In the 1980s the National Basketball Association was introduced to two of the best players in the history
of the NBA, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird First competed against each
other in college basketball where the two would play against each other in the 1979 NCAA
championship. This would be the beginning of their 13-year rivalry. This game would attract an estimated
40 million views and would also be one of the highest rated games in basketball history obtaining a 24.1
Neilson rating. This rivalry would soon carry over into the NBA and become a major part of NBA history.
Descriptive RQ
Who were the best two players in the NBA in the 1980s?
Analytical RQ
What effect did Magic Johnson and Larry Birds rivalry have on the NBA in terms of legacy and how did it
affect the ratings and viewership?
The analytical research question asks questions about how these specific players affected the NBA’s
growth and history in the specific time and place, while the descriptive research question just asks who
the best players in the NBA were in that place at that time. The descriptive question could be
answered in one sentence, while the analytical research question delves into a more
complicated question of the cause and effect the rivalry had on the NBA.
