When the Game Was Ours

Product Description

From the moment these two players took the court on opposing sides, they engaged in a fierce physical and psychological battle. Their uncommonly competitive relationship came to symbolize the most compelling rivalry in the NBA. These were the basketball epics of the 1980s--Celtics vs Lakers, East vs West, physical vs finesse, Old School vs Showtime, even white vs black. Each pushed the other to greatness--together Bird and Johnson collected 8 NBA Championships, and 6 MVP awards and helped save the floundering NBA at its most critical time. When it 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 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.

A compelling, up-close-and-personal portrait of basketball's most inimitable duo, When the Game Was Ours is a reevaluation of three decades in counterpoint. It is also a rollicking ride through professional basketball's best times.

Top Reviews

Mediocre re-hash...OK if this is your first foray into the subject of Bird/Magic
by Mg1440 (3 out of 5 stars)
October 12, 2018

Jackie MacMullan has been a likable and well-respected sportswriter for many years, and considering her unique closeness to the NBA (and Boston sports in particular), I anticipated that this would be a definitive work on the often-celebrated Bird/Magic dynamic - a magnum opus if you will. Instead, I found it a fairly disorganized and pedestrian rehash of the same information that we already knew. I mean, it wasn't bad...it was very readable, but I can't think of anything that really distinguished it from the other basketball books I've read. At the end of the day, I don't think it's that the information or research was bad, it's really the lack of an elegant or entertaining writing style that limited this book. In contrast, Dan Shaughnessy's brand of cynical humor and storytelling is what made his first "Curse of the Bambino" such an entertaining read (as opposed to his follow-up "Reversing the Curse", in my opinion. The writing style is what makes the sports book - not the information. Perhaps that is why writing this type of book must be a great challenge for somebody like MacMullan - her likability is part of her identity (and brand), and that can be constraining when writing about people who engage you on that basis. Shaughnessy obviously does not operate within those constraints...
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Great read
by Bradleyb9 (5 out of 5 stars)
June 24, 2018

Plowed brought this book in a weekend. So many memories, passages to highlight, instances where I could remember exactly where I was. The book essentially covers 1979-2009. My life 1976-current day. So pretty fascinating to relive, and unique to me, the Pacers years w Bird the coach and executive. While the players rivalry in the 80s will highlight any Celtics or Laker fan experience, for this Pacer fan 1997-2005 were some of the best years of my life.

Chapter 9 is incredibly moving covering Magic's HIV announcement in 1991. As a 15 year old that didn't like the Lakers, I really didn't get the magnitude. The author captures this period vividly,in amazing detail, with remarkable behind the scenes accounts. Golly, I read that Chapter while walking on a treadmill at the gym, and had the damnedest time fighting back the tears.
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Two of the best
by John S. (5 out of 5 stars)
June 30, 2019

I grew up watching these two great players, first in college then in the NBA and this book brought back a lot of great memories. These two men turned around the NBA and helped make it so successful and did it by leaving everything on the court and being true team players. The way the story switched back and forth from Magic to Bird telling their different viewpoints of the same event was very interesting. Whether you are like me and wanting to relive a little of their tremendous rivalry or someone that wants to know more about two Hall of Fame players who are as well known for their passing as they were for scoring this is a book that you will enjoy.
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Book definitely not an airball. Delivers and is not just an outsiders view. It's straight from the m
by Dek (4 out of 5 stars)
September 7, 2017

Book definitely not an airball. Delivers and is not just an outsiders view. It's straight from the mouths of two of the greatest ever and the men who played against them. I don't know of any two other athletes that brought out the best in each other like Magic and Bird did. And it should be a blueprint on how the great ones should respect and treat each other: try to beat each other's brains out on the court, respect and emulate character off the court.
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Surprisingly captivating
by Richard W. Hudson (5 out of 5 stars)
February 2, 2017

Really I had only modest expectations when I purchased this book as one of the Kindle daily deals. I've read many sports books on topics that are forced. Bird and Magic together? I really had no idea that they were so close. I learned through this book that their bond is legitimate and that made for a great book. The author was excellent and kept the story going. If you are like me and remember the NCAA championship battle between the two and the ensuing NBA finals meetings then I guarantee you will enjoy this book.
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Great book about two rivals who became great friends.
by Money Honey (4 out of 5 stars)
November 10, 2009

"When The Game Was Ours" provides an intimate look into the evolution of the relationship between Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The book does a great job telling the story of how two men became bitter rivals and eventually close friends. I was relatively young when both men began their careers and wasn't privy to the impact they had on the NBA as a whole, so I especially enjoyed learning about the history of the NBA and how these two men changed it forever. The book is a very easy read and manages to balance the historical aspect with additional insights into both Bird and Magic's relationships with their teammates as well. Unfortunately the latter gets a bit too gossip column for me, and detracts from the overall quality of the book. My only other complaint would be the amount of missing time the book has, for example, while the book does go into detail about Magic's Hall of Fame induction ceremony, it leaves out Larry's entirely. All in all I really enjoyed the book and recommend it for fans of either man, their teams, or the NBA in general.
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Nice biographical look at two legends and how they became synonymous with one another
by Michael (3 out of 5 stars)
February 3, 2013

Fun read. I would suggest this book to anyone that is a fan of the NBA and its history, a fan of either of the title superstars, or anyone that enjoys biogrpahies.

The stories and careers are woven together seamlessly and are entertaining. The Boston author does a fair job of representing each athlete equally and there is no detectable "East Coast Bias"

Fun book that explores the careers of each athlete and offers insights into how they helped grow the game and how their legends' grew along side one another- how they were rivals and friends at the same time.
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For everyone - not just basketball fans
by Ken W. (5 out of 5 stars)
September 11, 2019

The fun part of this book is when Larry and Magic discuss in detail certain championship games or even certain key plays in the championship games so you have a very good idea of what was going on inside their minds and how the plays transpired. After reading these I went to YouTube to watch the actual game or play and it was just mine boggling to have that different perspective.
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Glad I read it
by Lance & Amy (4 out of 5 stars)
October 20, 2013

Magic vs. Bird was something that existed more as something on ESPN classic for me as their rivalry was peaking about the time I was born, but I always found the dynamic between the two fascinating. The book was a great read giving great insight to both their personal and professional lives, and just what their rivalry and friendship meant to each other. I only knock this down from 5 stars because I felt the book leads you to believe that you are going to get more direct stories and quotes from Magic and Larry than you actually get.
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Excellent Inside Information
by James O. Morris (5 out of 5 stars)
December 22, 2018

I love basketball and love Bird and Magic specifically. This book does a great job of telling the story about the NBA as a whole but through the lens of two of the men that elevated the game to new heights. It's an excellent read for anyone that loves basketball.

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