When The Game Was Ours
Nov 2009 · HarperCollins
4.2star
148 reviewsreport
Ebook
369
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About this ebook
The New York Times–bestseller from the Hall of Fame basketball legends. “Finally a book that tells the story of Magic and Larry from their vantage point.” —Denzel Washington
In Celtic green was Larry Bird, the hick from French Lick, with laser-beam focus, relentless determination, and a deadly jump shot, a player who demanded excellence from everyone and whose caustic wit left opponents quaking in their high-tops. Magic Johnson was Mr. Showtime, a magnetic personality with all the right moves. Young, indomitable, he was a pied piper in purple and gold. And he burned with an inextinguishable desire to win. When their matchup started they were bitter rivals, but along the way they became lifelong friends.
With intimate, fly-on-the-wall detail, When the Game Was Ours transports readers to this electric era of 1980s basketball and reveals for the first time the inner workings of two players dead set on besting one another. From the heady days of trading championships to the darker days of injury and illness, we come to understand Larry’s obsessive devotion to winning and how his demons drove him on the court. We hear him talk with candor about playing through chronic pain and its truly exacting toll. In Magic we see a young, invincible star struggle with the sting of defeat, not just as a player but as a team leader. We are there the moment he learns he’s contracted HIV and hear in his own words how that devastating news impacted his relationships in basketball and beyond. But always, in both cases, we see them prevail.
“An exhilarating ride down one of the most competitive rivalries ever.” —Pat Riley
In Celtic green was Larry Bird, the hick from French Lick, with laser-beam focus, relentless determination, and a deadly jump shot, a player who demanded excellence from everyone and whose caustic wit left opponents quaking in their high-tops. Magic Johnson was Mr. Showtime, a magnetic personality with all the right moves. Young, indomitable, he was a pied piper in purple and gold. And he burned with an inextinguishable desire to win. When their matchup started they were bitter rivals, but along the way they became lifelong friends.
With intimate, fly-on-the-wall detail, When the Game Was Ours transports readers to this electric era of 1980s basketball and reveals for the first time the inner workings of two players dead set on besting one another. From the heady days of trading championships to the darker days of injury and illness, we come to understand Larry’s obsessive devotion to winning and how his demons drove him on the court. We hear him talk with candor about playing through chronic pain and its truly exacting toll. In Magic we see a young, invincible star struggle with the sting of defeat, not just as a player but as a team leader. We are there the moment he learns he’s contracted HIV and hear in his own words how that devastating news impacted his relationships in basketball and beyond. But always, in both cases, we see them prevail.
“An exhilarating ride down one of the most competitive rivalries ever.” —Pat Riley
Ratings and reviews
4.2
148 reviews
SYED SHAZEB
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January 8, 2015
Man I am a 1993 guy and I only read about these twos history and amazing competitiveness online in excerpts etc.. This book looks like a must buy especially forcelticss and my Lakers fans but in general bball too
4 people found this review helpful
Garrett Milligan
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June 28, 2015
Great book that goes through everything that occurred in Bird and Magic's lives.
4 people found this review helpful
Nathaniel Cramer
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August 8, 2017
Good behind the scenes views from two legends.
7 people found this review helpful
About the author
Larry Bird played thirteen seasons with the Boston Celtics and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1998. He was head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000 and currently serves as their President of Basketball Operations.
Earvin Magic Johnson played thirteen seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2002. Currently he is chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises and vice president and part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jackie MacMullan is a nationally recognized sports columnist who spent three decades at the Boston Globe. She is a frequent correspondent for ESPN and a regular contestant on ESPN's "Around the Horn."
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