Back in the 1970s, the NBA was struggling—playoff games were tape-delayed, many teams were in debt, and baseball was still America’s pastime. Then came a game-changing rookie duo in the 1979-80 season: Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird with the Boston Celtics. Their rivalry, first ignited in the 1979 NCAA championship, revolutionized basketball. That college title game, where Johnson’s Michigan State bested Bird’s Indiana State, remains the most-watched basketball game in U.S. history. Their contrasting styles—Magic’s charisma versus Bird’s quiet brilliance—helped revitalize the NBA.
Fast-forward 45 years, and Johnson sees history repeating itself, this time in the WNBA with Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. Their budding rivalry mirrors that of Magic and Bird, even starting in the NCAA championship. In 2023, Reese’s LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever. Reese, in a fiery display, taunted Clark by pointing to her ring finger, signaling her team’s victory. Since then, both have become must-watch stars, captivating audiences whenever they meet on the court.
“Larry and I elevated the NBA’s popularity, selling out arenas and boosting TV viewership,” Johnson tweeted on Monday. “Caitlin and Angel are doing the same for women’s basketball, leading the WNBA to new heights in attendance and viewership.”
Just like Magic and Bird, Reese and Clark are now driving the growth of their league, with expiring TV deals on the horizon that could increase salaries for WNBA players. Johnson believes their star power is lifting the entire league, much like how the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics did for the NBA.
On Sunday, the two faced off again in a thrilling WNBA clash, with Reese’s Chicago Sky narrowly defeating Clark’s Indiana Fever, 88-87. Clark delivered a strong performance with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 13 assists, but Reese stole the show with 25 points and 16 rebounds, marking yet another double-double. After the game, Reese confidently declared, “I’m a dog. You can’t teach that.” Their next matchup, set for 30 August, could have playoff implications, adding even more fire to this already electric rivalry.
Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, a former WNBA player, coach, and executive, believes rivalries are a vital part of sports, drawing comparisons between the legendary matchups of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. “Rivalries are healthy and create excitement for fans,” Lieberman tells the Guardian. “Why shouldn’t we celebrate two incredibly talented players like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark? They came into the league with huge fan bases, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Lieberman, herself an iconic player known as “Lady Magic,” sees strong parallels between the Magic/Bird rivalry and the emerging dynamic between Reese and Clark. She agrees with Magic Johnson’s assessment of the two WNBA rookies, who faced off in the 2023 NCAA championship before continuing their rivalry in the WNBA. Lieberman points out the numerous similarities, from race to age to their collegiate backgrounds, saying, “This is going to be 15-18 years of fun. They’re just that good.”
Like Bird and Magic, Reese and Clark rarely guard each other, but their impact on the sport is undeniable. Magic’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics captivated the nation, and now Reese and Clark are doing the same for women’s basketball, driving attendance and TV ratings. “We caught the imagination of everyone in America,” Johnson once said of his rivalry with Bird. Reese and Clark are following in those footsteps, though they don’t yet earn the salaries of their male counterparts. While Reese and Clark will make under $75,000 from their teams this season, their endorsement deals are lucrative—Clark, for instance, has signed a $28 million deal with Nike.
Lieberman believes that social media makes things even tougher for today’s athletes. “Martina and Chris, Larry and Magic didn’t have to deal with it,” she says. “For Angel and Caitlin, it’s harder. Strangers have an opinion about everything, and it can influence your life. You have to stay true to your values and block out the noise.”
Former NBA player Xavier McDaniel, who faced Magic and Bird in the 1980s, also sees the racial dynamic as an unavoidable part of the Reese-Clark rivalry. “It’s intriguing because one is Black and one is white,” he says. “But when you listen to Caitlin, it’s clear—they’re just out there competing.”
Despite Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark insisting there’s no personal conflict between them, they’re not particularly close either. However, that could change. Magic Johnson, reflecting on his famous rivalry with Larry Bird, recalled how their dynamic shifted after they filmed a commercial together in 1985. “We sat down for lunch,” Johnson said, “and we figured out we’re so much alike. We’re both from the Midwest, we grew up poor, our families are everything to us, basketball is everything to us. That changed my whole outlook on Larry Bird.”
Nancy Lieberman, a Hall of Famer herself, expects great things from the Reese-Clark rivalry, even if they don’t become close friends like Johnson and Bird did. But she’s quick to point out that no one wins championships alone. Magic had Hall of Famers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy on his team, while Bird played alongside legends such as Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. The Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals three times during the 1980s, and both teams were consistently championship contenders throughout the decade, helping elevate the NBA’s prominence. Bird won Rookie of the Year, but it was Johnson who captured a title and Finals MVP in 1980.
Lieberman sees a similar potential in the Clark-Reese rivalry. “Both [Reese and Clark’s teams] are right there in the playoff picture,” she notes. “Anything is possible. It would be unbelievable for both of them to make the playoffs in their first year. But it’s not just about them. They’re the TV highlights, but winning a championship will depend on their teammates and how hard they play and grow together.”
