Indiana Pacers President Larry Bird said the speculation about Paul George’s trade is nothing but a fake news. He indeed made a phone call with his best friend and rival Magic Johnson, but they did not talk about George’s trade.
Bird talked about their conversation in an interview with Los Angeles Times. He called his rival and best friend for more than 40 years who is now the President of Los Angeles Lakers to congratulate him. The Boston Celtics legend said he didn’t mention anything about trading Paul George.
“I wasn’t motivated to move Paul George at the deadline,” Bird said firmly. He added that he didn’t recall to bring the issue of the trade of the All-Star forward during the conversation. “It’s all fake news anyway. You know that.”
Bird and Johnson have been a long rival for more than 40 years since they first met in the 1979 NCAA Finals. Their rivalry continue into their professional sport in the NBA which formed into respect to each other and became a friendship. With the appointment of Johnson as the president of Lakers on Feb. 22, Johnson now has similar position as Bird in Indiana Pacers, therefore the media is expecting the “Bird vs Magic Part III,” according to USA Today.
Lakers head coach Luke Walton does not see the third part of their rivalry will be like what people expected. He understands that media and fans wanted to see the revival of rivalry between Bird and Magic.
George is a Los Angeles native. He was born and raised in Palmdale, just outside the Los Angeles downtown. The fact, along Johnson’s appointment as the Lakers President, and the conversation between Johnson and Bird have triggered the speculation of his trade.
Pacers does not want to trade him and neither does George want to be traded. However, many analysts has shown the interest to see the new chapter of Johnson and Bird rivalry like the conversation in the Undisputed on FOX Sports below: