7 years between championships. In fact, Kobe should be commended for sticking it out that long.

  • BP

    My vote goes to K Dizzle and LakeShow84 as the most annoying posters on this site.

  • alf (from melmak)

    Geeez. So now, friendship means throwing out the window whatever competitiveness a player has?

    And Austin, when you say that “The Spurs were set up to contend because they had a very good, proven front office and a good coach”, then maybe that is really what Cleveland needed. Try comparing the the Cavalier roster last season to that San Antonio team.

    Dime, here is a suggestion. Create a section for columnists where they are free to put whatever bias they have. Putting this one under “Latest News” is dead wrong. I am sure you know how the process goes.

  • K Dizzle

    @ one and done

    completely agree.
    Duncan did wait 4 years, but he could not have known Parker and Manu were coming. He had to trust the front office even as Orlando made their tempting offer.
    Kobe waited 7 but as we know, just cuz you got there once, doesn’t guarantee a return to the Finals. Grizzlies don’t give us Gasol and hisory gets changed. Not sayin Kobe would leave cuz I don’t think he woulda, but we won’t ever know that either.
    That brings us to Lebron who was in the Finals 3 seasons ago, and had the best record the last 2 seasons. Is that really waiting? Tim and Magic won right away, but 3 seasons with a top 3 team in the league, which was only gonna get better as they gelled and brought in a better coach raises eyebrows.
    Like I said, I’m not mad Bron did Cleveland dirty or joined up with his buddies.
    I’m disappointed that a 2-time mvp would leave a team built around him and give up a shot at being the best ever.
    As a Spurs fan, how would you look at Tim if he had left for Orlando? I bet you’d look at him a lil different

  • K Dizzle

    “BP says:

    My vote goes to K Dizzle and LakeShow84 as the most annoying posters on this site.”

    Guess I’ll stop postin cuz the kid named after an oil
    spill don’t like me. Nuthin better than someone with nuthin to say takin time outta their day to post that they don’t like a name on a screen with opinions.
    Lol. See the irony?

  • tbone

    austin burton is the worst writer at dime. his good stuff is ripped. his regular shit sounds like… “what if dog spelled cat”. some really stupid shit.

  • SlimeBucket

    Thanks Austin for posting some common sense. People treating this like religion. I just want to see some good basketball which we will. I didn’t particularly enjoy the Chicago Bull’s style basketball as great as MJ was which is why I don’t like watching Kobe either although last year against the Suns in the playoffs he was playing much more balanced but then he reverted to ballhog Kobe in Game 7 and almost cost them the series. I really prefer watching the way the Suns played last year and the old Showtime Lakers. I think this Heat team has the potential to a monster uptempo team with Mike Miller playing Bryon Scott’s role. Even the 80′s Celtics teams were an awesome passing team.

    Your opinion as a fan really doesn’t mean much. As a fan all you can really do is enjoy watching the game and rooting for a team. You are not the Pope of basketball so please get over indicting other fallible human beings as pariahs especially since I heard you when you said it the first 20 times. :) It doesn’t help the players and it certainly doesn’t make you a better human being for thinking you somehow can judge other people. I’m just saying let’s lower the hate volume a bit or we can just go read about Palestian/Israeli conflict websites.

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