By Jonah Sharf
On March 26, 1979, the budding rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird officially hit the national stage, with Magic’s Michigan State defeating Bird’s Indiana State in the NCAA Championship. Magic led the way for Michigan State with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Bird scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, but compared to his usual shooting percentage, his 7-for-21 shooting was relatively lackluster. Magic and Bird would go on over the next decade to have one of the most well-known rivalries in NBA and basketball history, and are widely credited with bringing the NBA back to relevance.