When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball

In the Spring of 1979, there were two teams on an inevitable, collision course ~ perhaps more-so than any other two teams in the history of the NCAA tournament. The two teams were from the border states of Michigan & Indiana and both featured a superstar on their roster. For the Michigan State Spartans, it was Lansing's own Earvin "Magic" Johnson. For the Indiana State Sycamores, it was Larry Bird.The two players would have many things in common, as well as some notable differences. Larry was more of a pure scorer, while Magic was more of a "catalyst" for his team's offense. Both players would move on & have remarkable NBA careers where they would continue their rivalry from the national championship game. Both would even become NBA head coaches; Larry was highly successful with the Indiana Pacers, while Magic's short stint with the Lakers was disastrous.Personality wise, they could not be more different. Magic was gregarious and loved having a mic in front of his face. Larry, meanwhile, was diffident towards the media & preferred for the team as a whole to get the attention after victories rather than he personally. Magic always had a smile on his face, while Larry was known for his stoic expressions.Such is the backdrop of the present book, which gives the reader a "behind the scenes" narrative of the 1979 college basketball season which culminated in perhaps the single most important basketball game ever played. It still holds the record for the highest ratings, and it elevated the game of college basketball to unseen heights. It also indirectly rejuvenated the NBA, which at this time was very unpopular. All of it happened due to a showdown in the national championship game between 2 of the best players who ever played the game.Seth Davis does an excellent job of giving us a historical background, not only of the players, but also both schools and everything that went on with both players being recruited to the respective schools. {In Bird's case, he got to Indiana State after taking a detour to the university of Indiana}. Davis has no shortage of anecdotes and funny stories to share with basketball junkies, and even non-basketball junkies are bound to enjoy this book.If you are a fan of Michigan State or Indiana State, then this book is for you. If you're a fan of the Bird Man or the Magic Man (or both?) then this book is for you. If you have even a passing interest in the game of basketball & the historical context of the '79 championship game, then this book is for you. If you don't have a pulse, then this book is not for you!

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. These two will go down in the annuals of not just basketball history, but sports history, tied hand in hand. They revitalized the National Basketball Association with their fierce rivalry. But it started in an NCAA Division I college basketball championship game in 1979.In When March Went Mad, Seth Davis recounts how the irrepressible and talented Ervin Magic Johnson of the Michigan State Spartans squared off against the small school hero Larry Bird of the Indiana State University Sycamores in what will always be a storied NCAA Championship Game.In these pages Davis recounts the early lives of both of these young men, whose personalities and court styles were polar opposites. Bird, an introverted, hard working player who would have been just as happy cutting grass for the local Parks and Recreation Department as he was playing professional basketball, and the larger than life, happy go lucky, Ervin Johnson, with his huge smile and phenomenal basketball skills.Headed toward a collision course, these two would remake the NCAA and it's now wildly successful tournament. They were such great talents and good stories, they made the NCAA Championship Game must see TV before 24-hour news coverage and the over exposure of college basketball. In fact, outside die hard fans, few knew much of anything about Larry Bird, and not a great deal about Magic Johnson. Today of course we'd know what they ate for breakfast (and maybe even something about their bowel movements) during the tournament. In 1979, they created hoopla with their talent, as newspaper and magazine articles touted their exploits during the regular season.Davis does an outstanding job of delving into the personality of both of these athletes and their route to that 1979 championship game where Earvin Johnson will forever have one up on Larry Bird. He provides stories behind each player's team and teammates, how they interacted with the press, their peers, and their coaches, and how each lead their team to the showdown that changed the face of college basketball.Beyond the obvious, detailing the first collision between two of the greatest basketball players of all time, this book has a theme. How this rivalry, which saved even the NBA from the doldrums, revitalized college basketball and made it relevant, and launched the careers of two superstars.Highly recommended.

Ho scoperto questo libro navigando in rete alla ricerca di qualche cosa da leggere che parlasse di basket, di cui sono un grande appassionato. Avevo letto un paio di libri simili che parlavano di pallacanestro NBA ed NCAA degli anni passati, ma questo è quello che mi è piaciuto di più, è molto ben scritto e pieno di aneddoti interessanti. Serve una buona conoscenza dell'inglese e qualche nozione sul sistema NCAA, ma per il resto scorre bene.