When the Game Was Ours - Larry Bird [7]
The coach's clandestine observations of Johnson revealed a confident, outgoing kid who was clearly adored by his classmates and who patrolled the hallways of the school as the undisputed leader of the student body.
When Magic sat down with Knight and Fox in Everett's cafeteria, the swagger that Knight had witnessed in the corridor quickly vanished. Johnson felt his shoulders tighten. He was nervous. The man he'd seen on television pacing the Indiana sidelines was ferocious, intimidating. But when Magic tentatively extended his hand, Knight received it warmly.
The Indiana coach proved to be a jocular host of the recruiting session and within minutes set both Fox and Johnson at ease with his anecdotes describing his passion for the game.
"He had a great smile," Johnson said. "I don't think I had ever seen him smile before."
Knight laid out what he expected of all players who came to Bloomington: they were required to go to class and expected to graduate. He would not guarantee playing time or special treatment. "If you come," Knight told Magic, "you will be treated like everyone else. You will be expected to earn your spot. I don't give anybody anything. You have to prove to me you deserve it."
The message was appealing to Johnson, who had been courted incessantly for months by schools that promised him corner lockers, starting jobs, and a few other perks (clothes, cash, cars) that were in direct violation of NCAA guidelines. It was refreshing to have someone challenge him to back up his play.
Knight's tone was conciliatory until he sharply asked: "So, Earvin, where the hell are you going to school?"
Both Magic and Fox were taken aback by the sudden change of tone. Coach Knight was done fooling around. There were countless kids who were dying to play for the Hoosiers. If Magic Johnson wasn't one of them, then Knight didn't want to waste his time.
Johnson was silent for a moment, then conceded, "I'm not sure. I don't know about Indiana. If you started getting in my face, I'm not sure how I'd react to that."
Knight cocked his head for a moment, then stood up. The interview was over. Knight shook Fox's hand and left Lansing.
"That was it," Magic said. "I never spoke to or heard from him again.
"To tell you the truth, I regret not taking a visit. He was a tremendous coach. And just imagine if Larry had stayed and I had gone there. The two of us would have played in college together. Now that would have been something."
Unlike Magic, who was recruited heavily from his junior season on, many of Bird's suitors did not arrive until his senior year of high school. He quickly narrowed his list to Kentucky, ISU, and IU, although that did not deter other programs from pursuing him.
Louisville coach Denny Crum diligently tracked Bird even though Bird refused to visit the school. He liked Crum, though, and when he discovered the Louisville coach shooting baskets in his high school gym one afternoon, he stopped to talk with him.
"Larry, we'd like for you to come on a recruiting visit," Crum said. "We really think you'll like it."
"I don't want to," Bird answered plainly.
"Look," Crum said, "I'll play a game of H-O-R-S-E with you. If I beat you, you've got to come for a visit."
Bird agreed to the terms—and almost instantly regretted his decision. Crum was a former UCLA guard under Wooden who had maintained his soft perimeter stroke. He matched Bird basket for basket for over 15 minutes, and the kid started to realize he had been hoodwinked.
It ended like most shooting competitions Bird would compete in through the years: with his arms raised in victory. He finally eliminated Crum with a 20-foot bomb, and when Crum's last gasp rolled off the rim, Bird cheered triumphantly before noticing the agonized look on the coach's face.
"It wasn't until then that I realized he was serious about the bet," Bird said.
He shook Crum's hand, patted his shoulder, and said, "At least I don't have to go see your school."
In truth, Bird couldn't imagine leaving his native state of Indiana—with the exception of one place.