Yesterday, we paid tribute to the day Michael Jordan made everybody in the Boston Garden pay attention during the ?86 playoffs by racking up 63 points, five rebounds, and six assists against the Celtics ? in a fresh pair of Jordan Is. Today, Nice Kicks takes a brief look at NBA life before the Jordan dynasty by celebrating the Converse Weapon. Worn by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in several career-defining games, Converse designed a shoe still worthy of conversation 30 years later; thespians are now re-interpreting those moments on Broadway?s ?Magic/Bird? performance. Check out this feature, and tell us your thoughts.
On April 11, 2012, Broadway presented ?Magic/Bird? at New York?s Longacre Theatre, taking audience members back to key moments in history of the Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird era. ?The play features key moments of their lives, such as the their fight for the ?79 NCAA title, their no-holds-barred approach to winning coveted NBA rings, as well as their complex, off-court relationship. Whether or not the cast and director of ?Magic/Bird? successfully captured all that Bird and Johnson represented ? athletically, regionally, and racially ? is left for the viewers and play critics to decide.
But for audience members who weren?t even born during this era, context is so necessary.? The 1980s was arguably the most eclectic decade of the 20th century:? Reagan and Bush served as Presidents, Pacman made its way into arcades worldwide, moviegoers adored E.T., as Michael Jackson?s Thriller soared to the top of the charts. And while some consumers rushed to buy Cabbage Patch Kids and IMB personal computers, many victims died from crack addiction and the newly-named AIDS epidemic.
