When Larry Bird entered the NBA as a rookie for the Boston Celtics in 1979, he joined a league teetering on the edge of a PR and financial crisis, and things looked pretty grimy.
The league was widely perceived as a failing organization plagued by low attendance and a pervasive culture of substance abuse. By 1980, about 75% of the NBA players were reportedly using cocaine.
During this period, the league lacked a formal drug policy. The first anti-drug agreement between the NBA and its Players Association wasn't implemented until 1983.
Because of many distractions, the players weren't committed to their profession. For a blue-collar player like Bird, it was very disappointing.
"When I first played in the NBA, I said, "There's something I don't like about this league." It was the drugs. It was the guys who didn't want to play all the time," Bird told GQ in 2004.
By the mid- to late '80s, Bird, along with his Los Angeles Lakers counterpart Magic Johnson, helped the NBA undergo a significant transformation. By introducing a new brand of basketball, the league shed its reputation as a fractured, drug-addled league in favor of a sophisticated global entity.
Larry Legend recognized the major cleanup spearheaded by the late former NBA Commissioner David Stern. For Bird, the league he once looked upon with skepticism had finally matured into a stable and prestigious organization.
Bird was also glad that the level of play in the NBA surged dramatically. With the arrival of more talented players, the NBA entered its so-called "golden era."
"I didn't get any enjoyment out of a game unless the guy I was playing against challenged me on every possession. But as the years went on, with Magic in it, the league got better. We got better players—Michael [Jordan], Patrick [Ewing], Karl Malone, [John] Stockton. We had quality guys in the league."
Bird and Magic are famously credited for rescuing the NBA from a period of darkness. Their distinct styles of play and contrasting personalities captivated a national audience and later gained international traction.
Their historic rivalry transformed NBA basketball into a premier entertainment product. During that stretch, the league was both culturally significant and highly profitable. The players were also satisfied, as they made more money.
To this day, many of Bird and Magic's peers still acknowledge their monumental contribution not only to the NBA but to the entire sport.
" Obviously, Michael Jordan took it to another level, but I'm old enough to remember before Magic and Larry got into the NBA, the league was too black, too many drugs, it wasn't making any money. So when these guys talk about who made the league, it was Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and I wanted to do something special for Magic because what he and Larry did we can't put to words. You can't say thank you enough," said Charles Barkley once during an appearance on the "Jimmy Kimmel Show."
Beyond their individual accolades, Larry Legend and Johnson redefined the marketability of the sport. In retrospect, it's truly fascinating to remember how Bird and Magic helped lift the NBA to where it is today by simply doing what they did best.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
