Saviors of the NBA? Indeed
I consider myself a fairly avid sports fan, and while I haven’t spent a great deal of time reading about the NBA’s history, I like to think that I know a decent amount. That may still be the case, but I learned an awful lot in this one-and-a-half-hour feature. The film begins where it should — from the beginning, the start of the rivalry, that NCAA championship game in 1979. Two players had made names for themselves during the course of the long season, Larry Bird from Indiana State, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson from Michigan State. The two would clash at the title game, a night that would ultimately belong to Magic and MSU, but one that changed the shape of basketball forever.
That may sound like an overused statement, but it really applies here. After that championship game, both players were headed to the NBA the following year. Magic would go to the LA Lakers, and Bird to the Boston Celtics. In the 60s, those two teams already had an established rivalry, although it was one that Bill Russell and the Celtics clearly dominated. The 60s were a good time for the NBA, but the 70s saw a greatly declining fan base and a league that was in trouble of staying manageable and profitable. The NBA needed something to get fans interested again, namely Caucasians, many of which had turned away from the league in the 70s due to the increase in African American players and in the change in style of the game. The NBA of the 70s was wrought with selfish, “me-first” players who put their stats above the team, above winning. Magic and Larry would be the driving force behind revitalizing the NBA.
The rivalry that began in 1979 would last over a dozen years, and would see each player carving out Hall of Fame careers and leading their teams to multiple championships and earning three league MVPs a-piece. Two men who couldn’t be more different off the court, but were mirror images of each other on the court, it’s a fantastic conundrum when you think about it. All the while, sports fans were treated to some of the toughest, most storied series’ in sports history, including a seven game series between the two teams. Their selfish, win-first style of play brought the league full circle and back in the hearts and minds of viewers everywhere.
The documentary does a great job of explaining all of this with images of news clippings, modern day and vintage interviews, and game footage. Additionally, writers from local newspapers and relatives and friends of both players provide additional info that all goes towards making a continually entertaining and very educational film.
So from the 1979 NCAA championship, all through the 80s, and into the early 90s when both Magic and Bird retired, it’s all here. You will learn of their personal lives, before, during, and briefly after basketball, including Larry’s back problems and Magic’s contraction of HIV. Expect to be inspired and educated constantly, but also saddened at times, too.
The DVD
While I loved the documentary, I wish the DVD release could have offered a bit more. Expect a standard widescreen image with on par video quality backed by an English (and Spanish) 2.0 audio track. There are no subtitles, however, and there are also no extra features. The Title Menu offers simply to Play, Chapter Select, or change between English and Spanish.
Despite a superb documentary, without any extra features, the DVD does a bit lacking.
With that, let’s get to the summary…