It's great nostalgia for lifelong NBA fans like me. A golden era, really the foundation of the league's rise.
I hated both teams. Early 80s the Bucks were always the 3rd best team. Hated that either they couldn't beat Philly or Boston. If it wasn't one, it was the other.
But lost in the ceaseless discussions about if LeBron is better than Jordan, where LeBron is on the Mt Rushmore is the fact that Larry Bird is still and will always be one of the 5 greatest players ever.
I hear people leave him off that list over and over... watch him play, folks. He was a virtuoso. He was the best player in the NBA during a time when Kareem, Magic, Jordan, and Olajuwon all played. Bird's body broke down after '87, but from 80-81 to 86-87 he dominated the NBA and had 3 MVPs and 3 titles to show for it.
Bird made Magic want to be better, and he ultimately won more because of it- and that's Magic saying that. But while Magic certainly accomplished more (5 titles to 3), Bird was always the better player.
And when you hear people talk about the greatest players today, you don't hear Bird's name anymore. Total bull****. He's the most intelligent basketball player to ever play the game, and one of the 5 greatest players ever.
Michael, LeBron, Kobe, Bird, Olajuwon. No Wilt. No Kareem. Not even Magic.