Larry Bird (rookie) Julius Erving Magic Johnson (rookie) 1979-80
This is the key rookie card of the two most popular players of the 1980s. Larry Bird, a forward, and Magic Johnson, a point guard, had a competitive fire between them that started at the college level. After Bird led Indiana State to the NCAA Finals during the 1978-79 season, Magic and Michigan State ruined Bird's dream season by defeating Indiana for the title. From that point forward, the rivalry began. Bird would lead the Boston Celtics to three titles while Magic would lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five. Bird, a former NBA Rookie of the Year (1980), won three MVP Awards and was named to 12 All-Star teams in his career. Magic, whose career shared many similarities to Bird's, was to the NBA All-Star team and was the league's MVP an equal number of times. Both men, of course, were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Bird in 1998 and Magic in 2002. Beyond their numbers and accomplishments, these two men were able to take the NBA to a new level of popularity. This three-player card, one that also includes Julius Erving, is notorious for having black print defects scattered across the front and is fairly difficult to find perfectly centered.
This is the key rookie card of the two most popular players of the 1980s. Larry Bird, a forward, and Magic Johnson, a point guard, had a competitive fire between them that started at the college level. After Bird led Indiana State to the NCAA Finals during the 1978-79 season, Magic and Michigan State ruined Bird's dream season by defeating Indiana for the title. From that point forward, the rivalry began. Bird would lead the Boston Celtics to three titles while Magic would lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five. Bird, a former NBA Rookie of the Year (1980), won three MVP Awards and was named to 12 All-Star teams in his career. Magic, whose career shared many similarities to Bird's, was to the NBA All-Star team and was the league's MVP an equal number of times. Both men, of course, were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Bird in 1998 and Magic in 2002. Beyond their numbers and accomplishments, these two men were able to take the NBA to a new level of popularity. This three-player card, one that also includes Julius Erving, is notorious for having black print defects scattered across the front and is fairly difficult to find perfectly centered.
This is the key rookie card of the two most popular players of the 1980s. Larry Bird, a forward, and Magic Johnson, a point guard, had a competitive fire between them that started at the college level. After Bird led Indiana State to the NCAA Finals during the 1978-79 season, Magic and Michigan State ruined Bird's dream season by defeating Indiana for the title. From that point forward, the rivalry began. Bird would lead the Boston Celtics to three titles while Magic would lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five. Bird, a former NBA Rookie of the Year (1980), won three MVP Awards and was named to 12 All-Star teams in his career. Magic, whose career shared many similarities to Bird's, was to the NBA All-Star team and was the league's MVP an equal number of times. Both men, of course, were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Bird in 1998 and Magic in 2002. Beyond their numbers and accomplishments, these two men were able to take the NBA to a new level of popularity. This three-player card, one that also includes Julius Erving, is notorious for having black print defects scattered across the front and is fairly difficult to find perfectly centered.