The game that changed the course of basketball history at the collge and pro level as it featured Magic Johnson's Michigan State squad taking on Larry Bird's Indiana State crew which entered the game undefeated. Magic Johnson who finished the game with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists was able to find teammate Greg Kesler (who had 19 points, and 9 assists) for alley-oops while being able to penetrate the Indiana State defenset to help lead the Spartans to victory. Meanwhile, Larry Bird who played the game with a sore thumb, was doubled all night by Michigan State and could onlly hit 7 of his 21 attempts, (19 points overall) while his passing was also affected as he finished the game with only 2 assists. Although this game did was not a nail-biter, the matchup between Magic and Bird, captivated the nation and is still in terms of TV ratings the highest rated NCAA championship game ever and deserves a five star rating. The Magic-Bird rivalry continued in the NBA as both went onto to play for the Lakers and Celtics and would meet in the 1984,85 and 87 Finals and finish their pro careers with a total of eight championships and six mvp awards.
