Larry Bird told Magic Johnson ‘Michael Jordan is now' during 1992 Olympics

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There are so many epic stories about the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. The names and characters assembled on that team combined with the fact that they were the first team of professionals to play for Team USA were a perfect match.

Ahmad Rashad had a story of his own that he shared on Twitter on Tuesday. It involves Rashad overhearing a debate between Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan at a hotel in Barcelona during the 1992 Olympics.

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As Rashad tells it, Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley were also involved, but were quickly dismissed for having never won a championship. That left Bird, Magic and MJ to discuss who the best player was. Jordan had won the last two NBA titles with the Bulls, and Magic had retired after the 1991 NBA Finals due to testing positive for HIV. That didn’t temper the debate though.

“Now Michael and Magic got into it,” Rashad said. “They were talking back and forth with each other and it was really funny. I was sitting up there with Larry Bird and we were just watching. Finally, Michael gets very upset and says, ‘Listen, I’m telling you, Larry, and I’m telling you, Magic, if you don’t quit, every time I see you next year, I am busting your ass. When I come to the arena, I’m busting your ass. So I’m warning you right now you better quit.’ So after time went by, Larry Bird finally just looks over at Magic and says, ‘Magic, you know you and I were then, and Michael Jordan is now.’”

Bird started as part of the debate, but he sure ended it for Jordan.

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